One noticable issue would be that the current generation of consoles just isn't powerful enough. Sorry but it's going to be a real constraint fitting a high-definition sim in to 256MB GPU / 256MB CPU ram on the PS3 or 512MB dynamically shared between the processor and gpu in the 360. Remember too that the GPU in the 360 is basically a X1900 which was (near enough) a top-of-the-heap card... five years ago, and that the GPU in the PS3 is basically a 7800. We've gotten some suggestion that whilst inclusive the sysreqs are going to be somewhere near that cutoff so a PS3/360 version would at least be noticeably toned down in the physics and graphics departments. That doesn't rule it out of course but it makes it far less likely. As for those projected costs and times... to port to the PS3 even ignoring power issues would take a total rewriting of the graphics engine, not the simple code patching some are suggesting as the PS3 doesn't do DIRECTX because DirectX is a Microsoft property, it has its own very specific version of GL, not to mention the somewhat over-vaunted 'Core' architecture of the PS3 is famously specific and thus hard to code for, one of the key reasons it took a while to build up a games library compared to its rival. Technology marches on and a resource-hungry simulator designed for PCs that have been developing over the past five years versus consoles that haven't is going to be a severe limitation. Back when the 360 came out I was running an X800 and a crappy Athlon XP, at best upper-mid-range. The 360 was faster than my PC by a way... but now my PC several years down was built on a yet smaller budget, (Phenom B45, 5750, 4GB ram) and it could run circles around both consoles' power combined without breaking a sweat. I have no doubt the next console generation we see will be more powerful than the tower to my right hand side but that's future tense.
I think you are forgetting the point of what rFactor really is and why it is on the PC and nothing else. rFactor is just a base program that allows 3rd party users to create and grow the rFactor platform. I can make any mod I want and implement it into rFactor, or I can take a really great mod and tweak it how I see fit to suit my league's needs. If ISI puts this on PS3, xBox, or Wii, then how will 3rd party user create their mods for the world to use? You think PS3, xBox, or Nintendo are going to just freely give up console software specifically for making those mods. No, I think not, especially since all those game developers paid out the a$$ for that game creation software. The cost for the mod developers would be to high that they would have to charge the end users for each mod they put out. Do you want to pay $5 for an update to a mod that you just paid $20 for 3 days ago? I knew this might seem extreme but I seem remember a lot of people not liking iRacing for many of these reasons (albeit the updates are free). Other reason is multiplayer mode would not be near as great on consoles. Look at most games on consoles (to include F1 2010 and the new NASCAR 2011 game) no more than 12 to 16 players can race online at a time...My league has a minimum of 20 every race day. I'm pretty sure other leagues are the same or have more. For some reason the console world limits these numbers and it's most from what Guineapiggy is talking about. I think as Guineapiggy says, the consoles will not be able to handle the number cars on the track at once because the systems would stop running smooth enough to get 20+ drivers. Yes, I know F1 2010 is on the PC and also limits to 12 drivers, but that is because it runs through Microsoft Live, which also handles xBox.
Also, done a little research in to these figures... Not sure where you got the dev costs as the PS3 version would cost significantly more to make than the 360 version but let's assume that's accurate. I don't think it is the dev kit for either console alone costs $10,000 or thereabouts last I checked. As blocky indiware title VVVVVV developed by one self-employed man cost him significantly over $20,000. That, too, sold 2000 copies in its launch month at its original $15 price tag. As for the rate Microsoft and Sony don't take 30% platform royalties, that's the starter rate in XNA. For XNA they take around 40 - 60% and for self-developed big name titles it's minimum $10 per game according to the sources I found and that's typically without them promoting you. If you wanted to go exclusively through XBL I'm sure it'd cost a whole lot more and the only other route is a publisher... and they take a big slice of the pie. 5 * the estimated 15000 *2 = $150,000 - $200,000 = $-50,000 and RF2's main platform development slowed to a crawl. Big developers don't charge big money because they can, they charge it so they can stay in business, not to mention you fail to factor in the time-span it'd take to port it. A terribly rushed port of GTA4 from 360 to PC took eight months in the hands of a separate studio. Let's take that as a generous baseline and call it 16 months to port it to both, in which they've run up $50,000 in losses. This is using your figures and a best case scenario. Besides, even if the vast majority are not every sale will be in addition to the PC version, a good number of people will likely want to play the game but not have or be uncertain about a suitable PC thus they will hurt their main consumer base in more ways than one. There is a very, very good reason nobody makes a highly developed and polished minority interest game and then sells it at $15 a go to an expected market of 30,000. Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines tanked despite high critical reception and being a PC-only effort that sold 72,000 copies in half a year and the developer (Troika) went bust.
Your thought is correct, but there nothing wrong with continuing the conversation in-depth as to why it would or would not happen.
As long as ISI maintains focus on the PC first and foremost, I've no issue with a console version. To the OP, honestly, who know? ISI have not made any movement toward consoles and I think I get the impression that the console market is not in their immediate vision. no complaints for me ... I want a simulator complete with everything modelled. Besides, I can just imagine how soon this forum would turn into a whining griping moaning immature mud slugging fest of insult and cry baby ... or am I just being far too extreme here! hmmm?????
