Lawnmower Racing Mania 2007: Gentlemen, Start your... Lawnmowers???!!!!

[tucsoncoyote]

Okay now I've seen everything... but this one takes the cake.

I know that a lot of folks out there love racing games, (Even I love the Need for Speed Series), but this isn't about High speed Muscle cars being chased by the Highway patrol, or even ripping around a track in a Lambro at 180 mph..

this... is about Lawnmower racing...

What?!!! You're saying to your self.. Has Tucsoncoyote finally lost it?

Nope.. Haven't lost it but apparently someone else has. Cause I feel sorry for the folks who came up with this idea.

I was browsing through EB Games tonight looking at some of the potential Purchases I wanted to pick up in the months ahead, and as I was looking at the new list over at EBGames.com I found this one title, called , you guessed it..Lawnmower Racing Mania 2007 made by of all companies..Vivendi Games!

and the short description of this Vivendi Games software really says it all
(BTW isn't Vivendi Games the folks who help sponsor Devry technology schools?):


What happens when you turn a household chore into the wildest mowtorsport to hit the nation in years? Grab your helmet, bore out your cylinders and get ready for the ultimate MOWdown! Lawnmower racing is sweeping the country in a grass-roots movement that brings all the excitement of open wheel racing to a dirt-in-your-face, spine-jarring new level.

I mean the last time I ever heard about Lawnmower Racing was maybe 10 years ago when was on with Tim Allen.
Home Improvement
But this.. this is news to me..

I mean for the 20 dollar price tag who in their right mind would buy such a game? I mean Can you imagine playing with your friends and seeing something like this racing game coming out where you race against your opponents on a Garden tool? I mean what's up and so popular about Having a game about Lawnmower racing..

and what is really sad is that this comes on the heels of Vivendi Games mega-hit, Flatout 2.

Oy and i thought F1 was good.. but apparently from the looks, America has definitely hit a new low in racing.. and Lawnmowers are it's middle name..

But your thoughts on this?

:coyote:

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Sounds just nutty enough to be a sleeper hit.

[Dark Fact]

This is either proof that the video game industry is running out of ideas or proof that innovation in gaming is on the rise. Or it could be both. :)

Hey, at least we had Ninja Golf. ;)

[shoujoaifan]

For anyone not in the know or are wondering, lawnmower racing is real :anime:

I don't think its any weirder than people driving dangerously in any other 4-wheel vehicles that happen to have roofs, some optional, or driving dangerously on 2-wheel vehicles, cutting up walking corpses with other garden tools, shooting beams of light at dudes from other planets, or popping out of gigantic water pipes to jump on the noggins of turtles and walking noggins :cool:




Life's too short to take too seriously.

'specially when its comes to something that's made just for fun. Ohhh, I'm sure the racers in real life compete seriously to win, but c'mon, there's NOOO way most of them think its a grand, distinguished sport. Its racing around on lawnmowers, they know it, and they love it :D

Its a sport that cheesy and corny on purpose, probably started as way to let people race on the cheap compared to NASCAR, but then I don't doubt people started doing it for the sake of driving a bunch of grass eaters, letting out their inner child.




So to take a sport that's not meant to be too serious, but meant to be fun? Sounds like a perfect video game to me.

:cool:

[tucsoncoyote]

For anyone not in the know or are wondering, lawnmower racing is real :anime:

I don't think its any weirder than people driving dangerously in any other 4-wheel vehicles that happen to have roofs, some optional, or driving dangerously on 2-wheel vehicles, cutting up walking corpses with other garden tools, shooting beams of light at dudes from other planets, or popping out of gigantic water pipes to jump on the noggins of turtles and walking noggins :cool:




Life's too short to take too seriously.

'specially when its comes to something that's made just for fun. Ohhh, I'm sure the racers in real life compete seriously to win, but c'mon, there's NOOO way most of them think its a grand, distinguished sport. Its racing around on lawnmowers, they know it, and they love it :D

Its a sport that cheesy and corny on purpose, probably started as way to let people race on the cheap compared to NASCAR, but then I don't doubt people started doing it for the sake of driving a bunch of grass eaters, letting out their inner child.




So to take a sport that's not meant to be too serious, but meant to be fun? Sounds like a perfect video game to me.

:cool:

Actually I think you are right on the mark here, After all Why have all this darn seriousness with Games like those you just described.. After all Look at Deer Avenger, now that was a funny game, having the deer hunt the Hunters..(It makes you wonder if sooner or later they will come out with some siller games but as for Lawnmower Racing? It's a novel little idea I think whose time has come.. right up there with Trophy Bass Fishing..

(Though I would have loved to see some rather interesting games as well from Vervendi, some that are rather strategy driven (much like Railroad Tycoon 3 or Sid Meier's Railroads...)

but hey I might seriously think about this one.. after all Lawnmower racing.. the next Olympic sport.. (Right up there with Equestrian Riding..(And yes they also have a game about Equestrian Show jumping (http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=646837)as well!)

:coyote:

[yoshirider13]

This game was in EGM's top 5 hillbilliest games of 2006. the 06 one.

[Squall]

If bowling and ping pong and synchronized swimming and horse events can be considered "sports", why not lawnmower racing?

I think it would be funny to play this game just to see how hilarious it is... I'm sure the game makes fun of itself in a lot of ways. So you just know this game is going to have a funny sense of humor. Like the video game equivalent of watching the Austin Powers movies, or a Will Ferrell movie.

Besides, I agree with the other guy 100% -- life's too short to get upset because some people like something that's not up your alley. Heck, my favorite sport involves men in colorful tights and pads chasing and hitting each other across a field, fighting over pig skin filled with air!

In other words, football. :sweat:

I think I'll go buy the game, just to show my support for unique ideas... and to see how funny the game is.

[tucsoncoyote]

If bowling and ping pong and synchronized swimming and horse events can be considered "sports", why not lawnmower racing?

I think it would be funny to play this game just to see how hilarious it is... I'm sure the game makes fun of itself in a lot of ways. So you just know this game is going to have a funny sense of humor. Like the video game equivalent of watching the Austin Powers movies, or a Will Ferrell movie.

Besides, I agree with the other guy 100% -- life's too short to get upset because some people like something that's not up your alley. Heck, my favorite sport involves men in colorful tights and pads chasing and hitting each other across a field, fighting over pig skin filled with air!

In other words, football. :sweat:

I think I'll go buy the game, just to show my support for unique ideas... and to see how funny the game is.

Well I tend to agree here Squall, after all each of us have to have a bit of humor in us all.

Besides what would make this game more appealing I feel would be something along the lines of some sort of "Track Editor" much like say Nadeo's Trackmania series has, so that you can build your own whacky and crazy tracks to share with your friends. (I mean this is why Trackmania is so popular and Nadeo is already on their fifth in a series of games (with Trackmania United (http://www.tm-united.com/)).

I think the real reason why games like Need for Speed and even Microprose's (Hasbro Sports) Grand Prix Series of games failed is because they didn't allow for Flexibility of their games. The Ability to give folks a chance to explore with their Imaginations what crazy ideas they could come up with.

Now if Vervendei Games wants to have the success happen, they need to really take a lesson from perhaps the masters of all types of games, Namely Microsoft (yes Folks Microsoft). After all Microsoft has created some of the most open ended games like Flight Simulator, Train Simulator and yes even Links (2003 series) of games which had the ability to add on to their product with things like Track Editors, Flight Editors, and even Golf Course editors (frankly it is amazing to see folks out there developing new things for old games) Even Maxis and Electronic Arts are learning that it's nice to have an editing Capapbility.

But as for Lawnmower Mania 2007? Like everyone said so far it's a great little laugh, and in fact if Vevendi comes up with a track edditor for this game, they will probably have their sleeper hit.

Just give it time, cause sooner or later Vevendi will come up with quite a few winners...(Makes me wonder why I don't go to Devry and learn gaming.. I got ideas running around in my head for a few games dealing with Cartoons).

:coyote:

[Duke]

For anyone not in the know or are wondering, lawnmower racing is real :anime:
It's not just real, it has its own special on ESPN2.

[BCVM22]

It's not just real, it has its own special on ESPN2.

So does the World's Strongest Man competition, doesn't mean that should be adapted as a video game (first person to suggest it will be arrested by the electronic entertainment division of the common sense police).

[Duke]

The difference is that The World's Strongest Man isn't easily adaptable into a racing game. Racing games are by far some of the easiest games to make and publish (Hell, Burger King made one), so it's not all that farfetched.

[tucsoncoyote]

The difference is that The World's Strongest Man isn't easily adaptable into a racing game. Racing games are by far some of the easiest games to make and publish (Hell, Burger King made one), so it's not all that farfetched.

I think you missed BCVM22's point here Duke, and in fact I think what he's trying to say is that if lawn Mower Racing could be made into a game, why not a game dealing with "The World's Strongest man?" (if I read this correctly).

But yes, why is it that some folks tend to look at some of these other smaller less known games that are out there just for the sake of a Franchise? (Sure I mean Folks Like Legos: Star Wars , and what not, but then not a lot of Franchises are out there. (Heck just recently Kim Possible got moved up a bit from the GBA and the Nintendo DS, to a PS 2 Game, so why not just take some of these Franchises like Lawn mower Racing and move them to a more suitable platform? (Like XBox and PS2/PS3)?

I guess it all comes down to "What really appeals to the folks", and apparently most folks tend to look at franchises rather then actual sports (even Monopoly has been considered a sport..)

But it's still interesting to see that someone had the guts to make a game (right up there with Pocket Bike Racers and Motorcross Madness (1 and 2).

:coyote:

[BCVM22]

I think you missed BCVM22's point here Duke, and in fact I think what he's trying to say is that if lawn Mower Racing could be made into a game, why not a game dealing with "The World's Strongest man?" (if I read this correctly).

No, not quite. The point I was attempting to make was that just because something is on ESPN2 or even televised at all doesn't mean in the slightest it should be made into a video game.

Speaking of missing the point, I can very nearly assure you that whoever is putting resources into developing/publishing "Lawnmower Racing" is NOT doing so purely for the advancement of the representation of neglected backwater sporting events in electronic entertainment. Why are they doing it, then, you ask? MONEY. The game is released at an already discounted price, it will likely be a piece of shoddy video game developing without the greatest and most expensive of development processes, and therefore the publisher and developer need to sell far fewer units to make a profit. They're releasing it straight to the bargain bin in hopes that those who participate in the "sport" and own a video game system might give it a spin, and the rest will just be curious consumers with $20 to blow on what looks like 5 minutes worth of entertainment.

[Duke]

Speaking of missing the point, I can very nearly assure you that whoever is putting resources into developing/publishing "Lawnmower Racing" is NOT doing so purely for the advancement of the representation of neglected backwater sporting events in electronic entertainment. Why are they doing it, then, you ask? MONEY. The game is released at an already discounted price, it will likely be a piece of shoddy video game developing without the greatest and most expensive of development processes, and therefore the publisher and developer need to sell far fewer units to make a profit. They're releasing it straight to the bargain bin in hopes that those who participate in the "sport" and own a video game system might give it a spin, and the rest will just be curious consumers with $20 to blow on what looks like 5 minutes worth of entertainment.
Hence why they went with a racing sport, which makes it very easily translatable to the video game. I do wonder if they'll have weapons, though.

[tucsoncoyote]

No, not quite. The point I was attempting to make was that just because something is on ESPN2 or even televised at all doesn't mean in the slightest it should be made into a video game.

Speaking of missing the point, I can very nearly assure you that whoever is putting resources into developing/publishing "Lawnmower Racing" is NOT doing so purely for the advancement of the representation of neglected backwater sporting events in electronic entertainment. Why are they doing it, then, you ask? MONEY. The game is released at an already discounted price, it will likely be a piece of shoddy video game developing without the greatest and most expensive of development processes, and therefore the publisher and developer need to sell far fewer units to make a profit. They're releasing it straight to the bargain bin in hopes that those who participate in the "sport" and own a video game system might give it a spin, and the rest will just be curious consumers with $20 to blow on what looks like 5 minutes worth of entertainment.

Well when you look at who makes it, (Vevendi Games, who I might add is a sponsor for Devry Technomogy Schools (You've seen the ads, for Devry, right?)) You know one thing... for the 20 Bucks you are about to blow on this game, you are indeed getting what you said... A piece fo *Bleep* Videogame.. After all if it's made by Vevendi, isn't most of their stuff Junk?)

Just my thoughts on this.

:coyote:

[BCVM22]

Well when you look at who makes it, (Vevendi Games, who I might add is a sponsor for Devry Technomogy Schools (You've seen the ads, for Devry, right?)) You know one thing... for the 20 Bucks you are about to blow on this game, you are indeed getting what you said... A piece fo *Bleep* Videogame.. After all if it's made by Vevendi, isn't most of their stuff Junk?)

Just my thoughts on this.

:coyote:

I never made any claim that the game was going to be anything other than a cheap and unmitigated piece of road apple. You were the one praising the developer for "taking a risk" and going on about how it was only a track editor (right...) short of being a triumph for creativity, niche sporting events and all things good and pure in the world of video games.

P.S. - Vivendi, dammit, Vivendi. You yourself spelled it right your first time and since then you've been chewing on the word and spitting it out. Why does it matter in the slightest if they sponsor DeVry's game development training programs, anyway?

[tucsoncoyote]

I never made any claim that the game was going to be anything other than a cheap and unmitigated piece of road apple. You were the one praising the developer for "taking a risk" and going on about how it was only a track editor (right...) short of being a triumph for creativity, niche sporting events and all things good and pure in the world of video games.

P.S. - Vivendi, dammit, Vivendi. You yourself spelled it right your first time and since then you've been chewing on the word and spitting it out. Why does it matter in the slightest if they sponsor DeVry's game development training programs, anyway?

The Answer is quite simple.. Doesn't DeVry stand for Quality? Apparently if someone creates a game and then someone (like Duke) says that a game like this really is just being done "For the Money" it makes you wonder if this game is going to lose quality for the money.. and yes it's Vivendi, and they did have a hit.. It's called Flatout.. but then why Create Flatout 2? What's next? Lawn Mower Mania 2007-2?

after all if a game company is doing it for the money, then the quality goes downhill.. Just ask Electronic arts when you read about the comments about The Sims 2 Pets..(One Reviewer I know of is blasting this game as if the whole game should be gutted and rebuilt from the ground up..

but again this is just my thoughts..

:coyote:

[BCVM22]

Never mind. I'm done.
...

:coyote:

[Dirty Dawg]

What's next? Lawn Mower Mania 2007-2?


Lawn Mower Mania 2008?:p