[jnr_seahorse]

QUOTE SportWorld
colpeady (14/11/2004 12:57:00)

It seems that none of the posts on a release date for SportWorld are being answered. A cynic might think that this has been abandoned in favour of Digital.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Digital and World
Adrian Norman (14/11/2004 21:50:00)

Both products are being developed as we speak.
Digital product has just been released this week.
Sport World is due for release mid 2005.
Happy Racing,
Adrian

Saw this on the Scalextric website. I was sooooo disappointed.

I had really been looking forward to having a proper pace car etc. in time for Christmas as originally promsied. I had at least been hoping to treat myself for my birthday in February. MID 2005 seems rediculous! I am in a huff now - off to a quiet darkened room.

Booooooooooo Scalextric. It had better be good when it comes out, and I am hoping the extra time is to link it in with digital.

JS

 

[Doug]

Scalextric Sport World (SSW) is still under development. It will not be linked to digital - at least not in 2005.

 

[scalextricracer]

hope the following helps

SportWorld Compatiblility with SportDigital

Adrian Norman (14/11/2004 21:52:00)

SW and SD have areas of compatibility. In fact most is compatible except that it will not be possible to race against other on the Internet and use lane changing at the same time - it's one or the other.

This was on the scalextric website, so sports world will be compatable with digital after all

Hope this helps

ScalextricRacer

 

[jnr_seahorse]

As I had guessed.
It had seemed slightly short sighted to release two incompatable products at the same time. I guess this makes sense and makes the delay worth the wait.

Does this mean it will be possible to have a lane changing pace car!

 

[Doug]

SSD and SSW are two different products.

SSD uses chipped cars and LC pieces. For the moment, race control is prety basic, but in 2005 a Pro version will allow computer based race control and management. That is what is shared between SSD and SSW.

SSW uses normal cars that don't change lanes. It will allow racers to link up together over a network or over the Internet to race together as long as all tracks are exactly the same. It will be lauched with the computer based race control and management system.

SSD is in the shops now and SSW will be released next year. No time is fixed, but they want to get it out in Q2 if possible.

 

[scalextricracer]

jnr_seahorse

Currently there is no pacecar for Sports Digital.

But if you have the challanger car I have been informed works ok on SPorts Digital if you put the controller on full power using a piece of taps to hold the power on. but it doesnt go a full speed more of a pace car speed.

Still good if you want to pratice over taking before racing.

Nuro

Can i ask where you found out the info on Sports Digital Pro.

As far as i was aware Sports Digital was just going to be Sprots Digital, adding software doesn't make it a pro verion, but just Sports Digital with software.

Hope this helps

ScalextricRacer

 

[astro]

scalextric web site says that challenger is NOT compatible; you can make a pace car of sorts by taping the controller and using a standard digital car though - ie make it go at one speed all the way round the track, as shown on those videos.

I have also heard of the Sport Digital Pro, in discussion with Adrian Norman at a club race in july I think. Those were their definate plans at that time.

 

[Doug]

QUOTE (scalextricracer @ 17 Nov 2004, 20:26)...
Nuro

Can i ask where you found out the info on Sports Digital Pro.

As far as i was aware Sports Digital was just going to be Sprots Digital, adding software doesn't make it a pro verion, but just Sports Digital with software.
...
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was mentioned at the British Toy Fair in February. Link

 

[jnr_seahorse]

I understand what you are saying Nuro and until I read these recent snippets on the Scalextric website I agreed with you 100%.

It just seems to me that the delay on SSW is unreasonable considering they had a working version running in public nearly a year ago. (And longer ago in private)

Doesn't the reply Scalextricracer has posted suggest more compatability between SSD and SSW than previously thought? And I just thought that maybe this might account for the delay? Maybe I am wrong and being too hopeful! Time will tell!

 

[Doug]

I'm sure that Scalextric will come out with a new big thing virtually every quarter of every year. They're a listed company and they have to keep the market happy. They also have to show positive growth and progression.

I'm sure that they'll move digital on offering good racing features and add-ons. They'll do SSW and release it, looking at how it works and is accepted in the real world.

It's just speculation, but perhaps then they'll look at combining features of both systems.

 

[VicElfordFan]

From The Scaley Site :

challenger replacement
mortier (09/10/2004 21:14:00)
[email protected]

Is it possible to program a car so it will operate like the challenger mercedes?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Challenger style!
Adrian Norman (12/10/2004 10:04:00)

It is possible to program a car to drive round the track just like the Mercedes Challenger cars. The bonus is that ANY car can be programmed. This feature is only available in Sport World though (not Sport Digital)!

 

[Tropi]

I hesitate to say this but, after hesitating, am going to say it anyway!

I think Scalextric has made and continues to make a fairly bad mistake in casually using the word 'Sport' virtually indiscriminately as an appendage to almost anything new that they introduce. It results in the word 'Sport' being completely devoid of any useful meaning and definitely adds to the confusion experienced by customers, as frequently evidenced in trying to discriminate between variations on digital systems. It is further confused by 'Sport' track which MANY people perceive as being special to digital, which it is not.

Sorry to appear 'negative', Scalextric, but this is genuinely constructive comment. It needs to be said, needs to be read and needs to be thought about carefully if you don't want to alienate customers through confusion.

 

[astro]

I think the adoption of 'sport' everywhere is quite clever: encourages people to think of scalextric as a 'sport' and not a 'toy'

 

[Tropi]

Probably that's how Scalectric saw it too and, in that rather limited sense, it may well have validity.
But it has gradually become and now remains an essentially meaningless piece of ambiguous sales padding.

Unfortunately, what we actually see repeatedly occurring on the board is a huge amount of confusion about a rather technical subject, which is bad for both customer and manufacturer. Customers need terminology that is clear, meaningful and, where possible, indicative of functionality if they are to buy in to this technology.

The already confusing digital situation was undoubtedly exacerbated by a certain individual who used to rave on about Challenger being digital and only succeeding in further confusing (and irritating) people.

I'm sure the situation will become clearer in time, but sales pitched phraseology and hype in a technical area is a real hindrance to full understanding where understanding is essential to acceptance and success.

 

[Wankel Ickx]

I'm with Tropi, I think. All this Sport stuff IS confusing to bears of little brain like me.

And what's this about partial compatibility? Oh, that'll keep folks (retailers and punters) on their toes.

And please, no more about playing with toy cars being taken as a sport. For crying out loud. At best it is modelling, mostly it is playing with toy cars.

Madness, it's all madness, I tell ya.

 

[colpeady]

Q2 2005 has been and gone - still no SSW

 

[chenglaw]

Hope you didn't hold your breath!!!