News Indianapolis 500 Evolution joins Steam’s Greenlight scheme

UK-based developer Brain in a Jar have announced that the PC version of their racing simulator Indianapolis 500 Evolution has entered Steam's new Greenlight programme, a scheme which invites the community to vote for new games to appear on Steam. If successful, Indianapolis 500 Evolution will be the first game on Steam to represent the iconic Indianapolis 500 Championship.   

“Entering the Greenlight system is a big step for us, as we test the mettle of crowd-sourced approval and see if Indianapolis 500 Evolution can get to the audience it deserves,” Carl Dalton, Founder of Brain in a Jar, commented. “We are, however, proud to be submitting our detailed and authentic simulation of one of the world’s most iconic races for release on PC. We know there is a demand for quality historic titles in the sim racing scene, so we invite racing fans across the EU and USA to support us in getting Indianapolis 500 Evolution onto the market, so that more titles in this vein can follow.”

Released on PS3 and Xbox 360 back in 2010, Indianapolis 500 Evolution chronicles the golden era of the historic Indianapolis 500 in the 1960s, featuring over 90 classic cars from the era including cars from leading manufacturers such as Lotus, Lola, Hawk and McLaren, along with all the famous drivers such as A.J. Foyt, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Mario Andretti, Al Unser and Jack Brabham. 

Multiple varients of six legendary circuits also feature. Of course, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had to be included, but here we get to see its evolution throughout the 1960s from a brick-paved oval to a modern speedway. Other courses include Hanford, Langhorne, Milwaukee, Riverside and Trenton.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=0idZTpm86yw

Despite its noestolgic appeal, Indianapolis 500 Evolution wasn't very well received at the time, however, thanks to some ropey physics, uninspiring graphics and lackluster force feedback support for wheels. 

Fortunately, Brain in a Jar have sought to rectify these issues and are in the process of launching a more refined version on Xbox Live Arcade and Steam later in the year. The updated version is said to have improved car and tyre physics, proper force feedback support, improved menus and a new multiplayer mode for up to 33 players.

We're hoping that this new version of Indianapolis 500 Evolution does the license the justice it sorely deserves, as not many other games offer a plethora of vintage race cars from such a memorable era of racing. Still, it's anyone's guess whether or not pitting such a niche racing title onto Steam's Greenlight will pay off when there's such a variety of titles to choose from, but you can show your support by voting for Indianapolis 500 Evolution here.

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