Logitech G and McLaren are offering the fastest gamer in the world a dream job

By Kevin Parrish Published May 8, 2017

Logitech G said on Monday, May 7 that it teamed up with McLaren to create a new competition that will see the winner serving as an official Formula 1 simulator driver for an entire year. Called World’s Fastest Gamer, the competition will whittle virtual racers down to a handful of finalists who will race to win the one-year contract at the McLaren Technology Centre this fall.

“[The winner] will work with engineers at both at the McLaren Technology Centre and at grand prix circuits across the world to develop and improve the machinery driven in the real world by the team’s drivers, Fernando Alonso, and Stoffel Vandoorne,” Logitech said.

Recommended Videos

According to McLaren, virtual racers on PC, console, and even mobile will battle each other in the McLaren Technology Centre this summer. Gaming experts will select six of the best, and then add four more to the roster stemming from online events that will take place this summer as well. These ten individuals will then proceed to “the toughest job interview of their lives” over a five-day track.

Ultimately, the chosen individual will receive the “World’s Fastest Gamer” title and land the one-year contract with McLaren. As for what happens after that one-year contract expires, that’s unknown, but the player will walk away knowing he/she had a part in improving the Formula 1 in the real world.

“Not only will they race against each other across a variety of different gaming titles on different platforms, they will also need to demonstrate their engineering know-how, ability to work as part of a team, and display the mental and physical strengths required for such a unique position,” Logitech added.

Logitech G is the gaming arm of peripheral-maker Logitech. Its racing-themed products include the $400 G29 racing wheel (PS4/PS3), the $400 G920 racing wheel (Xbox One, PC), and the $60 Driving Force Shifter for the G29 and G920 wheels. Logitech G is also heavily into eSports, which sponsors a number of teams and individual players such as Zachary “Sneaky” Scuderi and Nicolaj “Incarnation” Jensen.

In addition to Logitech G and McLaren, the upcoming competition will also be sponsored by Ideas+Cars chief maverick officer and founder Darren Cox, who previously served at Nissan and Renault U.K. Also on board is the online sports media platform Givemesport, and racing equipment supplier Sparco USA. That latter company now offers a line of products for gaming such as the $259 Respawn seat.

Logitech G didn’t say when the competition will begin, but we will likely find out more once the E3 2017 gaming convention is behind us this June. The company also didn’t provide any specifics about the job such as its remuneration or payment of expenses.

Former Contributor

Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…

Topics

Gaming

The Alters review: philosophical sci-fi carries this fascinating survival game

Jan overlooking a lava pit on an alien planet.

We've all had those moments where we lose ourselves in thought, pondering the big "what ifs" of our lives. What if you had followed your childhood dream of becoming a musician? What if you had mustered up the courage to ask out your high school crush? Trying to predict the butterfly effect of those possible scenarios on your life is impossible, but always an interesting thought experiment. The part we tend to focus on in these scenarios is how our choices would change our external circumstances, but rarely do we contemplate how those decisions would have changed who we would become.

That's the exact premise The Alters looks to explore in its high-concept sci-fi survival format. In it, players scour a small map for resources, balancing time and materials against a ticking clock and conflicting goals to please a safehouse full of clones. It doesn't break new ground in its survival loop, but the situations that arise from one man trying to live with a group of alternate versions of himself are more than engaging enough to carry a memorable experience.

Gaming

Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree is very much Bandai Namco’s Hades

Heroes fight a fire-breathing boss in Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree.

If this year’s Summer Game Fest taught me anything, it’s that Hades is all the rage right now. We saw multiple game last week that took clear inspiration from Supergiant’s hit roguelike with fast-based top-down action. The appeal is so undeniable that even Bandai Namco is jumping on the trend with Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree. Set to launch on September 19, the game puts its own spin on a popular formula with its ink painting-inspired art and colorful cast of characters.

Is that enough to set itself apart in what’s becoming a crowded field? I went hands-on with it at Summer Game Fest to find out, trying out my first 15 minute run (and a second one after an initial defeat). While it won’t fully be able to separate itself from the inevitable Hades comparisons, Towa does include some bright ideas in its two-character combat that makes battles even faster.

Gaming

Multiplayer returns to the Metal Gear franchise after twelve years

In-engine footage of Snake from Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

After an absence of 12 years, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is bringing back multiplayer, but Konami cautions fans to expect a completely different experience than the original Metal Gear Online. Announced at Konami's Press Start Live event, the new multiplayer mode titled Fox Hunt is something like hide-and-seek on steroids, with a dash of camouflage thrown in.

According to Yu Sahara, director of the multiplayer aspect, "Fox Hunt is a completely original online multiplayer mode. Although it shares the same world with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, the gameplay is completely different." That said, he did acknowledge the nostalgia fans have for the original Metal Gear Online. "When we say Metal Gear multiplayer, many fans will probably think of Metal Gear Online, but Fox Hunt will be its own new type of mode. We very much appreciate all the long-time fans of MGO who have always wanted to see it make a comeback, but the landscape of multiplayer games has changed a lot since MGO. It took a lot of careful consideration to think about what a new online mode should look like."