As one of the most iconic automotive brands in the world, the fact that Porsches never appeared in games other than those made or published by EA Games has been a real shame. That won’t be the case in the future though, as the 17 -year-long exclusivity deal EA had with the German automaker has now ended, opening up all sorts of opportunities for digital versions of the cars.
This not only means that we can expect Porches in future driving games, but that you can find them in non-EA games right now. Following the initial announcement by SpeedManiacs (via Ars), some Porches can already be found in Assetto Corsa. Other games expected to follow suit in short order include the likes of Project Cars, or at least its upcoming sequel, as well as the expected 2017 release of Forza Motorsport 7.
Initially struck with EA way back in 2000, the exclusivity contract between the game publisher and Porsche meant that some of the best driving franchises from the past near two decades have lacked Porsches. At least in their official, stock variety. They did make appearances in modified guises where possible and some games used sub-license deals with EA to get them, but they were hardly commonplace.
Moving forward, though, that seems likely to change and sharply. Rumors suggest that Porsche has been all too aware that its exclusive contract locked it out of some of the most beloved of driving games, leaving it critically underrepresented compared to its rival sports car manufacturers.
Considering how long EA held the exclusivity deal for, many have wondered why it didn’t do more with the brand. Its release of Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed in 2000 is still well remembered, but apart form a few smatterings of the Porsche lineup in games since, the firm has never quite leveraged it the way it did early on.
What games would you like to see Porsches finally make their long awaited debut in?
