What’s Happening?

One of the most asked-for elements of the next NASCAR video game is customization, and many fans are wondering if iRacing’s “Trading Paints” will transfer over to the next NASCAR console video game. iRacing President Tony Gardner told Mike Straw of Insider Gaming in an exclusive interview that Trading Paints will likely not be available in the same way it is in iRacing. What exactly did Gardner have to say?

• Trading Paints is a website where iRacing players can design, share, and download custom paint schemes for all of the different types of cars in iRacing. It’s a very popular feature on the website, and it allows fans to get very creative with their paint schemes.
• Customizing paint schemes in a NASCAR video game is a feature many fans have been asking for. Not every player uses it, but, the more artistic gamers will use a paint booth to create unique paint schemes. Many NASCAR games feature a paint booth.
• Fans did not focus too heavily on this comment on the YouTube video, however, some fans may be disappointed to hear this news. There are reasons for this, however, that Gardner explained.

What Did Gardner Have to Say?

Straw asked Gardner specifically about Trading Paints and whether or not it would be included in the NASCAR console video game. Gardner gave this full response.

I don’t want to shatter their hopes and dreams but I don’t think things are going to be that free and open. We’re going to really try to do the best job we can, but I don’t think that it’ll be, it won’t work like iRacing.

Tony Gardner

While this may be disappointing news, Gardner and Straw both explained this decision. Straw compared game customization to the old EA Sports football games where fans could create a team. While that customization existed, players were limited in terms of designs by virtue of it being a console game.

PC gaming just opens up to a way bigger customization, that’s why mods are a major thing.

Mike Straw

Gardner agreed with Straw’s assessment, and he went a bit more in-depth regarding the focus of paint schemes in the NASCAR console game being on real-life teams and drives. Gardner did give some hope to fans hoping for a deep customization option in the NASCAR console video game.

You have the teams, the real world teams, that are going to be part of the NASCAR game obviously and the drivers. That’s also a focus of the paint kits, but we definitely want to allow Freedom as well so it won’t work like the PC World works

Tony Gardner

What Does This Mean?

Simply put, having an incredibly complex car customization model like iRacing is not suitable for a console video game. Consoles are not as easy to mod on as PCs are, and that makes it difficult for the same in-depth customization within the game.

However, Gardner did not rule out the possibility of customized paint schemes being in the next NASCAR video game. There will be some form of customization in all likelihood, but, fans who are looking for iRacing-type “Trading Paints” will be disappointed.

This is not a major surprise overall. NASCAR paint booths in past video games were not nearly as in depth as Trading Paints is in iRacing. Consoles have their limitations, but, that may not make this any less disappointing to some.

How will paint scheme customization be in the next iRacing console video game? If it’s not like Trading Paints, then, is there something else iRacing can do?