American McGee Debuts New Casual MMO Racing Concept

Alice, Bad Day LA and Grimm designer American McGee has unveiled a new game pitch, using his official website to showcase his latest concept: an "MMO lite racing title" called BaiJiu Racer. "Traditionally, when I’ve pitched game concepts, the process involved face-to-face meetings with potential publishers, use of our agents (CAA) back in Los Angeles, and lots of traveling," writes McGee. "Well, I’m getting old, China is FAR from the rest of the world, and the Internet can do a lot of amazing things, so here’s a game pitch for the next generation." BaiJiu Racer, a free-to-play, microtransaction-focused online game concept his Spicy Horse studio developed in concert with Chinese publishing partner ICEE, will feature portrayals of everyday Chinese people and locations in a "distinctive art style," and gameplay focused on skill-based racing that avoids "fun-killing power-ups." McGee also notes the idea's "strong narrative backbone and emotional drama," and promises "track locations that reveal a China few foreigners have seen." He plans to use third-party tools -- namely the Unreal Engine 3, which he used to develop Grimm, for the project. McGee also says he already has its design documents and development plan in order. "A lot of teams dream of a [Mario Kart] or [Kart Rider] killer - and we think our concept goes a long ways towards being a viable contender," he writes. "For one, it’s the first Chinese cart racing game developed with an authentic and original Chinese art style, set in real-world locations, and featuring some of the funkiest racing vehicle designs the world has ever seen (inspiration coming from actual Chinese vehicles)."