The Worst Racing Game Ever Made...

Summary

The script delves into the controversial history of 'Driving in Tehran,' a game developed by SRP with government and corporate funding. It was marketed as an educational tool for traffic laws but was fraught with issues, including alleged embezzlement, poor game quality, and heavy-handed DRM. The game's development is shrouded in mystery, with its creators seemingly disappearing without a trace, leaving behind a legacy of a digital disaster that duped both sponsors and players.

Takeaways

• 🚗 'Driving in Tehran' was a game developed by the Iranian traffic police and SRP, aiming to teach traffic laws and promote safe driving.
• 💡 The game was marketed with massive hype, featuring popular actors and a unique game engine developed at a high cost.
• 💸 Over 3 million dollars were spent on the game's development, involving 10 big companies and government funding.
• 🔄 The game's development was fraught with issues, including a change in the main executable and the use of an open-source engine instead of the claimed custom-built one.
• 🏢 SRP, led by Dr. Sami, was ambitious but involved in questionable practices, such as using unlicensed music and DRM tactics.
• 🛑 The game had a strong focus on obeying traffic laws, with consequences for breaking them, including game crashes for running over pedestrians.
• 💼 The game was filled with advertisements for its sponsors, including IKCO, the largest automobile manufacturer in Iran, which heavily influenced the game's content.
• 📉 Despite the investment, the game was not well-received, with issues like poor car handling, limited environments, and unclear traffic laws.
• 🚫 The game was restrictive, with no freedom for players to engage in behaviors typical of video games, earning it the title of an 'anti-video game'.
• 🕊️ The game was allegedly used as a front for embezzlement, with funds not transparently allocated to game development.
• 🕵️‍♂️ An investigation into SRP's address revealed suspicious activities, suggesting ongoing operations and potential ties to the medical industry.

Q & A

What was the primary objective of the game 'Driving in Tehran'?

The main goal of 'Driving in Tehran' was to teach traffic laws and promote safe driving, as it was developed by the traffic police.

Who was contracted to develop the game 'Driving in Tehran'?

The game was contracted to a company called SRP, headed by Doctor Sami.

How much time and money was initially spent on developing the game engine for 'Driving in Tehran'?

Over 2 years and 2 million dollars of taxpayer money were spent on developing the game engine.

What was unique about the game's development funding?

Doctor Sami convinced 10 other companies to sponsor the game, raising over a million dollars in addition to the initial investment.

What was the controversy surrounding the game's Digital Rights Management (DRM)?

The game implemented two layers of DRM, including a government-backed threat against crackers and an activation code linked to the computer's ID, which was criticized for being overly restrictive.

What was the game's price and how did it compare to the local market?

The game was priced at 5 dollars, which was considered high in Iran where piracy was common and pirated game disks typically cost a dollar or two.

What was the game's approach to handling traffic violations and accidents?

In 'Driving in Tehran', obeying traffic laws was mandatory; crashing the car resulted in losing money, breaking traffic laws led to fines, and running over pedestrians caused the game to crash.

What was the significance of the 'Taxi Mode' in the game?

'Taxi Mode' was a gameplay feature where players had to earn money through fares while adhering to traffic laws, emphasizing the game's educational purpose.

What were the allegations regarding the game's development and funding?

There were allegations that the game was used to embezzle over 3 million dollars from large corporations and the government, with suspicions that the funds did not go towards game development.

What was the controversy about the game's second disc?

The second disc, intended for track racing, was reportedly blank in most copies and is now considered lost media. It was also alleged to be a poorly modded version of 'Need for Speed 4'.

What was the outcome of the investigation into SRP and Doctor Sami?

The investigation led to a confrontation at SRP's address, suggesting that the company might still be operating from that location, but the individuals involved were evasive and suspicious, raising more questions than answers.

Outlines

00:00

🚗 The Controversial Development of 'Driving in Tehran'

The script details the tumultuous creation of a game called 'Driving in Tehran,' which was backed by the Iranian government and large companies. The game, developed by SRP under Dr. Sami, aimed to educate on traffic laws and safe driving but was fraught with issues. It involved a controversial development process, including the creation of a proprietary game engine that consumed significant resources. The game's release was met with technical and DRM challenges, and its content was heavily influenced by sponsors, notably the car manufacturer IKCO, which dictated the game's vehicle selection. The game's narrative involved a taxi company dispute between two families, with gameplay mechanics that were both restrictive and laden with propaganda, promoting legal earnings and traffic law adherence. The game's ending was contingent on the player's adherence to these principles, with a stark message against harming pedestrians.

05:03

💸 Financial Irregularities and the Illusion of 'Driving in Tehran'

This paragraph delves into the financial aspects and the aftermath of 'Driving in Tehran.' It raises questions about the actual use of the 3 million dollars allocated for the game's development, suggesting that the funds may have been misappropriated. The game's developer, SRP, and Dr. Sami are scrutinized for their lack of transparency and the dubious claims surrounding the game's development, including the false assertion of creating a new game engine. The paragraph also discusses the game's poor reception, its failure to meet the promised scope, and the discovery of reused assets and a Warcraft trailer in the game files, indicating a lack of original content. The narrative branches of the game are explored, revealing a disconnect between the game's intended message and its execution, with a focus on the financial exploitation within the game's storyline.

10:04

🕵️‍♂️ Unraveling the Mystery of SRP and 'Driving in Tehran'

The final paragraph of the script takes on an investigative tone, attempting to uncover the truth behind SRP and Dr. Sami. It discusses the author's personal encounter with individuals possibly connected to SRP, which raises more questions than it answers. The author's visit to SRP's listed address led to a confrontation with men who appeared to be guarding the premises, further deepening the mystery. The paragraph also addresses the broader implications of the game's development, suggesting that it was part of a larger scheme to embezzle funds. It concludes with the author's decision not to pursue the matter further due to the risks involved, while also reflecting on the game's legacy and its place in the history of video games as a cautionary tale of corporate and governmental exploitation in the gaming industry.

Keywords

💡Driving in Tehran

Driving in Tehran is the central subject of the video script, referring to a video game developed in Iran with the purported aim of teaching traffic laws and promoting safe driving. The game is a key element of the video's narrative, illustrating a case of alleged mismanagement and embezzlement of funds. It is used as an example of a project that, despite its high budget and ambitious goals, resulted in a product that was both critically panned and seemingly used for fraudulent purposes.

💡Game Engine

A game engine is a software framework designed to facilitate the creation and development of video games. In the context of the video, Doctor Sami, the head of SRP, aimed to create his own game engine as part of his ambitions to enter the video game industry. This endeavor is highlighted as a significant investment of time and taxpayer money, which contributed to the overall cost and complexity of the project.

💡DRM (Digital Rights Management)

DRM refers to technologies and legal restrictions used by publishers to control access to copyrighted material, such as video games. In the script, the game 'Driving in Tehran' implemented two layers of DRM to combat piracy, including government threats and an activation code linked to a computer's ID. This is a critical aspect of the game's distribution strategy and its attempt to protect intellectual property.

💡IKCO

IKCO, or Iran Khodro, is the largest automobile manufacturing company in Iran and a major sponsor of the game 'Driving in Tehran.' The company's influence is evident in the game's content, where only IKCO vehicles are available for use, and in the game's promotional materials. The video script uses IKCO as an example of corporate influence on a game's development and content.

💡Traffic AI and Physics

Traffic AI and physics pertain to the artificial intelligence and physical simulation aspects of the game that govern how traffic behaves and interacts within the game environment. The script mentions the creation of advanced traffic AI and physics as a significant part of the development process, contributing to the complexity and purported realism of the game's driving experience.

💡Piracy

Piracy, in the context of the video game industry, refers to the unauthorized copying and distribution of copyrighted material. The script discusses the prevalence of piracy in Iran and how 'Driving in Tehran' attempted to address this issue through DRM and legal threats, reflecting the challenges faced by game developers in regions where piracy is common.

💡Sia and Hootan Families

The Sia and Hootan families are fictional entities within the game 'Driving in Tehran,' representing different factions within the narrative. The Sia family is depicted as ambitious and dissatisfied with their compensation, leading to a storyline where they attempt to take over the taxi company. The Hootan family, conversely, is portrayed as 'good' and loyal to the company. These families serve as key characters in the game's story and illustrate the game's attempt to incorporate narrative elements.

💡Propaganda

Propaganda refers to information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. In the video, the game 'Driving in Tehran' is described as turning into a form of propaganda, promoting adherence to traffic laws and legal means of earning money, which is ironic given the game's own alleged fraudulent development.

💡Sponsorship

Sponsorship in the video refers to the financial support provided by companies to the game's development. The script mentions that Doctor Sami convinced 10 companies to sponsor the game, raising over a million dollars. This sponsorship is significant as it represents a form of investment in the game's success and is later questioned in light of the game's poor reception and alleged misuse of funds.

💡Lost Media

Lost media refers to the phenomenon where works, such as games, films, or other media, are believed to no longer exist or are extremely difficult to find. The script mentions that the second disc of 'Driving in Tehran,' which was supposed to be about track racing, is now considered lost media, adding to the game's mystique and the controversy surrounding its development and release.

💡Embezzlement

Embezzlement is the illegal act of converting another's property for one's own use by a person in a position of trust, typically in a business or financial setting. The video script suggests that the development of 'Driving in Tehran' involved embezzlement of funds, with the implication that Doctor Sami and SRP may have misused the money allocated for the game's development for personal gain.

Highlights

A major game release in Iran called 'Driving in Tehran' was developed by the traffic police with the aim to teach traffic laws and promote safe driving.

The game was developed by a company called SRP, led by Dr. Sami, who had ambitions to make Iran a significant player in the video game industry.

The game's development involved the creation of a new game engine, which took over 2 years and cost 2 million dollars of taxpayer money.

Dr. Sami secured sponsorship from 10 companies, raising over a million dollars for the game's development.

The game featured advanced traffic AI and physics, with over 10,000 lines of code and a recreation of one of Tehran's 22 districts.

The game had a price tag of 5 dollars, which was high considering Iran's prevalence of piracy and the usual cost of pirated games.

DRM measures included government threats against game crackers and an activation code linked to the computer's ID.

The game's story involved a taxi company dispute between the 'good' Hootan family and the ambitious Sia family.

The game was heavily sponsored by Iran's largest car manufacturer, IKCO, which influenced the game's content and vehicle selection.

The game's taxi mode emphasized obeying traffic laws and earning money legally, with penalties for breaking laws or crashing.

Running over pedestrians in the game resulted in the game crashing with a message emphasizing the value of human life.

The game's graphics and 3D representation were criticized for being subpar, with poor lighting and textures.

Unused voice files and a Warcraft trailer were found in the game files, indicating potential unused content.

The game was accused of being a scam, with allegations that the development funds were embezzled by Dr. Sami.

Investigations into SRP and Dr. Sami revealed inconsistencies and potential lies about the game's development and success.

The game's second disc, intended for track racing, was reportedly a poorly modded version of Need for Speed 4 from 1998.

The game's engine was not a new creation as claimed, but rather a simple Flash player with basic open-source components.

An attempt to visit SRP's address led to a suspicious encounter with individuals who appeared to be monitoring the premises.

Transcripts

this is what happens, when 10 big companies, and the government, spend 5 years and 3 million dollars on a game

it's called:

driving in tehran

and here's the rabbit hole that opened beneath it

let's begin

it's 2005, in iran, and news are breaking out about an upcoming major game release, made by the traffic police

the trailers were being showcased on tv, featuring popular actors and characters, which built up massive hype around it

the main goal of the game was to teach traffic laws and promote safe driving

it was made by the traffic police after all, and they contracted a company called srp to develop it

sounds like a simple project, but the head of srp, doctor sami, had much bigger ambitions

he wanted iran and his company to enter the video game industry big,

and he would do that by first making his own game engine,

which took over 2 years and 2 million dollars of taxpayer money to develop

still, it wasn't enough, so he convinced 10 other companies to sponsor his game

he raised over a million dollar this way and spent the next 3 years making the game

this was the official story and it was looking good

70 people spent 500,000 hours on the game and recreated one of the tehran's 22 districts,

with advanced traffic ai and physics,

totaling to over 10 thousand lines of code

ummm... i'm sure they meant millions

the game would eventually come out with a price tag of 5 dollars, which was a lot

iran is a country where piracy is legal

people were used to buying pirated game disks for a dollar or two

and srp knew this, so they implemented 2 layers of drm into the game, with the first one being:

"the government"

doctor sami basically threatened people who would attempt to crack the game, saying they'd be dealing with the police

talking about morals and advocating for copyright law, while hypocritically using unlicensed fifa98 soundtrack in the trailer

on top of that, the game would require an activation code, linked to your computer's id and only accessible through either telephone or their website,

which wasn't even up at the time, and the phone line was consistently busy during the launch week

the game would eventually be cracked at some point, and here it is

the main menu offers us with 2 paths that lead to 5 different endings,

so here's the story:

this guy, owns a taxi company, with his employees consisting of sia and hootan families

the hootan family are the "good" guys

they get paid minimum wage to make this guy lots of money

the sia family however, is more ambitious

they feel like they're not compensated for years of hard work at the taxi company,

so they decide to meet the owner in the countryside and discuss business

it's all going well, until sia decides to shamelessly plug one of the game's sponsors into the conversation,

which is this dark piss soda company

“by the way, want some soda? zamzam is really cool! so addictive!”

“i’d rather eat crap”

the owner goes mad as a result, and sia leaves with the goal of taking over the taxi company

the owner, along with hootan, get in a car, and chase after him

in the hootan path, we're presented with a choice of 5 vehicles,

all of which, are made by the largest automobile manufacturing company in iran

ikco is the biggest sponsor of the game,

so much, that they removed every other car

for example there's a mercedes in the trailer and game files that is nowhere to be found in the final release

even the cover car used to be different

the ikco rabbit hole goes much deeper,

but for now, let's start the game using this insult of an automobile

this is just the beginning

the gameplay speaks enough of the car handling

they cranked the gravity all the way up,

which in racing games, is lazy move to make the cars more stable,

and even that, is not enough in this game

but considering these cars are made by ikco, i'd say it's accurate

anyways, you'll see advertisement billboards every 50 meters or so

and these are actually the sponsors of the game

what surprises me is that they somehow convinced the marketing teams of 10 big companies to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a virtual billboard

and this was in 2005!

in iran!

they sold nfts at a time when the average person didn't know what "internet" or "video game" means

we reach the end of the level after a minute of driving and move onto the next one

that's sia

i'm guessing this was intended to be a chase scene,

but ended up being something that is gonna chase me through my worst nightmares

we then reach the taxi company with the game transitioning into the "taxi mode"

hmmm...

can you guess which button here starts the next level?

maybe the giant start button?

nope!

that actually quits the game

someone tried to prevent you from witnessing the horrors ahead,

but i was unfortunate enough to find the real start button, so here we go

a cutscene doesn't play after the loading

here it is from the game files

hootan finds out that sia and his family took all but one of the taxi vehicles,

so instead of reporting them or going after them,

he decides to keep working as the dumbass taxi driver that he is

the game basically turns into propaganda,

telling you to earn money through legal means, and obey traffic laws

but they mean it

in the taxi mode, you cannot go above the speed limit

if you crash the car, you lose money

if you break traffic laws, you get fined

but the most interesting thing is what happens when you run over pedestrians...

the game crashes

it doesn't reset, or show a game over menu, it simply quits,

and before it does, it briefly shows up a message saying:

"you shouldn't play with people's lives"

this, was their idea of a video game

obey the law, don't kill digital pixels, no fun allowed

they unironically made something that is best described as an anti-video game,

and we're not even halfway through

to finish this level, you need to collect 200,000 tomans through fares,

which at the time would have been worth 200 dollars, but right now it's worth 4

each fare gives you 2,000 tomans on average, so you need to pick up 100 passengers to progress

if that sounds boring, it gets a lot worse, because each car crash costs you money

not only the car somehow handles worse in the taxi mode, but the traffic cars simply ignore your existence and crash right into you

"advanced simulation"

ok, just keep an eye out for traffic and invisible objects,

but that's not easy with the game's tiny field of view and render distance

it's like the original driver that came 7 years before this game, and that game had sizeable cities

here, you get like 2 short streets of tehran

that's less than 5% of the district that they promised to recreate

"1.5 million photos taken"

let's check that claim

well... they did the bare minimum of turning those photos into textures,

and then carelessly slapped them on 2d sprites with 0 lighting

as a result, the game barely feels 3d

it's half assed, and some alleyways are straight up skipped

still, this is the only part of the game where you can see a small trace of effort,

and i don't think it came from srp,

but rather another company who was closely tied to and funded by the police

they made all the animations for the game and probably borrowed parts of the city from their other projects

they even got to refrence the game in one of their future animations

“whoa dude! mad props to police, what an amazing game!”

“they built tehran inside it”

this animation contains unseen footage showcasing police cars that are absent in the final release

there are actually unused voice files related to police chatter,

and they are hilariously awful since they didn't have voice actors

the biggest anomaly however, is this warcraft trailer in the movies folder

alongside it, there are much better looking renders that make you question:

what went wrong?

we'll get to that, but for now, we need to collect 4 dollars to progress,

but if you get fined a total of 12 dollars instead, you get the bad ending

not only you can randomly get fined, but the traffic law isn't exactly clear in the game... which you know...

was the whole point of it

you can buy back the sia family after collecting 4 dollars

the ending cinematic is just a generic scene with text written on top of it, and the audio is completely messed up

in the bad ending, sia will open up a new taxi company, which will bankrupt yours, very sad,

anyways, we still have to play as sia in the other story branch

so after taking over the taxi company, sia gets a phone call

apparently, the owner of the taxi company is in bad health

sia has a sudden change of heart, and rushes over to help him

just don't ask how he got his hands on an ambulance, or how the character models look

if you're too late, the owner dies, cry emoji

but otherwise, you'll need to pay 1,000,000 tomans in hospital fees since the owner doesn't have insurance

funnily enough, 2 of this game's sponsors are insurance companies

they filled half the game with advertisements, but forgot to mention them when they had the perfect opportunity,

and guess how you're going to save up the money

yeah, it's the same thing as before, with 5 times the amount

if only there was a faster way...

but they removed the "bad" ending from this path

here's the cutscene from the game files

“the company is closed down due to sia’s malversation. if you have any information about sia, call 0010”

not much is known about this ending other than sia does something illegal and ends up being wanted by the police

but did you really think they were going to let you commit crimes in a video game?

even the worst rated scam game in history (big rigs) gave you more freedom

hell, even a cancelled game whose sole purpose was to be as boring as possible,

ends up being more functioning and entertaining than this 3 million dollar digital abomination

worse yet, it has more propaganda and advertisement than a game made in north korea

these were the 3 games you would think of when it comes the worst racing games,

but now, driving in tehran, easily takes that title

this was just the main disc though

the second disc of this game was supposed to be about track racing

in most copies however, this disc was blank, and is believed to be lost media now

but according to forum posts, it was just a poorly modded version of need for speed 4, from 1998

5 years of development, and all they did was steal another game

they even stole the mod

the "national" game engine that was supposedly built from the ground up was also a lie

the main executable of the game is a simple flash player, and the rest are made using a basic open source engine

they just ripped off this vehicle physics demo and replaced the models with shitty iranian cars...

except these cars aren't even iranian

which gets us back to ikco

they contributed so much to the game, that they have a dedicated movie accessible in the main menu

it's basically just a long advertisement showcasing their achievements

but let's take a look at them, shall we?

they started out by making hillman arrows in the 60s

hillman however, is based in britain

now in the 90s, they started manufacturing various models of peugeot

peugeot however, is a fr*nch company

for 30 years they never made a car themselves,

but in 2001, they introduced samand, the national car

their slogan, which can also be found in the game was:

"samand, the iranian car"

so was it?

samand takes most of its components, from the same old peugeots

they called it a "new" car, when in reality it was just a reskin of something they didn't even make themselves

even to this date they're pulling the same shit, and it's not cheap

these 30 year old jalopies go for over $9,000 "new",

which is roughly 3 years worth of average income if you somehow ignore the rapid inflation,

and despite this, the company keeps losing money!

how's that possible?

the long answer can fill another video, but short answer:

people steal money

cuz there's no way that any of those 3 million dollars went towards developing the game, so where did it go?

in doctor sami's pockets ofcourse! but we need more proof

where are srp and doctor sami today?

aside from forum discussions, here's every website that has an article about driving in tehran

the first one is written by one of the biggest iranian news publications, and it's entirely false...

(as usual)

they claimed the game was translated to 2 other languages and have won an international award...

in a summit that isn't about video games...

before the game was even released

there's also the archived version of srp's website that remained up until 2008

they claimed to have made another game, but i found no evidence of it anywhere else

same goes for their other projects

it seems like their entire portfolio was built up on lies told by doctor sami, who is even more mysterious

the only surviving information about him, are from these 2 websites where he was briefly interviewed and made those bogus claims about the game and its copyright

but this is where the trail ends

overall, this game was used to embezzle over 3 million dollars from large corporations and the government,

and to this date, no one knows anything about it

don't look at me, this was just your average video laughing at bad games...

but it fell way deeper

as it turns out, srp's address is publicly available,

so i thought to pay a visit...

it went horribly

at first, the building seemed to be a medical clinic because it had a plaque with doctor names written on it

i took these photos and was just about to have another look around...

until the door opened

a guy came outside, and asked me if i was looking for someone

i told him i was looking for mr sami but must have gotten the wrong address

he then started asking why i took photos of the building, and then called his brother to come down as well

after realizing he wasn't about to give up, i turned on my phone's background recorder

“he went there, took pictures, then also came here and took pictures”

“why did you take pictures?”

he’s right

i started taking a video of the building as soon as i entered the alleyway, then came closer to take a photo of the plaque,

and they knew all of these

they demanded id and kept questioning me about the photos, which was weird

even in iran it is legal to take photos of public spaces, but they weren't really making sense,

and nor was i due to panic, which is probably why they let me go so easily in the end,

but not before forcing me to delete the photos i took, which i later recovered anyways

if you want full details, this whole encounter is on my second channel, but let's break down the important points:

1. they had me on their cctv the moment i entered a public alleyway. why?

2. their response suggests that srp is still operating in that building, but i didn't dare bring it up again

3. why did they want my photos removed when literally anyone can check out the building from the outside?

4. they had their names on a plaque beside the door

so i looked them up and... yeah

one of them is registered as a general doctor, and the other is a dentist

their reported addresses are outdated, but they used to be just a few buildings away from each other

i also tried calling srp's phone number,

but it was blocked, which usually only happens if you don't pay the phone bill

so why are a bunch of doctors so paranoid about a random dude taking photos of their building, to the point of actively watching their cameras?

shouldn't they be busy with patients in the middle of a working day?

why open up a clinic in such an inaccessible and relatively uncrowded part of central tehran?

why not update your address?

and most importantly, what ties do they have to srp?

i don't know

this whole thing is not making any sense

it is clear though, that something fishy is going on at srp's address

but i'm not getting paid enough to look into this any further

there's just one more loose end left to address

this guy

well he, used to be a very popular tv presenter, and is still active to this date

i emailed him asking if he remembers anything, but got no response so far

this digital abomination can now be downloaded from the internet archive,

but there's a high chance you won't be able to run it on modern systems

good

if you wanna see more obscure racing games, here's my twitch, link in description

in the end, driving in tehran managed to scam everyone while still managing to look good to the general public,

and 17 years later, another game would follow in its footsteps