So if you’ve got an interest in the topic and an IT department that won’t scold you for streaming at work, tune in this Monday by clicking the link below.  Hope to see you there!

- Dan
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This obsession, followed by generous gift, followed by more obsession was all done on the expectation that Gran Turismo 5 would come out – the full edition – and my life as a gamer, racer and car enthusiast could then be complete.

Then 2008 went by… 2009… Then Spring 2010… Summer… Fall… And FINALLY my Merry Christmas was here.

And now here I sit – it’s January in Chicago.  It’s cold outside and warm in my house, yet I’m here writing a blog no one may read rather than gripping my force-feedback wheel with a shit-eating grin on my face.  Why? Because Gran Turismo 5 is not what I hoped it would be…

Now, let’s be clear – we’re dealing with (arguably) the greatest racing sim of all time.  A BAD review of this game is like a bad review of the London Philharmonic.  But after all of this waiting, the marketing, the promos, the videos and the licenses we endured since 2007, it’s only fair our expectations were set so high.  I’m not going to go through every aspect of the game but wanted to share some of my insights as a racer, a game developer and a fan that have been nagging me.

THE DEPTH

With 71 tracks and over 1,000 cars some could argue GT5′s depth is its biggest strength (and I’d probably agree).  But what Polyphony Digital has done wrong in this area is the practical side of enjoying this game the way they want you to enjoy it.  Thought was not put into the menuing system of GT5 as I continually find myself frustrated at load screen, after menu, after load screen.  Something as simple as shortcut to buy the car you need for an event, from the event is missing.  I understand they want you to take your time, enjoying the sights, sounds and feel of the game, but I find myself choosing bed over the agony of waiting for the next event and that can’t be good.

THE PROLOGUE

The Prologue primed my pump for GT5 at an amazing $25 price point.  I was able to experience the product’s brilliance – it’s graphics, physics and appreciation for the automobile.  But part of me expected that upon playing the full version I’d some how experience this even more – better graphics? Better physics?  In reality, the Prologue was not a lesser experience – it truly was Gran Turismo 5 (minus DEPTH!).  Though the Prologue pacified frustrated fans and kept the brand somewhat alive for three years, I believe it ultimately cannibalized the driving sim experience of the full product.

THE DETAIL

It’s possible I’ve spent more time admiring the details of this game than I have actually playing it.  The photo mode, for instance, is one of the most precise and amazing features I’ve ever experienced in a video game.  But you tell me?  Is it good or bad that I’ve spent more time worrying about shutter speeds and the sheen of dust on my car than mastering the challenges and championships?

I’ve spent a lot of time ranting about what I don’t like about Gran Turismo 5 but going back to my orchestral example – imagine these items as a few out-of-tune violinists among an arrangement that moves you to tears.  Only the brilliance of this game will leave your eyes not filled with tears, but bone dry because you’re afraid to blink.  It goes without saying that the physics, realism, graphics and soul in this game is worth its price of admission whether you bought the Prologue or not.  The online component is robust and alive, though I can’t help but feel you’re getting cheated by 12-year olds trading optimal setups on some internet geek-share site.  But hey, the depth in the main game will distract me away from the online component for oh… about 413 days or so…

So with that said, I am giving Gran Turismo a 3.5 rating – which translated to words means “exceedingly above average and short of its own expectations.”

Am I wrong?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on the game!

Below, check out a photo gallery from a fellow racing fanatic on Twitter, Doug Patterson (@xorpheous).  These are just some of his amazing shots from in the game.  Getting great pics is pretty easy but Doug’s photos are head over heels better than most.  Nice work, Doug and thanks for letting me show off your pics!

[Show as slideshow]

Apple TV and Droid are two good examples of how modern marketers fight this battle in a 30-second clip.  Now it’s my turn.

This past week at Incredible Technologies we launched our new promo reel for our Magic Touch casino games.  It’s a collection of amazing new slot, poker and keno games for casino’s to buy.  Working with our director/editor, Ellen Morris, we struggled to come up with cool way of showing everything, without actually showing “everything.”

So shut off your video wall and unplug your robot finger: I present to you “the wheel of content.”

These four tracks are owned and operated by the International Speedway Corporation - a well known corporate entity fueled by NASCAR –  and also represent the strategic vision of former Indy Car series CEO, Tony George.

I have no place commenting on the politics or strategies involved in this decision – likely, there are many reasons why this HA$ to happen.  But what I can offer is a perspective of a passionate and confused Indy Car fan.

Here’s the deal – I live in Chicagoland.  I am an open wheel purist who fell in love with the sport because of the Indianapolis 500.  It’s a drug to me.  So in early 2000, when my Dad and I first heard word an oval speedway would be built within an hour from our home, we were the first in line to pay the “founders” fee and become season ticket holders to our second yearly Indy Car  tradition.  And hell, the NASCAR race was a nice bonus!

Since 2002 I’ve sat in my seat in section 412 – you know, the really tiny one that has my name on it?  And every year I watched what was being marketed to me as “the closest, most exciting racing in the world.”  The hundredths, even thousandths of a second timing splits that separated cars at the finish line agreed – but I didn’t.  In car rides home I would turn to my Dad and say, “that was a great race, but didn’t something feel contrived about that?”

Neither of us could help feeling that way.  Sure, the idea of cars 2, sometimes 3 wide lap-after-lap was amazing but I always felt some level of realness was missing – it was just too picture perfect and like nothing I had ever saw at IMS.

But since those first years, I changed.  I learned to appreciate the intense side-by-side, wheel-to-wheel action that only Chicagoland was offering me.  I began to appreciate that lives were at risk to create this entertainment and the dance between the drivers to pull this off was nothing short of a miracle.  I learned to look forward the the open wheel action that Chicagoland had become famous for…

So this brings me to today and the news about the 2011 schedule.  I think only now I’ve learned something more important… I realized the main reason I “learned” to appreciate wheel-to-wheel death matches was because the Indy Car Series told me too!

I learned I may have been one of the few that actually bought into their marketing all these years!

So to my fellow Indy Car fans out there, perhaps you can help me psyche through this question: were we watching some of the most amazing open wheel racing of the decade or did we just start to believe that the Velvetta tasted like real cheese?

Come to think about it, Milwaukee is on the schedule next year – perhaps we’re all part of a bigger “cheese” conspiracy than we realize yet…

My First Two Go-Karts

That is until 1989 when I finally strapped into my first go-kart.  It  was a 4-stroke, 5 h.p. junior restricted Briggs in a narrow Coyote chassis painted day-glow orange.  It was bad ass…  I started my racing career at U.S. 41 Speedway in Cedar Lake, IN.  My Dad started me there because it was the same track he started karting at in the late 70′s.  What I remember about U.S. 41 was that the hay bails were made of vintage dust and to get into the track you had to go to the owner’s farm house to get the key.  Just had to knock on the door right next to his chicken coop…

Sprint racing at U.S. 41 was addicting – I lasted a few seasons and learned en0ugh to work my way up to the big league road racing series that my Dad was a part of.  The now-called Championship Enduro Series was comprised of a series of road courses, most of which were 2+ miles in length, such as Gateway International, Road America and the road course at IRP.  The season was made up of a handful of weekends a year all within a few hours of the Chicagoland area. As a twelve-year-old, I looked at the opportunity to drive fast as hell.  My Dad looked at it as an opportunity to teach me how to grow up.  Either way, it beat little league…

Obviously, I don't race for trophies

Over the years, the hobby matured for us and turned more into a summer time obsession.  I worked my way up through the series from juniors, to seniors and through most sprint engine classes.  I experienced mild successes, with some season championships, a million plastic trophies and a handful of Road America cheese cows under my belt.  We met some colorful characters – those types that only a race track of misfits could breed.  I learned how to become my own mechanic, how to draft, push, cheat, sit during rain delays and drink beer.  I met a lot of great people and shared a lot of laughs with my Old Man.

I’m almost 30 now and looking back, my karting hay day was certainly my high school and college years. But as life got more complicated I tried my damnedest to keep that toe in the water…

Last year was my first year in two decades that I didn’t race at all, but I didn’t mind.  I preferred instead to spend my racing weekends with my newborn baby boy.  And while we watched a lot of Formula 1 and Indy Car on TV, my passion for the sport once again ended at the remote controller in my hand.

Fast-forward to today: the grease under my nails and scabs on my knuckles are a surefire sign that a karting weekend is upon me.  I’ve decided to go karting this weekend and will be heading to Blackhawk Farms in Rockton, IL.  As I’ve been preparing the karts for the weekend, I can’t help but note a couple of things that I believe my older, wiser brain has decoded.

First, it’s the fundamental change in how I plan on enjoying the sport.  This weekend my wife and son are joining me for the event, in addition to my parents. Racing can be a family sport and nothing makes me happier than sharing it with them.  You can keep the plastic trophy…

My other observation is simple: my karting trailer has become a time capsule of my past.  I opened the door expecting either of nest of critters or a ransacked toolbox instead to find everything just as we left it, each and every summer.  Sure there was some rust here and there but a little bit of grease and a new set of rubber and Team Schrementi is ready for action in 2010.

As a racing fan, karting has always given me a taste of the sport I love.  As a kid it taught be some responsibility and now as an adult it’s given me an appreciation for those great experiences we all have in our lives.  I’m sure that everyone has something that acts as a time capsule as we grow up – and that’s cool.  I just think that sometimes we’re better off creating some new memories instead of just burying the thing in the ground.

Over a decade ago we realized that a bronze Garage Pass for Gasoline Alley is put to best use on this day. It’s not an early practice day, it’s late – yet it’s prior to qualification. There’s energy surrounding the “hope” of qualifying that all teams have. There’s usually sun – though this year we dodged tornado warnings – and there’s always cold drinks and plenty of driver access.

What’s become our yearly game is a customary trip to the IMS photo archives to purchase a set of photos for the sole purpose of getting obscure autographs and breaking the balls of our favorite drivers/characters of Indy folklore. There’s an art to this, people. We’re not cruel, rather clever fans who target victims years in advance just to get a laugh. We do it with respect and sheer racing nerder and that’s what makes it fun.

Victims of years past include Chip Gannassi (we made him sign his rookie driver pic much to his dismay), Bill Simpson (same), Al the famous yellow shirt security guard (well, we call him Al, I’m pretty sure that’s not his name), Al Unser Jr., Scott Goodyear and even a encounter with AJ Foyt, where he skipped over us and a fella in a wheelchair to grab a sandwich…  But this year, we stepped it up. We dug DEEP into the 2002 race archive to find the precise photo of Paul Tracy passing Helio to *ahem* win/lose the 500. Tracy was none to pleased to put his moniker on this one -let’s just say I felt the heat from the fire in his eyes  while he signed it. Lucky for him I didnt wait until Bump Day! We weren’t able grab Helio, but Twinkle Toes will be around for a while and we basically decided we won’t get it until he’s the old, weird guy sitting in the Old Timers club.

The highlight of my day (well, excluding our also traditional trip to St. Elmo’s Steak House) was our morning run in with – yes, that’s right, Robin Miller. We found him in the hot dog line (go figure) we talked for a few minutes and told him he should be the full time host of Windtunnel. He said “I still cant believe they let me on that show,” we shook hands and departed. Best line of the day came from the salty drunk behind me who said, “hey buddy, if I were you I’d wash that hand…” (FYI – I still haven’t, pal – THE Robin Miller touched it)

The moral of this post is to express that sometimes, it’s the little things that make something a great tradition. Sure, our trip to the 500 this weekend is what it’s all about, but Fast Friday sets the mood for us. It gives us a chance to be a part of the spectacle, to stroll through those historic pits without having to dodge corporate fat cats and camera people.

If you want to experience Indy, but aren’t ready to commit to Super Sunday, I suggest bucking up for a badge and hitting this day up next year – that’s how you start a tradition.  I can’t guarantee you’ll have as much fun as we do, but I can guarantee that you’ll meet Aldo Andretti – that guy’s always there!

Since the days seemed to blister by at the blink of an eye, I thought I’d use my website for what it is partly intended to do, which is give me a depot to post a snapshot of time 1) for my friends and family to see and 2) for me not to forget all about it.

But what is it they say?  ”The road to hell is paved with good intentions” or something like that?  While  I don’t believe ignoring my website since February is grounds for eternal damnation, it certainly is lame of me.  But I figured the beauty of it being my website is that I can do whatever I want with it, whenever I want to do it *burp, ah….* but for now – I am back.

I blame many reasons for the distraction away from the interweb but all of them were well worth it.  Since I last posted, the ever expanding pie chart that makes up Dan Schrementi has been in hyperdrive (mmmm…. pie….).  Between my family, work, grad school, hobbies, tv and tasty food, there hasn’t been much time to stop and smell the roses (or that massive peony pictured above from my backyard).  Be that as it may and be it the month of May, what better time is there than the present.

To highlight some of the best pieces of the past few months, I thought I’d use some images and video to illustrate, cause you know, “them there werds git hard to reeeed.”  Enjoy.

I don’t hide that I love my work at Incredible Technologies and our most recent milestone was my professional highlight of the year thus far.  We debuted Magic Touch, our innovative line of video slot, poker and keno games at Barona Casino Resort and most recently at Hammond Horseshoe.  Our entire company has been working towards this moment for some 4 years and I’ve personally dedicated the better part of  2+ years in the marketing and promotion of the product.  The launch went very well and we’re now entering into the most exciting time.  When you see our games on that casino floor, please think for a second about the hardworking people behind them (and then fill it with cash so we can make many more games to come).

And not only that, we also announced ITme (Incredible Technologies Mobile Entertainment).  Remove your iPhones from your holsters – IT is in the application business too…

Adding to the hectic mix was grad school.  I finished my first class and I must admit, while going back to school was a shocker at first, the experience has been nothing short of encouraging so far.  Not to mention, this was the first time I made it through a semester without skipping class to go to the bar, or cheating on my homework so that’s certainly a step in the right direction.

Away from work and school we decided to take on a home renovation project in April.  I use the term renovation loosely and would prefer to replace it with demolition, dusty-destruction, disaster or whatever other word connotes DIY hell, but the end result was worth the effort.  I’m proud of my crazy little family for powering through it like we did – microwave on the dresser, washing dishes in the bathroom and even my son sleeping through the sounds of saws and vacuums in the wee hours.  As my friends and family, please do me favor, next time I say I would like to work on the house I give you permission to punch me in the face and take half the money out of my wallet… That oughtta remind me of what if feels like before I start.

And finally, I’ve saved the best for last.  The end of April also marked the first birthday of our son.  We had a small get together to celebrate and of course, a cake shaped like an Indy Car was called for.  I am so proud to be a Dad and watching our son grow this year has been incredible, so much so can’t even put into words why.  So instead, below is a gallery of the cake-smeared day in all its glory.

Oh and did I mention the Indianapolis 500 is in a matter of weeks?  I really do love the month of May…

Good times,

- Dan

I’m not a lot of things…

I’m not an engineer, aerodynamicist or a mechanic. I’m not professionally employed in the motorsports industry – either racing, writing or marketing. I suppose what I am is simply a passionate racing geek with an opinion and a blog. And though opinions may be like A**holes – I have one tonight that doesn’t stink.

Bravo, Deltawing – you’ve done it.

Ok, I may not be a lot of things, but truthfully my credentials go a bit beyond racing geek. I am a marketing professional with years of experience in sports and entertainment. I am also a hobbyist that has kart raced on since I was a young boy – most of which in a unique, road racing series. I study trends, people and popularity and I consider myself a student of my surroundings.

With all these qualifiers stated, I would officially like to commend the DeltaWing design on accomplishing the first step in what should be the most important goal for the IZOD IndyCar Series – bringing identity and relevancy to the sport we all love to watch. Now, let me be clear, do I believe at this time we will see 33 phalic-shaped batmobiles running around both the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Road America (hint)?  No – not at all. But I fully do expect to see the spirit of this innovative design in the next-generation of Indy Car racing.

The turbine powered Lotus also had that same, scary spirit of innovation...

Understanding the objectives that the IndyCar Series demanded in the new car, to me, nobody embraced the spirit of their request more than DeltaWing Racing Cars.  Like everyone they put together a design that’s new, different, cheaper, faster, more efficient, usable and (allegedly) drivable. But more importantly, DeltaWing created something that the auto industry can study. Something kids can point to and think is cool. Something that the IndyCar Series can say is uniquely theirs and maybe even something that the rest of the world might care about again.

Years ago, the IRL made the strategic decision to follow the spec-racing “entertainment” formula of the marketing juggernaut that is NASCAR. Indy Car tried to shoehorn the NASCAR business model into its sport – and it failed. So here we are now, at the proverbial crossroads, wondering where we will we go from here?

Who knows – but wherever it may be, I hope it includes the innovative spirit of the DeltaWing, the sweet curves and lights of the new Swift design, the interchangeable nose box of the Lola submission and the, aaaaaa … cool colors … of the Dallara? Oh, and please throw in the sense of humor of The Silent Pagoda.

Whatever we’ll have, it’s great to see that IndyCar racing is news – even on the weekend of that “hole” Great American Race thing. We have exciting times ahead and I have a feeling that we will owe some thanks to the great minds at DeltaWing Racing Cars.

Ahhhh Sausage Fest – a yearly gathering between my pals and I where we pay homage to our (well, at least my) heritage as we make homemade Italian sausage the old world way and eat, drink and be merry.

So while normally this site is covered in my pseudo-auto racing or marketing news, today I am compelled to inject a little of me into this digital dust bowl I call my blog.  And nothing says “Dan Schrementi” like 120lbs of sausage…

A Quick History

This whole thing started as a little boy going over to my grandparent’s house.  Whether making it, eating it, drying it or giving it away my grandpa (still to this day) loves to talk about sausage.  Pork butt pricing, potential ingredients, recipes, drying setups, grinders – you name it and we’ve talked about it. I learned the sausage recipe as a teenager, making the sausage with my grandpa every few years since then.

Now that my grandpa is in a smaller residence and now that I have a place of my own, I was excited to carry on the family tradition of making homemade Italian sausage.  And just like for him, sausage has really become a hobby of giving – something I make myself to give away to others to enjoy.  And also like him, it’s become team sport, a reason to get together with my friends to have a good time carrying on a tradition.

Tradition to Today

As the story goes, my grandpa made 100′s of pounds of sausage every year in his garage or basement with his neighbor – the wine maker.  What a neighborhood, huh?

Fast forward to now – instead of a wine maker, I carry on the Sausage Fest torch with the wine drinkers, food eaters and goof balls that I call my friends.  There were a dozen or so of us this year  for my garage-based festival and after about 7-hours of work we knocked out about 120lbs of meat.  Most of it is cased and about quarter of that is dried into a sopressata of sorts.  The rest is uncased and mixed between hot and mild recipes.

There are so many things about this get together that makes me happy – carrying on the tradition is one.  It’s important to me that this recipe stay the same for generations and I know it’s important to my grandpa.  But what else is great is that this party is real – it’s just me and my pals, in a garage, goofin’ off making sausage.  We eat like kings, drink like fishes, get filthy as hell and make some of the best tasting Italian sausage that you’ve ever had.  Now that’s a party.

So to my buddies that attended Sausage Fest this year I say thanks for helping me carry on a tradition that is meaningful to me.  I’ll be bringing the fruits of our labor to the real sausage king of Chicago (not Abe Froman, but my grandpa) to test this weekend.  I’ll let you know what he says.

Oh, and thanks to my wife who lets me destroy the house with pork butt, immature wiener jokes, overstuffed freezers and 120+lbs of man meat.   That’s love.

If you’re interested in partaking next year, let me know.  Or if you want the recipe for yourself – like I said, this hobby is all about giving.

And with that, I’ll call it quits on the Internet’s most unique auto racing-sausage-making-video-game-marketing-family blog in existence…

(Click on images to view the captions)

Almost 100,000 holes-in-one have been uploaded to the Golden Tee YouTube Page

Rarely can a marketer say their slung slop has stuck so satisfactory (oooh – alteration…)  and today is one of those days.

Our social media endeavors – namely the YouTube Great Shot Replay technology – recently received national attention for its clever integration of social media and video games.  GameSpy has covered it, as well as the tech site BetaNews.  We’re proud and pleased that the world outside of our cubicles and offices understand the context of our endeavors and why they are actually novel.

Sure, these articles contain the classic “drunk, obnoxious” pot shots that accompany all main stream Golden Tee articles, but I don’t care.  Bring it on.  We’ll take it – because today, this little marketing department can proudly stare at this glob on the wall and say, “yep – that’s ours boy.” (tear)

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