It's official, the WCG website was updated with the Game Title Selection, in the Racing category we can find:

• DIRT 3 (PC)
• DIRT 3 (XBOX360)
• Need For Speed - The Run (PC)
• Need For Speed - The Run (XBOX360)
• Forza Motorsport 4
• Trackmania2 : Canyon
• Mario Kart Wii

Some were expecting it, some not, but that's the way it is. Trackmania Nations Forever is out in this WCG, welcome to Trackmania 2 Canyon!


If you want to see Trackmania at the WCG, VOTE for it!


Now, let's discuss about this replacement and its implications on eSport in page 2.

Source: WCG

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TM2 instead of TMNF in the WCG, is it good for the future of TMNF and TM²-Canyon in eSport?

Yes, because:

• Best way to promote a new game (TM²-Canyon) and develop an eSport community around it.
• TMNF needs a certain "financial" support from Nadeo to continue to be viable as an eSport game. And since TMNF is free, they have to promote TM²-Canyon to continue to support the other TM environments and develop new ones.

No, because:

• Risk of destroying what have been built up with TMNF, since its release, with all the multigamings, sponsors and events having invested in it. Back to square one.
• TMNF needs a certain "advertising" support from Nadeo to continue to be viable as an eSport game.

It's a very very quick summary of the pros and cons related to this questions. Others questions can be raised aswell:


Will TM²-Canyon split up the Trackmania community?
YES... and no. It depends how you see it.
Hylis: "The community will split. You can't stop that. However, because both games are by Nadeo you can actually figure out ways to keep both communities on or around the same page.
I think that the fear makes the barrier and the split. See all TrackMania as one community, and you can't think of a split. Otherwise, you can always split: dirt/speed, ET Portal/ESL, team/solo etc."


Is TM²-Canyon meant to be an eSport game?
YES... and no. The future will tell us if TM²-Canyon is suited to be a successful eSport game. For now, Nadeo can't just reduce its implication in eSports to TMNF, letting aside the games to be launched.
Hylis: "We have supported eSport a lot for Nations and we may now bring more people to play eSport on ManiaPlanet. It is logical. Otherwise, it means we should stop right now all development made for eSport, which would mean that we create a good place for other games to come instead of us. It is not a problem, but since I like eSport and the spirit of it, it would be sad for me."


What about having 2 different games in eSport?
In favour:

• TMNF is already well-implanted in the eSport landscape, it's not going to change with the release of TM²-Canyon.
• TM²-Canyon also deserves a place in eSport and thus need to be included in big tournaments, to kickstart it. If it works that's fine, if it doesn't, that's fine too since the proportion of casual gamers represents 95% of the players.
• It has been working very well for CS 1.6 and CSS.

Hylis: "I gave the exemple of CS 1.6 to illustrate that, because I was going in the way for Nations that if it keeps its audience in eSport, then it will have sponsors, and that it was not only possible, but that it happened for years with CS."
Sabre: "I firmly believe that Nadeo saw this DreamHack opportunity as a chance to advertise to the worlds largest computer festival a new game that they have created. Adding a prize pool, in their eyes, is not trying to force TM2 into the eSports scene but rather be used as an incentive for more people to play at the booth in the tournament, the idea being that they will enjoy the game.
Now to the long-term, TMNF will not die in eSports. The game has been picked up by various large organisations such as Alternate Attax, mortal Teamwork, Team Infused, Team LDLC.com just to name a few. I also think that TM2 also deserves a chance in eSports and if this is the way to kickstart it then its fine![...]
My point is that games that deserve their place in eSports will retain their place in eSports after this surge of popularity and there are many instances in the past where such things have been attempted but to no avail. If this happens to TM2 then at least it is good for Nadeo commercially and for casual players, but if it takes off, then it is still good for eSports as a whole and will only help to promote TMNF as a game, just like TMNF's reputation will help TM2 in the early stages of this development."
Trackmaniack: "TMN is starting to have a sponsorbase, do you think they're just going to up and abandon it for a game that is seemingly designed for competitive eSport? No, that would be a bad business move."


Against:

• No room for TMNF & TM² in eSport since TMNF is still young and need to be more developed.
• TM²-Canyon can only slow or even stop this development if it is replacing TMNF in the big tournaments like WCG.
• TM²-canyon must earn its own place in eSport and not replace TMNF like we saw at the DreamHack and now at the WCG.
• Sponsors, teams and events organizations will only be confused.

FrostBeule: "You have to understand, Nations has finally after some years started to become rooted in the esports scene. This means we got several very well-known organizations that supports Nations players to go to competitions by sponsoring them. This development is increasing every day and we continue to gain respect from the traditional esports communities. It doesn't make any sense to ruin that by having another game put in its place forcefully. Sure im COMPLETELY fine with TM2 being an esports game if it becomes that naturally."
"It will just cause alot of confusion for sponsors teams and events."
Korre: "It's nice to see that Ubisoft is trying to improve and extend the Trackmania game, but I think Frostbeule is right when he says that there's a difference between the promotion of a new game and the integration of that new game in eSports.
Having TM² at DreamHack is definitely a good thing, but the competition that will be held on it shouldn't be eSports minded (yet). You should definitely keep TMNF/Stadium as main eSports game in Trackmania and start with TM² Canyon as 'discovery/fun' competition.
TMNF/Stadium has built a magnificent eSports racing game palmares, with competitions like WCG, ESWC, AEC, SEC, ESL, EMS, EPS, ... Trying to convert this to TM² is just a bad idea, cuz it won't happen. It will only cost us sponsors, prizes and audience, because new games tend to be more attractive in the beginning. I don't think many TMNF players will go to TM² for competitions (maybe for fun), but with the effort that Ubisoft is putting into it, sponsors might be attracted to the game at the start. But when they see that not many players are up for it, they might bail out and not return to TMNF.
I hope you understand that we're not trying to break down TM² Florent, but we're merely trying to avoid TMNF to be destroyed for no reason. It's a great game, perfectly suited for eSports and it should be kept alive. By the players (what we are trying to do right now), but also by the community and definitely by the creators (which is you!). Don't let one of your babies die silently, just because you made a new one."



All of these points and quotations come from the maniaplanet forum, it's the approximative summarization of more than 200 posts, let's hope we didn't miss important facts (most, if not all, of them were written BEFORE the release of Canyon).

You can continue the debate in the commentary, even if we honestly consider there is not so much to add to this.
But PLEASE be polite, constructive and don't repeat what was already said.
And for the French people, try to speak in English to let everyone understand what you are saying.