iRacing Adds More Free Content

Turn1Hero · Dec 2, 2022

The irony of people arguing over Iracings subscription model on a website that is bombarding me with ads for simracing pedals that cost €2,400 per pedal

Jonny Austin · Dec 2, 2022

Looking forward to the FREE content.Can someone explain why my £7 a month sub(renew annually every Nov) to Iracing is poor value.?Its less than Spotify,Youtube etc.
I have most of the road courses & ovals so once you have budgeted for initial tracks & cars my annual expense is probably £150 for or a sim that works & is plug in & play.

tr1v1um · Dec 2, 2022

Jonny Austin said:
Looking forward to the FREE content.Can someone explain why my £7 a month sub(renew annually every Nov) to Iracing is poor value.?Its less than Spotify,Youtube etc.
I have most of the road courses & ovals so once you have budgeted for initial tracks & cars my annual expense is probably £150 for or a sim that works & is plug in & play.

I think many people - me included - don't have a problem with paying for a service. I think the analogies presented here are pretty interesting to say the least though. The only example that makes kind of sense is Amazon. But I am not entirely sure how it works when you buy movies there. Can you still watch them after you don't renew?

The problem that I have with iRacing is that you buy content that you can't use once you stop paying the sub, elegantly described as a "one time fee". That's entirely different than paying for a month of Netflix for example. I atleast don't pay for content on Netflix and can watch all the stuff. The expensive hardware analogy is equaly stupid. I don't buy a shifter or pedal set for 500 Euro, to pay an additional sub to use it and if I stop paying I can't use the set? Nope, not the same thing. And that's exactly what iRacing is doing and it's the reason why iRacers don't spend a few 100 dollar max as with the other products but end up spending a few thousend dollar incase they really keep at it. What they normaly do as their investment into the content is otherwise worth nothing. It's a neverending cycle of spending money.

I also find it interesting that people call the pricing transparent. Just having a look at their website I have no idea how much I have to spend to race one month and race my desired track X with my desired car Y. There are no clear prices on their website and it's described all pretty vague.

And now before the iRacing-brigade enters the ring and says "but you get the service": that's to some extent right. If that service is really that good that it justifies spending a few thousend dollar on something that you can't keep is something I would argue though. I spend three months in iRacing and made up my mind. The racing certainly isn't better than in a well organized league or than on LFM and I especialy have a problem with the no-contact mentality. No paint scrubbing in a touring car race simply doesn't feel right.

In the meantime I have spent that money on a 1400 Euro guitar that I can keep till the end of my life and that brings be joy for the next 50 years and not just 5 or 10 playing a computer game. This isn't me trying to stear up trouble btw, but giving an explaination to your question. At the end everyone is free to waste their money how he or she sees it fitting, but I still think that long lasting enjoyments are the more valuable ones. My "two cents"

Johnr777 · Dec 2, 2022

tr1v1um said:
I think many people - me included - don't have a problem with paying for a service. I think the analogies presented here are pretty interesting to say the least though. The only example that makes kind of sense is Amazon. But I am not entirely sure how it works when you buy movies there. Can you still watch them after you don't renew?

The problem that I have with iRacing is that you buy content that you can't use once you stop paying the sub, elegantly described as a "one time fee". That's entirely different than paying for a month of Netflix for example. I atleast don't pay for content on Netflix and can watch all the stuff. The expensive hardware analogy is equaly stupid. I don't buy a shifter or pedal set for 500 Euro, to pay an additional sub to use it and if I stop paying I can't use the set? Nope, not the same thing. And that's exactly what iRacing is doing and it's the reason why iRacers don't spend a few 100 dollar max as with the other products but end up spending a few thousend dollar incase they really keep at it. What they normaly do as their investment into the content is otherwise worth nothing. It's a neverending cycle of spending money.

I also find it interesting that people call the pricing transparent. Just having a look at their website I have no idea how much I have to spend to race one month and race my desired track X with my desired car Y. There are no clear prices on their website and it's described all pretty vague.

And now before the iRacing-brigade enters the ring and says "but you get the service": that's to some extent right. If that service is really that good that it justifies spending a few thousend dollar on something that you can't keep is something I would argue though. I spend three months in iRacing and made up my mind. The racing certainly isn't better than in a well organized league or than on LFM and I especialy have a problem with the no-contact mentality. No paint scrubbing in a touring car race simply doesn't feel right.

In the meantime I have spent that money on a 1400 Euro guitar that I can keep till the end of my life and that brings be joy for the next 50 years and not just 5 or 10 playing a computer game. This isn't me trying to stear up trouble btw, but giving an explaination to your question. At the end everyone is free to waste their money how he or she sees it fitting, but I still think that long lasting enjoyments are the more valuable ones. My "two cents"

But again, thats your opinion.

Full price transparency isnt there, sure... but anyone can easily google what it costs to run D, C, B classes after the base content "Rookie" stuff.

If you are buying into services without doing any homework... well, thats on you.

Paul McCluskey · Dec 2, 2022

I joined back when iRacing started and had a lot of fun and all the content, then left about 2011, have gone back a few times over the years, just to have a blast in my Lotus 79, going back it's like damn I need a small fortune too catch up, most series apart from free content all require multiple items to be able too race and just can't afford it these days, defo gonna sub for a month when this new build comes out.

Metla · Dec 2, 2022

This is absolute nonsense. If you have to pay to access something then it isn't free.

Makes no difference if you like the game or the pay to play model, Paying for something isn't free.

Johnr777 · Dec 2, 2022

Metla said:
This is absolute nonsense. If you have to pay to access something then it isn't free.

Makes no difference if you like the game or the pay to play model, Paying for something isn't free.

You pay X amount to have access to Y number of cars and tracks, you are still paying X amount but you now have access to Y + 3. How much will that + 3 cost you?

davehenrie · Dec 3, 2022

Rather than say "FREE" content, perhaps a more accurate description would be:
"At no additional cost."

metalnwood · Dec 3, 2022

To be fair

davehenrie said:
Rather than say "FREE" content, perhaps a more accurate description would be:
"At no additional cost."

What they actually say is 'iRacing offers dozens of pieces of content included for free with all active subscriptions.'

No one ever said what iracing said, we are arguing over a headline by a person that started the article saying 'The most expensive service in the motor simulation universe will strengthen its base content with three pieces: one car and two tracks.'

May or may not be bias in the one sentence. However we all know how the model works so idont understand a huge argument over semantics, no one misunderstands the model however it is said.

Johnr777 · Dec 3, 2022

metalnwood said:
To be fair

What they actually say is 'iRacing offers dozens of pieces of content included for free with all active subscriptions.'

No one ever said what iracing said, we are arguing over a headline by a person that started the article saying 'The most expensive service in the motor simulation universe will strengthen its base content with three pieces: one car and two tracks.'

May or may not be bias in the one sentence. However we all know how the model works so idont understand a huge argument over semantics, no one misunderstands the model however it is said.

A lot of people, specially non members disagree with their model and insist on having their - often irrelevant opinions heard.

New content is always a trigger it seems.

Sigwolf · Dec 3, 2022

Johnr777 said:
A lot of people, specially non members disagree with their model and insist on having their - often irrelevant opinions heard.

New content is always a trigger it seems.

I honestly hope you are being paid for your persistent and vigorous defense of all things in regards to iRacing pricing.

bruteMax · Dec 3, 2022

I'd buy into iRacing if I could play offline with the assets I bought. The fact that the "company formally known as Papyrus" considers me as nothing more than a squatter is what keeps me away from their ecosystem.

Metla · Dec 3, 2022

Johnr777 said:
You pay X amount to have access to Y number of cars and tracks, you are still paying X amount but you now have access to Y + 3. How much will that + 3 cost you?

seriously lad. Look up free in a dictionary instead of posting stupid.

Wayne Hutchison · Dec 3, 2022

kadosibz said:
I maybe renew subscription when toyota and bmw lmdh are released.
Where can I renew for 3$?

In November you could subscribe for $75 for a year. Subtract the $40 in credits you get each year for participating and it's just $35 per year - $3 per month. That's a price available to everyone, new or old.

TheRealCeeBee · Dec 3, 2022

the credits you have to spend in iRacing you mean, they not money back into your bank account.. big difference.

metalnwood · Dec 3, 2022

TheRealCeeBee said:
the credits you have to spend in iRacing you mean, they not money back into your bank account.. big difference.

It's $40 of iracing credits that you are going to use instead of $40 of real money for whatever you use for the purchase.

Thats what happens with most people that have been using the service and race in official races. They put that $40 towards a track, the next years sub, whatever - it's still exactly $40 real dollars you are not needing to spend.

Metla · Dec 3, 2022

metalnwood said:
It's $40 of iracing credits that you are going to use instead of $40 of real money for whatever you use for the purchase.

Thats what happens with most people that have been using the service and race in official races. They put that $40 towards a track, the next years sub, whatever - it's still exactly $40 real dollars you are not needing to spend.

You do realize that proves his point, not yours?

You can't sub for $35. Credit being applied under certain conditions at a later date doesn't change that fact.

metalnwood · Dec 3, 2022

No one specifically said you could get it $3/month for n new member.

He stated what he was paying and then explained how.

metalnwood · Dec 3, 2022

Metla said:
You can't sub for $35. Credit being applied under certain conditions at a later date doesn't change that fact.

If you walk in to a store and buy something for $75 and they tell you that they are going to give you a $40 credit and you only hand over $35 what did you pay? Did you still pay $75 because they didnt physically hand you $40 and then take it back?

It is $75 and it costs you $35 I dont care what the hangar price was, its what I paid.

Seriously, this is petty, if you paid $35 you paid $35. This is really bottom of the barrel arguments against its pricing.

Johnr777 · Dec 3, 2022

Metla said:
seriously lad. Look up free in a dictionary instead of posting stupid.

You still didn’t answer how much the + 3 costs, or is math too hard for ya?

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Turn1Hero

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Johnr777

Paul McCluskey

Metla

Johnr777

davehenrie

metalnwood

Johnr777

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Metla

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Ok, I am a dinosaur