Free 2 Play

[Rupe Wilson]

this is strange this is right at the bottom of the page...
Additionally, SimBin is happy to inform that the company is working on a Free2Play game platform. Further details will be revealed later this year.....
Does this mean gtr3 will be completed soon, as its still only a small team

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

I really don't believe in Free 2 Play. Hasn't worked for any sim racing game yet.

Need for Speed World has 1 million downloads but without heavy advertising on the interwebs nobody continues to play it. SimRaceWay is a complete fail and not even free if you read between the lines. Project Cars ditched the idea pretty soon after their project went live and are going for the good old boxed version of their game.

And now Simbin must have their own free 2 play game also? Who actually still plays their previous free 2 play titles Volvo the Game and that RaceRoom game? Is this really the future? Not for me at least.

I hope that GTR3 will remain to be a normal game.

 

[Kazumi]

I know it's easy to say now, but IMHO they should have done that earlier. Race 07 and all its add-on got some good content, but some of that went unnoticed in parts of the community. And it's not really worth it to download demos or even the add-one itself before you know you will like them. For me at least.

A F2P structure that features the stuff like Volvo and the 2 Raceroom games would be interesting. It's also easier to advertise IMHO...

(One of) Project Cars' plans were F2P + Microtransactions.

I prefer to differentiate the 2 because from the sounds of it Pcars F2P wouldn't have more content then a few games demos, I suppose (I dunno how advanced these plans really were so corrent me if I'm wrong - if that matters to someone)

Long story short... If they do it right it's a win - win as GTR3 will be a full retail (and DL) release and the F2P will be like Raceroom, but potentially better (if it isn't a new Raceroom itself...?)

 

[Travis]

I'm hoping the free to play title is the WTCC 2012 game SimBin have been touting

 

[nijeat]

I think IMO there's also other reason. Frankly speaking, for people who have played ISI games many years I don't think they can't suppose how its new something(add-on and even with new project) will be, in term of basic feels of how car and FFB behaves or etc. I think personally that looking not enough hit of rF2 is also in an extension of the reason partly. We sometimes want honestly not only realistic things but also new something(of course, of realistic things).

Sooo, if it goes to F2P, ironically people might be soon fed up earlier than not, IMO.

 

[Ivo Simons]

http://www.racedepartment.com/2012/04/gtr-3-aquila-cr1-sports-gt-licensed/

 

[Randy Wagner]

I kinda got a feeling they will jump on the rape and pillage bandwagon and let us buy the game for say 50 bucks if you want to play online now that's another 10 bucks cars you say well they are 10 bucks for a set of 5 tracks oh you want tracks to... well thats gonna be 20 bucks and the pit crew more cars more tracks ching ching ching.$$$$.

Let's hope not but if everyone else is doing it I'm sure the rest will follow but SimBin always produces good stuff let's just hope they don't nickel and dime us to death like everyone else is trying to do b4 the gaming bubble bursts.

 

[Travis]

I doubt that'll happen Randy; it's not the SimBin way.

I do hope SimBin start to release a lot more information as their competitors announce new cars & tracks with far greater regularity.

 

[Lars Brugman]

Almost every track is scratch build. Few are converted but are also heavily upgraded to comply with todays standard.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Where does that come from?

 

[Lars Brugman]

Where does that come from?

RaceRoom online

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Can you be more specific? In which context was this said? I don't understand it really

 

[Jay Ekkel]

Someone asked if he could expect complete new tracksor converts from older games for the next game.

I am guilty of providing that answer!

 

[Travis]

That is fantastic news Jay.

http://www.raceroom.net/forums/index.php/topic,1779.msg15799.html#msg15799

 

[Jay Ekkel]

I really don't believe in Free 2 Play. Hasn't worked for any sim racing game yet.

.........And now Simbin must have their own free 2 play game also? Who actually still plays their previous free 2 play titles Volvo the Game and that RaceRoom game? Is this really the future? Not for me at least.........

I hope that GTR3 will remain to be a normal game.

Thinking of it SimBin has always been doing a sort of F2P concept, the essence of a F2P is a (free) base game that can be extended with additional content and features. Race07 plus all its expansions is exactly that, and that has always been received and treated well, but it was not really F2P since you had to pay for Race07. Race07 was never designed with so many additional content in mind from the beginning, which made it increasingly hard for us to maintain the platform.

On a personal not I see nothing wrong in F2P, as long as you get provided with a free base game of good quality (not always the case and the downfall for many F2P games). Quiality game, good content on a regular basis for a fair price, and a good egamin experience, I cant find much wrong with the F2P system, as long as it is done well, it is nearly the same as a retail game, possibly even better, since I would not have to pay for things I would not play....

In my opinion it is a much better option then spending 50-60 Euro's on a game and then crossing my fingers hoping it will be a cool game!

Just my (personal) 2p on the matter!

 

[Jay Ekkel]

That is fantastic news Jay.

http://www.raceroom.net/forums/index.php/topic,1779.msg15799.html#msg15799

thanks, not sure if it is news worthy though. It is just he sensable thing to do.
Many content we have is quite a few years old by now, technology and techniques have advanced. Upgrading and in some case just throwing it away and start from scratch is just the best and most efficient way to go.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Don't really agree. F2P has some very nasty downsides especially with a simracing community that is allergic to spend money.

I can already see a full server list in the master lobby with only the free content and the more fanatic simmers that buy all the extra content (not F2P anymore) have nobody to play against.

If there is one lesson that can be learned from RACE 07 is that 99% of the lobby is still only WTCC06/07/MINI with the exception of some community servers that run active leagues and clubs. People that purchased all the expansion packs over the years and only want to race in public servers can hardly use there content online.

Personally I prefer a complete game for a fixed prize or a monthly/year subscription where you don't have to pay for the content anymore.

 

[Jay Ekkel]

! Either way you go retail, F2P, dlc's it comes down to the same thing n all fronts. Quality, pricing and game experience. I believe if those done are well t does not really matter which way you go.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

New Aquila shots: http://www.racedepartment.com/2012/05/aquila-cr1-in-game-screenshots-by-simbin/

 

[Ivo Simons]

Oh no those first two shots look like a fantasy Forza 4 track..
Really hope they focus on real race tracks. Not fictional roads in high mountains or anything.