The BLACK FRIDAY DEAL shows again, that the business model of raceroom has urgently to be changed. They should do it like PCars or AC and they could sell much better on steam. There should be some free content to test the game like it is at moment, a core game with standard content like GTR 1/2/3, Touring car classics, Group5 and most of the tracks for about 40 € and DLC packs for premium content with complete racing series for about 5-15 € (e.g. DTM13+14, DTM 92, DTM 15, ADAC GT Masters 13+14, ADAC GT Masters 15, WTCC 13+14, Audi TT Cup, the Nordschleife). Another advantage would be, that you only have to download the content, that you buy. Ok, then you could only see the content, that you own in the game and the testdrive option must be removed. But I think, that this would be the much better way to have more satisfied customers in the future. And it should also only be possible to join competitions or multiplayer races, where you own the content for. The rest should be greyed out and not selectable. I think, that Sector 3 could sell much more content, earn more money and have a wider base of more satisfied customers. And one last point: stop telling us, that Raceroom is still beta. Its core features and the multiplayer work very well and the other racing games like Pcars and AC are also still permanently improved. That's good and quite normal.
You can't test new tracks, only if there's a free competiton. There's so great free content to test at the moment in Raceroom, that you don't need to test every new car or track. What other racing simulation offers that? And Pcars and AC sell much more although Raceroom is at the same level. And you won't have to download 15 GB anymore, just to test the game. If you look at my suggested pricing, you see, that the content won't be cheaper in future, but it would be fairer and better for selling on steam. With this new business model, Raceroom would easily reach the selling numbers of AC, because their content is better with real racing series and much more tracks.
would be nice to have a test track option where it puts you in the aquila for a lap around the track, id be able to test shanghai.
Having all cars on your machine is the only way to have the game work like it does, allowing you to race against every single car/livery in a class while you only own one car/livery. For tracks that could indeed be changed and it would make the biggest difference as the track files are by far the biggest in size but it was and is one of the core ideas to enable people to use content they bought right away, without having to wait for it to download. But I don't think this is a major issue for most people nowadays as most are using a flatrate broadband connection and 15 GB ain't that big a load anymore. Just look at the filesize of most other modern games, many exceed 20 GB, for games that you might play for 20-50 hours.
For me it's not a problem to download 15 GB as I have fast cable internet, but there're still a lot areas in germany, that only have DSL 6000 or less. But you're right, it's not really an issue for the business model. And I also have no problem with the always online feature as long as the servers work properly. Sector 3 has the right to protect their content.
If it is not explicitly described as a time-limit subscription model, payiong customers also have rights. The right to indeed own content they paid for. Which is not the case when you depend on an external authority outside your control if you want to use that content. Or reinstall it. The business in general has seriously eroded the understanding of terms like "ownerhsip" of bought content. Nobody cared while Sony and UBI and Steam eroded it over years, and now we are where we are and what I warned against already 15 years ago. I am still extremely hesitent until today to buy via Steam. I also do not use my ebook reader a lot, only for 4 or five extremely big and heavy books that I want to comfortably read in bed. A paper book I can and do own. An ebook I NEVER really own, it can be taken away from me by somebody else just hitting as button. That someone also can replace it, or alter an ebooks content to make language more politically correct. Both already happens.
puh - I see some dark clouds for your future... ^^ maybe the word cloud is not so randomly chosen... what we actualy see in the music and film-industrie is a perfect example of a changing culture - and that just has started. There is a lot in movement at the moment and it will definitely change the way we are living, interacting and maybe thinking... but indeed - the question of owning things in such an environment isn't fully answered.
"Owning" games will be a memory. While Sony bought Gaikai and OnLive and somewhat delayed development I would still be very surprised if cloud gaming wasn't the thing of the future. No piracy hassle for the devs, you want it, you pay for it. It does come with certain advantages though. OnLive already offered time limited access for small money. For story-driven games that you only play once this is actually pretty neat I think cause you don't have to spend 60+ bucks for a game you'll be playing through once.
If another business model, wich some of you come up with, was reallly that good they'd have done that already #businessmodelthread
Hasn't anyone ever heard of backups, every film I watch, book I read or software/game I use I have a copy of on my server, with artwork and literature if included, jeez, it's the 21st century, all software will be online only, very soon, it's called progress, yes, I know, not all progress is good but that isn't gonna stop it coming, what slows it is old farts rejecting it point blank because they don't like it and generally old farts are in power (yes I'm one of those old farts but luckily for all, powerless). It's the old warts and barnacles that cling to your arse whilst sliding down the Bannister of life that slow and bloody your decent!
Agreed. The first thing I do when I buy a movie/book/album from a digital source is remove the DRM and archive it on a drive just in case. As of yet, when Steam removes a game from the store, you still have the ability to re-download it at any time but I backup anything that's even rumored to be leaving Steam.
After i had test iRacing i will never talk bad about the Raceroom business model. God damn is that game expensive (ir). Every month 5€, one car 12€, one track 15€. I have bought a 3 month plan, bought BMW Z4 GT3, Ford GT3 and Nordschleife only and Spa Franc. all in all i have spend 68,80€ for this small content.
Bollocks innit, and it gets even worse when you realise that hardly anyone is racing that car you just bought, and those tracks you bought aren't used in any of the series you actually race (or are used for this season but then never again)
Even worst.. correct me if I say something wrong. But AFAIK, to be able to race with "powerfull" cars, you first need to make races with lower classes cars. And only when you reach a certain rank you can access to race with the powerfull car you bought. Edit: delete something wrong