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Sim Racing Software Pricing



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 26th 06, 09:07 AM posted to rec.autos.simulators
Tony Rickard
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Posts: 190
Default Sim Racing Software Pricing

It maybe just my impression but it seems to me sim racers are prepared
to pay quite significant sums for hardware but are penny pinchers when
it comes to software! Wheels and pedals, gear changers, cockpits plus
the inevitable PC hardware upgrades in terms of cpus, graphics cards,
memory and screens are typical products a sim racing enthusiast is
looking at.

Unlike other genres there is not a steady flow of titles being released.
A typical console gamer will fill up a shelf in months that a sim racer
takes many years to fill.

2006 has seen only NetkarPro and the Hudson rFactor add ons that I can
think of. Both of which have been at the receiving end of certain sim
racers vitriol for ripping us off.

Now we all know that NKPro was hardly a model of release management, yet
I was surprised how many on RSC took a view that it wasn't just the lack
of communication that was the issue but that they had been conned (and
getting very vocal about it). I have made some bad gaming choices over
the years with other genres to take a view that sim racing software is
very good value such that if the investment in NKPro doesn't pay off
then so be it. Hopefully though it will bear fruit in the future, then
we will feel we played our part.

As for Hudson Kerr's updates, my view is here is a guy who is looking to
bring professional updates in addition to the hobby groups. Quite
frankly I don't think he is going to get mega rich at our expense. Yet
if he can turn his day job into working on sim racing updates then it
has to be to our benefit in terms of quality and speed of production and
we can then choose if we think it is of sufficient value.

On the basis rFactor is now a year old, sprucing it up with some
excellent updates whilst we wait for a new version seems a reasonable
approach.

Of course there is also some excellent free stuff for rFactor, but I can
vouch for Hudson's work as being at the absolute top end of anything
that has been produced, so you know where you stand if you are looking
for the best. If you have upgraded to a mid or top end graphics card to
improve the visuals by being able to increase resolution, AA or in game
detail then it is a relatively small cost.

My concern is that if we don't support new ventures like NKPro or
Hudson's updates then the already niche group of suppliers of our
products will become even more niche and it will limit our options. The
same goes for ISI and Simbin. Their approach is continual evolution of
their products. They will not seem like quantum leaps yet they need a
steady income stream to survive, which require our continual investment.
Having experienced the drought of products when Papyrus stopped
producing open wheel sims due to financial pressures we should be aware
of the consequences.

Cheers
Tony
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  #2  
Old August 26th 06, 01:37 PM posted to rec.autos.simulators
Jeff Reid
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Posts: 70
Default Sim Racing Software Pricing

> It maybe just my impression but it seems to me sim racers are prepared to pay quite significant sums for hardware but
> are penny pinchers when it comes to software! Wheels and pedals, gear changers, cockpits plus the inevitable PC
> hardware upgrades in terms of cpus, graphics cards, memory and screens are typical products a sim racing enthusiast is
> looking at.


In the case of Live For Speed (forums), there are a lot of questions
regarding usage of keyboard, which implies these guys don't own wheels
or pedals. There's there's probably the majority who own some < $100
wheel and pedal set. It's only a niche group that has the fancy setups.

I don't know what the average RSC member spends on hardware, but it's
probably not much more than the average LFS member.




  #3  
Old August 26th 06, 11:05 PM posted to rec.autos.simulators
jason moyer
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Posts: 110
Default Sim Racing Software Pricing

Tony Rickard wrote:

> Having experienced the drought of products when Papyrus stopped
> producing open wheel sims due to financial pressures we should be aware
> of the consequences.


Why spend money on low-quality products when there are good sims coming
out still? I'm not saying that I understand the people who whine about
spending $40 on LFS or NKPro when the demos for each give you a good
idea of whether the sim is for you or not, but on the other hand I
personally can't afford to drop that much change when most of my racing
time is still being eaten up by GT Legends and stuff that I'm more
likely to enjoy like GTR2 and Simbin's WTCC sim aren't too far off.
Not to forget iRacing too. Or the 79 mod for rFactor. Or Driver's
Republic (the new sim from the physics programmer who did RBR and a
bunch of long-time community members).

I also can't fathom spending more than $100 on a sim racing setup
either when I've gotten by perfectly fine with a non-FF Sidewinder
wheel that I paid $50 for 7 years ago. I'm not saying the immersion
factor of an expensive 3 pedal/shifter 3-LCD cockpit setup is a bad
thing, but there are guys at the top of the lap charts in every sim
using consumer setups like mine (or MSFF's and Logitech Momo's).

  #4  
Old August 27th 06, 06:00 AM posted to rec.autos.simulators
Online Racer
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Sim Racing Software Pricing

jason moyer wrote:
> Tony Rickard wrote:
>
>> Having experienced the drought of products when Papyrus stopped
>> producing open wheel sims due to financial pressures we should be aware
>> of the consequences.

>
> Why spend money on low-quality products when there are good sims coming
> out still? I'm not saying that I understand the people who whine about
> spending $40 on LFS or NKPro when the demos for each give you a good
> idea of whether the sim is for you or not, but on the other hand I
> personally can't afford to drop that much change when most of my racing
> time is still being eaten up by GT Legends and stuff that I'm more
> likely to enjoy like GTR2 and Simbin's WTCC sim aren't too far off.
> Not to forget iRacing too. Or the 79 mod for rFactor. Or Driver's
> Republic (the new sim from the physics programmer who did RBR and a
> bunch of long-time community members).
>
> I also can't fathom spending more than $100 on a sim racing setup
> either when I've gotten by perfectly fine with a non-FF Sidewinder
> wheel that I paid $50 for 7 years ago. I'm not saying the immersion
> factor of an expensive 3 pedal/shifter 3-LCD cockpit setup is a bad
> thing, but there are guys at the top of the lap charts in every sim
> using consumer setups like mine (or MSFF's and Logitech Momo's).
>

Iracing ? Good lord , Just rehashed Nascar 2003 with the old GPL engine.
  #5  
Old August 27th 06, 09:35 AM posted to rec.autos.simulators
jason moyer
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 110
Default Sim Racing Software Pricing

Online Racer wrote:

> Iracing ? Good lord , Just rehashed Nascar 2003 with the old GPL engine.


That's as valid as saying rFactor is just rehashed F1 Challenge with
the old Sportscar GT engine, i.e. not really at all.

  #6  
Old August 27th 06, 07:22 PM posted to rec.autos.simulators
COREY
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 17
Default Sim Racing Software Pricing

wow. get a job.

jason moyer wrote:
> Tony Rickard wrote:
>
>> Having experienced the drought of products when Papyrus stopped
>> producing open wheel sims due to financial pressures we should be aware
>> of the consequences.

>
> Why spend money on low-quality products when there are good sims coming
> out still? I'm not saying that I understand the people who whine about
> spending $40 on LFS or NKPro when the demos for each give you a good
> idea of whether the sim is for you or not, but on the other hand I
> personally can't afford to drop that much change when most of my racing
> time is still being eaten up by GT Legends and stuff that I'm more
> likely to enjoy like GTR2 and Simbin's WTCC sim aren't too far off.
> Not to forget iRacing too. Or the 79 mod for rFactor. Or Driver's
> Republic (the new sim from the physics programmer who did RBR and a
> bunch of long-time community members).
>
> I also can't fathom spending more than $100 on a sim racing setup
> either when I've gotten by perfectly fine with a non-FF Sidewinder
> wheel that I paid $50 for 7 years ago. I'm not saying the immersion
> factor of an expensive 3 pedal/shifter 3-LCD cockpit setup is a bad
> thing, but there are guys at the top of the lap charts in every sim
> using consumer setups like mine (or MSFF's and Logitech Momo's).
>

  #7  
Old August 27th 06, 07:58 PM posted to rec.autos.simulators
David G Fisher
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 37
Default Sim Racing Software Pricing


"Tony Rickard" > wrote in message
k...
> It maybe just my impression but it seems to me sim racers are prepared to
> pay quite significant sums for hardware but are penny pinchers when it
> comes to software! Wheels and pedals, gear changers, cockpits plus the
> inevitable PC hardware upgrades in terms of cpus, graphics cards, memory
> and screens are typical products a sim racing enthusiast is looking at.
> Cheers
> Tony


I agree. I've never understood this either. I hate to waste money like
anyone else, but sim racing software is so incredibly cheap for the
enjoyment you get out of it, even if you buy an occasional dud. rFactor
costs me less than a penny per session by now.


--
David G Fisher


  #8  
Old August 27th 06, 09:42 PM posted to rec.autos.simulators
Online Racer
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Sim Racing Software Pricing

jason moyer wrote:
> Online Racer wrote:
>
>> Iracing ? Good lord , Just rehashed Nascar 2003 with the old GPL engine.

>
> That's as valid as saying rFactor is just rehashed F1 Challenge with
> the old Sportscar GT engine, i.e. not really at all.
>

Except that rF has a new physics engine and multi player code. If you
look at Iracings propaganda you will see that they are at the very least
using the same multi player code.
  #9  
Old August 28th 06, 12:20 AM posted to rec.autos.simulators
Mike Horton
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default Sim Racing Software Pricing


"Online Racer" > wrote in message
t...
> jason moyer wrote:
>> Online Racer wrote:
>>
>>> Iracing ? Good lord , Just rehashed Nascar 2003 with the old GPL engine.

>>
>> That's as valid as saying rFactor is just rehashed F1 Challenge with
>> the old Sportscar GT engine, i.e. not really at all.
>>

> Except that rF has a new physics engine and multi player code. If you look
> at Iracings propaganda you will see that they are at the very least using
> the same multi player code.


Makes sense. When you have the best multi player code out there why change
it to something else?


  #10  
Old August 28th 06, 01:03 AM posted to rec.autos.simulators
David G Fisher
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 37
Default Sim Racing Software Pricing


"Mike Horton" > wrote in message
news:YMpIg.18185$Ch.5713@clgrps13...
>
> "Online Racer" > wrote in message
> t...
>> jason moyer wrote:
>>> Online Racer wrote:
>>>
>>>> Iracing ? Good lord , Just rehashed Nascar 2003 with the old GPL
>>>> engine.
>>>
>>> That's as valid as saying rFactor is just rehashed F1 Challenge with
>>> the old Sportscar GT engine, i.e. not really at all.
>>>

>> Except that rF has a new physics engine and multi player code. If you
>> look at Iracings propaganda you will see that they are at the very least
>> using the same multi player code.

>
> Makes sense. When you have the best multi player code out there why change
> it to something else?


You're kidding right? rFactor's is miles ahead. You are the only person I've
heard try to claim otherwise.


--
David G Fisher


 




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