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Risco

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 22, 2010
1,946
262
United Kingdom
Out now on the New Zealand store and about midnight in the UK. However, it is frigging free 2 play.

I wish EA would go bankrupt.
 

Risco

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 22, 2010
1,946
262
United Kingdom
Why is this bad?

Because they are going to gouge people with coins for dollars in order to get one of the following:

  1. Not to wait a crazy amount of time for your car to repair because the AI have suddenly gone kamikaze crazy and destroy your car every race.
  2. Dollars just to get the decent cars, rather than earning them through skill.
  3. Dollars to get the best upgrades
  4. Dollars for extra tracks
  5. Dollars to remove adverts
  6. Needs I go on?

All these were available in Real Racing 2 WITHOUT the stupid freemium model. Also they got it out on time...
 

SnowLeopard2008

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2008
6,772
17
Silicon Valley
Because they are going to gouge people with coins for dollars in order to get one of the following:

  1. Not to wait a crazy amount of time for your car to repair because the AI have suddenly gone kamikaze crazy and destroy your car every race.
  2. Dollars just to get the decent cars, rather than earning them through skill.
  3. Dollars to get the best upgrades
  4. Dollars for extra tracks
  5. Dollars to remove adverts
  6. Needs I go on?

All these were available in Real Racing 2 WITHOUT the stupid freemium model. Also they got it out on time...

Good points. I think I'll stick with RR 2 for now.
 

Sparky9292

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2004
831
0
Because they are going to gouge people with coins for dollars in order to get one of the following:

  1. Not to wait a crazy amount of time for your car to repair because the AI have suddenly gone kamikaze crazy and destroy your car every race.
  2. Dollars just to get the decent cars, rather than earning them through skill.
  3. Dollars to get the best upgrades
  4. Dollars for extra tracks
  5. Dollars to remove adverts
  6. Needs I go on?

All these were available in Real Racing 2 WITHOUT the stupid freemium model. Also they got it out on time...

The freemium model is the worst thing to happen to apps. It's actually increasing the average price of apps. Now real racing costs $20 if you want to truly uncripple it. lame :mad:
 

theautopilot

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2010
709
39
I hope not, but I also fear the "pay to win" model will ruin the online play. As often happens with these things, people instantly buy the best car then play online with no skill, experience or track knowledge. The result is usually a predictable farce.
 

richxps

macrumors 68000
Jun 9, 2008
1,910
376
I think apple should ban games that only offer a IAP, this will never compete with console games .. I rather pay a one time fee for the game and maybe maybe map packs etc in the future . Not this crap where I have limited time to play etc and than have to pay and pay ... I think we should complain to apple for allowing this
 

theautopilot

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2010
709
39
I think apple should ban games that only offer a IAP, this will never compete with console games .. I rather pay a one time fee for the game and maybe maybe map packs etc in the future . Not this crap where I have limited time to play etc and than have to pay and pay ... I think we should complain to apple for allowing this

Apple won't do that, IAPs make far too much money right now. The problem for developers is that only a small percentage of apps make money. The trick is getting apps promoted in the app store charts - once they do they become self promoting. If an app is free at the point of downloading lots of people will download just out of curiosity, bumping it up the charts. It works well for many apps.

However it's crossed a line now and the system is getting bad press, IAPs are running the mobile games market. IAPs can be good at times - extra maps, less adverts etc, but its being abused and the big name firms are the worst offenders. Games are cynically designed almost entirely to milk cash from gamers, with arbitrary points in games where its virtually impossible to continue without paying more, even though they lead you to believe you could do with doing so. Games are not designed purely as a great gaming experience, with progression based on skill and story narrative. Its really sad what's happening, and even consoles are doing this now.
 
Last edited:

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
I hope not, but I also fear the "pay to win" model will ruin the online play. As often happens with these things, people instantly buy the best car then play online with no skill, experience or track knowledge. The result is usually a predictable farce.

I'm pretty sure you can only pay to get coins, which reduce timers.

You still need in game currency, earned from racing to buy fancy cars.

And you still have to progress to unlock the higher 'circuits' where you buy the fancier cars.
 

shenfrey

macrumors 68020
May 23, 2010
2,424
657
EA have never cared about games, they care about profit. EA are the worst thing to happen to gaming and what makes matters worst is there attempt to monopolise the entire industry.
 

theautopilot

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2010
709
39
I'm pretty sure you can only pay to get coins, which reduce timers.

You still need in game currency, earned from racing to buy fancy cars.

And you still have to progress to unlock the higher 'circuits' where you buy the fancier cars.

I hope so, well see...
 

Macalicious2011

macrumors 68000
May 15, 2011
1,707
1,707
London
I live in the UK but managed but changed my setting to New Zealand and managed to download the game. On my iPad 3, I also have Real Racing 2 which I habe played exhaustively so you can imagine that I have been patiently awaiting the third instalment.

What a tragedy. I am more sad than angry about how such a beautiful and amazing game can intentionally be handicapped in such a cruel and capitalistic manner.

By no means am I a stingy guy. Most of my apps are paid ones because they tend to be best. Recently I was burned by Asphalt 7 which went for the IAP model too and hoped that Real Racing would stay faithful but no. I was even prepared to pay £9.99 or even £14.99 to play this game but even if you spend the equivalent in the game, you will inevitably have to spend money again, and again and again - basically for life.

You use coins to pay for time. 65 coins cost about $8.99. I played the game and hit the paywall after 1h 23m and had during that period spent 23 coins on repairs, oil change(most annoying and frequent one), servicing and upgrades. Bare in mind that this is for a Ford Focus.

Imagine what the spend will be like if you have a Pagani Huraya and a Porsche 918? Yeah. You might as well spend that on a real car.

Until EA have released a premium version I will not be playing this game. In the meantime I will keep my eye out for hacks for unlimited money.
 

Saladinos

macrumors 68000
Feb 26, 2008
1,845
4
I live in the UK but managed but changed my setting to New Zealand and managed to download the game. On my iPad 3, I also have Real Racing 2 which I habe played exhaustively so you can imagine that I have been patiently awaiting the third instalment.

What a tragedy. I am more sad than angry about how such a beautiful and amazing game can intentionally be handicapped in such a cruel and capitalistic manner.

By no means am I a stingy guy. Most of my apps are paid ones because they tend to be best. Recently I was burned by Asphalt 7 which went for the IAP model too and hoped that Real Racing would stay faithful but no. I was even prepared to pay £9.99 or even £14.99 to play this game but even if you spend the equivalent in the game, you will inevitably have to spend money again, and again and again - basically for life.

You use coins to pay for time. 65 coins cost about $8.99. I played the game and hit the paywall after 1h 23m and had during that period spent 23 coins on repairs, oil change(most annoying and frequent one), servicing and upgrades. Bare in mind that this is for a Ford Focus.

Imagine what the spend will be like if you have a Pagani Huraya and a Porsche 918? Yeah. You might as well spend that on a real car.

Until EA have released a premium version I will not be playing this game. In the meantime I will keep my eye out for hacks for unlimited money.

I hate these kind of games, and I never download any of them. I've banned the kids from playing them.

The business model has become so deeply integrated in to the game that you can't just have a fun experience with them any more. It's too much business and not enough game.

In the old days, you paid $40 for a game and it was a significant one-off cost. But because the developers have already got your money, the business side of things stops there. You play the game and you enjoy a deep and immersive story (I'm thinking of games like final fantasy, metal gear solid, etc).

Now, because it's all about ads and consumable micropurchases, the business now wants you to keep coming back to those games. Every day. In your lunch break, on the way to work, whenever you have a spare second. The tasks are all extremely repetitive because it fits the business model. You don't make money with $0.001 per ad view unless you get lots of people hooked or have high conversion rates for consumables (i.e. annoy people in to spending cash).

Those games have no creative value.

I think it can be damaging for kids, too - because kids don't have money, the way they progress is by getting their friends on board. It puts pressure on kids in the playground (I've heard of kids being bullied to water other kids crops). Kids (I'm talking less than 12 years old here) can also be really sucked in to these repetitive pieces of garbage by cute pictures. It's not new; it's been going on since Barbie dolls. Unlike barbie dolls through, these games are all about logging in first thing after school to finish some mindless task and collect coins.

I hate to see games going this way. I hope the indie scene can inspire a new direction.
 

Macalicious2011

macrumors 68000
May 15, 2011
1,707
1,707
London
I hate these kind of games, and I never download any of them. I've banned the kids from playing them.

The business model has become so deeply integrated in to the game that you can't just have a fun experience with them any more. It's too much business and not enough game.

In the old days, you paid $40 for a game and it was a significant one-off cost. But because the developers have already got your money, the business side of things stops there. You play the game and you enjoy a deep and immersive story (I'm thinking of games like final fantasy, metal gear solid, etc).

Now, because it's all about ads and consumable micropurchases, the business now wants you to keep coming back to those games. Every day. In your lunch break, on the way to work, whenever you have a spare second. The tasks are all extremely repetitive because it fits the business model. You don't make money with $0.001 per ad view unless you get lots of people hooked or have high conversion rates for consumables (i.e. annoy people in to spending cash).

Those games have no creative value.

I think it can be damaging for kids, too - because kids don't have money, the way they progress is by getting their friends on board. It puts pressure on kids in the playground (I've heard of kids being bullied to water other kids crops). Kids (I'm talking less than 12 years old here) can also be really sucked in to these repetitive pieces of garbage by cute pictures. It's not new; it's been going on since Barbie dolls. Unlike barbie dolls through, these games are all about logging in first thing after school to finish some mindless task and collect coins.

I hate to see games going this way. I hope the indie scene can inspire a new direction.

The app industry is taking inspiration from casinos. They lure you in for free, give you minor achievements to make yourself feel good about yourself and feel like you can score higher, while your wallet is drip feeding money into their bank account. Addiction is basically the end goal. For children and vulnerable people this is extremely dangerous.

I am now bummed that all my favorite racing games on iOS are IAP making my iPad less appealing for gaming. Something needs to change because this isn's right.
 

theautopilot

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2010
709
39
Yes I think we might have reached, or be near, a tipping point for IAP's. I hope this will be a turning point for the industry, as its rapidly spiralling into a PR disaster.

EA are pushing the good will of the paying public to the limit, Abut I guess they will wait, do the math and see how it pans out. They could always release a fully open version for $10 if it does not work out.

For me personally I hope things change. I am rapidly falling out of love with iOS for 'proper' gaming. I have got to the point where I hardly ever look at 'free' games anymore as the are just IAP junk.
 

theautopilot

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2010
709
39
"All in all, it's an exasperating way of roadblocking enjoyment of the game, and at the most extreme end of the scale you'll need approximately $160 in spare change floating around to pick up the Koenigesegg Agrera R ($80 if you buy Gold in bulk). Elsewhere, high tier vehicle upgrades can only be gained through Gold, rather than the usual R$ you earn from races."

---http://www.modojo.com/reviews/2013-02-14-real-racing-3

Surely this wont end well for EA/Firemint?
 

Macalicious2011

macrumors 68000
May 15, 2011
1,707
1,707
London
"All in all, it's an exasperating way of roadblocking enjoyment of the game, and at the most extreme end of the scale you'll need approximately $160 in spare change floating around to pick up the Koenigesegg Agrera R ($80 if you buy Gold in bulk). Elsewhere, high tier vehicle upgrades can only be gained through Gold, rather than the usual R$ you earn from races."

---http://www.modojo.com/reviews/2013-02-14-real-racing-3

Surely this wont end well for EA/Firemint?

So basically, the cost of buying an iPad 4 to play RR3 and funding the game, is almost as expensive as buying a second hand Nissan Micra and maintaining it.

Ridiculous beyond belief. Makes me somewhat ashamed of living in the first world.
 

theautopilot

macrumors 6502a
Jul 27, 2010
709
39
THIS! Damnit all EA!

Wow.

No wonder they have released it in a small country 2 weeks before everywhere else. Normally that would just lose money, after all the game is 'ready', but EA are obviously experimenting to see how people are reacting (and spending). But surely this kind of extreme profiteering encourages piracy, cheating and hacks/cracks, rather than defeating it, no?

I can see some very upset parents who have kids that know there iTunes password...
 
Last edited:

rockyroad55

macrumors 601
Jul 14, 2010
4,152
59
Phila, PA
Read somewhere that it costs $100 to get the Koenissig (however you spell it)

That's complete BS

Edit: that was posted just above me. Oops
 
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