Watch: We Are Worried About Microtransactions in Racing Games!


What used to be unthinkable in the days of the internet not being common yet is now the norm in almost any game - and racing titles are no exception to microtransactions. It is one of the more questionable elements in modern gaming, which is why OverTake's Marvin Miller takes a deep dive into the topic and shares his worries.

Image credit: OverTake

In-game currency, car liveries, clothing items for your virtual racing driver... There are numerous possibilities to spend you hard-earned real-life cash on digital goods in your favorite games. In fact, the focus in games of a particular company seems to have shifted almost exclusively on these in recent years - and it has reached the world of racing games and simulators as well.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1287866833379315712

Looking Back at the Early Days​

Marvin takes a look at the history of microtransactions in gaming, going back as far as 2006. and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. The explosion of the practice since has lead to interesting new content being made available on one hand, but also to outrageous prices for miniscule items on the other - not to mention the pay-to-win mechanic some titles started to implement. This gets worse when it is specifically aimed towards kids, as certain examples Marvin focuses on show.

What does this mean for future racing titles in particular? Are we facing normalization of these practices even in racing simulations? This may very well be the case, as Marvin thinks - but only time will tell for sure.

Your Thoughts​

What is your take on microtransactions - both in gaming in general and in (sim) racing games? Do you agree with Marvin? Let us know in the comments below!
  • Like
  • Love
  • Angry
Reactions: sndwv, Storm Rider and Gabyzen64
About author
Yannik Haustein
Yannik Haustein
Lifelong motorsport enthusiast and sim racing aficionado, walking racing history encyclopedia.

Sim racing editor, streamer and one half of the SimRacing Buddies podcast (warning, German!).

Heel & Toe Gang 4 life :D

More in Other Games

Comments

Richard Wilks
metalnwood said:
I do care because I am happy with it, I don't think there would be a better model that would be beneficial to most users. iracing is not a billion $ company, or in the case of someone like EA, a 37b company.

They have a model that keeps them going and it wasn't until recently it was noted that they are finally looking at some return after 15 years.

You would have the law changed and afterwards you would never look at iracing and not care that to cover the costs and deliver what they do under your new regulations it would probably make things less viable for the people that use the service.

Again, you dont own your other software to use as you see fit, you can use it withing the t&c and there will be various things that restrict what you can do with it, its just that you are happy with those restrictions. Its too bad you want to interfere with adults that are happy with their softwares t&c.

As far as microtransactions, the games that pull you in and make you spend $. They are terrible, I would hate my kids to grow up using them. Not because I would give them money but because they are terrible for your brains anyway. You could take away all the microtransactions and still be left with far worse i.e. the games that are developed based on well researched studies to try and pull you in, play on your emotions and body chemistry.

I am sure we could agree all day on that but iracing is a hobby, its completely different, it uses your spare income and I have never heard of someone loosing it all feeding their iracing addiction.
Click to expand...
Well i dont care about their health as a company, Thats their problem, not the customers. Customers are not a charity organization. I don't care how they justify their bad practices, that doesn't make them right. But i guess its like a gambling addict, thats their opinion how casinos are run, the last thing they want is for them to close, right?...

If its viable or not, its again their problem. I dont see how they would lose money by letting people use their content offline, neither you are privy to their accounting, but again, you are happy to abide to basically parasitic transactions, if you think your addiction is in danger. This is exactly why "voting with wallets" and "responsible customers" is nonsese.

Yes, i want to interefere with adult's business. We do that all the time, when we protest, when we vote, when we make choices that affects us all. You see, you defending these practices is affecting me already because you and others basically legitimized said behaviours.

I can classify all those activities as hobbies. That doesn't make them not having to abide to laws. Also funny how you classify microtransactions and those games as "bad", yet your beloved iracing all is fine.

And please drop the semantics charade of "license vs non license". I own a physical copy of said software, i dont have to pay a fee to use it.
 
Last edited:
M
Well for now I will sleep easy that you are not making the rules. It is a symbiotic relationship, I care if they go under because I like their products. I am sure they like the business they are in and want to stay there but have to make some $.

I find it quite funny, really first world problem. I WANT TO USE MY RACING GAME OFF LINE! And if I cant they should be regulated. Good on you, priorities lol.
 
Richard Wilks
metalnwood said:
Well for now I will sleep easy that you are not making the rules. It is a symbiotic relationship, I care if they go under because I like their products. I am sure they like the business they are in and want to stay there but have to make some $.

I find it quite funny, really first world problem. I WANT TO USE MY RACING GAME OFF LINE! And if I cant they should be regulated. Good on you, priorities lol.
Click to expand...
Yes indeed, its a first world problem when companies now rely on brainwashing, gaslighting, mass addiction and basically simpery to justify their practices, constantly putting themselves the image of near bankrupcy all the time to keep taking advantage of users like yourself.

You know what else i would put into law? Companies would need to disclose all their accounting publicly, including salaries, bonuses, the whole lot, of all the staff, including board members and CEOs. We would then see who is trully in the red, and who is making a good living out of faking poverty.
 
Last edited:
Durge Driven
Richard Wilks said:
If we let them and other corporations get away with this, soon it will be norm.
Click to expand...

So cute, you think we have a option. ;)
To make change in anything you need a voice.
To have a voice you need a sanctioned body with 100K's.
Imagine what $M's a year in member dues could do for all aspects.
No vision for the future, I be long buried they will still be using 6 engines. :thumbsup:

P.S. Imagine for a second Motorsports without sanctioned bodies, demo derby. :roflmao:
 
Last edited:
manu68
Premium
Long live Iracing !
Just without me , because i love simracing offline too.
Also no monthly fee for me .
If Acc , ... follow the same business model i will quit and come back to the old good games installed on my computer from physical support like gpl, gtr2, nascar 2003, rbr, rfactor, gtl, .. many choices to enjoy simracing.

That said, i totally agree paying for DLC or tracks or car i like . I can always décide not to purchase one i don´t like.
Just no monthly fee for me .
(Applies too for gym club. I ride bicycle or run outside for free)
 
T
PR0JECTNR56 said:
Might be the last of it's kind, but my go to model is definitely the original Assetto Corsa.

One time purchase with optional DLCs, where the game also works like an accessible frame, leaving the door open to any form of modding.

Taking in consideration that the game goes strong until this very day with many quality mods to choose from, and it's getting close to the 10 year anniversary, I think it's fair to say, that it has proved it's worth.
Click to expand...
Doesn’t ACC and AMS 2 have the same business module?
 
T
Johnr777 said:
You mean the same EA that puts on a bit of lipstick on the same F1 game / FIFA game / NHL game etc etc and calls it a new release for $70?
Click to expand...
The fact that buying the same game every year would cost less than the iRacing monthly subscription is crazy

And that’s not even including the cars and tracks that are insanely expensive as well, so yeah I absolutely despise EA and somehow iRacing manages to make a worst business module than freaking EA out of all companies
 
S
OK, maybe a bit OT, feels like an ignorant n00b, but have to clarify on iRacing and rights issues for payed subscription periods.

Is it correct that for iR you are renting content of which is replaced now an then without further info?

I enjoyed iRacing on the two occasions I participated online as 100% online competitions.
This until a certain point where I wanted just offline iRacing.
But I couldn't find 'my' Miata with H-stick - seems it was replaced with the paddle-shift version for the newer real world series.

When I buy a car, ofcourse the car should be my property right from then until I sell it myself.
When I rent a car, at least I want to know when my rental car is being replaced down in front of my hotel, so I can look for the right car the next morning.
And ideally, I will not have my rental car replaced unless I ask for it myself.
 
Last edited:
M
stenovitz said:
OK, maybe a bit OT, feels like an ignorant n00b, but have to clarify on iRacing and rights issues for payed subscription periods.

Is it correct that for iR you are renting content of which is replaced now an then without further info?

I enjoyed iRacing on the two occasions I participated online as 100% online competitions.
This until a certain point where I wanted just offline iRacing.
But I couldn't find 'my' Miata with H-stick - seems it was replaced with the paddle-shift version for the newer real world series.

When I buy a car, ofcourse the car should be my property right from then until I sell it myself.
When I rent a car, at least I want to know when my rental car is being replaced down in front of my hotel, so I can look for the right car the next morning.
And ideally, I will not have my rental car replaced unless I ask for it myself.
Click to expand...
if you bought a car it will be there forever for you but its correct you have to have a current subscription to use it. If you lapse for 5 years and come back all your content will still be there.

I believe that the mx5 has changed and the new version is used in the official series, the older one will still be available for ai/your own sessions or for hosted sessions.
 
S
metalnwood said:
if you bought a car it will be there forever for you but its correct you have to have a current subscription to use it. If you lapse for 5 years and come back all your content will still be there.

I believe that the mx5 has changed and the new version is used in the official series, the older one will still be available for ai/your own sessions or for hosted sessions.
Click to expand...
Thanks for clarification!
 
I
Never mind microtransactions, what about the games you buy.
You are only renting AC,ACC, PC1, PC2 etc etc.....

When Microshite decides your OS is no longer supported Steam follows.
Unless you upgrade to a new OS forget about playing all the games you allegedly own.

I really miss real physical media............................;-(
plus windoze 11 is rubbish, thats a rant for another day.
 
Last edited:
S
idontgetoutmuch said:
Never mind microtransactions, what about the games you buy.
You are only renting AC,ACC, PC1, PC2 etc etc.....

When Microshite decides your OS is no longer supported Steam follows.
Unless you upgrade to a new OS forget about playing all the games you allegedly own.

I really miss real physical media............................;-(
plus windoze 11 is rubbish, thats a rant for another day.
Click to expand...
Eeasy now.
Plenty of tools getting 90ies Win95 running fine on Win11 with just a few twists and jumps.
And will always be someone out there making it possible for you to teleport back in time, even when we've left x86 code for good.
What fascinates me is that apparently it's still only for the few taking use of the opportunities despite search engines have existed for the masses for +25 years, leaving the solutions only few clicks away.
 
Last edited:
I
My point is that you do not own the games you buy from steam you are only renting!
Which I personally find even more insidious than micro-transactions.
Easy to avoid micro-transactions don't buy the games.

I am well aware of how to run anything I own and more., I never mentioned old games from the 90's. Even though I only recently started to play GPL after watching gplaps on youtube. ;-)
 
Last edited:
S
idontgetoutmuch said:
My point is that you do not own the games you buy from steam you are only renting!
Which I personally find even more insidious than micro-transactions.
Easy to avoid micro-transactions don't buy the games.

I am well aware of how to run anything I own and more., I never mentioned old games from the 90's. Even though I only recently started to play GPL after watching gplaps on youtube. ;-)
Click to expand...
OK got it now :) And fully agree on this issue.
 
Eckhart von Glan
I was waiting for someone to bring up the steam issue (and the same goes, I guess for any other online portal: the moment they fold "your" content is gone for good, that's how I lost a couple of photographs I had accidentally only stored online, then the site folded and I never received their mail telling me I only had fourteen days or so to save the images, gone for good :( ) however this issue is not in the least related to MICRO transaction, sorry again off topic.
 

Latest News

Article information

Author
Yannik Haustein
Article read time
2 min read
Views
9,468
Comments
156
Last update

Share this article

Shifting method

  • I use whatever the car has in real life*

  • I always use paddleshift

  • I always use sequential

  • I always use H-shifter

  • Something else, please explain

Results are only viewable after voting.
See comments…
Back
Top