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[UMC 22]

Greetings all,

I'm sure many of you have noticed various companies offering sales on their products and services, supposedly aimed at those in isolation. This includes game developers. Maybe I'm just being somewhat cynical, but offering mediocre discounts equal to what is seen in any other Summer, Winter, Christmas, Easter, whatever sale feels a bit like profiteering during a time of worldwide crisis. I mean, what is this? The Coronavirus sale? The Apocalypse discount?

What I would prefer to see these companies doing is what Sector 3 Studios is doing. As of today, everyone can enjoy full access to R3E and all of it's content completely free of charge! This will remain the case for a minimum of five days, according to their own announcement. In addition, they are having a #RaceFromHome event this Saturday and the devs will be online to race themselves this evening too.

Thanks to S3 for the generous gesture, and for showing how things should be done in this difficult time.

The full announcement is as follows:

Hello everyone,

In these difficult times of quarantine and lockdowns, it's very important that we take care of each other. As a racing game providing entertainment, we thought temporarily opening the gates and letting you all enjoy the RaceRoom content without worrying about the next paycheck was the best we could do. Starting now and for a minimum of five days, all the content in RaceRoom is freely accessible.

In addition to that, we are throwing a #RaceFromHome event this saturday, with all kinds of motorsport and simracing personalities. It will be streamed on Youtube and you can already set a reminder here.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for regular updates on the confirmed participants!

Later today, around 20.00 CET, RaceRoom devs from Sector3 Studios, including yours truly, will be hanging out on the RaceRoom Discord to chat and race on the ranked servers. See you all tonight!


Please take care of your loved ones as well as vulnerable people around you. You may very well have elderly neighbours scared of going outside from what they see on the news. Please take precautions to not spread the disease to them when reaching out.

While you are not using it, your computer can also help make a difference: please make sure to check out Folding@Home ( https://foldingathome.org/ ). It is a distributed computing project simulating protein dynamics, which helps scientists figure out new ways of curing diseases. They have recently dedicated resources to covid-19.

See you on track, and most importantly, stay safe, everyone!

J-F Chardon

Source

 

[WPxNJ]

Great move. Much appreciated, Raceroom. Will hammer those new Porsches on tracks I've haven't bought.

 

[UMC 22]

Ok, let me address a few things here.

But I also appreciate the sales and discounts offered by other vendors. They don't have to do it, people are so bored they would probably buy the stuff anyway at full price.

If I buy a car and one dealer says - you can have the car free for five days but after that you have to pay full price, how is this better than another dealer who says I'll sell you the car for 50% off?

You're all totally missing the point on what I meant with my criticism. S3 are allowing everyone to have totally free access to their game, which is particularly aimed at the thousands of people who are currently in isolation. It gives them something to do during what is a very difficult time, being shut off from the world, and unable to work and earn money. This will absolutely cost S3 money because they won't sell anything whatsoever for the duration of this offer... at least five days, perhaps more if it's extended.

Other games companies are offering regular, standard discounts on their products. Wow. How generous. They already offer their games at those exact same prices 5-6 times per year. The only reason they do this, and do it so often, is because the lower prices are generally offset by increased sales, so overall profit remains similar... or even rises. It's also true that companies who offer entertainment for people to enjoy in their own homes are among the least likely to suffer significant losses at this time. So what they're doing, in my personal view, is profiteering on the coronavirus.

If they really want to show generosity, how about offering a real discount for all those stuck in isolation of at least 75%? Then perhaps they'll get some of my respect.

Especially on the same website that put this story on its front page this morning.

Oh right, so because I'm a race organiser for RD, it means I lose my right to have and post my personal thoughts? Wrong. Unless I'm conducting official RD business or clearly state otherwise, everything I post on these forums are my own personal opinions and views. I even asked Paul to make a separate front-page news announcement rather than promoting this thread to article status, specifically so that my personal criticism is not taken as official RD "policy".

If people want to believe that companies holding regular, bog-standard sales are doing so out of the goodness of their hearts, so be it. Personally, I stick to my view that they're making money off of the unfortunate.

 

[ears]

You're all totally missing the point on what I meant with my criticism. S3 are allowing everyone to have totally free access to their game, which is particularly aimed at the thousands of people who are currently in isolation. It gives them something to do during what is a very difficult time, being shut off from the world, and unable to work and earn money. This will absolutely cost S3 money because they won't sell anything whatsoever for the duration of this offer... at least five days, perhaps more if it's extended.

Other games companies are offering regular, standard discounts on their products. Wow. How generous. They already offer their games at those exact same prices 5-6 times per year. The only reason they do this, and do it so often, is because the lower prices are generally offset by increased sales, so overall profit remains similar... or even rises. It's also true that companies who offer entertainment for people to enjoy in their own homes are among the least likely to suffer significant losses at this time. So what they're doing, in my personal view, is profiteering on the coronavirus.

Why are you trying to force a fanboy war? Why can't you just agree with everyone else that it's a kind gesture and not feel the need to attack other game vendors off the back of it?

Periods of time where all content is made available free. It's not the first time they've done this is it? So with the free to play model, it must be seen as a marketing tool.

So if I want to put the same slant on the Raceroom offer as you put on offers by other vendors, then I could just say it's a marketing ploy aimed at selling more. Wow. How generous. They already put similar offers on at other times of the year.

If they really want to show generosity, how about offering a real discount for all those stuck in isolation of at least 75%? Then perhaps they'll get some of my respect.

So small software houses based in countries affected badly by this virus have to take extra cuts in their profit margins in unprecedented times just to earn your respect?

It's your opinion it's as valid as any others. But that doesn't make you right and people who disagree with you wrong.

 

[UMC 22]

Why are you trying to force a fanboy war? Why can't you just agree with everyone else that it's a kind gesture and not feel the need to attack other game vendors off the back of it?

This is really pathetic. I'm not starting anything, I'm stating my personal opinion. What exactly is your problem with that? Why should I be forced to agree with you when your opinion is not the same as mine? Why do you have such an issue with everyone who doesn't agree with you?

It's your opinion it's as valid as any others. But that doesn't make you right and people who disagree with you wrong.

And where did I state than anyone's opinion other than mine is invalid, or that everyone should agree with me? I in fact stated exactly the opposite at the end of my last post, which you clearly didn't bother to read before going off on your little rant.

If people want to believe that companies holding regular, bog-standard sales are doing so out of the goodness of their hearts, so be it. Personally, I stick to my view that they're making money off of the unfortunate.

Do us all a favour, and learn to accept that you're no more right or wrong than anyone else before you try belittling people into agreeing with you.

 

[RichardHessels]

View attachment 356278

Greetings all,

I'm sure many of you have noticed various companies offering sales on their products and services, supposedly aimed at those in isolation. This includes game developers. Maybe I'm just being somewhat cynical, but offering mediocre discounts equal to what is seen in any other Summer, Winter, Christmas, Easter, whatever sale feels a bit like profiteering during a time of worldwide crisis. I mean, what is this? The Coronavirus sale? The Apocalypse discount?

What I would prefer to see these companies doing is what Sector 3 Studios is doing. As of today, everyone can enjoy full access to R3E and all of it's content completely free of charge! This will remain the case for a minimum of five days, according to their own announcement. In addition, they are having a #RaceFromHome event this Saturday and the devs will be online to race themselves this evening too.

Thanks to S3 for the generous gesture, and for showing how things should be done in this difficult time.

The full announcement is as follows:



Source

Yes you are being cynical. Half the world is self quarantined.
They are in the same boat as us.
I truly beleive they want to offer their audience something in these difficult times.
Only thing they can do as media/content creators is give discounts or free stuff.