What’s the Reason Fanatec is ceding the market to Miss?

[NetLawMan]

If you had asked me a year ago, there was no way I would have thought that a little-known company could so quickly began to outpace the market dominator. Particularly with their new products, I am starting to become more and more impressed with Moza. I still have my Fanatec DD2, which I will not give up, largely because of its universal compatibility with both Sims and simcades.

I am wondering, though, what is the direction fanatec is looking to take given the fact that they seem not to be innovating or bringing new products to market. And even with respect to current products, they seem to be ignoring the needs of customers (like the need for a good quick release, which they promised years ago).

I am wondering whether they want to move away from the consumer and sim markets in favor of motor sports and they are happy to maintain the status quo of having a steady sim-related revenue stream to fund their ambitions until it eventually dries up. What are you thoughts?

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

I think you are asking a question many of us have at the moment. I am really interested myself to find out the answers so I am watching this discussion.

 

[Please Stop This]

Quick-Release: imo (edit: ) they are close with ascher racing and you are meant to buy it from them
Otherwise, why are you tickling them here? Tickle them on their forums.

 

[Marcel Offermans]

Not that I have any answers, but if you want to learn a bit more about how a company is doing, it makes sense to read their financial reports, which are available here: https://endor.ag/investor-relations/?lang=en

 

[Enzo Fazzi]

Not that I have any answers, but if you want to learn a bit more about how a company is doing, it makes sense to read their financial reports, which are available here: https://endor.ag/investor-relations/?lang=en

Though when looking at the 2023 Q1 report and comparing it to 2022 Q1, it should be noted that they most likely moved some turnover from 2021 Q4 over to 2022 Q1.

 

[Beef36]

 

[NetLawMan]

I looked at the financials. It’s interesting that they identify sim-racing as their core revenue stream, but there engineering time over the last few years appears publicly to be everywhere but sim racing (marketing, licensing and designing products for motor sports).

 

[oslowley]

I'm done purchasing Fanatec. I'll keep what I have but most likely won't purchase anything more. The product line is now officially stale, Simagic and Moza offer better gear at similar or better prices. Sad to see, if they continue to rest on their laurels the company will be obsolete soon. They are borderline irrelevant at this point. Pity..... Those financials are propped up by the "Covid Surge " almost every tech or hardware company can show similar trends for that time period.

 

[Leynad777]

Probably over half of the revenue Fanatec makes because of console-compatibility and my guess: Monza & co. won't get access to these exclusive clubs, because Fanatec, Thrustmaster and Logitech pay a high price to be exclusive. If more manufacturers can sell to console-players, the price to be in this 'club' must go down while probably not more total items can be sold, so this makes it not attractive for Sony and Microsoft. But that's just my theory why there is not more variety on consoles.

The QR that Fanatec showed at the Expo last year was probably a FIA-certified motorsport-QR because I saw the same QR in a racecar-review. Doesn't mean it's better, but certainly more costly.

Simagic and Moza went with the D1 Spec QR I know from my former Accuforce already, just with improved internal connections. Asetek licenced the SC2-QR and improved it, Logitech looks like a D1 Spec copy and Thrustmaster like a XERO-Play copy by principle, so not that easy to develop a good QR without paying for licences. Fanatec has the advantage that many people own their wheels and bases, so upgrading inside the eco-system is usually cheaper than buying elsewhere. A new QR would complicate it for Fanatec as well as for costumers and if they have to pay for a new QR, they could as well switch the brand. So I guess that's why they hesitate with a new QR even if it's ready.

 

[ao1977]

Most likely I don't speak for a majority of users, but what keeps me from buying any fanatec gear is their policy to lock you into their ecosystem.

My current rims wouldn't work (resp. the base itself) unless I spend another 200€ in their ugly hub with no other benefit than spinny boi goes spinning.

And the fact you need to buy an extra USB adapter to use their shifter as a standalone unit is simply ridiculous at that price point.