Do you somehow think they are deriving much income from rF2 these days? Even if LMU numbers are dropping, the focus of S397 is clearly on LMU. Besides, daily use numbers have zero effect on income. Sales drive budgets, not daily users. Heck, they wouldn't even attempt to update ISI content when there was no Daenerys Stormborn(Breaker of Chains<or old content>) conflict.
I more interested in future plans for entire sim eco. To me seems they go opposite direction with everything. More studios more sims more peripherals. Today we have a few big retail chains control everything. I would argue although I miss the corner store this approach is better for our time. Would we have better or worse VR if the technology was owned by a few companies. Would we have better CPU and GPU with 20 companies. I think NOT
In fact, rF2 is a much more interesting simulator, and there will always be more users, so they should focus on content for it and thus earn more income, but they themselves are failing.
rF2 does indeed have a wider scope of interest than the WEC specific LMU. But new rF2 sales are probably close to finished. I assume there was some bump when the latest online module was introduced as some ACC/iR users and old rF2 users returned to check out the Online content. DLC 'can' provide some income but generally, by this time, only for existing owners of rF2. New sales are what matters, there are VERY FEW new sales left in rF2's future. If rF2 itself was the funding mechanism that MSG planned to use, then why waste millions on licenses for Indycar & BTCC & WEC.(Even if all had gone well, it was new products, not rF2 that would have saved MSG) rF2's core physics can contribute to future sales for other platforms, like LMU or hopefully a BTCC product. But the rF2 physics no longer can reach SIGNIFICANT numbers of new purchasers solely by itself. Enjoy rF2, hopefully we'll see a few more offerings next year, but if you count on S397 surviving financially, it will be with new products, not our old warhorse, rF2.
rF2 has a lot of content that does not go online, add new free content and launch new paid content, diversify, update the engine and there will be new sales, they have already taken several cars out of the game and hidden them in the stem only for those who are registered. I know it would hurt to remove others and add new free content, as I've read in some places, many people don't play because they heard that the simulator is bad and never played it, and in some reviews on Steam I've seen a lot of complaints that there is no content for Racecontrol is always a track and car that no one wants to play. LMU I bought it to help the Studio, because as much as I like prototypes and have a lot of appreciation for hybrids, the fact that it's a wec game will always be very weak in content.
All good ideas, but there is no funding for improving rF2. Whatever cash MSG has allotted to S397 is obviously going to LMU. You cannot squeeze blood out of a turnip.
They are fulfilling a contract, with WEC or whomever. It's been cash in, which is a good thing, but even the 2024 DLC will probably not reverse the interest levels. rF2 has 1000~ users still some days and the last update was... when? There's a dedicated player base there to sell cars & tracks too. We havent seen the last of rF2
LMU is early access. They're trying to fix bugs, there's an update expected in June, there's little reason to think it's not going to grow from where it is. A whole bunch of people own the game and are waiting for improvements; way too much emphasis is placed on daily/weekly player trends.
I think that S397/MSG found a working formula with LMU which doesn't really have to do only with WEC. It´s more of ease of use, UI, options, and content. Sometimes less Is more, and that´s the case with LMU. It pretty much feels right although It´s In EA, and It´s easy to use, It also works for the most part! rF2 tries to do to many things, and for It´s own good as the best racing sim, It really should dial down on what It wants to do "right". Use the LMU formula, get a overhaul and eliminate half the stuff that makes the sim convoluted for those that just want to jump In and race. Decide what addons they want to keep, update those to todays standards and go from there. While LMU Is getting all the attention and love, which Is great for MSG Income, It would also be a great time to fulfill the above by starting the mentioned overhaul and promoting rF2 while taking advantage of LMU´s exposure, and by that I don´t mean mixing both together. The Investment Is already there with rF2, If you leave It behind because you moved on to a new house (LMU), you´re old house Is just gonna crumble with age, and that Investment, time and effort will be gone!
Many of the DLC's were released and then weren't updated, for the new versions of the simulator, I know people who don't play because of that.
Yes, but the WEC is already a category without much appeal, Le Mans is a race that has appeal, I don't believe it will increase that much, the game has already improved a lot and I know people who have even uninstalled because they said they won't play.. .
The DLC products do sell, but only to the existing user base. They need NEW USERS. NEW CUSTOMERS. You won't get that with rF2 DLC. Pretty much EVERYONE WHO is gonna buy rF2 has already done just that. They can't add the entire F1 grid so getting a Haas or Williams isn't gonna excite the masses to stampede to rF2-land. Think of sims as a pie. To get people to eat a slice of your pie, you have to come up with something new. That piece of Apple Pie that has been on the shelf for 10 years...good as it was...is not going to attract a significant number of new customers. I can't put it any other way. rF2 will survive for a time, we might see more DLC, we might not, but to really generate significant income, LMU and beyond is the only way.
As bitter as it may be, the development of rF2 is as good as complete. The bitter thing is that there will be no more open modding platforms like rF2 or AC. I personally don't like this development of developing a separate standalone for each racing series or category. The great thing about open modding is the diversity, where the modding talents can really let off steam and we drivers can too. Classic content will probably no longer exist in the distant future. That's the bitter side of this development.
BTCC will exist from what I have red, will It be on the rF2 platform I don´t know, but It´s set on paper. Modding Is great, but to sacrifice a whole game (rF2) just for that purpose alone Is not worth It, because that just might be what It´s setting It back.
Let's be real, in the grand scheme of things, right now who out there in the wide world gives a toss about BTCC, LeMans, Indycar, Nascar etc? Relatively speaking, not very many people, because all of these racing categories which used to be very entertaining to watch have now been ruined by excessive interference and are now boring as hell. We're not in the 1980s or 1990s or even 2000s anymore, when things used to be cool and original. We're in 2024 - we're everything is a boring malaise of soulless corporate garbage, with the only interesting things coming from independent creators. I really hope it doesn't, but I think LeMans Ultimate will fail commercially, because who really cares about driving those cars - no one I know. Yet every car guy I've ever met has dreamed every day for thier entire life of driving a Ferrari F40, a Shelby Mustang, a Porsche 911 a Lamborghini, an Aston Martin etc, or OLD racing from the 70s, 80s, 90s. Why was AC a wild commercial success and rF2 a complete commercial failure even though it's physics were far superior? Imo because AC had cars that people actually want to drive and are fun to drive, plus loads of mods. Why was BeamNG wildly popular - because it was different and original/made for good youtube content. Keep the hardcore physics, keep the racing cars, but also appeal to a broad audience with cars people want to drive, or support modders to make those cars. Take a risk and be innovative, like having some kind of option for people to get a car that they want created, or a section of road they want created, or an online driving school, or just SOMETHING different. But obviously none of this will ever happen, because no offence but the visionary individuals who created rF1 & rF2/ and those who continued development of rFactor2, have all left. No offence to the current incredibly talented developers, but the direction is corporate and soulless. In saying all that, what the hell do I know, nothing really. I hope it succeeds I really do. Personally I would be putting my efforts towards creating rF3, include a wide variety of road cars and older racing cars, obviously with the most realistic physics possible, but also including physical deformation and damage to as many components of the car as possible, especially the tyres/chassis etc. Realistic crashes will drive an insane amount of content on YouTube and just be very cool. Simulate an actual car in all it's aspects - not just simulate driving a car. Help modders as much as possible to create content, and include it in the game and promote it if it meets a certain standard, so people know it exists. All a pipedream I know!
I "love" when people make projections of their own beliefs and opinions to the better part of the whole humanity.
