Before i ask this question i'd like to make everyone aware that its not that im not appreciative of new content etc. My question is why are ISI spending money on licensing content when the community could make the same content for free?
There isnt so much content in rf2 sofar eather and im sure most of it didnt cost so much as some might think it does, maybe some were even free. I doubt a game would actually sell if there would be no content. Im not sure if anybody would buy something that offers blank game engine? I would rather not wait on community mods to be able to play a game or count on those that the game sells actually.
Perhaps the biggest difference is licencing usually means they get to use actual data rather then having to rely on wiki's and youtube video's to get things 'correct'
The #1 reason is that modders can't build anything unless there is a suitable platform for them to do so. Each time we build a real car, from a licensed source, we get better data than we can get via other means. This means we often use this to improve how the engine handles cars of that type, and the options available to modders when making their own cars. If you'd be quite happy with rF2 with only the third-party mods? Uninstall the ISI content and only use them. Nobody is forcing ISI content on you.
Not allways, sometimes manufacturers dont give out data and there are licenses worth only names as the only thing that can somebody sometimes offer you is just a signature on contract but it depends, sometimes you will get alot of data, sometimes nothing. I know from few game developers having great car licenses but nothing special was given to them what you cant google for allready.
That's often true. There's quite often NDAs to deal with as well, where a team can't tell you anything about a gearbox, a tire, engine, etc, if they don't manufacture it. But that's also why further licensing is important... If you license the DW12, then working with someone like Honda by themselves could be beneficial for engine info.
Thanks for the reply tim, but i think you may have misinterpreted my question, at least for the later part of your reply, like i said its not that i dont appreciate isi creating and licensing new content, i was just curious as to why you were spending money on content that "could" be made by 3rd party modders without the license fees etc.
We don't do expensive licenses. Frankly, with us giving away our content, we'd lose money per item build (that's why you'll never see a licensed modern Spa, for example - their fee is ludicrous when you're not selling the track as DLC, and they don't see a distinction between Sony (GT), Microsoft (Forza) and ISI). The content we're building are both so that we have a more solid base for other people to build content, and to encourage people who want to drive a particular type of car to purchase, because we've already built it. Though sometimes there can be other aspects of the software that scare them away again, that's the main two reasons. Other reasons include the fact that eventually we'll be licensing rF2 commercially, and if a guy wants to travel around with a trailer charging people to race rF2 (just as a base example), he'll pay us a fee, and he'll have a selection of quality cars from us he can choose from. Then factor in the assumption that the rF2 engine might be available to other studios someday like rF1 engine is, and the more time we spend on it, the better their sims will be and can be as a result. I frankly balk and walk away from 20 licenses for every 1 I make happen. The finances aren't often in our favor.
What else will they spend their cash on? Hey Tim you could stop licensing and give yourself a payrise/holiday.
this thread boggles my mind - we have no idea ISI finances or anything - i say the more content we can get for our original purchase price, the better. It doesn't seem like a waste to me.
This reply boggles my mind - at no point anywhere have i said its a waste of time, or i dont want the content ISI are offering, i was simply curious as to why content was being licensed etc when the game is primarily based on modding, something that could be done without the license fees etc, but as Tim said, its not just to have the content in the sim, its to give modders etc a base to work from on their own mods aswell as the commercial side of things that he also explained.
