iRacing: One Little Victory

  • By BrianEk, GameSpot
  • Posted Jun 24, 2009 12:14 am GMT

When playing iRacing, I'm reminded of a lyric from one of my favorite Rush songs, "One Little Victory":The measure of the momentIn a difference of degreeJust one little victoryStarting out with this demanding PC racing sim, you take the victories where you can get them, even if they aren't...

When playing iRacing, I'm reminded of a lyric from one of my favorite Rush songs, "One Little Victory":

The measure of the moment
In a difference of degree
Just one little victory

Starting out with this demanding PC racing sim, you take the victories where you can get them, even if they aren't victories at all. The sim--brought to life by cofounders John Henry (owner of the Boston Red Sox) and Dave Kaemmer (the long-time racing sim developer behind such classics as Grand Prix Legends and the NASCAR Racing series)--opened in August of last year to public use. Since then, it has amassed an impressive reputation and an even more impressive list of high-profile players, including such NASCAR stars as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and A. J. Allmendinger, as well as 1997 Formula One champion and 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve.

Last week, the iRacing folks dropped by GameSpot HQ to give us a taste of the sim. I'd been aware of the game ever since its announcement--and wrote about it a few weeks back after the company announced a deal with NASCAR--but hadn't yet had a chance to try it for myself. And while speaking with Kaemmer about the game gave me some interesting insight into the technology behind the sim--particularly the laser-scanned tracks that minutely record and re-create every nook and cranny of such tracks as Laguna Seca, Road America, and Lime Rock Park--only cockpit time can give you the real story behind the game.

Really, the term "game" doesn't fully apply to the PC-only iRacing. To hear Kaemmer explain it, iRacing is part service--he's got more than one story of race pros using the sim to find better lines around tracks found in the game--and part up-and-coming legitimate sport. In fact, there are plans in the works for tech that would allow spectators to watch high-profile series races as if they were tuning into their favorite racing series on a Sunday afternoon.

Still, lofty ambitions don't take away from the fun of iRacing's gameplay, which, for sim racing fans especially, is considerable. Being in the car, whether you're on a white-knuckle ride in a fully sanctioned race event or simply Sunday driving in your favorite car on your favorite track, is a joy. The game's challenging physics, which punish mistakes with cruel regularity, can be a constant source of frustration (or elation, when you really nail a lap). When you couple that with some of the most skilled--and carefully polite (few, if any, first-corner pileups)--race fields I've ever seen in a driving game, you've got a platform that is as ideal for learning how to race as it is for showing off your skill against the competition.

The reason for all of that skill--and those meticulously mannered first corners--is simple: iRacing takes online racing seriously. When you first fire up the game, you're given a rookie license. While you're allowed to drive any car and any track available to you in Practice mode regardless of license, in the early goings, you'll only compete in a handful of events that are available to you. As you compete in race events, your license score will change depending on your performance. Driving well will improve your license score; driving poorly will lower it. Improving your score enough will eventually upgrade your license and give you access to new series in which to compete.

The delineation between "good" and "bad" driving is strictly defined by the game. You don't necessarily need to win a race to be a success--at least in the early goings. Simply driving clean, avoiding accidents, and staying on track is enough to reward you with a good performance once the checkered flag is flown. Considering the game's challenging driving model, which demands consistency above speed, the level of concentration you need to maintain in a race is demanding. You need that concentration, for example, to avoid a sure-fire collision or yank control of your car back from the brink of disaster. When you add to that the necessity of conserving your car's engine and tires in races that regularly last about a half-hour or more and the fact that one misplaced tire or misjudged turn can result in a blown race, each little victory you earn on the track will be one worth relishing.

There's plenty to like about iRacing's serious approach to racing. But all of that attention to detail and hyper-realized focus comes at a price: namely a subscription fee that runs anywhere from about $19 for a monthly recurring subscription to $156 for an annual subscription (which breaks down to $13/month). All basic subscription packages have the following content included:

Cars
• Pontiac Solstice
• Legends
• SCCA Spec Racer Ford
Tracks
• Lanier National Speedway
• Lime Rock Park
• Oxford Plains Speedway
• Summit Point Raceway
• South Boston Speedway
• Lowe's Motor Speedway
• Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Downloading new cars (such as open-wheeled cars like the Skip Barber Formula 2000 or the Star Mazda or stock cars like the Chevrolet Impala SS Monte Carlo) will cost you as will downloading new tracks from iRacing's ever-growing list. A typical download (be it a car or track) runs anywhere from $15 and up, though iRacing does offer discounts for bulk downloads, as well as iRacing credits, which can be earned in game and used to purchase content. With the amount of content currently available for download, and with more on the way in the coming months, you can easily spend several hundred dollars in iRacing. Add in the required PC racing wheel--preferably a force feedback model that can accurately convey the bumps and imperfections of the tracks--and you're talking about a pretty significant investment to get your iRacing career started.

While it's tough to argue with iRacing's on-track quality, its subscription cost and unflinching challenge can certainly be considered an obstacle for those new to racing. That said, when played as something to learn from as much as something to be enjoyed, iRacing has a lot to offer. As with racing in the real world, driving in iRacing is all about enjoying the victories as they come--be they great or small.

We'll have more on iRacing in the coming months. Until then, check out the game's Web site for more information.

106 Comments

  • tirreg

    Posted Jul 29, 2009 12:35 am GMT

    "iRacing is not worth the subscription price"

    FartherOn - that really depends upon what you want or expect.

    I, personally have been interested in motorsports since childhood but have not had the resources (yet) to consistently exercise my desire to race in real life.

    For $13 a month I can race with a select group of very good drivers who have proven to be safe and consistent, while coming quite close to experiencing the same "reality" that I experienced in my few short jaunts out to the track in real life.

    I've been around sim racing since GPL, and I own about ten different sims. Nothing comes as close to the real experience of racing as iRacing. And if you have even a passing interest in some day racing in real life, this will give you a huge jump on the competition.

    Just check out some of the real life to iRacing comparison vids on YouTube and see for yourself how amazingly accurate the tracks are and how similarly the cars behave as they encounter each subtle change on the track surface.

    This is not about comparing World of Warcraft and some other game ... ... It's about whether or not you are into racing cars - period. If the answer is "yes" then give iRacing a shot.

  • FartherOn

    Posted Jul 10, 2009 1:29 pm GMT

    For those that say this is more than a game, and simulation. I want to remind you that this is NOT a sport. You are still a silly man strapped to your PC with a track ir reflector on your head, and a toy wheel in front of you. Get a grip on reality here, and stop fooling yourself. iRacing is an RPG for race fans, and nothing more.

    While the game looks great, and it is a nice simulation of racing. It is far from worth the money. The subscribers in the private forum are enough to drive you insane. Just try to voice your opinion there and be ran out of town by the fanboys.

    iRacing is not worth the subscription price. Comparing it to WoW is unfair. At very least in WoW you have the option of playing alongside your friends. With iRacing you are assigned to race alongside whoever is around and deemed at your skill level.

    Simbin, ISI, and others offer very nice titles at a fraction of the cost. You can choose what you race, where you race, and who you race with. Unless you are a die hard race fan who has expendable income and endless hours to race, I'd buy something else.

  • Omnibob

    Posted Jul 9, 2009 5:27 am GMT

    It's just not worth the money!! $800.00 the 1st you to get all the content is over the top. There system of "protesting" is flawed in the way of there "steward" SAVE YOUR MONEY .. SImBin has some great stuff to race as well as Need For Speed!!

  • kneebon5

    Posted Jul 8, 2009 5:40 pm GMT

    this is why im a fan of iRacing.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtjEZwLkY5s

  • 54fyting

    Posted Jul 2, 2009 9:56 pm GMT

    hmmm.. so you don't pay a fee for Xbox Live? I guess I'm getting ripped off there as well because they are still charging me..

  • jelloracing

    Posted Jul 2, 2009 6:53 am GMT

    "as 1997 Formula One champion and 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve." Had my friend check and says he hasn't been there since Nov 08, left when they used his name without permission to advertise many said he was po'ed. sad, probably more I guess too ....

  • ablejo26

    Posted Jul 2, 2009 4:55 am GMT

    iRacing is a expensive way to race even for some hard core racers. Pc was the only way to have the best experiance but i think its days ar becoming out numbered. The new consoles xbox360 and ps3 will make most hard core racers rethink there choice of set up, just play forza 2 with a good wheel setup. Comming soon forza 3 with a better wheel setup and better physics not to mention Ps3 with the next grand trisimo. Why would you bother in paying a monthly fee when can own outright the next gen racing? Also a good pc rig with a good graphic card will cost more than a xbox360 and ps3 with steering sets also throw in a good size hd lcd set.

  • JackApples

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 9:44 pm GMT

    i think its like fun but i am not much of a racing car man

  • jelloracing

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 12:56 pm GMT

    "The worse part of it is, iRacing is overrun with iRacing zealots that make for a sickening "Come to iRacing Jesus" experience." Niles exactly what I was thinking .... more i look more i see same things. one user spent $200+ dollars and took some time off ... has nothing now ...soo much software out there for just $50 and proven laser tracks aren't needed as much as physics to be helpful. isi has 15 deg compared to 6 or 8 deg maybe? real aero in isi, day to night in isi, netcode awesome in isi. There is great scoring in iracing but not justifying all that money.

  • ydyammo

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 11:26 am GMT

    Fastcrap:

    Would you bet your honor, that the physics in iRacing
    is so different that an rFactor player would be clueless?

    I would argue the best rFactor racers would do rather well
    in iRaces. But at a mere fraction of the cost. If this is indeed
    is the case, the price of iRacing is out of touch with reality.

    World of Warcraft, Eve Online, etc are not "out of touch", since
    there is not a similar experience out there. Again, supply and
    demand. If you can get the same product for a fraction of the
    cost... The religious debating-style of iRacers remind me of
    Mac-users who revel in the idea of paying twice as much for
    a computer. Then they complain that noone produces games
    for mac... But, by all means... if you wish to be ripped off, go iRace now!

  • ydyammo

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 11:20 am GMT

    Fastcrap:

    Noone is really arguing iRacing is a bad game.

    But that it's overhyped to fanatical proportions.
    Both in performance and price.

  • ydyammo

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 11:18 am GMT

    NilesAnders:
    Well put.
    A bit more eliquent than my post, but I get irate when people
    turn "getting ripped off" into some Religious experience...

    Perhaps for those 10 racing-fanatics out there, it's worth paying
    to not having to deal with common people. But I think most of the
    pro rFactor racers would walk all over iRacers in their own game.
    at a mere fraction of the cost.

    I haven't looked, but I bet there are free tournaments for rFactor
    that one can join, which will be free of newbies and trolls, at least
    in the higher divisions... again, same functionality at a fraction of
    the cost.

  • NilesAnders

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 10:37 am GMT

    Get used to "no" if you go iRacing.

    At iRacing, you don't get to race with your friends when you want to. You don't get to race the car you want when you want. You can't do a private practice with your team mates when you want. They make you go through a driving school game, they call a licensing procedure, driving cars that have little to no appeal. Even though they say their laser scanned track are the ultimate, once the SIM racer starts to race on them, he has no improved sense of reality if he has never raced on the thing. And iRacing tracks have little to no improvement over the artistically made tracks for rFactor for the SIM racer. And this laser scanned thing is nothing more then a snap-shot in time. Once the weather elements change the racing surface or a tree falls down that you were using for your "mark," then their argument falls apart.

    The worst part of it is, iRacing is overrun with iRacing zealots that make for a sickening "Come to iRacing Jesus" experience. Even though I don't find the "too expensive" argument compelling to myself, in all of SIM history I have never heard of one particular thing that has been talked about so much. So it must be too expensive for allot of people.

    If you really want to find dissatisfied customers, join iRacing just to read their forums. I speculate the forums are not open to the public because they don't want potential sign-ups reading what negative stuff the somewhat loyal iRacers have to say. It's not pretty over there.

  • jelloracing

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 5:19 am GMT

    tracks graphics are ok, other games have scanned tracks to, some consoles, when looked at with those, sub par in graphics when looking at modern day. Game engine is still behind or dated to 2k3 I guess. Lots of choices but tiered purchases to get what you want is not appealing. Leasing sucks when it comes to software plain and simple. Nascar deal is also not appealing, economy suffers, attendance down, so lets promote the most outrageous priced software and then wonder why no one desires? Codemasters or 2k where are you? lol can't comment on physics, but looking at some interviews of real drivers on some web, seems it inherits old flaws and same tendencies, not currently best feel or most accurate in some cars like nascar. Think the worse part of the sim is many of the original followers who pester in posts with comments really turned me off and I bet others. i read consumer reviews for details on what I may do on purchases,when I read many of these, it did not convince me, money is also a factor. game, all it is, game, with much money invested, it's a game plain simple imo.

  • Fastcrap

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 2:52 am GMT

    No one is forcing any one to pay these fees and if you need to vent about bad products please go vent your anger at a product that is actuly BAD wich this is FAR from.

  • Fastcrap

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 2:52 am GMT

    Well I'm sorry that I have not read too far down this list of comments, I stoped after a few
    pointlessly boring posts about it being too expensive.

    I'm terribly sorry, BUT are all these ppl saying that paying 9.95$ a month for
    a GAME like WOW or like LOTRO OR paying for a second car for summer use
    OR a few extra tv channels, OR a cell phone that barely gets used etc etc etc is NORMAL, and paying 15$ per item and 13$ a month for subscribtion of iRacing is not?

    My point is realy simple, if some one does not like racing enough to pay for it I
    totaly understand, but can the rest of us that DO like racing that much be left alone
    and the developers of iRacing be left alone.

    They are the only ones in the world that seem to have enough commitement to make a true simulator, to invest int the equipement to scan the tracks and make truly realistic car behavior, wich takes time, man power, money to travel to every diferent track etc etc etc.

    I think they should be given a freaken medal for it.

    Oh and NO gtr, race,Rfactor and what ever else out there is NOT a sim, not in the way that iRacing is and to us that do apreciate iRacing it does make a BIG difference.

    If you don't like true sim racing and can't apreciate it to it's full value, I would just ask you to PLEASE don't start messing it up for US that DO. Remember SWG? How "they" ruined that...

  • mrferrari_basic

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 1:10 am GMT

    The hypocrisy in some of the comments makes me laugh. People have no bones about paying $/month for cable tv, internet, and other sources of entertainment but when it comes to paying for playing, everyone gets their panties in a bunch. Get used to it, people, it's another source of quality entertainment. This is not your run of the mill average driving game with 200 zillion tracks and cars done in rough detail. It's a precise driving sim with a lot of costs involved in making it and it shows in the final product. I've been sim racing for more than 10 years and I've tried everything that's come down the pike and iRacing just blows it all out of the water. And I'm not skimpy on paying for it because I feel it's worth it.

  • sungrinch

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 9:18 pm GMT

    Iracing is worth every penny +++. Just the fact that you can run clean races is worth it alone not to mention the great community. Don't get me wrong I would like to pay less but have no problem paying the subscription fee.

  • ydyammo

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 7:52 pm GMT

    Ah... I think all the users praising iRacing are developers...

    rofl... Hey hey... buy my game it's teh 1337...
    only millions perz dayz, but dunt cownt the prizz cos it make unfar... its like exzpensive like drinking
    coffeeee.


    Holy crap... Just read the arguments.
    my stomach actually hurts from reading some of their brilliant posts.
    It's like they actually believe it... lol..

  • yazan_zooz

    Posted Jun 30, 2009 1:48 pm GMT

    i have a G25 logitech wheel and this game may be the best game racing game (or need for speed shift)
    i will really have fun this year on the G25 wheel !

  • Zoomer30

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 9:32 pm GMT

    Sounds cool, I did NASCAR Racing 2 and 3 for years online. Good to see the people who got the shaft by EA are still making REAL racing games.

  • ps3-pro-star

    Posted Jun 29, 2009 3:48 pm GMT

    The game is awesome

  • nyranasaurus

    Posted Jun 28, 2009 11:09 pm GMT

    GRID and DIRT i played for about 1 month and got so bored that i RAN, SPRINTED back to racing sims like Race 07 and RFactor and F1C99-02. If you actually stop the car in GRID and acually look at the textures on the walls they are as bland as a playstation 2 game and only the lighting and cockpit is anything thats amazing. Games like GRID become less fun the more you play. You can play games like RACE 07 and Toca 3 and RFactor for a very long time because they are always challenging the racer and the more time you put into racing sims the better the game actually gets. the game mechanics of GRID and DIRT just arent meant for you to stick around for very long and play them, the mechanics and graphics are designed for you to say to yourself" WOW look at the graphics, they are so amazing". Then once you get over that initial WOW the game shows its true intent and gets so boring its hard to keep motivated to play them,so you wait and go out and buy DIRT 2 for the next "WOW look at those graphics". There is zero staying power. People that love GRID and think they are the best racing games have also said so yourselves, GRID is the best until GRID 2 comes out , lol. Enough said, you are already bored to hell of it and the graphics and excitement have worn off. But people that love Race 07 and TOCA 2 and 3 will be playing for years and often dont need to get the next one that comes out because racing sims are good enough already and constantly challenge the player.

  • widden

    Posted Jun 28, 2009 4:40 pm GMT

    iRacing is a blast, I love it. It's a very good sim, and the things which make it really great are not even listed here. It's the safety rating system and the licence you need to drive a higher-level car.

    The only problem, really, is that due to the pricing, there isn't enough people on it from Australia or other parts of the world. There's plenty of US people on it, going around on their ovals, but in our time-slice there is just not enough road racers.

    I hope they'll re-think the pricing structure. Otherwise it's the greatest thing in sim racing currently.

  • mertol871

    Posted Jun 28, 2009 8:35 am GMT

    Tuppe, grid and dirt are not simulations, so you probably made mistake buying this game.

  • Tuppe666 posted Jun 28, 2009 6:46 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Tuppe666

    Posted Jun 28, 2009 6:46 am GMT (hide)

    In my opinion, environment graphics suck! Cars look as good as they should be, but environment and special effects are stuck to year 2004. When you have played GRiD, you can't play these low graphic games anymore. I have tested iRacing, which came with G25, I played it 10 minutes and haven't touched it since. Dirt and Grid are the best games(until grid2 and dirt2)
    (Flame war not intended, im not going to respond if someone cotinues this)

    But on the other hand, it's good that there is good simulations for low end PCs too

  • 54fyting

    Posted Jun 28, 2009 12:34 am GMT

    Seriously, if arms on the steering wheel is what you are using to judge the quality of a racing sim, then I would stick with GT5.. Who the heck has time to notice whether or not a set of virtual arms are rotating the wheel when you are racing? Call me crazy, but when I'm racing, I'm looking down the track, not admiring the color of my firesuit.

  • dave_1208

    Posted Jun 27, 2009 10:45 pm GMT

    .,how to install?>?

  • rishiakka

    Posted Jun 27, 2009 9:42 pm GMT

    how 2 download..??????????????????????

  • BrianEk GameSpot staff member

    Posted Jun 27, 2009 8:45 pm GMT

    @ps3gamer1234 -- I noticed that too. At the risk of over-thinking things, though, I actually *like* the choice not to have arms in the game. After all, you're required to play this game with a racing wheel--so you'll see your own real arms anyway as you work away on your wheel. And there's a disconnect there for me--doubling up on the arms so to speak--that actually removes some of the immersiveness for me.

  • ps3gamer1234

    Posted Jun 27, 2009 7:07 pm GMT

    No arms on the turning wheels.

  • EQl33t

    Posted Jun 27, 2009 6:50 pm GMT

    Rfactor is a joke it has some ok mods but cmon. Iracing is the best sim hands down My name is Joseph C. Richardson for those who paid to play on the service. nothing compares at all.

    if anything Live for Speed is the only sim out that has physics anywhere near close. the laser scanned tracks the unbelievable FFB, and the great community makes it head and shoulder above the rest.

    On top of that yeah you pay to play but you can win racing school vouchers for $3000 a weekend skip barber drive. and the tdi cup will put the best online racers in a pool to race FORREAL in the live series and Iracing pays their whole ride . rfactor will never have that bro. even LFS had a chance to drive a real formula bmw if you was a top driver in the sim and won the v1 champoinship. if you love real racing without kiddies saying watch my drift buy and get iracing NOthing compares.

  • Triton

    Posted Jun 27, 2009 7:58 am GMT

    Finally racing for adults...plus I like the price which I believe will also be a turn off for the kids.

  • icytower Site moderator

    Posted Jun 27, 2009 6:27 am GMT

    @BrianEk: Thanks for getting that guy out and doing this spot with him Brian. Great little interview and it says a lot about the system itself.

    Not directly tied to this blog, but I do hope that NASCAR does something about the license for console gamers. EA may not have made improvements in the past handful of games, but I'd rather have them releasing a yearly game then no game at all.

  • DavidLS047

    Posted Jun 27, 2009 4:40 am GMT

    Looks very nice. Grand Turismo each yer heart out!??

  • henrique_ace

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 11:33 pm GMT

    us$13,00 per month and u must buy new tracka and cars lol!!!!!!

    race2play.com system have the same features as iracing website with ur team ranking , driver raking and mix all the best race sim games RFACTOR , GTR EVO & GTR 2 ...and servers full all the time .Iracing only few people play and unhaply everyone there is forced to use their website .

    sorry but iracing failed!

  • mohammed21522

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 10:58 pm GMT

    very nice

  • Rockn-Roll

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 10:23 pm GMT

    iRacing is not a game...it's a simulation. I actually think they should increase the cost for their Pro series. I raced at Race2Play for a year and it's a small group of people that race once a week in a series, so if the day/time of that race doesn't work out then you don't get to compete. Also, you get what you pay for...with Rfactor and Simbin products such as Race and GTR2 the free online racing is full of kids just trying to wreck everyone. At iRacing if you are purposefully wrecking then you get banned...through your credit card!

    But, iRacing is still a work-in-progress...some features are not available yet such as repairs. But, there is plenty of Open Wheel Racings if you like F1 like I do then you will have fun with the Skip Barber and Mazda series. Yes...the vast majority of tracks are in the US, but they are starting to scan tracks in Europe and I'm sure eventually will have an F1 series...they already have Silverstone.

    There's plenty of opportunity to have fun at iRacing, but the best benefit is the competition...there are a lot of excellent drivers there to race with. I'm not talking about the superstars either. A relative large number of drivers have competed in SCCA, ALMS, NASA, and other series. Some are still competing and use iRacing as their simulator because not everyone can afford the $25,000 simulators. But, most of us can afford the professional quality wheel & pedal sets like the ECCI set I bought.

  • Mr5Nascar

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 10:05 pm GMT

    The only thing that makes it so I can't run it is my video card... though all the sub tests on the video card pass.

  • kneebon5

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 6:56 pm GMT

    Laser scanned tracks are one of the greatest things about iRacing, and you can tell in no time how much better the quality is. Even the 2 laser scanned tracks for rfactor blow any non laser scan track out of the water.

  • Nightrain50

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 6:19 pm GMT

    Crysis Warhead retailed for $30 dollars at launch... as for no skill play on Higher difficulty levels that's why they are there... no replay value, theres this thing called multiplayer give it a try. Fail at taking up for an overpriced pos game/scam. Laser scan my @ss, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. Maybe it would matter to Dale Earnheardt who I garuantee plays for free, but you or any other "sim" guy couldn't tell a difference between a laser scanned track and "insert any sim game here" track.

  • rafastar

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 2:43 pm GMT

    I think everything is clear here. Expensive? Yes. By far the best racing simulator available? Yes.

    So it's just a matter of whether you really like sim racing. If you do, I don't think $13 a month is too much. Think about your internet connection, or your cable-TV or whatever. If you enjoy it then it's well spent money; if you don't use it, then it's a waste, even for $2.

    And for all of you who say that prefer real world karting, me too, but I don't know any way of racing for more than 10 minutes for $13, and that gives you a month of iRacing. So their costs aren't comparable.

  • spurdy18

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 8:18 am GMT

    It costs $100,000's to properly scan race tracks. In reality they haven't even come close to breaking even yet. The cost is justified for the quality of the service. As they say you get what you pay for. Sure it doesen't have Killer Graphics (like some new games out there) that seems to be the focal point of gaming companies. But they are still great looking. but most companies are only interested in making a game that just looks sick graphic wise. A product to sell you over and over Helps keep the economy going lol. Most of which mostly EA Come full of bugs that are just ridiclous look like they rushed it out.

    Just look at Crysis Warhead, Insane graphics, Very short game, not much to it, very easy. No real skill involved. So you pay whatever $50-60 for insane graphics, but no re-playability. tend to find most games get boring after you play them once or twice. Which means I paid $50 for 3-6 hours of gaming!

    To each his own I guess. I rather pay $200 a year or w/e and actually still be enjoying the game/ or in this case sim. The enjoyment factor hasn't gone away for me. Been at iracing over 6 months not counting the time I was in beta. And it only has gotten better and better! As for racing "games" I wouldn't waste my money on them I'm too critial when it comes to those kind of games. It has to atleast try to be realistic before Id even consider it. (like Rfactor LFS, GTR Titles) As for GT and Forza they can stay on the shelifs at the stores.

  • kneebon5

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 7:58 am GMT

    @mertol871 - Wheel and pedals only, game pads wont work.

  • ala_carcuss

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 7:24 am GMT

    Haha, gotta laugh at the kiddies trying to compare Forza and Gran Turismo to iRacing - what a joke.

    Even other PC sims like rFactor, LFS and GTR/Race 07 can't compare. iRacing is more than a game, more than a simulator - it's a fully monitored / sanctioned sport!

    The mose exhilerating, exciting, thrilling thing I've ever experienced in 20+ years of video entertainment.

  • mertol871

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 6:47 am GMT

    Will I be able to drive well with playstation type gamepad using the analog buttons?

  • jerseynut2004

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 5:46 am GMT

    I think it seems like a lot because they show you how much it costs for the WHOLE year. $13 a month isn't too bad. However, they should have the DLC included in the $13/month!!

  • 54fyting

    Posted Jun 26, 2009 1:06 am GMT

    It's not for everyone and that's okay, but I love the people who are not subscribers that call it a rip-off. Meanwhile, they are plunking down $50 - $60 a pop for each racing title and another $50 - $60 on DLC that will essentially run the same way in 3 years as it does now and experience the joy of gridding up next to some guy that goes by 'YerBumperIsMyBrake' that also decides to use the side of your car as the best way to get his car through turn 1. No Thanks.. been there, done that. I'll spend my sim racing dollars on a company / service that is serious about racing and whose entire set of resources are focused on providing the best racing experience to their customers with frequent updates that continually evolves their only product. iRacing FTW

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Game Stats

  • Rank:
    10,465 of 74,685
    (down by 4,253)
    PC Rank:
    2,432 of 11,872
    Highest Rank:
    387 in 2009
    Tracking:
    24 Track It»
    Wishlists:
    13 Wish It»
  • Users Now Playing:
    4
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