Assessing Yearly Season Passes for AMS2 DLCs

Discussion in 'Automobilista 2 - General Discussion' started by Renato Simioni, Dec 28, 2023.

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  1. YES

    172 vote(s)
    83.9%
  2. NO

    33 vote(s)
    16.1%
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  1. Renato Simioni

    Renato Simioni Administrator Staff Member

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    With the upcoming release of the Le Mans & Endurance Pack DLCs along with feedback received by users following the first two standalone DLCs not part of the original 2020-2022 Season Pass back in November, we have been moved to entertain the idea of offering new Yearly Season Passes starting already with a 2023 Season Pass, and we are looking to assess how users would feel about that strategy.

    Some context to the topic: The original 2020-2022 Season Pass was offered with the release of AMS2, looking to provide users with an option for a single purchase for the game along with all DLCs in the foreseeable future of the sim. Over time, delays and uncertainty regarding schedules and exact contents of each DLC pack turned out to be understandably frustrating for some users who bought into it early, and a source of pressure as well as a constraint to our ability to evolve and adapt those early plans. For those reasons, once the 2020-2022 Season Pass was fulfilled we were heavily leaning on not offering additional Season Passes for new DLCs, opting instead to release DLCs as standalone items only and only intending to bundle them up once they were all released.

    The problem with that now is that it´s proving to be a nuisance for users who would much prefer not to have to pull the wallet out with every new DLC, one of the primary reasons we offered the original Season Pass to begin with. Those users are some of the most loyal and commited to the game and naturally we don´t want to make the experience more cumbersome for them than it needs to be.

    With more constrained yearly Season Passes, we´d substantially reduce that while athe DLCs included would also be more fully defined and thus requriing less room for manouvering.

    We´d begin with a late offering for a 2023 Season Pass including the previously released F-HiTech & Historical Track Pack pt2 as well as the upcoming Endurance Pack Pt1 & Le Mans (the two other 2023 releases Barcelona & Adrenaline were delayed releases from the original 2020-2022 Season Pass and would not be included).

    Then in 2024 as we approached the first DLC release we´d offer the 2024 Season Pass, featuring an outline of each DLC planned for the year, but iwth exact contents and schedule of each DLC remaining undefined until actual release time to preserve room for manouvering we need in order to offer this at all. Same for 2025 and so on.

    We are welcoming feedback from users to confirm the approach is desirable, and also taking the opportunity to hear out suggestions on how we should execute it so it´s as clear and fair as they would expect.
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2023
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  2. Flavio Engel

    Flavio Engel Member

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    How about also the option to join the beta club? Lost last time.
     
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  3. Theoloop

    Theoloop Active Member AMS2 Club Member

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    As a paddock member this won’t affect me personally even though I wish to have the chance to send you guys more cash for what you do. I think the yearly season pass is an excellent idea and makes DLC more approachable. But I think issues could arise still with expectations on due dates and specific content especially once having already paid, or issues on buying a pass with unclear release days and content. So it’s up to the studio regarding which they would rather deal with. It’s been done both ways successfully in other sims and games.
     
    • Agree Agree x 13
  4. Seb02

    Seb02 Active Member

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    Hello,
    Personally, I did not buy the season pass because I prefer to know a minimum of what I am buying. I don't fear the quality of Reiza's DLC but some elements interest me more than others. For example, I didn't buy the Supercars DLC because it's not my personal taste.
    You mention the idea of giving some information on the content of the annual season pass, I think that could convince me to subscribe to it.
    If you bring a new street circuit and a new oval circuit, take my money now.
     
    • Informative Informative x 2
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  5. Dolph

    Dolph Well-Known Member AMS2 Club Member

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    Whatever you do with the passes, don't call it 2024 season pass, because you will struggle to meet deadlines and this will cause frustration in the community. Instead call it Season pass 3 or smth like that and outline the content to be launched and give a release range of 2024-2025. Then set an internal deadline of 31 December 2024 with the aim to produce Season pass 4 in 2025.

    The best way to cause frustration is to over promise and under deliver.

    The best way to increase customer satisfaction is to underpromise and over deliver. Only thing is the advance sales may suffer a bit.
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2023
    • Agree Agree x 24
  6. Obscurehifi

    Obscurehifi New Member

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    All the content that I've received with the previous season pass has been amazing and it was great knowing new content coming out would just show up and I wouldn't have to deal with justifying another purchase. I'm all for more season passes as long as they offer a discount over buying the DLC individually. Thanks for all you the amazing content so far ♥️

    Now to get the multiplayer bugs fixed, then all would be amazing!
     
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  7. Stickdeath1980

    Stickdeath1980 Active Member AMS2 Club Member

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    I'm all about DLC and if it has competitive prices like RRE, ACC, AC for example!!! Yearly season pass seems like for me a "battle pass" there is so much of this in games now some suit it some don't but that's just me cause i play a slew of games.
    End of the day it's up to you guys i love what you do so keep at it you'll make the right choice and most likely buy most DLC Merry Xmas and happy New Years
     
    • Disagree Disagree x 1
  8. jota.191

    jota.191 (I'm Lando Garlando in AMS2 lobbies) AMS2 Club Member

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    I abstain from voting since it does not affect me, but I have an opinion.

    Not sure how banking works elsewhere in the world. I am a grown man with many ways to buy each DLC individually now. BUT until some years ago in my country, an international credit card was not so common among my friends. Not totally sure if it was because we were younger or because the world was less globalized (probably both).

    At those times we asked someone who had a card to charge the steam wallet (or Blizzard's, Hearthstone was the big sucker in my group of friends :D). It was cumbersome, so a package was really preferable for me at those times.

    Perhaps the situation I mention is very rare nowadays, bit it was really a determinant thing in my bubble at some point.
     
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  9. McClutch

    McClutch Well-Known Member

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    I barely use 10% of the AMS2 content these days. The season pass brought 70% content like historic GP tracks, Prototypes, RX and formula cars that I don't use since I mainly want to recreate 90's DTM.
    In the end it turned out I would have been better served with AMS2 and 2 premium tracks.
    I got also burned by other games with Season pass offers.

    I rather pick what I actually want instead of getting something that I don't want, but payed in advance.
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2023
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  10. John Manetti

    John Manetti Active Member AMS2 Club Member

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    Hi @Renato Simioni , in my opinion the only most suitable method for consumers is to divide it like this:
    1 - create existing DLCs and sell them individually, giving users the opportunity to purchase only interested DLCs.
    2 - at the end of the year or at the beginning of the following year, group together all the DLCs that were launched in that year, identifying it with the name SEASON PASS 2023 and so on, or changing the name to SEASON PASS 3, 4, 5 and so on, selling the package including all the DLCs of that period and perhaps giving some form of discount to encourage the purchase of even the DLCs that are less attractive to users
    3 - those who purchase the individual DLCs and would like to purchase the SEASON PASS for that given year must have the possibility of being able to discount the SEASON PASS due to the individual DLCs previously purchased.

    In my opinion it allows the user to choose which ones to purchase, but also to be able to decide on any SEASON PASS purchases of that given year or period at a discounted price, and to be able to reduce the price of some previously purchased DLC, making the user happier.
    It is to the advantage of Team Reiza itself that future DLCs do not necessarily have to have tight deadlines, because they can be released in the following SEASON PASS period, for example the long-awaited "Le Mans DLC", launching it only when it is ready without having any worries either both on the user's side and on the Team's side.
     
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  11. lozarcher

    lozarcher New Member

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    I find the DLCs on offer confusing tbh. Pretty sure I've paid for some items twice in the past. Much simpler to buy each pack individually so I know what I'm paying for.
     
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  12. dryheat94

    dryheat94 Active Member AMS2 Club Member

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    I also have nothing to gain, but I voted yes for those that wish to buy the season pass. Anyone wanting to buy individual dlc still can. I don't see how more choice can be a bad thing.
     
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  13. Renato Simioni

    Renato Simioni Administrator Staff Member

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    Users always had and will continue to have point 1, ie the option to buy DLC items individually, and it´s important to stress that the poll is not to enquire what the prefered format is for you, but whether you´d like to have the Yearly Season Pass format also. Our original plan was to offer point 2 for remaining DLCs with Season Passes at the end of each "season", but that would still force users the incovenience of buying items one by one as they are released which is what we are trying to address with Yearly Season Passes.

    We could assess if there is the possibility of offering the new Season Passes as Bundles of different DLCs instead of them being DLC products themselves, which would allow users to complement individually acquired items with the remaining and having the appropriate discount - I´m not sure if Steam allows for that with non-released DLCs though so that option would rely on that.
     
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  14. Roy Niessink

    Roy Niessink Well-Known Member AMS2 Club Member

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    Adding season passes/packs wouldn't be a bad thing, but please make sure the descriptions are clear with what each pack holds, as with the old season pass there was a lot of confusion, and still is, and ofcourse have the seperate packs available, so everyone can decide what they want to do/buy
     
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  15. Dolph

    Dolph Well-Known Member AMS2 Club Member

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    Yep. I'm still posting twice a week on Steam forum this message:

    DLC
    2020-2022 Season Pass
    ----- Premium Track Pack
    ----- ----- Hockenheim Pack
    ----- ----- Silverstone Pack
    ----- ----- Nürburgring Pack
    ----- ----- Spa-Francorchamps Pack
    ----- ----- Monza Pack
    ----- ----- Barcelona Pack
    ----- Premium Expansion Packs
    ----- ----- Racin' USA Full expansion Pack
    ----- ----- ----- Racin' USA Pack Pt1
    ----- ----- ----- Racin' USA Pack Pt2
    ----- ----- ----- Racin' USA Pack Pt3
    ----- ----- ----- Racin' USA Pack Pt4/bonus (not released yet)
    ----- ----- Brazilian Racing Legends Pack Pt1
    ----- ----- Historical Track Pack Pt1
    ----- ----- Supercars Pack Pt1
    ----- ----- Adrenaline Pack Pt1
    ----- ----- Adrenaline Pack Pt2 (not released yet)

    Not part of any pass at the moment:
    ----- Historical Track Pack Pt2
    ----- Formula HiTech Pack
    ----- Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans (not released yet)
    ----- Endurance Pack Pt1 (not released yet)
     
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  16. BrunoB

    BrunoB TT mode tifosi BANNED

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    Sounds much more transparent as it is now - at least as I see it. :)

    ByTheWay: As I remember from Raceroom then if a new pack does include cars/tracks you allready own then the overlapping items are deducted when buying the new pack.
     
  17. SunBro

    SunBro Active Member

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    I would personally be there day zero for any pass that would fund reiza

    BUT

    May i have a tiny request? If you do decide on moving on with 2023 pass, could you please do it simultaneously with the release of le mans dlc? Buying le mans and endurance pack; only to later find out they're being offered as part of a season pass might be a slight bummer. I for one am currently eyeing hi-tech and historic dlcs but not enough to buy them instantly. Where as i'll buy le mans and endurance car pack the minute they drop. So if reiza launched 2023 season pass the same day as le mans dlc, i'd buy the 2023 pass, which would have formula cars and historic tracks alongside my fav content.
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2023
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  18. ppasylla14

    ppasylla14 New Member

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    I prefer to buy bundles so I did not buy the historical pack, nor the hitech formula. But a 2023 season pass is a very, very good idea. Especially since I started the game with the 2020-2022 season pass.
     
  19. Uff

    Uff New Member

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    I bought SP 20/22 on discount, as I was not sure where AMS2 development would go. Now that I'm more confident I would definitely appreciate a SP23 to get everything in a single option.
     
  20. FS7

    FS7 controller filters off please AMS2 Club Member

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    I see your posts on Steam, they're definitely helpful, and I agree descriptions for DLCs could be better.

    @Renato Simioni
    I'm a AMS2 club member so I'll get all DLCs, but for people who aren't club members and own the 2020-2022 season pass I bet they're wondering when they'll get Racin' USA pt4 & Adrenaline pt2 (both are part of the 2020-2022 season pass), maybe that's something that needs to be resolved before any talks of another season pass.
    Personally I like the idea of giving players the option of buying another season pass but I think replacing some DLC packs with DLC bundles would be better (eg: replace things such as 2020-2022 season pass, Premium track pack, Premium expansion packs, Racin' USA full expansion pack with bundles that contain the respective DLCs). Then do the same for 2023 and 2024 season passes. Imo that might make it easier for players to understand exactly what they are getting and avoid the constant threads on Steam of people asking what is included in the DLC packs.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
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