Actually feel comparing this to a game like GTA can ring some truths. Not comparable fully, but much can be.
I play it as a racing game quite a lot. That game allows me so much freedom there to just enjoy my/our game of it.
And, obviously. They're both videogames. This GT is less a game today, more a niche part of what gaming is these days. Online racing (at its core, naturally they've added single player bits since - Again, like a GTA, it has both now). The whole 'for a modern sim game' doesn't work either, all GT's were sold as such. It's in the title, lol. They're all sim's. Videogames too. And that's the problem. (GT the sim racer, once sold 3 times this, with far less of a mass appeal/acceptance even that gaming has today).
Any game that can offer racing as freely as a GTA does, is the same as this really. (In future, a GTA might have the racing part drastically grow to be as detailed as other racing only games - Even bigger potential now with the money R* made off GTA V/O to invest if they want to basically take over, lol. I'm being facetious but it could open doors too). It's a game that offers racing though. Of course, GTA has so much more to offer too, so I can 'GT it' or 'COD it' and I can do that however I wish (for lack of better phrases, lol). Aggressively against, passively with, or anything in between. This is where GT will fail with the masses, it's a 'one trick pony' in a era when that's proving 'old hat' I believe.
I mean look at it. Racing crews thrive on GTA. So many do/did little else in the game but race. Broughy/NODO has a fair following on the tube also. It's such a social friendly racing game for so many there if we want. (Or you can go it alone, genuinely anything). Tuning, meets, racing, drifting, rallying, hotlapping. Demo derbies are frequent too, lol. Anything a racing game can/should offer. (Just need proper racing leagues like this FIA stuff to compete with this too - Not that the FIA will with the other content available there, lol).
And that game is so flawed - The catch up feature is an absolute joke, slipstreaming drastically overpowered, full of cheats, glitches, the lot. Anything bad a game can have, GTA has it, lol. Even back with old GTA IV or even RDR online, we could race blooming horses online, lol. (Still racing at its core, but of course, not the same as burning rubber mind). There's no penalties and an abundance of bad form. But it's all avoidable if in a community like this that can work together to create our game of it.
They make the platform/arena. Set the rules. But we make the games now.
I feel a game like GTA can be compared in ways. But accept there's just so much more to that game too that see's it really on its own level. And I firmly believe its a game changer. Other games need to find ways to have this much flexibility and such. Trouble is, can't ever see us doing anything other than race on GT (Aside liveries/photo's - But GTA has photos down pretty well too, and creator tools, so a livery editor isn't off limits one day there either). So GT gets left behind.
If R* play their cards right with GTA, that game has just so much potential now. I'm sure many developers are sweating over that game/companies potential to draw.
Sorry for the longer post. Just feel 'gaming' is at a real moment where things are changing so much. The whole recurring spending and microtransactions nature to things with how these games are being made to last far longer than older, campaign or even story based gaming is just so open right now, and with GTAV's huge financial success, and free to download games like Fortnite doing well. It hampers many games, and this I feel is one that feels that impact too.
I praise them here for the free DLC (Though feel much should have been base game content) and persisting to fix that penalty system, and for avoiding the microtransaction route. But I feel that's the way forward for success these days. Though I'm yet to succumb to paying extra, I feel I'll have to one day, or miss out/pass on things.
I'm not against microtransactions, but cautious of their impact on my gaming style is all. So long as I can earn 'it' I'm good, you know?
I love GT and the racing offered here is stunning. Has always delivered in those terms. Beautiful game. But so very limited in today's world.
If GTA did racing this detailed in future, and we could use VR/steering wheels and the like that only enhances things for those keen. That'll about do it, IMHO. (Of course, noting that game's often controversial nature. In short, I can see a GTA clone far suited to players that don't want to be subjected to that type of content - Or worse, GTA itself being watered down).
Meh, probably just a load of rambling, lol. My bad.
