Having read through the whole thread, thankfully not in one go,
a few things popped out.
Some people really want to give PD more money.
I wonder how many of these people have been paying for cars in the PSN store rather than getting a car by accumulating credits in the game and and getting the car they want. Want to give PD more money, buy (with real money) for the cars, I'm sure they will appreciate it. This Lewis Hamilton DLC looks like something similar, give PD money for something you can do in the game already. Once the times Hamilton has set in the game are known, unless they have changed the underlying physics, or put in something 'special' that someone who has not bought the DLC can duplicate, then anyone will be able to measure how close, mut really, lets be honest, how far you are from his times. So what would you really be getting for your money!
I don't understand the benefit of the 100m credit limit when to actually get 20m is so hard. Get to 20m, buy some cars. Or am I missing something?
Lewis Hamilton garners very polarizing views.
People keep on comparing GT to other games, some not even racing games, and PD to other developers, both are flawed imho. Other game developers may release games on multiple platforms, and release games with a lot more frequency. PD are unlike a lot of games developers in that, for GT at least, they are locked into one platform, Playstation. That may seem a reason for them to try and get more money via DLC, but Sony sell Playstation's because of GT. I only have a PS4 because of GT. That has to be factored into how much money they are generating with the games.
The aim of GT Sport was not only to sell PS4's, but to also to sell Playstation Plus subscriptions, and that also has to be facttored into how much GT Sport is generating. It is to their benefit to keep producing content to make the game appear relevant, and attractive to current, and hopefully new players, especially with a new console not far away. How far a new GT game is away is anyone's guess.
To sell a PS5 to me, a new GT would need to be pretty soon after the console's release, ideally at the same time.
The worry about starting paid for DLC is that it could be the thin end of a wedge. If they were to start having cars and tracks as paid DLC, it could imho, affect the the PS+ subscriptions, participation numbers online and maybe even future Playstation sales, which wouldn't be wise.
If this paid DLC is successful though, then there could be more paid DLC, but if they have any sense, it would be like this seems to be, as a take it or leave it option, 'but' 'if' they were to have paid content which were fundamental to the game, it would have quite a backlash, and for a series that depends on a lot of loyalty, because of the length of time between releases, that would, imho, be a huge mistake.
And because of all the above, PD are not doing people favours with free DLC content, it is a means to keep interest in a game as long as possible, and to fill out a content light game on release.
And if you got to the end of all that, well done.
