Firemonkeys tones down freemium elements of Real Racing 3

A consumer backlash to the freemium business model implemented in Real Racing 3 has forced a change to the game.

Earlier this week the game was dated for February 28th, although it is currently available as part of a soft launch” in some territories (not including the UK).

However, what got the most press attention was the studio’s decision (perhaps encouraged by new owners EA) to release the game as a freemium title, forcing players to wait for things such as repairs or upgrades to their vehicles – unless they paid up for some in-game currency, of course.

Now Pocket Gamer reports that an update fed out to the game overnight has tweaked some of its premium features.

Notably, repairs now happen instantly while the waiting time for car servicing has been reduced by two thirds.

It’s an example of consumer pressure in action, and perhaps validates the studio’s choice to soft launch the game before rolling out worldwide.