EA tones down Real Racing free-to-play elements after user backlash

Electronic Arts' Firemonkeys studio has toned down the freemium elements in its latest Real Racing mobile series outing, after a notable backlash from players. Real Racing 3 is the first free-to-play installment in the series, allowing players to download and play for free while offering in-app purchases, compared to the previous single upfront payment model for Real Racing 1 & 2. As noted by Pocket Gamer, the game features cars that can only be bought with real money, with at least one vehicle going for the equivalent of $100. Players were also required to wait in real-time for their car to repair itself after a set number of races, unless they are willing to fork out cash to repair instantly. However, a new update to the game today addresses the latter point, after numerous players took to the App Store to post 1-star reviews in response to the various in-app purchases that Real Racing 3 offers. Cars are now repaired instantly, while the "service wait time" that occurs after every few races has been reduced by around two thirds. Notably, the game is currently only available on iOS devices in Australia and New Zealand as part of a soft launch -- it will be released to the rest of the world on February 28.