Real Racing - Electronic Art

This review of Real Racing was completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 2 November 2015.

About the app

This section contains details about the app provided by an ACCM Reviewer.

ACCM review

This review of Real Racing contains the following information:

• The level to which the game was reviewed
• App description
• Reviewers comments
• In App purchasing
• Online information
• Gambling
• Advertising and product placement
• Gender stereotypes and sexual references
• Coarse language
• Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents
• Other

The level to which the game was reviewed

This app was reviewed to level 8.

App description

Real Racing 3 is a racing app where players work through a series of different racing tracks, earning experience and in-game money that can be used to get better cars and race through more challenging courses. The objective is to win races against other in-game players (non-player characters, as well as online players). The skills required to play include fast reaction time and motor skills.

Reviewers comments

When the app is opened, players are shown an animation of a racing car driver getting into a vehicle and engaging in a race with other players. The person can be seen weaving in-between cars across different lanes and drifting around a corner. Players are then shown a welcome message and are shown instructions for how to engage in gameplay. The information states that players must tilt their device left to steer left and tilt right to steer right. Automatic acceleration and assisted braking are already dealt with by the game. Players are then given control of their vehicle and told to steer through a race. The car automatically moves and players must attempt to increase their placing against other cars. If players drive up onto the sandy side of the track, they lose speed. The game shows the speed statistics for the vehicle at any given time and also how well a player is placing.

Upon completion, players are informed that they will now enter the biggest racing competition on the planet. Players are additionally asked to sign in via a Google+ account. Players then begin the game with 25 gold coins and R$40,000 of in-game currency. Players are able to choose from a range of options, including Amateur Racing (there are 12 races within this category), Nascar Racing (including 5 races), and several level-locked categories. Players are also able to access the Store from this screen, where they can purchase R$ (in-game currency used to buy car upgrades, etc) in packages of R$50,000 for $2.99, R$140,000 for $7.99, R$300,000 for $14.99, R$700,000 for $30.99, R$2,000,000 for $79.99, or R$5,000,000 for $159.99. Players are additionally able to buy packages of gold coins (used for unlocking tiers) in similarly priced packages.

In subsequent races, players have the option of making acceleration a manual component they control themselves – this is done by touching the righthand side of the screen, whilst tapping the lefthand side allows players to break manually. Players can also change the camera view, being offered the options of bumper, bonnet, cockpit and behind-the-car view. The game is centred on Events – the game contains a total of 1200 events, spread across 30 ‘Series’. It is necessary to be successful in placing within races, thus winning trophies and being able to advance within the game. Each Series is unlocked by earning enough trophies. Alternatively, tiers within Series’ can be unlocked using gold coins.

The game contains ten different types of events:

• Cup (the standard race type, comprised of 22 cars competing over 1-6 laps),
• Elimination (during the race, the car placing last will be eliminated every 20 seconds),
• Head to Head (one-on-one races against a single other opponent),
• Autocross (tackling a difficult track in the fastest time possible),
• Endurance (covering as much ground as possible in a set time provided),
• Speed Record (a race focused on obtaining the highest top speed over the course of one lap),
• Speed Snap (players must cross the finish line at the fastest speed possible),
• Drag Race (more controls are provided, allowing players to change gears into the optimal shift zone),
• Hunter (players must chase a wanted car and attempt to overtake them), and
• Time Trial (players are pitted against themselves, completing a lap in the fastest time possible).

Players are able to customise their cars across a number of categories, including Paint, Vinyls, Rims and Ride Height. Some customisations must be unlocked before they can be bought.

The game contains an online multiplayer component – this feature pits 8 players against one another in real-time races. These races are structured as weekly tournaments and players can earn R$ and gold coins as a result of placing well. Each weekly tournament includes a new range of cars and tracks and tournaments are divided into low-, mid- and high-spec cars. Players must unlock the higher leagues by playing through the lower leagues. These online races cannot be paused, and involve additional driving features such as ‘Slipstreaming’ (this involves following another car very closely, and gaining a speed boost as a result). Beating other online players increases an individual’s ranking, whilst losing will decrease it. It is possible to sign into social networking websites such as Facebook, in order to invite friends to race.

In App purchasing

Players are able to access an in-game store, where they can purchase in-game currency in the form of R$ (used to buy car upgrades, etc). These can be bought in packages of R$50,000 for $2.99, R$140,000 for $7.99, R$300,000 for $14.99, R$700,000 for $30.99, R$2,000,000 for $79.99, or R$5,000,000 for $159.99. Players are additionally able to buy packages of gold coins (used for unlocking tiers) in similarly priced packages.

Online information

Players are asked to sign in with a Google+ account, near the beginning of gameplay after the app is installed.

The game contains an online multiplayer component – this feature pits 8 players against one another in real-time races. These races are structured as weekly tournaments and players can earn R$ and gold coins as a result of placing well. Each weekly tournament includes a new range of cars and tracks and tournaments are divided into low-, mid- and high-spec cars. Players must unlock the higher leagues by playing through the lower leagues. These online races cannot be paused, and involve additional driving features such as ‘Slipstreaming’ (this involves following another car very closely, and gaining a speed boost as a result). Beating other online players increases an individual’s ranking, whilst losing will decrease it.

It is also possible to sign into social networking websites such as Facebook, in order to invite friends to race.

Gambling

No gambling content was found in the levels played.

Advertising and product placement

N/A.

Gender stereotypes and sexual references

N/A.

Coarse language

N/A.

Game playing behaviour which may be of concern to some parents

The nature of promoting and glorifying speeding, unsafe driving, and drag racing may be detrimental to younger, impressionable players.

Other

N/A.

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