I feel this sales page is purposely to confuse. It doesn't clearly say what you get on the platinum version over and above the standard version. They seem to have blurred this to make it seem the version is better than it is. Maybe there is real value in platinum but its very difficult to know.
While surveyor 2.0 was a good addition in Trainz + that makes me tempted to buy the platinum edition features for TRS22, the pricing just seems a bit out there, considering some of the DLC ported from T+ available to everyone now, (Blue Comet 2.0 specifically) should’ve been available to those who owned the original version from the beginning, similar to how the Duchess’s were treated upon release with TRS19. It’s a nice option for those who don’t want to pay $21/month (going off what Australian prices are) for T+ gold, only to struggle to get funds together with the tightening budgets of this current time and thus have Trainz locked behind a paywall. But I’ll just stick to Trainz 22 base game for the time being. When they release tornado and the HST to everyone outside of T+, then I’ll consider it
I started with trainz from the begining. By the time I got to TS12 32bit I was ready to quit. I was tired of constantly have to fix assets that would no longer work in the next version.TANE at 64bit made the difference and by the time it got to SP4 it was good enough for me. Not completely fixed but then none of the versions were 'fixed' all the way. I drew a line under Auran and now N3V on a promise to myself that I would not upgrade to any newer versions. A factor in all of this was the cost of upgrading our computers to run the newer versions effectively. I calculated that running trainz on a high-end version and a gaming computer was using more electricity than my fridge!
The reasons differ between viewers but I often hear that people used to enjoy and slowly stopped playing. Most older players didn't make it past 12 so you are the exception there. Its certainly true between Tane and 19 players might have needed to upgrade their PCs, I certainly did. But at least it meant there was a real upgrade. But 19 and 22 are essentially the same game. On the one hand it means no PC upgrade needed but on the other why upgrade if its the same game? What's the incentive? It would be interesting to see sale figures for the new Platinum version. I can't imagine 2 standard owners would upgrade but who knows.
The sales page blurs the line between what you get on the standard and platinum versions. I'm not sure if "confuse" is the right term but the page either purposely or by bad design is not clear. For example. The part of the page which lists the routes and locos (thumbnails of each) you get is all merged into one not saying which versions of the game you get each with. With a little bit of time you'll work it out but you shouldn't have to work it out. It should be clear. Another part of the page claims you get x amount of locos with platinum. Do you? Are they part of the routes which are offered or separate? Are they actually premium locos or are they also downloadable for free on the download station and are downloaded when installing something else? Both versions of the game are fine. A new player would likely be better to buy the platinum version at this point. But what is not fine is the company. The business decisions. Releasing 22 as a new game when it was just a rebadged 19 platinum was not fine. It was not worth the money for existing owners. Trying to get existing 22 owners to upgrade to platinum without giving a discount is not fine. It is my opinion there isn't enough there to warrant paying the full price if you already own 22. It is also my opinion they have little respect for existing owners. The game has its shortcomings but I and allot of people enjoy it. The new surveyor 2.0 is a solid upgrade. It's not the game which lets the franchise down or is the problem. It's just the business decisions and that's a shame.
Thanks for the video. Our pricing in Thailand is MUCH cheaper - like about half for this product. I guess they think if they get half it will be better than getting a dozen copies ripped off! I ran an internet cafe here for a few years and the number of ripped off software selling at 1/10th normal prices was incredible!😁😁😁
The price difference is on Steam. If you notice, the only options they give you on the Trainz website are USD, AUD, CAD, GBP and EUR. I have no idea why Steam discount it, but it is typical across the board of all games, not just Trainz - so no excuse for me not to buy! However, I'm yet to buy this one.
I thought it would only be on Steam but in theory they could offer different pricing for differnet regions on their site. They would simply use USD for all transactions in these regions and set a price per location. They would get the users location first from their IP address and then confirm this at checkout asking for a billing address. But to be honest I doubted their site would be that smart but I wanted to check.
This is just...idk. I preordered TRS22 on 12/2/2021. Which makes me one of the first customers. I paid $70 USD. Which is probably $72-75 USD now with inflation. If I want TRS22 Platinum I need to pay $70 USD. No discount. I'm just waiting for when TRS25 or whatever comes out, then I'll be buying TRS22PE when it's like $50 and will proceed to only buy a new Trainz when the Platinum Editipn comes out. How I think it shpuld be planned: TANE - keep TANE because basically any computer can play it, so then you expand the install base significantly TRS Driver - driver only version of the latest Trainz, for those who just wants to drive trains Last gen version of TRS - if they don't want to risk buying the latest version then buy the previous one at a discount alongside the PE version Latest TRS - full price version of the latest version Latest TRSPE - PE has one extra feature and $300 worth of DLC for the same price Trainz+ - subscription Silver Class - DLC-only subscription, all DLC and a discount on buying it Trainz+ Gold - Trainz+ and Silver Class I dunno, this is definitely a transitional period for Trainz, seems corporate interests are shifting, and while they are including some massive upgrades their refusal to show them in development and properly document these features makes it difficult for the content creators WHO BUILT TRAINZ to adopt them. TL;DR this is definitely a transitional version of Trainz and I think the pricing model should be much clearer
Its a recurring comment from people watching my Trainz videos that the pricing isn't clear. It does feel that they are trying to muddy the pricing so you perhaps feel you get more than you really do. I'm sure they're meeting their legal requirements but moral requirements I'm not so sure. We're all gonna have our own thoughts about what they should do but I think most people will come to the same conclusion that their recent decisions are corporate based. They are a company and obviously want to make money but if they carry on line this they will loose their current customers. Why would anyone have loyalty to them if they have no loyalty to their customers. We'll have to see if they work this out for themselves.
You don't have to pay another $70. The page literally says "Join, or renew any Trainz Plus annual membership and keep TRS22PE forever". That offer ends October 1st so you have to be quick.
@VeeTHis. This is a matter of perspective. If you're an existing 22 Standard owner the only software upgrade is the new Surveyor tool. It's a very good tool but alone its not worth buying the entire game again for. You also get 5 new routes, but if you solely play the game to make your own routes again this doesn't offer value (and allot of people do this). On previous versions as I said in the video they gave a discount to make upgrading more appealing for existing owners but this time they haven't instead offering a one year standard subscription. And for many people like me even with the standard subscription, it doesn't offer enough value as a package. If you are already a Gold subscriber and play to drive routes then in this perspective receiving the game as a gift could seem to be a true bonus. I can certainly see a scenario where if someone is on the fence about renewing it might persuades them to renew a subscription. For new players and for people on the top tier subscription it's fine. For people who own the game far less so. As I said a matter of perspective.
I had subscribed to Trainz Plus last year when it came with Trainz 22 (free to keep) Now for that same amount, they want me to upgrade , the other way, ie buy PE and keep Taninz Plus. I get a headache trying to figure out their pricing every year. I am also disappointed that they offer no incentives to upgrade to PE only. They all want us to be on a subscription model which frankly some of cant afford to.
I’ve had Trainz 2005 to 2012, but grew older and fell out of love with the franchise. I brought T:ANE when I realized it really seemed like Trainz was going to be reinvented from the ground up. The kickstarter was promising, but we all see now that it wasn’t 100% what we were promised. (but still a great step for the series!) I personally don’t like subscriptions (Netflix, game streaming, etc), I believe in owning what you buy. But seeing what’s happened with ‘19, ‘22 and now ‘22PE.. N3V seems to be pushing more and MORE towards the subscription model to get access (to what I would consider) core tools of the game. Luckily, surveyor 2.0 is now a part of the base game, and hopefully this will be the case with HD Terrain in the next Trainz game release, but.. what if it’s not? What if more and more features are locked behind a paywall subscription and the base game becomes out of date for creators who can’t spend the cash? ‘22PE seriously has me interested, especially if the subscription is thrown in for “free” for a year. But I have two concerns: How close are we to Trainz 2025 and what features will the base game include? And will new features continue to trickle down to the base game over time, or will they become subscription based features only going forward? If the game moves more towards subscriptions, and I can invest enough time to get my money’s worth out of it, I worry it will be a waste.. 😢
I think the issues started when they decided to remake Trainz. It is always impossible to live up to expectations and I remember when Tane came out receiving a plethora of comments telling me why Trainz 12 was better. And then there's the fact that all games since have had to remain compatible with pre-Tane versions which helps to pull down it's performance. But there's simply not enough newer assets to remove backwards compatibility so this will likely not change any time soon. And then there's the business's side. By rewriting the same game it meant they only had one game to sell. When we look at Dovetale they brought out a completely new game instead of rewriting their old one, which meant Train Simulator fans kept the game they loved untouched and they got new players for their new Train Sim World game. Double the income. I think the game industry is moving towards renting instead of ownership. It's a pure business decision and means they have good idea each month what income they get. I have no issues N3V offering the option of subscriptions. It's actually a good way for someone to test the game without paying a large amount up front. What I do have issues with is when buyers are treated as second class citizens. A buyer might have to wait months for a game fix where a subscriber will get it as soon as it's been written. That's wrong. I think the next main version of the Trainz will either be a re-badged 22 platinum with zero changes or have the hd textures added in. I suspect we'll only be offered the hd textures if they've written something else to put in their subscription. It'll likely be released as you say Xmas 24 and they'll call it 25. This Xmas I suspect we'll see a sale. Part of me thinks they do want to go fully subscription based but I also suspect they like to release a sold version every once in a while for a cash injection. I really do think that's the only reason why 22 got released. Rename 19 plat as 22, advertise a new game and boom they get cash. That's business I suppose. But that's also why you won't see many Trainz videos on my channel any longer.I find it very hard to advertise something I no longer believe in.
Afresh... thats what Tane was meant to be. the issue that a large selection of user assets are made before Tane. Tane Im sure you know is 2 versions ago and when they re-wrote the game engine for that they needed to add in support for older asset else there wouldn't have been any. In the series I mention in this video I found it was impossible to create a UK themed route without using the older assets. They would need to entirely change the game model and what the game is to re-imagine the game. I'm afraid I don't see it.
I really dont like how confusing Trainz pricing can get, especially for new players. Good informative video, thank You!
I feel this sales page is purposely to confuse. It doesn't clearly say what you get on the platinum version over and above the standard version. They seem to have blurred this to make it seem the version is better than it is. Maybe there is real value in platinum but its very difficult to know.
Confusing customers was never a good business strategy.
so good to see trainz vids here again!
Pity I can't be nicer about the new version though
While surveyor 2.0 was a good addition in Trainz + that makes me tempted to buy the platinum edition features for TRS22, the pricing just seems a bit out there, considering some of the DLC ported from T+ available to everyone now, (Blue Comet 2.0 specifically) should’ve been available to those who owned the original version from the beginning, similar to how the Duchess’s were treated upon release with TRS19.
It’s a nice option for those who don’t want to pay $21/month (going off what Australian prices are) for T+ gold, only to struggle to get funds together with the tightening budgets of this current time and thus have Trainz locked behind a paywall. But I’ll just stick to Trainz 22 base game for the time being.
When they release tornado and the HST to everyone outside of T+, then I’ll consider it
I started with trainz from the begining. By the time I got to TS12 32bit I was ready to quit. I was tired of constantly have to fix assets that would no longer work in the next version.TANE at 64bit made the difference and by the time it got to SP4 it was good enough for me. Not completely fixed but then none of the versions were 'fixed' all the way. I drew a line under Auran and now N3V on a promise to myself that I would not upgrade to any newer versions. A factor in all of this was the cost of upgrading our computers to run the newer versions effectively. I calculated that running trainz on a high-end version and a gaming computer was using more electricity than my fridge!
The reasons differ between viewers but I often hear that people used to enjoy and slowly stopped playing. Most older players didn't make it past 12 so you are the exception there. Its certainly true between Tane and 19 players might have needed to upgrade their PCs, I certainly did. But at least it meant there was a real upgrade. But 19 and 22 are essentially the same game. On the one hand it means no PC upgrade needed but on the other why upgrade if its the same game? What's the incentive? It would be interesting to see sale figures for the new Platinum version. I can't imagine 2 standard owners would upgrade but who knows.
Just got this version. Upgrading from trainz 2019. It's on a big sale right now.
Yeah... the sale was on all over Xmas on both the site and Steam. Ends tomorrow though on Steam
@@bluewizard yeah, I just took my chance and bought the platinum bundle.
Confusing pricing means I'll not buy at all.
Giving up on something cool because you have to use your brain smh
How is it confusing? The Standard version is $40. Platinum Edition is $70. What's the problem?
The sales page blurs the line between what you get on the standard and platinum versions. I'm not sure if "confuse" is the right term but the page either purposely or by bad design is not clear. For example. The part of the page which lists the routes and locos (thumbnails of each) you get is all merged into one not saying which versions of the game you get each with. With a little bit of time you'll work it out but you shouldn't have to work it out. It should be clear. Another part of the page claims you get x amount of locos with platinum. Do you? Are they part of the routes which are offered or separate? Are they actually premium locos or are they also downloadable for free on the download station and are downloaded when installing something else? Both versions of the game are fine. A new player would likely be better to buy the platinum version at this point. But what is not fine is the company. The business decisions. Releasing 22 as a new game when it was just a rebadged 19 platinum was not fine. It was not worth the money for existing owners. Trying to get existing 22 owners to upgrade to platinum without giving a discount is not fine. It is my opinion there isn't enough there to warrant paying the full price if you already own 22. It is also my opinion they have little respect for existing owners. The game has its shortcomings but I and allot of people enjoy it. The new surveyor 2.0 is a solid upgrade. It's not the game which lets the franchise down or is the problem. It's just the business decisions and that's a shame.
Thanks for the video. Our pricing in Thailand is MUCH cheaper - like about half for this product. I guess they think if they get half it will be better than getting a dozen copies ripped off! I ran an internet cafe here for a few years and the number of ripped off software selling at 1/10th normal prices was incredible!😁😁😁
Is the price different on their site or on Steam? Interesting they have different pricing.
The price difference is on Steam. If you notice, the only options they give you on the Trainz website are USD, AUD, CAD, GBP and EUR. I have no idea why Steam discount it, but it is typical across the board of all games, not just Trainz - so no excuse for me not to buy! However, I'm yet to buy this one.
I thought it would only be on Steam but in theory they could offer different pricing for differnet regions on their site. They would simply use USD for all transactions in these regions and set a price per location. They would get the users location first from their IP address and then confirm this at checkout asking for a billing address. But to be honest I doubted their site would be that smart but I wanted to check.
This is just...idk. I preordered TRS22 on 12/2/2021. Which makes me one of the first customers. I paid $70 USD. Which is probably $72-75 USD now with inflation. If I want TRS22 Platinum I need to pay $70 USD. No discount. I'm just waiting for when TRS25 or whatever comes out, then I'll be buying TRS22PE when it's like $50 and will proceed to only buy a new Trainz when the Platinum Editipn comes out.
How I think it shpuld be planned:
TANE - keep TANE because basically any computer can play it, so then you expand the install base significantly
TRS Driver - driver only version of the latest Trainz, for those who just wants to drive trains
Last gen version of TRS - if they don't want to risk buying the latest version then buy the previous one at a discount alongside the PE version
Latest TRS - full price version of the latest version
Latest TRSPE - PE has one extra feature and $300 worth of DLC for the same price
Trainz+ - subscription
Silver Class - DLC-only subscription, all DLC and a discount on buying it
Trainz+ Gold - Trainz+ and Silver Class
I dunno, this is definitely a transitional period for Trainz, seems corporate interests are shifting, and while they are including some massive upgrades their refusal to show them in development and properly document these features makes it difficult for the content creators WHO BUILT TRAINZ to adopt them.
TL;DR this is definitely a transitional version of Trainz and I think the pricing model should be much clearer
Its a recurring comment from people watching my Trainz videos that the pricing isn't clear. It does feel that they are trying to muddy the pricing so you perhaps feel you get more than you really do. I'm sure they're meeting their legal requirements but moral requirements I'm not so sure.
We're all gonna have our own thoughts about what they should do but I think most people will come to the same conclusion that their recent decisions are corporate based. They are a company and obviously want to make money but if they carry on line this they will loose their current customers. Why would anyone have loyalty to them if they have no loyalty to their customers. We'll have to see if they work this out for themselves.
You don't have to pay another $70. The page literally says "Join, or renew any Trainz Plus annual membership and keep TRS22PE forever". That offer ends October 1st so you have to be quick.
@VeeTHis. This is a matter of perspective.
If you're an existing 22 Standard owner the only software upgrade is the new Surveyor tool. It's a very good tool but alone its not worth buying the entire game again for. You also get 5 new routes, but if you solely play the game to make your own routes again this doesn't offer value (and allot of people do this). On previous versions as I said in the video they gave a discount to make upgrading more appealing for existing owners but this time they haven't instead offering a one year standard subscription. And for many people like me even with the standard subscription, it doesn't offer enough value as a package.
If you are already a Gold subscriber and play to drive routes then in this perspective receiving the game as a gift could seem to be a true bonus. I can certainly see a scenario where if someone is on the fence about renewing it might persuades them to renew a subscription.
For new players and for people on the top tier subscription it's fine. For people who own the game far less so. As I said a matter of perspective.
I had subscribed to Trainz Plus last year when it came with Trainz 22 (free to keep)
Now for that same amount, they want me to upgrade , the other way, ie buy PE and keep Taninz Plus.
I get a headache trying to figure out their pricing every year.
I am also disappointed that they offer no incentives to upgrade to PE only.
They all want us to be on a subscription model which frankly some of cant afford to.
I've had no further emails so it looks like they do expect existing owners to pay the full amount. Its a shame they went this route.
I'll stick to run8 I guess, I would love to get the surveyor tool just to build routes.
I’ve had Trainz 2005 to 2012, but grew older and fell out of love with the franchise. I brought T:ANE when I realized it really seemed like Trainz was going to be reinvented from the ground up. The kickstarter was promising, but we all see now that it wasn’t 100% what we were promised. (but still a great step for the series!)
I personally don’t like subscriptions (Netflix, game streaming, etc), I believe in owning what you buy. But seeing what’s happened with ‘19, ‘22 and now ‘22PE.. N3V seems to be pushing more and MORE towards the subscription model to get access (to what I would consider) core tools of the game. Luckily, surveyor 2.0 is now a part of the base game, and hopefully this will be the case with HD Terrain in the next Trainz game release, but.. what if it’s not? What if more and more features are locked behind a paywall subscription and the base game becomes out of date for creators who can’t spend the cash?
‘22PE seriously has me interested, especially if the subscription is thrown in for “free” for a year. But I have two concerns: How close are we to Trainz 2025 and what features will the base game include? And will new features continue to trickle down to the base game over time, or will they become subscription based features only going forward?
If the game moves more towards subscriptions, and I can invest enough time to get my money’s worth out of it, I worry it will be a waste.. 😢
I think the issues started when they decided to remake Trainz. It is always impossible to live up to expectations and I remember when Tane came out receiving a plethora of comments telling me why Trainz 12 was better. And then there's the fact that all games since have had to remain compatible with pre-Tane versions which helps to pull down it's performance. But there's simply not enough newer assets to remove backwards compatibility so this will likely not change any time soon. And then there's the business's side. By rewriting the same game it meant they only had one game to sell. When we look at Dovetale they brought out a completely new game instead of rewriting their old one, which meant Train Simulator fans kept the game they loved untouched and they got new players for their new Train Sim World game. Double the income.
I think the game industry is moving towards renting instead of ownership. It's a pure business decision and means they have good idea each month what income they get. I have no issues N3V offering the option of subscriptions. It's actually a good way for someone to test the game without paying a large amount up front. What I do have issues with is when buyers are treated as second class citizens. A buyer might have to wait months for a game fix where a subscriber will get it as soon as it's been written. That's wrong.
I think the next main version of the Trainz will either be a re-badged 22 platinum with zero changes or have the hd textures added in. I suspect we'll only be offered the hd textures if they've written something else to put in their subscription. It'll likely be released as you say Xmas 24 and they'll call it 25. This Xmas I suspect we'll see a sale.
Part of me thinks they do want to go fully subscription based but I also suspect they like to release a sold version every once in a while for a cash injection. I really do think that's the only reason why 22 got released. Rename 19 plat as 22, advertise a new game and boom they get cash. That's business I suppose. But that's also why you won't see many Trainz videos on my channel any longer.I find it very hard to advertise something I no longer believe in.
Do you get the west from Denver route for free for trainz 22 PE
Yes. Route info about half way down the page
store.trainzportal.com/pages/trainz-railroad-simulator-2022
I hate Trainz pricing model, it's just so confusing and stuff in game seems to just constantly break.
We just need a new version that starts afresh.
Afresh... thats what Tane was meant to be. the issue that a large selection of user assets are made before Tane. Tane Im sure you know is 2 versions ago and when they re-wrote the game engine for that they needed to add in support for older asset else there wouldn't have been any. In the series I mention in this video I found it was impossible to create a UK themed route without using the older assets. They would need to entirely change the game model and what the game is to re-imagine the game. I'm afraid I don't see it.
Im sorry but this is so complicated Im gonna go with Train Sim World 4.
I wonder how much sales they lose by making it confusing.