Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

[gurantsu]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Burnwood:

I'm 5'10", and it fits me fime. My brother is 6' and he used it fine, and his son is around 5'6" and he also had no problem. There are 2 adjustments for length and one for height, as well as one for the angle of the wheel.

Like I said, the wheel is all plastic, but it does feel solid. All of the buttons and shift paddles feel well made, I've had nothing feel "loose". The pedals do sometimes make a clicking sound, but thats because they are also adjustable a bit (they sort of rotate around their base a little). Once it settles the clicking stops though.

I would use the Race Pac in a heartbeat, but keep in mind you will need to learn to drive with a wheel. My biggest challenge is with the rally games, you really need to work it a lot.


OnlookerDelay:

I have played the Forza demo a bunch with the wheel, and it makes a world of difference. I think the cars react much better, and I have a lot better feel with the wheel. I've found especially with all of the assists off the wheel makes it MUCH easier (but it's still not easy!) I've also been playing TOCA 2 a lot with it, and it shines with that game also. (It's interesting to see how the 2 games differ in they way you drive Laguna Seca, it's like 2 different tracks.)

I know it sounds too good for the price, but I have to be honest when I say it is a quality product. The seat is made of a nice heavy duty fabric, it has metal bars inside it to create the "A" frame, the shafts are aluminum and so far lock down tight. The wheel gets inserted into it's spot and a slider is used to lock it in. The pedals are tight and have a good range of motion. The wheel is plastic and so a bit light, but like I said above it feels solid. I've only had it for a couple weeks now, and I'm pretty easy on my equipment, other guys milage may vary.

The reason you may not see it much yet is that it was only released in late October. I bought the first one my EB had. I hope some others pick them up so you can get a few other opinions. If you do come across one just pick up the box, it's got a little weight to it! Heck, if I was working at EB and had an interested customer, I'd let them open it and check it out ($100 isn't a bad sale!) Not to mention if they had one on display I bet they would sell a ton of them.

Geez, it sounds like I work for the company! Maybe I should ask for royalties...

[gurantsu]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Burnwood:

I'm 5'10", and it fits me fime. My brother is 6' and he used it fine, and his son is around 5'6" and he also had no problem. There are 2 adjustments for length and one for height, as well as one for the angle of the wheel.

Like I said, the wheel is all plastic, but it does feel solid. All of the buttons and shift paddles feel well made, I've had nothing feel "loose". The pedals do sometimes make a clicking sound, but thats because they are also adjustable a bit (they sort of rotate around their base a little). Once it settles the clicking stops though.

I would use the Race Pac in a heartbeat, but keep in mind you will need to learn to drive with a wheel. My biggest challenge is with the rally games, you really need to work it a lot.


OnlookerDelay:

I have played the Forza demo a bunch with the wheel, and it makes a world of difference. I think the cars react much better, and I have a lot better feel with the wheel. I've found especially with all of the assists off the wheel makes it MUCH easier (but it's still not easy!) I've also been playing TOCA 2 a lot with it, and it shines with that game also. (It's interesting to see how the 2 games differ in they way you drive Laguna Seca, it's like 2 different tracks.)

I know it sounds too good for the price, but I have to be honest when I say it is a quality product. The seat is made of a nice heavy duty fabric, it has metal bars inside it to create the "A" frame, the shafts are aluminum and so far lock down tight. The wheel gets inserted into it's spot and a slider is used to lock it in. The pedals are tight and have a good range of motion. The wheel is plastic and so a bit light, but like I said above it feels solid. I've only had it for a couple weeks now, and I'm pretty easy on my equipment, other guys milage may vary.

The reason you may not see it much yet is that it was only released in late October. I bought the first one my EB had. I hope some others pick them up so you can get a few other opinions. If you do come across one just pick up the box, it's got a little weight to it! Heck, if I was working at EB and had an interested customer, I'd let them open it and check it out ($100 isn't a bad sale!) Not to mention if they had one on display I bet they would sell a ton of them.

Geez, it sounds like I work for the company! Maybe I should ask for royalties...

[burnwood]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Thanks gurantsu. You gave me a pretty good picture of how the Race Pac performs. I went to a local Gamestop that night to check it out but they wouldn't let me examine it before I bought it. And as you know with their return policy I was a little hesistant, which made me reply to your first post there. Coming from the Logitech Driving Force wheel that I use for PS2 and PC I just needed a point of reference for the Race Pac. When I buy the Race Pac (probably tonight ) I'll post some thoughts.

Thanks a lot.

[burnwood]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Thanks gurantsu. You gave me a pretty good picture of how the Race Pac performs. I went to a local Gamestop that night to check it out but they wouldn't let me examine it before I bought it. And as you know with their return policy I was a little hesistant, which made me reply to your first post there. Coming from the Logitech Driving Force wheel that I use for PS2 and PC I just needed a point of reference for the Race Pac. When I buy the Race Pac (probably tonight ) I'll post some thoughts.

Thanks a lot.

[gurantsu]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

I just found this picture and wanted to post it, as it is a more accurate representation than the first one I posted. These ones are exactly like the one I own. (The first picture looks like it may have been a prototype.) Plus you get to see it with a person on it.

[gurantsu]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

I just found this picture and wanted to post it, as it is a more accurate representation than the first one I posted. These ones are exactly like the one I own. (The first picture looks like it may have been a prototype.) Plus you get to see it with a person on it.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

I have played the Forza demo a bunch with the wheel, and it makes a world of difference. I think the cars react much better, and I have a lot better feel with the wheel. I've found especially with all of the assists off the wheel makes it MUCH easier (but it's still not easy!) I've also been playing TOCA 2 a lot with it, and it shines with that game also. (It's interesting to see how the 2 games differ in they way you drive Laguna Seca, it's like 2 different tracks.)

I know it sounds too good for the price, but I have to be honest when I say it is a quality product. The seat is made of a nice heavy duty fabric, it has metal bars inside it to create the "A" frame, the shafts are aluminum and so far lock down tight. The wheel gets inserted into it's spot and a slider is used to lock it in. The pedals are tight and have a good range of motion. The wheel is plastic and so a bit light, but like I said above it feels solid. I've only had it for a couple weeks now, and I'm pretty easy on my equipment, other guys milage may vary.

The reason you may not see it much yet is that it was only released in late October. I bought the first one my EB had. I hope some others pick them up so you can get a few other opinions. If you do come across one just pick up the box, it's got a little weight to it! Heck, if I was working at EB and had an interested customer, I'd let them open it and check it out ($100 isn't a bad sale!) Not to mention if they had one on display I bet they would sell a ton of them.

Geez, it sounds like I work for the company! Maybe I should ask for royalties...

SOLD! I'll let Gamester know that they owe you a commision in my case Gurantsu!! Seriously, you've answered most of the questions I have about this rig. When you wove TOCA 2 performance into your testimony, you sealed the deal where I'm concerned. I have both an XBox and a PS2 on which I both enjoy various race games. The fact that the Race Pac works with both consoles, and supports the XBox communicator is just too good to be true. I would imagine this will help tremendously with my enjoyment of Grand Prix Challenge, WoO Sprint Cars, and Dirt to Daytona on the PS2.

I really appreciate your sharing your impressions in detail. My wife's been asking me what I want for Christmas, now I know what to tell her :-)

BTW, where did that pic you posted above come from? I'd like to find some more shots and opinions on the Race Pac to tide me over until Christmas ;-)

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

I have played the Forza demo a bunch with the wheel, and it makes a world of difference. I think the cars react much better, and I have a lot better feel with the wheel. I've found especially with all of the assists off the wheel makes it MUCH easier (but it's still not easy!) I've also been playing TOCA 2 a lot with it, and it shines with that game also. (It's interesting to see how the 2 games differ in they way you drive Laguna Seca, it's like 2 different tracks.)

I know it sounds too good for the price, but I have to be honest when I say it is a quality product. The seat is made of a nice heavy duty fabric, it has metal bars inside it to create the "A" frame, the shafts are aluminum and so far lock down tight. The wheel gets inserted into it's spot and a slider is used to lock it in. The pedals are tight and have a good range of motion. The wheel is plastic and so a bit light, but like I said above it feels solid. I've only had it for a couple weeks now, and I'm pretty easy on my equipment, other guys milage may vary.

The reason you may not see it much yet is that it was only released in late October. I bought the first one my EB had. I hope some others pick them up so you can get a few other opinions. If you do come across one just pick up the box, it's got a little weight to it! Heck, if I was working at EB and had an interested customer, I'd let them open it and check it out ($100 isn't a bad sale!) Not to mention if they had one on display I bet they would sell a ton of them.

Geez, it sounds like I work for the company! Maybe I should ask for royalties...

SOLD! I'll let Gamester know that they owe you a commision in my case Gurantsu!! Seriously, you've answered most of the questions I have about this rig. When you wove TOCA 2 performance into your testimony, you sealed the deal where I'm concerned. I have both an XBox and a PS2 on which I both enjoy various race games. The fact that the Race Pac works with both consoles, and supports the XBox communicator is just too good to be true. I would imagine this will help tremendously with my enjoyment of Grand Prix Challenge, WoO Sprint Cars, and Dirt to Daytona on the PS2.

I really appreciate your sharing your impressions in detail. My wife's been asking me what I want for Christmas, now I know what to tell her :-)

BTW, where did that pic you posted above come from? I'd like to find some more shots and opinions on the Race Pac to tide me over until Christmas ;-)

[gurantsu]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

SOLD! The fact that the Race Pac works with both consoles, and supports the XBox communicator is just too good to be true. I would imagine this will help tremendously with my enjoyment of Grand Prix Challenge, WoO Sprint Cars, and Dirt to Daytona on the PS2.

Just remember, it's performance with the PS2 is not as good as with Xbox. No analog acceleration or braking.

[gurantsu]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

SOLD! The fact that the Race Pac works with both consoles, and supports the XBox communicator is just too good to be true. I would imagine this will help tremendously with my enjoyment of Grand Prix Challenge, WoO Sprint Cars, and Dirt to Daytona on the PS2.

Just remember, it's performance with the PS2 is not as good as with Xbox. No analog acceleration or braking.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Just remember, it's performance with the PS2 is not as good as with Xbox. No analog acceleration or braking.

Oh nooooo... say it ain't so gurantsu! That will make it worthless on the PS2, IMO. There's no way I can run competitively with even intermediate handling mode with Grand Prix Challenge without analog braking and acceleration.

Are you absolutely sure about this? I downloaded the Race Pac manual from Radica UK's website, and it mentioned something about enabling digital or analog action buttons. Why would they give us analog action buttons, and then ignore the pedals?

This will also kill Dirt to Daytona and WoO Sprint Cars... they both need analog braking and acceleration to get the most out of the game. On the bright side, I did plan to devote the Race Pac to the XBox most of the time. It's upstairs in the "media room" (as my wife calls it), while the PS2 is downstairs in the family room.

I ordered my Race Pac this morning from EB Games online. It's going to be my Christmas gift from the kids, so I won't be digging into it until Christmas.

[OnlookerDelay]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Just remember, it's performance with the PS2 is not as good as with Xbox. No analog acceleration or braking.

Oh nooooo... say it ain't so gurantsu! That will make it worthless on the PS2, IMO. There's no way I can run competitively with even intermediate handling mode with Grand Prix Challenge without analog braking and acceleration.

Are you absolutely sure about this? I downloaded the Race Pac manual from Radica UK's website, and it mentioned something about enabling digital or analog action buttons. Why would they give us analog action buttons, and then ignore the pedals?

This will also kill Dirt to Daytona and WoO Sprint Cars... they both need analog braking and acceleration to get the most out of the game. On the bright side, I did plan to devote the Race Pac to the XBox most of the time. It's upstairs in the "media room" (as my wife calls it), while the PS2 is downstairs in the family room.

I ordered my Race Pac this morning from EB Games online. It's going to be my Christmas gift from the kids, so I won't be digging into it until Christmas.

[gurantsu]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

The reason is that for the gas/brake, they used the x and square buttons instead of the right stick. The analog button on the steering wheel enables the pressure sensitive buttons like a dual shock controller, if the game supports them.

It was a stupid choice, but maybe there is a technical reason why it couldn't be done. I was all excited to use it with LeMans 24 hours and F355, but it just doesn't work. I did play Outlaws, and it ran OK, but still not what it should be. It's a shame, because it really leaves out PS2 gamers. To be honest I can't see myself using it for my PS2 again.

That said, it does work great for Xbox, and there are more than enough games on it to keep me busy, so I'm still very happy with my purchase.

[gurantsu]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

The reason is that for the gas/brake, they used the x and square buttons instead of the right stick. The analog button on the steering wheel enables the pressure sensitive buttons like a dual shock controller, if the game supports them.

It was a stupid choice, but maybe there is a technical reason why it couldn't be done. I was all excited to use it with LeMans 24 hours and F355, but it just doesn't work. I did play Outlaws, and it ran OK, but still not what it should be. It's a shame, because it really leaves out PS2 gamers. To be honest I can't see myself using it for my PS2 again.

That said, it does work great for Xbox, and there are more than enough games on it to keep me busy, so I'm still very happy with my purchase.

[burnwood]

Re: Picking up a Gamester Race Pac tonight.

Ok. I bought the Race Pac on Friday night and played multiple race games for a total of 4-5 hours straight! I cannot believe how good this wheel/seat combo is for only $99.

For the Forza Demo: It performs flawlessly. I love racing in the F1 Ferrari's. Hitting 14K rpm is a blast.
For TOCA 2: AWESOME! Perfect feel in all races. Especially in the Seat Leon Coupé!
Project Gotham 2: Works flawlessly as well.
Burnout 3: Do I have to repeat myself.

Pretty sturdy construction overall. The manufacturer seems to not have left any detail out. It has a good grips behind the wheel. It has an excellent turning radius. The feedback does not feel cheap. The pedals has a great feel that puts you in touch with breaking and accelerating. There are even some little features that I like very much about the unit: a slot for the XBL headset that is in just the right place, the ability to adjust the wheel sensitivity on the fly, the ability use a pseudo-cruise control via the "accelerator lock" button, rubber feet and carpet spikes to keep the unit planted, and the ability to adjust to my height (5' 11").

This is quite easily the best $99 I've spent towards the racing genre. --10/10

Go out and buy one NOW! You won't be disappointed (sorry for the lame review)