Games › Open World › Open World + Combat Racing
Should I ship a Combat Racing Open World game?
Open World + Combat Racing
Of 33 developers who shipped a Combat Racing Open World game in the last 2 years: 3 in 10 made under est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method., the middle one made est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method., 1 in 4 cleared est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method., 1 in 20 cleared est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 45 more are announced, ×2.1 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: poor odds, for a 8 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $1.4k, level with the market's $1.5k for a 8 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $540; 1 in 20 cleared $5.8M, ×3909 the market median. Revenue is down 35% on the market; 45 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year.
| Bottom 30% | $540 (exactly $540) |
|---|---|
| Median | $1.4k (exactly $1,439) |
| Top 25% | $6.9k (exactly $6,893) |
| Top 5% | $5.9M (exactly $5,855,227) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 33 |
| Released games | 105 |
| Announced | 45 |
| Effort | 8 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| Typical price | $9.99 |
momentum: how a niche's revenue percentiles and developer count moved between two equal, adjacent periods, divided by the market's own move. See method., 12 months: revenue down 35% on the market, supply 75% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 9%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.
- Open World
- effort 8 / 10 · low · effort 8 sits in the low band
- Combat Racing
- effort 6 / 10 · low · vehicle physics plus weapons and AI drivers
What it takes
- Effort
- 8 / 10 · online systems, open world
- Systems
- Open World, Combat Racing; 7 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Racing, Driving, Automobile Sim
- Price point
- $9.99 typical · top 25% priced $34.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 3D, Realistic, Third Person
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $34.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.
The top 10 games average 84% positive over 25,618 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $540. 9 in 10 of the 12 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 45 games are announced against 21 developers who shipped in the last year, ×2.1 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
Open World with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + WuxiaFair
- + 4 Player LocalFair
- + VampiresFair
- + TrainsFair
- + FMVFair
- + GothicFair
- + MarsFair
- + TanksFair
- + FaithLong shot
- + DiplomacyPoor odds
- + Real-Time with PausePoor odds
- + Co-op CampaignPoor odds
Comparable games
Need for Speed™ Heat 2020 · $271M 
Need for Speed™ Unbound 2022 · $105M 
Need for Speed™ Payback 2020 · $25M 
Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2025 · $23M 
Need for Speed™ 2020 · $23M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Need for Speed™ Heat | older | $69.99 | 128,933 84% | 3.9M | $271M (exactly $270,720,620) | Ghost Games |
| | Need for Speed™ Unbound | older | $69.99 | 49,862 61% | 1.5M | $105M (exactly $104,695,241) | Criterion Games |
| | Need for Speed™ Payback | older | $29.99 | 27,424 85% | 823k | $25M (exactly $24,673,373) | Ghost Games |
| | Tokyo Xtreme Racer | $49.99 | 15,284 93% | 459k | $23M (exactly $22,921,415) | Genki Co., Ltd. | |
| | Need for Speed™ | older | $29.99 | 25,443 69% | 763k | $23M (exactly $22,891,067) | Ghost Games |
 | Need for Speed™ Most Wanted | older | $19.99 | 25,197 77% | 756k | $15M (exactly $15,110,641) | Criterion Games |
 | Need for Speed™ Hot Pursuit Remastered | older | $29.99 | 13,583 81% | 407k | $12M (exactly $12,220,625) | Stellar Entertainment Limited |
 | Wreckfest 2 | · EA | $34.99 | 5,578 73% | 167k | $5.9M (exactly $5,855,227) | Bugbear |
 | Need for Speed™ Rivals | older | $19.99 | 9,265 76% | 278k | $5.6M (exactly $5,556,220) | Criterion Games |
 | Burnout™ Paradise Remastered | older | $19.99 | 7,348 64% | 220k | $4.4M (exactly $4,406,596) | Stellar Entertainment, Criterion Games |
 | Samson | $24.99 | 2,911 54% | 87k | $2.2M (exactly $2,182,377) | Liquid Swords | |
 | SimplePlanes 2 | · EA | $19.99 | 1,316 92% | 39k | $789k (exactly $789,205) | Jundroo, LLC |
 | Wreckreation | $39.99 | 360 63% | 11k | $432k (exactly $431,892) | Three Fields Entertainment | |
 | CyberTaxi: Lunatic Nights | · EA | $13.99 | 68 55% | 2.0k | $29k (exactly $28,540) | Hed Media Games |
 | Duneborn | $11.99 | 35 51% | 1.1k | $13k (exactly $12,590) | A.P Games | |
 | Sprint City | · EA | $11.99 | 26 84% | 780 | $9.4k (exactly $9,352) | Second Stage Studio |
 | PAKO 4 | · EA | $9.99 | 23 91% | 690 | $6.9k (exactly $6,893) | Tree Men Games |
 | Deliverage | $12.99 | 17 82% | 510 | $6.6k (exactly $6,625) | Majao Games |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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