Mr Latte
Yes but Logiforce the issue with this "Benchmark" is what does it prove how the wheel feels on various platforms with various games and with different cars?
Im not having a go, I applaud Sonac going and looking to get actual data to help backup what users have been saying. Yes it highlights some things as well and is interesting reading. However it should not be used as a way of comparing each wheel to reflect/ensure this is also their performances in games or giving a final verdict.
Thomas himself on these very forums even had a go at Thrustmaster on posting "Data Benchmarks" or specs of motor power and a 1080 wheel rotation that most would not use. I personally asked on more than one occasion for "Data Figures" which they do not release to the public. It was obvious to me he is not interested in playing the numbers game for promoting the wheels.
These tests do not highlight how the wheel feels in your hand and what your instincts tell you when using it. My point is peoples findings from actual playtesting should be much more relevant and important than "Hard Data". Wheels are not graphic cards.
What was discussed in PMs about a month ago among testers was an idea of doing a game/car/track combo that all testers could run and then to accumulate the feedback from each tester to see how the opinions compared. Im willing to help with that if people want to combine their efforts or if anyone thinks it would be of any use.
I know you don't want to have a go and that this just a normal discussion. In a discussion you can agree or disagree and try to convince the other(s) of your standpoint, if they do is up to them of course.
Anyhow, what I am trying to say is that it's kind of like buying a car. When you look for a new car you first put your attention to the looks, then you look at the specifications, then you look up tests (reviews and benchmarks) to see what it can do in real life. For example a car doesn't always perform like in the papers, a popular example being the gas usage being lower in the papers then it is in real life conditions. Or that it should be able to do 200km/h but it runs at 190km/h.
So you look for that extra bit of info to put next to the specifications. Also in the reviews you look at the feel of how the car behaves, how responsive the steering is and so on.
So yeah, maybe I look at too much info before buying anything. However as a reviewer I still find it necessary to provide as much info as I can. Like you said to me in the past, a reviewer should consider different kinds of people who will use the product. I just feel like I need to add to that "and who read this review".
Thomas has a good reason not to play the numbers game and just like you say it's the feel that counts, which I agree with. The reason Thomas refrains from numbers is likely that people will tend to pick a wheel on those figures alone without reading any review (also there are enough that look up more info of course), however that doesn't mean that reviewers should refrain from doing test and publishing the resulting data as part of their review. After all if it aids in making something clear they should consider it, but be cautious to not post data without clear explanation. Also I have to make clear again (and I know you and I disagree to some extend on this) that reviewers are not part of the controlled marketing of Fanatec, but they are an uncontrollable extension of their marketing. Reviewers should at all times stay independent and uninfluenced of any brand. A prime example is why people were doubting ISR when they knew Darin worked for Fanatec.
So yeah, basically the data comparison could be just a guideline in the performance of a wheel which should always include a subjective performance observation at all times.
It's a personal thing like buying a tv or monitor, nobody likes the same screen from what I have seen. That's for sure at least. Some like a T500 but others swear to the G27.
I find it odd that I wasn't included in that discussion as a fellow tester? Or was it only among Elite testers? I'd love to add my 2 cents to it though. The better we can inform the public as an independent group of reviewers from Fanatec or the rest, the more happy readers will be.
Another thing that keeps bugging my mind is how we could test the wheels properly in durability. For example to see if the thing with the CSR wheel coming apart at the alcantara parts is likely to happy.
(I highly doubt it at least unless Thomas pulls a rabbit out of his hat somehow)
