Quote:
Originally Posted by leftleavemoon
I like games free 2 play
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...and I have serious issues.
Let's take the innocent free-to-play games first.
Some will say that people won't pay for such simple games today (we're no longer in 1990s). Yet the same titles (or with not many added features) are ported to handhelds/mobile phones, downloadable for $$$! So maybe the problem with such games being unsellable on PCs is not only piracy, but the free, legal, general availability of them? People get spoiled if you give them too much for free...
These games are usually supported by ad revenue. Supposedly I was to make a Flash game next month, how much $ can I expect from this? I've never seen figures regarding this business model, yet so many small developer studios rely on it.
Now, the source of all evil is
Freemium. After playing a bit few titles and reading about the cold-blooded math behind their creation (psychology of addiction, economy of clicking etc.), I must say I despise this business method just as I hate gambling. Those games are written to be an addictive service requiring endless fees, telling you when, how often, and how long to play (compare to a product you can own and play anytime
you want). Remember when there were only monthly subscriptions (to cover server fees etc.) for online games... but today there are all those premium items, craftily calculated so that playing without them is either a chore (endless grinding) or you're a sitting duck on PvP.
Instead of elaborating on the subject, I'll point you to interesting articles:
http://gamasutra.com/blogs/KenWillia...h_of_Games.php
http://insertcredit.com/2011/09/22/w...a-ghost-story/