News - Monetization

I know, I know...

Just the simple mentioning of this word in the game community is almost instant fire and brimstone from every player and with good reason. Game companies, now more than ever charge for almost everything and anything they can. Pre-orders, game releases with exclusive and premium packs, season pass, annual pass, premium pass, DLC's, in game stores, emote and skin packs and most hated among all... loot boxes!

Companies now predate on the hype and willing of most player to waste money time after time on their games! But the problem remains the same, how can a company keep players playing the same game for a whole year with new content without charging the player for additional activities? Is there a model, both fair and affordable, for player that can keep the community and the game companies happy?

Well... maybe!

Warframe is a good example of how a clean and honest monetization system can work on a game.

One of the best examples of good/benign monetization in a game is provided by Warframe (Digital Extremes). This free-to-play game - I still have a hard time gathering my head around this - let's players come into the game free of charge and let's them have (almost) all content free of charge.

The game has a store where a player can buy weapons or "prime frames" (more powerful than the "normal frames")  but also gives the option of not paying a single dime and just farm the hell out of the game for those items. Most astonishingly, almost no one in the community has a problem with this "monetization" model and - I believe - there's two main reasons for that.

First, the game focus is mainly PvE so, no "pay-to-win"model is ever gonna make a difference or matter in the end game. Second, the gamer is given the liberty to either spend hours farming (an activity not to exciting but fruitful) or simply "cut corners" and also help the game company by buying items in the store (There is no loot box nonsense. You get what you pay for).

Look at all those wondefull armor parts! Can't afford them? Well you can always "farm" for them!

This simple model seems to work so well that, while most companies are already scheduling their sequel games, Warframe continues to bring in new players and with constantly updating their game with new content.

But what about those AAA games like Destiny 2 (Bungie) or the upcoming The Division 2 (Ubisoft/Massive) and Anthem (BioWare), that have already a base paid game to begin with? How are they gonna make a business model that the community can appreciate?

To me, and now I'm giving my total personal perspective here, I find the best way is somewhat easy but not exactly for everyone.

The issue relies on the in game store. The problems is most of these store's have their items inside loot boxes that rely on RNG for you to get what you want. To me this must end! Whatever you buy, you have to know what you're getting. Also, for these games you can't have a "pay to win" on the store. You paid for the game content already so if there's any weapon, gear, item that can make you  more powerful, it must be available "in game" not "in store".

Because of a flawed business model, Tess was one of the most hated figures in Destiny 2 for a long time.

Many people now have said that only cosmetics and vanity items should be available to "buy" in store and, while I share this opinion, I feel that even this shouldn't change too much the "geometry" of the character itself. If you're a bad player I have no problem you being the most "pimped" bad player around. But you're a bad player that can "look" like a top player, even if you've not completed the tasks in the game (finishing a raid, winning a trophy or a PvP challenge activity or whatever) for those premium, hard to get, badass look, I'm totally not ok with it!

I also believe there should also be seasons or promotions (like in a real clothes shop) for those cosmetics. You may not buy the new "summer" cosmetic set but past three months that set becomes a lot cheaper or even achievable in game. Giving you the option to either buy or wait a few months to "farm" those items after the "exclusive" period is over.

While the RNG is imperfect, The Division does provide a way to get all the "exclusive" vanity items free of charge.

If you look at in game stores as normal stores, where you get what you buy, no "premium" or "top base" vanity sets available except by completing in game "tasks" , make annual or season passes only for "early access" and not  for "exclusive access", make prices affordable accordingly to new release and/or stock... I'm not saying everyone would be happy but maybe most people wouldn't frown so much upon them!

Only an opinion. Thanks for reading and see you next time!