14 DAY TRIAL // Fredrik Wester, the chief executive officer of Paradox Interactive, says that his company is only willing to use the free-to-play business model when it makes sense and without ever affecting the chances that players have to win a match.
He tells Destructoid that, “What we see as a good way as monetizing is the way DOTA 2 or League of Legends does it. It doesn't change the game, it's not going to be a game winner for you. It's going to change the appearance of your character. It's still the inherent skill that you have.”
Magicka: Wizard Wars is designed to appeal to players who are looking for a competitive experience that requires attention, but can also deliver humorous moments.
The game will not directly compete with League of Legends from Riot Games and DOTA 2 from Valve because it does not have the same high-stakes and the company hopes that it will attract more casual players.
The company leader says that so far, he has spent about 150 dollars (110 Euro) on MOBA titles and he does not feel like he has been cheated.
Wester also believes that more titles from the Paradox Interactive catalog might go free-to-play if the model makes sense for them, although he is probably not talking about the core grand strategy series of the company.
He adds, “We do not want to monetize on people's frustration, when people are angry because they lost their lives. We want people to pay for things when they're really excited to play more of the game.”
The CEO also believes that free-to-play is nowadays mostly used as a marketing initiative rather than as an actual revenue creating business move.
Paradox Interactive is best known for its series of complex strategy titles, like Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron.