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baKno Launches 'Insert-Coin' Payment System for Its Mac GamesGet the chance to have less fun playing games |
By Filip Truta, Apple News Editor
18th of July 2008, 15:35 GMT
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Players of baKno's games for Mac can now benefit (so to speak) from the ability to purchase (virtual) coins which they can use whenever their game trial expires. The new "pay per play" solution is an alternative to purchasing a traditional shareware license, baKno reveals.
Yes, it's no joke. You buy coins which you "pop in" when you reach the trial limitation of your baKno game of choice. The coins, of course, give you the chance to continue. Now you can disagree here, but who in their right mind is so undecided when previewing a game that they'll go into so much trouble saving the exact amount of cents that wouldn't have (presumably) been worth spending on the gameplay experience? How do you even determine that?
Anyway, according to baKno "Game coins are the same old way to pay for gaming at the arcade. An alternative way to pay as you play instead of purchasing a full license, and a convenient way to fully try all our games." The game developer notes that "after you purchase coins, you will receive an email with a Key Code to be entered on your game exactly as when you purchase a license. This key code will unlock the same amount of plays as coins purchased."
I'm sorry, I said "anyway" in the paragraph above but I just can't help noting that this is absolutely ridiculous. Check it out:
"When playing, at the moment you reach the trial limitation, one of your coins is deducted with a distinctive sound, and you can keep playing until the end of that play. It is necessary that you are connected to the Internet when playing with coins, otherwise the game won't be able to verify your current coins."
Question: has this method left out anything that destroys a good gameplay experience?
1- you hear a "distinctive" sound that by your third trial expiration becomes so frustrating you probably want to hammer the Mac
2- as a cheap gamer you find yourself forced to leave your Mac and game on so you don't have to pop in another coin
3- you need to be connected to the Internet to actually use a coin (I don't remember Ethernet cables sticking out of the Mortal Kombat machines in the arcade back in the 90s, do you?)
4- you don't actually use a real coin, but a wretched Key Code which you'll most likely mistype once every three coins used, adding to the stress that's already built up.
So, anyway, again, if you find the Game Coins an interesting idea note that they are sold in packages, with each coin at 10 US cents, and available packages of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 coins, each sold for US $1, $2, $3, $4 and $5 respectively.
baKno develops what the gaming industry calls "Casual Games", for Mac OS X and Windows. The company's games are provided to customers directly from the website as Free-To-Try downloads.
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