14 DAY TRIAL // Peter Molyneux, one of the most well-known video game developers working in the industry, says that both free-to-play and mobile gaming have a history of abusing players who become interested in them, but that does not mean the genres should not be a target for development teams.
The game creator says that Godus, the title that he created at 22Cans does not aim to exploit gamers in any way but is still regarded with circumspection because players have had bad previous experience with similar titles.
Molyneux is quoted by VG247 as saying that “The ridiculous thing is there are people designing games around less than 5% of the audience, and monetizing them so harshly and cruelly that we’re burning through those people. The world’s a changing place, and we in this industry cannot ignore it. We can’t say that paying for something up-front is the only way to consume something. That’s a short-term way of thinking about it.”
He compared the way free-to-play titles with a successful supermarket that can tempt customers to get more items even if they only came in for basic supplies.
The developer adds, “A lot of those mechanics in those games are monetizing of addiction. And if you monetize addiction, that’s like monetizing drugs. Addictive drugs, cigarettes for example, that’s a great way of making money, for sure. But are they something that’s going to grow? I think it’s something that’s constrained.”
Molyneux admits that Candy Crush is one of the games he is a fan of despite the fact that it charges too much money for items that are of limited appeal for gamers.
For Godus, the team at 22Cans aims for a more relaxed free-to-play experience, and gamers should treat the game as a hobby that they enjoy in the long term.
The game maker says that he personally appreciates cooking and wants players to only buy content in his game if they feel that it offers value for them on a personal level.
Godus was initially launched last year, and many players complained about the lack of features for the title, and the 22Cans team has been working on expanding the scope of the experience for the 2.0 version of the title.
Free-to-play and mobile gaming have been rising sector of the gaming industry during the last few years, and many companies are interested in coming up with titles capable of creating long term engagements for players.