Candy Crush Dev: Microtransactions Are The Future of Games

[Erttheking]

I do enjoy some free to play games with microtransactions, but the idea that ALL games should have them? NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! A THOUSAND FUCKING TIMES NO! Please tell me how Dark Souls would be improved by microtransactions.

I hope this guy steps on a lego brick in the middle of the night.

 

[AldUK]

King should not even be covered on The Escapist if I had my way. They are hardly a 'games company' at all. This 'games guru' is talking out of his ass and I'm glad that almost everyone can see that. F2P (pay to get anywhere) has its place in the industry, will it become the standard method of payment in the medium? Absolutely not.

Dream on Tommy, dream on.

 

[RealRT]

Dear King.
Please shut the fuck up.
Sincerely yours.
RT.

 

[inzesky]

Tommy Palm, King's "Game Guru" (his official job title) and a developer for Candy Crush Saga, has seen the future of gaming, and it involves a lot of people paying a little bit of money many times. He believes that free-to-play titles with microtransactions are the only way to go, and that all game companies should make the transition. "The microtransaction is so strong and it's definitely a much better model [that the traditional pre-packaged model]. I think all companies have to transition over to that," he told IGN [http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/14/the-future-of-games-is-free-to-play-says-candy-crush-developer].

Furthermore, Palm added that while hardcore gamers will, naturally, resist the transition at first, that attitude will change as all of their favorite franchises become free-to-play. "If you talk to many hardcore gamers, they're not happy about it right now, but if you asked them about the long term, 'do you want to continue playing your favorite game for years to come?' And the answer will be yes," he said.

Yeah, no thanks. But I'll tell you what Tommy Palm, you can crawl back to your pathetic little mobile dirt hole and pray the bubble won't pop soon.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

"Free-to-play games are difficult to do, and you really need to be good at making it feel balanced to the gamers. So it's not too greedy."

"So it's not too greedy." That's nice. The implication there is that Palm knows and admits that a F2P game, even when done right, is still a greedy model.

Three cheers for Capitalism!

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

It will be the way of the future, until the various governments get their collective heads/thumbs/dicks out of their arses and enforce 'gambling' legislation pertaining to F2P.

There is a reason why casino terminology like 'whale' fits so easily into F2P.

 

[Smooth Operator]

"Rape em till they like it", oh Tommy you truly do care about us don't you...

 

[Malbourne]

However, before you get out your torch and pitchfork, Palm did stress the importance of sensible pricing. "I think for companies it is very important to find a good balance. Free-to-play games are difficult to do, and you really need to be good at making it feel balanced to the gamers. So it's not too greedy."

I do want to point out that if FTP becomes the order of the day, being "greedy" isn't just an immoral quality, but also a death-sentence for your business model. If there are enough competitors, many of them are bound to snap up the customers who appreciate cheaper games, better experiences, or a mix of the two. It's the thought that counts, I guess, but I'm not sure what that thought is after reading this.

 

[putowtin]

I do enjoy some free to play games with microtransactions, but the idea that ALL games should have them? NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! A THOUSAND FUCKING TIMES NO! Please tell me how Dark Souls would be improved by microtransactions.

I hope this guy steps on a lego brick in the middle of the night.

ohh the pain the pain!

"If you talk to many hardcore gamers, they're not happy about it right now, but if you asked them about the long term, 'do you want to continue playing your favorite game for years to come?' And the answer will be yes," he said.

that's right, because they've already paid for the fucking thing!

Burn and Crash King

 

[Something Amyss]

We will fall in line? What a fuckin' dumbass. I hope his company crashes and burns and everyone forgets it existed.

Given the levels of pride going on here, I'm inclined to agree. Even the stuff that's supposed to make them sound less dickish has the opposite effect.

 

[K_Dub]

Free to Play is an excellent business model when used well. It keeps a game active, and customers happy.

However, that does not mean that it should be incorporated into every type of game on the market.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

If the games free to play, than yes. But now your getting this crap done with full price games and thats unacceptable. Especailly when we know they make the game purposely a pain to play to force you to buy stuff. Like we have seen with Forza 5 and GT, both games made gaining credits harder. This just made the games a chore instead of fun. I have no problem with difficulty, but when the developers purposefully handicap you to make you buy stuff. Thats shit will start the end of gaming.

 

[r0seyp0m]

"He noted that his own game, Candy Crush Saga, is actually able to be fully completed without paying a cent, and that of the players who are on the game's last level, more than half of them didn't pay to get there."

Did he also mention all those people spam their friends on Facebook, begging to give them extra lives? Sure, they completed the game without paying a cent. But not without paying their friends, that they've lost because no one bloody likes those damn game invites every five seconds.

 

[Karavision]

It has gotten to the point where I only come to gaming news sites to see how bad that it has gotten.

 

[Frankster]

Anyone else had the "empire march" theme song playing as they read this?

Honestly this man scares me a little, "fall in line or else!".

 

[RJ 17]

So the translation is "They'll resist it at first, but when we give them no choice they'll have to fall in line with it."

"Free-to-play games are difficult to do, and you really need to be good at making it feel balanced to the gamers. So it's not too greedy."

Remember kids: it's alright to be greedy, just don't be too greedy.

"If you talk to many hardcore gamers, they're not happy about it right now, but if you asked them about the long term, 'do you want to continue playing your favorite game for years to come?' And the answer will be yes," he said.

Oh yes, make a game that you'll continue to pay for for years to come, that's how you compensate for shitty replay value. God forbid you just make a game that's so good that players will simply want to replay it over and over. No, don't strive for that level of excellence. Just make a mediocre dime-a-dozen game and keep charging the players.

 

[Vault101]

BASED ON WHAT?

the same kind of logic that decides everything except for COD is suddenly niche?....HA!

 

[Clovus]

"He noted that his own game, Candy Crush Saga, is actually able to be fully completed without paying a cent, and that of the players who are on the game's last level, more than half of them didn't pay to get there."

Did he also mention all those people spam their friends on Facebook, begging to give them extra lives? Sure, they completed the game without paying a cent. But not without paying their friends, that they've lost because no one bloody likes those damn game invites every five seconds.

Not only that, but those players are fueling the "whales". King/Zynga style games make the most money when they create a sense of competition among a group of friends. Some people are really driven by a "keeping up with the Joneses" mentality. Games like Candy Crush are specifically designed to create situations where after several attempts and on your last life you are only one move away from victory before losing. But wait! You can get that last move for just $1! A person might ignore that on their own, but when that $1 also allows them to finally beat their good "friend" Joan to the finish line for once the temptation is much stronger.

I actually don't mind "match 3" style games - they're a nice distraction while I listen to a podcast during a break. But the constant manipulation in King/Zynga games ruins the experience. I'd rather just pay $1 for Bejewelled or whatever.