Peter Molyneux Hates Free-To-Play

[Monsterfurby]

"Peter, join me and we will rule the galaxy together!"
"Oh. That actually sounds kinda good. Think of all the good I could do in the dark side. all the great games I could make." *dreamy-eyed beat* "Yes. Yes, I think I will join you. What bad could possibly come from this?"

Something along those lines probably actually happened.

 

[gargantual]

Unfortunately we are already seeing the damage to the market being done. The legislative process in western nations that have a good handle on technological issues is generally slowwwww and in more autocratic markets the grasp of issues and dangers can be loose to nonexistent. If legislators could move quicker then we would already see controls in place, especially in the online gambling no-go areas of the U.S.

In my experience, Star Trek Online does F2P fairly well - the (extensive) plot is completely available.

Sadly games like Star Trek online are part of the old guard, old model of free to play. The model didn't start off like this but in the mobile space it is almost exclusively used in a way akin to software associated with gambling.
These games share the common trait that they are based on teasing, compulsion and trying to wage a psychological war on the player.

One day legislators are going to wake up to this fact and we could see some UGLY measured passed to ham-fistedly try and squash it out. Measures that will take a toll on all of the gaming industry and could be structured to damage and attack it as a whole. Games are already an extremely tempting target. Having abhorrent practices like this shines an ugly light on gaming and gives those who would wish to attack it a way in.

Yep. No one sticks to the basics when they prosecute an entire franchise game of industry by proxy. They look for other infractions, as an excuse to lever down a larger hatchet.

I think its just the stodgy old social guard's (in politics and finance sector) resentment of tech and geek culture's commercial success. Demographics they don't like made lots of money with hardware and software that exploded in demand around the world. Some stuff they or their aides use for them everyday.

So when independent geniuses make games or dark curious and interesting ways to enjoy themselves outside of the whims of the socially powerful. (Even since D&D) They get publicly criticized. At least until they offer political donations, or buy into schemes. Controversial game content, pricing policies that hurt consumers like you and me. Its all bait, and PR blackmail of Tinseltown and inside the Beltway

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

he does have a point, some of the greedy F2P game might take the entire model down with em

Path of Exile, Loudout, Star Trek Online, Dota 2 and Team Fortress 2. The only f2p games in the endless ocean of f2p games that do a good job at being f2p as far as I'm aware. I can't believe I actually agree with this guy.

blacklight retribution and league of legends do have good models too

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Hey!
Don't forget Blacklight Retribution.

I didn't. Compared to the other games I mentioned, the amount of work you need to put in to get something in Blacklight to last you forever takes forever.

 

[Jeroenr]

Much as I cheer the sentiment, I'd like to hear more about the specifics of this "invest to play" thing before I give full credit to the source.

And while part of me would be thrilled to see legislation drive a stake through the dark heart of the exploitative side of F2P (especially those who would use F2P-style sales on top of standard-priced "entry" fees), I'm not at all sure a model has fully emerged yet that can take the place of the foundering AAA industry.

I do think Molyneux has a good point about what the F2P model is doing to the next generation of gamers, though.

I might be off on this one, but the way i read this "invest to play" is propost as a more honest name for "free to play".
It doesn't try to hide the fact that there will be asked for money at some point.


the way i see it, there are 3 type of "free to play" games

1: (masive)Multiplayer games
These games have dedicated servers that cost money (and lots of it)
They need a way to earn money.
these games need the steady income the most, but are in general the most fair about what goes behind the pay wall.

in general i find these the most fair, these games have a high server cost.
If no one would pay these games would disappear, but often you can play without paying just fine



2: The interactive banner ads.
You watch the banner or buy the premiun version, either way the company gets payed.
This is a bit of a mixed badge, some are just fine, others are annoying as hell.


3: The "free to download" games.
They don't charge you for downloading them, but they do charge money for just about anything else.
These games are often singleplayer tap games with timers were they give you the option to pay a small amount or die of old age before you enter the next round.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

I have to agree with Molyneux here, F2P is virtually gambling the way it is run right now,

To reiterate a point I made in a previous thread, the Gamasutra article is called "Chasing the Whale"

And here's an extract:

Chris' behavior during this time is how people in the video game industry would describe a "whale"-- someone who spends large amounts on free-to-play games, and essentially makes the business model viable by balancing out the 99 percent of players who don't ever fork out a dime.

The important thing to note is that "Whale" isn't a video game industry term. It's a gambling term used by casino staff (and others in the industry) to describe the richest guys that come into casinos with $10s of millions to blow it on blackjack.

If we are already at the stage where we are using gambling terms to describe customers (which can be unsupervised children) then there is something wrong with the system.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

If we are already at the stage where we are using gambling terms to describe customers (which can be unsupervised children) then there is something wrong with the system.

This. What really got my goat was the way EA Mythic went so far as to weave the IAPs into Dungeon Keeper Mobile's tone. It wasn't just an ancillary mechanic; it was something the mentoring character (Horny) openly admitted to being a soulless cash-grabbing attempt, but seeing as he's meant to be comically evil, then rubbing that fact in the player's face is *somehow* okay?!

What the fuck, Mythic?! I get that the series' tone has always involved a kind of tongue-in-cheek adoration of all things wicked and reprehensible, but don't go "You want more? You gotta pay for it 'cause we're EEEEEVIL, up in this shit!" as this is nothing but an outright farce that's being made out of the original series' tone!

There's just no amount of humor, no amount of sass, no amount of black comedy you could ever squeeze into an iDevice app that would make me look to in-app purchases with something that even remotely approaches a wry smile! Considering what's been mentioned before, this kind of money-gouging isn't joke material, not when most iDevice owners don't even bother with activating Restrictions or don't even know how to do that!

Case in point, my grandmother has an iPad. As everyone in the house is over 20 years old and could be considered sane and financially responsible, the device isn't restricted. Still, all it took for her to end up with fifty bucks' worth of Smurfberry credit was a visit from one of my cousins' kids - a six year-old who straight-up downloaded his favorite Freemium app without mentioning it to anybody and who just went straight off demolishing the game's paid-for limitations.

Two weeks later, we're stuck explaining to an eighty year-old woman who's just starting to get a hang of the pinching motion to manipulate photos that one of our cute lil' ragamuffins bought stuff on *her* credit card.

Confusion and betrayal galore.

If this is where the casual market is going, then I'm entirely in favor of these games being regulated like gambling apps.

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

Hey!
Don't forget Blacklight Retribution.

I didn't. Compared to the other games I mentioned, the amount of work you need to put in to get something in Blacklight to last you forever takes forever.

i dont agree but fine, each person has their own opinions

 

[Ranorak]

This is either very hypocritical of him, seeing how Godus is just as much a "Free to play" game like all the others. (read Pay to play).

Or, he's saying something different.
I might be cynical, but it sounds more like he's warning his fellow penny-pushers to try and not to go overboard with this lucrative model, or the government might tighten the rules.

He doesn't want this model to go away, he wants to keep pushing people for money, he just calls it differently and warns people not to draw too much attention to it.

 

[Jeroenr]

This is either very hypocritical of him, seeing how Godus is just as much a "Free to play" game like all the others. (read Pay to play).

Or, he's saying something different.
I might be cynical, but it sounds more like he's warning his fellow penny-pushers to try and not to go overboard with this lucrative model, or the government might tighten the rules.

He doesn't want this model to go away, he wants to keep pushing people for money, he just calls it differently and warns people not to draw too much attention to it.

On steam Godus goes for just about ?18, but that can be for early access.
Why people will pay to play a game that isn't done and will be free when it is, is beyond me.
But there is an other treat for that.

I do think he is just warning fellow developers not to overdo it.
If they can create a code of conduct them selfs, the goverment doesn't need to make laws that are undoubtedly more restrictive.

But we as customers can also benefit from this warning.
there are a lot of fun games for a tight budget,
If tight regulation come to pass, the good games may also be affected.

But in the end, we are customers.
So we are paying for the games, just not always up front or with money.

 

[x EvilErmine x]

This coming from the guy who tried to make you pay £3 for black dye in fable 3. How very ironic.

I cant really believe I'm typing this but I think he's right in what he is saying. Can I ask what's wrong with charging £3 for a dye pack? Dye's have no impact on the game other than the purely aesthetic. It's exactly what pay DLC should be, if you want it buy it, but you will still be able to experience the full game without it.

 

[MPerce]

Way to click-bait with that headline, Escapist. That's not at all what Molyneux said. But, you did get me to click on it, so....you win this round.

Anyway, I completely agree with Molyneux here. The Dungeon Keeper's and All the Bravest's of the world are taking a really interesting game model and just pounding it into dust.

 

[Baldr]

It not just Molyneux, there are other developers like myself who absolute hate this stuff:
http://www.baekdal.com/opinion/how-inapp-purchases-has-destroyed-the-industry/

 

[Strazdas]

There is a quite easy solution to much of this growing problem: make in-program purchases illegal. If you have to go outside of the game and make the purchase from your actual bank account/ect then everyone knows that they are paying real money and exactly what for. This will stop the "ops accidentaly bought it" problems for people who are dumb enough to give programs their credit card info.

Free2Pay isnt always evil, for example LOL, Loadout, Paths of Exile. And there is acceptable level of evil, for example World of tanks. Even though i did spend 80 dollars on it to advance faster, i see it as a 80 dollars for 600 hours of fun? worth it! And i only made the puchase after already having fun for over 100 hours with it so its not like a money ufront deal and you can play it witohut it, by either grinding or just being a very good player (if your really good you still come out with positive income even in tanks known for loosing money constantly)

 

[Scrythe]

I am both ashamed and infuriated to admit that Peter Molyneux opened his mouth and I actually agree with the sounds that came from it.

I guess that analogy about broken watches has more truth to it than I thought.