Freemium Games
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It seems like younger kids are getting hooked on these freemium games nowadays, and I cant understand it. The gameplay is absolutely terrible and performance in the game is based on how much money you are willing to pay. They are impossible to ever master the game, and any challenge is instantly removed once you pay for it.
I got ahold of a cracked apk file for a freemium game. The cracked version basically gave you unlimited money. In my test environment, I ran the game and spent "Hundreds of Thousands of US dollars" in the game. Not a single time did it ever get more interesting. The characters literally level up into infinity. I wasted quite a bit of time leveling up to infinity as a figured there has to be some level where you can actually beat the game.
IMO Freemium games should not be allowed. It's the biggest scam possible in software...lol
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@IRJ said in Freemium Games:
It seems like younger kids are getting hooked on these freemium games nowadays, and I cant understand it. The gameplay is absolutely terrible and performance in the game is based on how much money you are willing to pay. They are impossible to ever master the game, and any challenge is instantly removed once you pay for it.
I got ahold of a cracked apk file for a freemium game. The cracked version basically gave you unlimited money. In my test environment, I ran the game and spent "Hundreds of Thousands of US dollars" in the game. Not a single time did it ever get more interesting. The characters literally level up into infinity. I wasted quite a bit of time leveling up to infinity as a figured there has to be some level where you can actually beat the game.
IMO Freemium games should not be allowed. It's the biggest scam possible in software...lol
Don't mix bad game design with the business model.
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@JaredBusch said in Freemium Games:
@IRJ said in Freemium Games:
It seems like younger kids are getting hooked on these freemium games nowadays, and I cant understand it. The gameplay is absolutely terrible and performance in the game is based on how much money you are willing to pay. They are impossible to ever master the game, and any challenge is instantly removed once you pay for it.
I got ahold of a cracked apk file for a freemium game. The cracked version basically gave you unlimited money. In my test environment, I ran the game and spent "Hundreds of Thousands of US dollars" in the game. Not a single time did it ever get more interesting. The characters literally level up into infinity. I wasted quite a bit of time leveling up to infinity as a figured there has to be some level where you can actually beat the game.
IMO Freemium games should not be allowed. It's the biggest scam possible in software...lol
Don't mix bad game design with the business model.
It's definitely a bait model that relies on impulse vs actual value.
If reocurring payments is the model (Like MMORPG) , that is fine. Charge a fair, flat rate. These games cater to anyone who has funds and guarantees that they will beat free users.
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@IRJ said in Freemium Games:
@JaredBusch said in Freemium Games:
@IRJ said in Freemium Games:
It seems like younger kids are getting hooked on these freemium games nowadays, and I cant understand it. The gameplay is absolutely terrible and performance in the game is based on how much money you are willing to pay. They are impossible to ever master the game, and any challenge is instantly removed once you pay for it.
I got ahold of a cracked apk file for a freemium game. The cracked version basically gave you unlimited money. In my test environment, I ran the game and spent "Hundreds of Thousands of US dollars" in the game. Not a single time did it ever get more interesting. The characters literally level up into infinity. I wasted quite a bit of time leveling up to infinity as a figured there has to be some level where you can actually beat the game.
IMO Freemium games should not be allowed. It's the biggest scam possible in software...lol
Don't mix bad game design with the business model.
It's definitely a bait model that relies on impulse vs actual value.
If reocurring payments is the model (Like MMORPG) , that is fine. Charge a fair, flat rate. These games cater to anyone who has funds and guarantees that they will beat free users.
I don't know of a MMORPG that is not free to play with purchases now.
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See also South Park episode 1806.
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Eh, some bad games spoil the bunch I guess? I know of a few decent Freemium games, WarFrame comes to mind, but you're probably right that the vast majority are just cash grabs.
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@coliver said in Freemium Games:
Eh, some bad games spoil the bunch I guess? I know of a few decent Freemium games, WarFrame comes to mind, but you're probably right that the vast majority are just cash grabs.
nobody makes games not to have their game be a hit and make money.
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Some states are looking to ban certain types of freemium games because there is to much of a gambling type aspect to it.... not sure they will succeed in banning them or not.
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@Dashrender said in Freemium Games:
Some states are looking to ban certain types of freemium games because there is to much of a gambling type aspect to it.... not sure they will succeed in banning them or not.
From the 1940s to the 1970s, pinball was banned in major US cities on gambling grounds.
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@Dashrender said in Freemium Games:
Some states are looking to ban certain types of freemium games because there is to much of a gambling type aspect to it.... not sure they will succeed in banning them or not.
I don't think the freemium model is a the problem you're referring to here @Dashrender. It's the lootbox craze, which is obviously nothing but gambling for pixels instead of cash.
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Unfortunately, modern large game studios are guided only by this when releasing their products, especially multiplayer. Even for me as a australia player online casino, it's a little overkill.
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@coliver said in Freemium Games:
Eh, some bad games spoil the bunch I guess? I know of a few decent Freemium games, WarFrame comes to mind, but you're probably right that the vast majority are just cash grabs.
GuildWars 2 ain't bad either. Most of their Cash Shop items are quality of life improvements, not much else.
Edit: By and Large, I also think that most freemium games are cash grabs.
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@scottalanmiller said in Freemium Games:
@Dashrender said in Freemium Games:
Some states are looking to ban certain types of freemium games because there is to much of a gambling type aspect to it.... not sure they will succeed in banning them or not.
From the 1940s to the 1970s, pinball was banned in major US cities on gambling grounds.
That is bizarre. If you're going to ban something like pinball, how did they not ban every major sport? There is so much more gambling going on in sports than pinball.
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I've been finding this too.
Been looking for some Android games for phone and/or tablet for a while (I want something like SimCity or Command & Conquer type).
But everything I find a like I seem to play for a week or two finding to progress I either play at the same rate and wait months to level up or save enough resources in game to progress. Or pay £££££ to fill up my resources.
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@hobbit666 said in Freemium Games:
I've been finding this too.
Been looking for some Android games for phone and/or tablet for a while (I want something like SimCity or Command & Conquer type).
But everything I find a like I seem to play for a week or two finding to progress I either play at the same rate and wait months to level up or save enough resources in game to progress. Or pay £££££ to fill up my resources.
That's definitely the point. They wanna get paid! Fleeting are the days of paying $50 for a game and just play it at full speed all the way to the end.
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I have no problem paying for QoL features, but pay to win pisses me off.
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@bnrstnr said in Freemium Games:
I have no problem paying for QoL features, but pay to win pisses me off.
assuming QoL is quality of life - I don't know how that equates to these games?
But they have all been pay to win fast forever. You "not pay" to win in like 20 years.
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I am not a huge gamer, but when I do decide to play a new mobile game, I only look at paid options. If a game says it has in app purchases whatsoever, I dont even bother. I know it's fewer and fewer games, but I'd rather pay $5-15 for a game that I just outright play and not have to worry about being nickel-ed or dime-ed along the way. It's like paying for something that has advertising. It advertises itself and constantly pesters you about buying something.
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@Dashrender said in Freemium Games:
@bnrstnr said in Freemium Games:
I have no problem paying for QoL features, but pay to win pisses me off.
assuming QoL is quality of life - I don't know how that equates to these games?
But they have all been pay to win fast forever. You "not pay" to win in like 20 years.
An example in GuildWars 2 is you can pay cash for a mining pick that is guaranteed to never break and has unlimited uses... vs having to remember to make sure you have some of the item shop (NOT CASH SHOP) mining picks in your inventory, and making sure that you won't run out when you're out in the middle of nowhere.
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@Dashrender said in Freemium Games:
@bnrstnr said in Freemium Games:
I have no problem paying for QoL features, but pay to win pisses me off.
assuming QoL is quality of life - I don't know how that equates to these games?
But they have all been pay to win fast forever. You "not pay" to win in like 20 years.
Not necessarily these games, but, for example, I play Path of Exile, and there are no "microtransactions" for currency/extra damage/content, but you can buy stash tabs to store more items and organize things better. They also have microtransactions for visual effects (like flashy swords, etc.) and stuff too, but nothing that makes your character stronger.
