Time for another one of my rants. This time I'll be talking a bit about the business side of making video games and where I see the industry going.
In case you haven't noticed, in recent years video game developers are starting to kind of adopt a different mindset to how they make and release their games. Obviously the most obvious culprit here would be publishers. You see two things have changed in this generation of games that have also changed how games are made. First is games have become a great business. Even when the economy is slumping, video game revenue is still in the billions of dollars. As with any highly profitable business, it is run by business men. These men know nothing about making a video game, but know how to spin their profit margins every quarter to their shareholders. Most of the publishing companies around today are run by business men, not gamers.
This would not be a big deal if publishers weren't really needed but they are. See the other part of making video games recently is that it's really expensive. Way too expensive for a company to fund on their own. Because of this, and the length it takes to make a video game, developers have to work very closely with publishers. Now because these publishers are funding millions of dollars to make this game, and have to report their earning every quarter, they want to make sure they don't waste it all on a flop.
Okay now keep that in mind as I shift gears slightly. As you may have noticed free to play is all the rage now. The reason this is the case is because it's good business. Alright so these publishers love making a profit, and have already realized that FTP is a wonderful way of doing that, but they can't apply that business practice to AAA blockbuster titles right?
Sorry to break it to you but they can, with one minor difference. To make sure everyone stays happy they let you believe you're $60 game is the same it would have been just a few short years ago, but it's not. It's turning into FTP with a $60 entry fee. Just look at the recent news over the last few years. Downloadable content of items, map packs, levels, missions, anything you would purchase in a FTP game can also be purchased on a AAA game, they just call it something different. On top of that in years past they have actually made part of the game, and then withheld it from you, just like a FTP game. Now they are even starting to cut out parts of the game (Diablo 3) and promising to patch it in later. How long do you suppose, knowing what I just mentioned above, until they start charging for a "patch that adds pvp content". LOTRO did this and guess what, yup, it's FTP.
To sum up in case you didn't catch all that, the games we are currently playing are the exact same thing as a FTP game with more money to start playing and disguised under a different name. I'd love to hear what everyone has to say, and I'm sorry if this was hard to read, I don't really have the time to organize my thoughts and write a proper blog about it.
The best video games are often made with a good publisher / developer relationship. I can't quite remember who it was, but one developer said that the pressure some publishers put on developers is insane, and sometimes unethical. In the olden days, video games weren't that much of an industry as compared to today so it's easy to see where all the day 1 dlc, cut content greed comes from.
The best video games are often made with a good publisher / developer relationship. I can't quite remember who it was, but one developer said that the pressure some publishers put on developers is insane, and sometimes unethical. In the olden days, video games weren't that much of an industry as compared to today so it's easy to see where all the day 1 dlc, cut content greed comes from.
We'll just have to see won't we? I believe the content will still be there, it's more a matter of how much money we'll have to fork over for it ;)
We'll just have to see won't we? I believe the content will still be there, it's more a matter of how much money we'll have to fork over for it ;)
I find it amusing how DLC originated as a way to entice players away from selling their games back to game stores. It was a great idea, until the margin between release date and DLC started to close in, and in some cases overlap each other. I agree that this is a more problematic solution compared to the FTP model. Its strange how FTP is a new gaming trend that isn't about the content, but rather how that content is delivered to the user. Before, developers were trying to copy whatever game design was raking in profits, be it Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, or Wii mini game collections. FTP isn't about the content; its about making it as available as possible to users who may be willing to part with a couple dollars for future micro transactions. In my mind, content is king when it comes to video games. I hope that this new trend doesn't affect the content I care about.
I find it amusing how DLC originated as a way to entice players away from selling their games back to game stores. It was a great idea, until the margin between release date and DLC started to close in, and in some cases overlap each other. I agree that this is a more problematic solution compared to the FTP model. Its strange how FTP is a new gaming trend that isn't about the content, but rather how that content is delivered to the user. Before, developers were trying to copy whatever game design was raking in profits, be it Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, or Wii mini game collections. FTP isn't about the content; its about making it as available as possible to users who may be willing to part with a couple dollars for future micro transactions. In my mind, content is king when it comes to video games. I hope that this new trend doesn't affect the content I care about.
@MarcoM Good observation. I agree as well, the next gen consoles will make it even easier to purchase. I'm guessing it will all be in game, like FTP is now. @pokecharm not all, leaving parts out has to do with it as well ;) @-Saigo- Call of Duty, and before that Madden, are a great example of that. When you get in the mind set of "I don't care how good or bad it is I'm buying it" you know they have you right where they want you.
@MarcoM Good observation. I agree as well, the next gen consoles will make it even easier to purchase. I'm guessing it will all be in game, like FTP is now. @pokecharm not all, leaving parts out has to do with it as well ;) @-Saigo- Call of Duty, and before that Madden, are a great example of that. When you get in the mind set of "I don't care how good or bad it is I'm buying it" you know they have you right where they want you.
The industry is broken but until people start speaking with their wallets things won't change. The industry has us exactly where they want us: Convinced that we NEED the newest, greatest, and latest...even if it's bundled as day one DLC.
The industry is broken but until people start speaking with their wallets things won't change. The industry has us exactly where they want us: Convinced that we NEED the newest, greatest, and latest...even if it's bundled as day one DLC.
ah, this is a rant about DLC, sort of. I think we, as gamers, can make a difference, but there are too many people buying DLC and making it worthwhile that a business practice like that may never end.
ah, this is a rant about DLC, sort of. I think we, as gamers, can make a difference, but there are too many people buying DLC and making it worthwhile that a business practice like that may never end.
@Sgthombre The difference you are alluding to is between developers and publishers rather; yet not even indies are exclusively idealistic when releasing a game: they're all hoping to hit the market with a blockbuster which again permits also financing the next product...
@Sgthombre The difference you are alluding to is between developers and publishers rather; yet not even indies are exclusively idealistic when releasing a game: they're all hoping to hit the market with a blockbuster which again permits also financing the next product...
Nice post. The F2P model is here to stay unfortunately and will only get bigger, especially with the new consoles that are coming out in the next couple years. Those consoles will embrace the F2P model with open arms.
Nice post. The F2P model is here to stay unfortunately and will only get bigger, especially with the new consoles that are coming out in the next couple years. Those consoles will embrace the F2P model with open arms.
haha thanks @QOSMSTR. Back in the day (I don't mean to sound old there) they made games because they had a passion for it. Final Fantasy was made because the company was going down. I certainly didn't see that happen with Team Bondi? Didn't think so. I don't really see Valve being this way as almost all of their patches are free when they could easily charge for it and people would buy it.
haha thanks @QOSMSTR. Back in the day (I don't mean to sound old there) they made games because they had a passion for it. Final Fantasy was made because the company was going down. I certainly didn't see that happen with Team Bondi? Didn't think so. I don't really see Valve being this way as almost all of their patches are free when they could easily charge for it and people would buy it.
A business is a business. Whether its EA, Bioware, Valve, Acivision. its all the same. It took me 2 read-throughs but i got it ;)
A business is a business. Whether its EA, Bioware, Valve, Acivision. its all the same. It took me 2 read-throughs but i got it ;)
Business men are in it to make a profit, not make games. They would have no idea what that involves. That's the difference between Valve and say, EA.
Business men are in it to make a profit, not make games. They would have no idea what that involves. That's the difference between Valve and say, EA.
