Gamezebo
Open main menu
Search

Tag: Free to Play

  • Free-to-play games under the regulatory microscope in Europe
    News
    • Android
    • iOS
    • PC
    Free-to-play games under the regulatory microscope in Europe

    By

    The reaction to free-to-play games that monetize by the use of in-app purchases (or IAPs, for short) depends on where you ask about them. They're a normal part of the gaming culture in Asia and looked upon with skepticism but warily accepted in North America.In Europe, though, they're now under the microscope. Eurogamer.net reported this morning that the European Commission is huddling with consumer protection groups in multiple nations to get some clarification on parts of the free-to-play model it finds troubling.The Commission's concerns include protecting children from IAPs (and preventing them from bugging parents to buy for them), games that opt-in players for IAPs without their consent, free games that aren't really free, and companies that don't provide a way for players to contact them by email for customer service purposes.
  • The .15% of blue whales who support the entire mobile games industry
    News
    • Android
    • iOS
    The .15% of blue whales who support the entire mobile games industry

    By

    Free-to-play is the greatest thing to happen to the games industry (and gamers) since Pong.  Here's the thing, though:  it's common knowledge that only 1-3% of all gamers of free-to-play games pay, the rest don't.  These gamers are commonly referred to as whales.According to a new survey by Swrve (pronounced, I have no clue), that 1 - 3% is a bit off, by a lot.  Only .15% of mobile gamers are responsible for 50% of total mobile game revenues.  In biological terms, these players are blue whales (the largest mammals on earth) of the mobile game world.As reported in VentureBeat, this is a classic good news/bad news story.  These blue whales pay the bills for the mobile games industry and are helping to grow the market to astronomical heights.  The bad news is that the vast majority (let's call them minnows) are becoming accustomed to playing games for free, and there is no clear path to turn a minnow into a blue whale.And what happens if these super whales get bored of playing and tired of paying?  .15% is such a small number, just one small drop in this bucket could have a huge impact on the future of the global gaming industry.In Vegas, whales are comp'd with free hotel suites.  How are these super blue whales rewarded in the games world?  
  • Nintendo released its first free-to-play game last week, and we’re a little concerned
    News
    • Android
    • iOS
    Nintendo released its first free-to-play game last week, and we’re a little concerned

    By

    Nintendo gets criticized a lot for making the same games over and over. That's not really true; they make very different games that use the same characters and tones over and over. That's the Nintendo double-tap - their games look and feel like something we've seen a thousand times while throwing out the opportunity to build on what came before.That's the biggest problem with Steel Diver: Sub Wars, and my greatest fear for Nintendo's future forays into free-to-play.Let's back up. I'm getting ahead of myself by calling it "free-to-play." Actually, that may have been Nintendo.  Or maybe, rather than jumping the gun, they're simply behind the curve again.
  • Why are you so mad about Dungeon Keeper?
    News
    • Android
    • iOS
    Why are you so mad about Dungeon Keeper?

    By

    Late last week, EA launched the long-anticipated free-to-play mobile game Dungeon Keeper to both the App Store and Google Play. And the reaction has been nothing short of vitriolic.But here's the problem: I don't really understand why.For a quick primer, it's probably worth taking you through some of the articles that have been lighting up my Twitter feed this week. It all started on Thursday - less than 24 hours after the game's launch - in Play4Real's wonderfully satirical article Our Dungeon Keeper Review for iOS Will Be Done in 8 Hours or Give Us a Dollar to Finish It Now. I don't want to spoil it for you, but THEY DIDN'T REALLY CARE FOR THE GAME'S FREE-TO-PLAY NATURE.The Escapist's Jim Sterling called it "one of the worst examples of a cancer that is eroding the market and has already destroyed the credibility of the once promising mobile game sector." Kotaku later borrowed part of Sterling's quote for a headline to a piece about the backlash Dungeon Keeper has seen - an article whose author admits, by the way, hasn't actually played the game he's writing about: "I can't even bring myself to download EA's newest mobile disaster for fear of tainting my memories of hours and hours digging and crafting on the old Bullfrog classic." 
  • Big Changes at Big Fish Games Mirror the Industry Trend
    News
    • Android
    • iOS
    • PC
    Big Changes at Big Fish Games Mirror the Industry Trend

    By

    Depending on your specialization or location, yesterday might have been a pretty rough day if you worked at Big Fish. Let's say you were one of the team members working on Big Fish Unlimited, the company's attempt to popularize cloud-based gaming. Or maybe you worked in their offices in Vancouver, Canada or Cork, Ireland. All of these things are closing down, and a sizable number of jobs are going with them.
  • Big Fish bets big on Free-to-Play downloads
    News
    • iOS
    • PC
    Big Fish bets big on Free-to-Play downloads

    By

    Free-to-Play can be something of a challenging beast to tame.  Having said that, Facebook developers seem to have done it.  Mobile developers have managed pretty well with it too.  But when it comes to PC games, with the exception of a few big players dipping their toes in (EA, Ubisoft) and a slew of MMO's, nobody has really managed to establish market dominance in F2P downloads.  As of this week, Big Fish is looking to change that.
  • Free-to-play headed to Xbox 360 with Happy Wars
    News
    • PC
    Free-to-play headed to Xbox 360 with Happy Wars

    By

    In the world of video games, free-to-play has fast emerged as a juggernaut. The majority of the top twenty grossing iOS titles, for example, don't have any price of admission to start. Over 70% of revenue in mobile comes from in-app payments within zero dollar games. It's quickly becoming the train you either get on, or from which you get out of the way.  Microsoft, it seems, is hopping aboard.
  • Microsoft takes Age of Empires Online free-to-play: but really, this time!
    News
    • iOS
    • PC
    Microsoft takes Age of Empires Online free-to-play: but really, this time!

    By

    After listening to fan concerns about the game, Age of Empires Online creator Gas Powered Games and publisher Microsoft have, in their own words, "embraced [the] true free to play model" through a major summer update. And while that may sound a little cultish at first, I promise you, it involves less ritual suicide, and more free stuff.