On solid game design, F2P and social games...
Recently, I have been playing and exploring the F2P model of games. Form DotA 2 and League of Legends to causal games in Facebook. Whats super interesting about it all is that although a lot of F2P games fall into a sort of pit where monetization gets in the way of solid game design.
For instance... Planetside 2. Although I've never played it personally, it's been relayed to me that the first two months of release were stellar. Great game and slick mechanics. HOWEVER, it soon fell prey to the predator of pay to win. Players could purchase buffs, special weapons, etc. that gave them that special edge on others. Others have also brought up the overall mechanic in Elder Scrolls Online being a sort of "king of the hill" between three factions. Sounds similar to PS2 if you ask me. And to be honest, that may just be where it's headed.
This brings up a very sticky situation of how to handle PvP (or head-to-head) games while still being Free to Play.
Enter Riot Games and League of Legends. I just started playing LoL a few weeks ago (casually) and asides from the community being slightly less elitist than what I was used to in DotA, the overall structure of the game felt balanced. Superbly. Players (New and Returning) are given a certain line up of "free" champions. Everyone gets the same champions all across the board. As you play more you rack up points (similar to your local grocery store) and you can then redeem them to unlock your favorites. If two players select the same favorite, they both have the same stats, the same abilities, etc. The game isn't about champions its about skill and how you utilize the same tools everyone else has access too. You can purchase Riot Points which allow for skins and cosmetic stuff but they have no effect on the game's structure and integrity. This allows for a slightly more level playing field and an overall much more on-boarding process for newbies, like myself.
In the end, whats interesting is that it's become a sort of trade off for most companies to trade balance of gameplay for monetization. Unfortunately, money wins. Every time.
These comparisons are only a small section of the F2P games out there though. For instance, the facebook Games Portal is teeming with such interesting games and with a layer of social networking interwoven into it. This allows for player to feel more connected and ultimately get others involved. to be honest the concept of social games is pretty awesome. Game should be social.
Together we achieve more, right?
I've played games from companies like Kabam, Wooga, KIXEYE, Zynga and EA. Some great games, some... not so much. It's hard trying to capture the attention of a player let alone grip it and keep them there for an extended time (to the point of investment). Tons of respect to developers of these games. However we come back to that situation of monetization, cause even gamedevs need to eat too.
So, the overall ideal in most social games is "Pay to Not Have to Wait". And to be honest thats a perfect balance. Do I want a magic wand that will grow or revive my crops? Yes! Do I need it to progress? No. It allows the player to continue enjoying the game at their leisure. Allowing the player to feel like they are in control is the best thing gamedevs can do. I believe it was Gabe Newell who said developers are the like director of a movie. The players are simply that, the players. You just create the scene for them to interact with. Giving them the feeling of free will keeps them appeased and less burnt out. That choice to not want that power up is empowering as a player.
This is starting to make sense. I promise.
So with these previous points, it's interesting to note that social games (while not a complete cohesive game) excell in creating little bite sized bits of fun that if polished correctly, tested thoroughly and balanced well can rake in some serious cash. But making the game is the easy part with social games. Maintaining it and keeping the players coming for more with new content is the hard part.
Thats something for another day, entirely.
