SteamFirst: It doesn’t happen often enough in my opinion, but there are times when something comes around that does not offer anything particularly new, but manages to be the epitome of a genre. TreeFortress Games’ Bardbarian does not have revolutionary mechanics, offer a new gameplay style, nor does it wow with cutting edge graphics.
Grab It Magazine:
"We’ve all had an inkling for some time now that in-app purchases (IAPs) are a ludicrous source of revenue for developers. The proverbial pot of gold, if you will. After an in-depth look at the financial reports of casual game developer King (of Candy Crush fame,) there is certainly no doubt left. Since 2012, King has raked in over $4 billion in revenue from IAPs across all its titles. I don’t quite have the vocabulary to express how unfathomably large that number is."
So frustrating. So many great titles out there. They just don't have a chance with the App Store and the like being flooded with these types of IAP games. I hope for a future where the spotlight moves away from these guys and over to actual game developers
Totally agree. I don't think it's a fad that'll die out anytime soon though, especially with figures like that driving the market. :(
I think the industry will end up being just a playing field with all sorts of business models being a viable option, depending on the genre and platform being aimed at. I think games journalists, sites, mags etc need to keep playing their part in highlighting the games that may otherwise fly under the radar due to not having funds to market, or be aware of how to properly market.
IAPs and F2P are here forever now.
The cream tends to rise to the top and whilst there will always be casualties along the way, I've no fear that the indie community or even the triple A community will continue to find ways to achieve success.
Apple has changed free to get, so which games should you actually go and get.
Hardcore Droid - Pay to win games have swallowed such a large share of the mobile gaming market that at this juncture about 80% of mobile games suck—the mobile gaming market, to be honest, is a vast mountain of dung. Still, there is within that heap numerous and sometimes hidden gems—titles built by smart, ultra-hardcore microdevs, as well as games with formidable names and reputations, born from franchises like Final Fantasy, Deus Ex and Baldur’s Gate—yes sir, the latter one at least is represented on this list. Games that are so superior to the rip-off, shovelware that dominates mobile gaming that it’s not even worth the effort to bother comparing. But free, or the illusion of it, is a powerful motivator and with each passing year this intoxicating illusion causes the digital nothingness that is pay to win to grow more powerful.
