Why microtransactions, IAPs and LootBoxes are here to stay thread

[fishbowlhead]

We're never getting a proper F-Zero, are we...

Never ever.

[Asura]

It's exactly the thinking Konami had. They realised more money was to be made in mobile games than from any metal gear or silent hill. They've gone further now with slot machines.

Konami's problem, I heard, was that one year they made as much money from their line of members-only gyms in Japan than videogames, which was meant to be their side-business - a business which is much more secure and consistent.

[wakka]

When you land at Las Vegas airport, there is a giant Konami office building right beside the runway. They make tons of slot machines too. You can kinda see why they might prefer these stable, lucrative businesses over dealing with prima donnas like Kojima making passion projects*.

*NB I love Kojima and his passion projects.

EDIT: Oops I didn't realise cassius had already said about slots.

[Neon Ignition]

I assume that's why the rumours of Konami planning a new Silent Hill sprang up last week as they saw the money they made from side businesses so burned their gaming divisions down to the ground. The trouble is that those mobile etc titles are sold on the back of the core brands appeal which is fundamentally driven by people's love of the games. If Nintendo never makes proper Mario and Mario Kart games again then the mobile games will lose steam, not something they're at risk of but Konami has boxed themselves into a corner hard now and really they must be waking to the realisation that making new installments is the only way to revive brand interest.

[wakka]

Yeah, apparently the relationship between Kojima and Konami is 'thawing'. So, ya know, something might happen there...

I'm still gutted Silent Hills didn't happen.

[Neon Ignition]

Kojima might as well leave Konami well alone, the company treated him like dog muck in that split and all they really need or wanted him for was making new MGS games which he was long bored of... sadly... well, in terms of pre-MGS5 anyway

[Cassius_Smoke]

I assume that's why the rumours of Konami planning a new Silent Hill sprang up last week as they saw the money they made from side businesses so burned their gaming divisions down to the ground. The trouble is that those mobile etc titles are sold on the back of the core brands appeal which is fundamentally driven by people's love of the games. If Nintendo never makes proper Mario and Mario Kart games again then the mobile games will lose steam, not something they're at risk of but Konami has boxed themselves into a corner hard now and really they must be waking to the realisation that making new installments is the only way to revive brand interest.

Yeah you've hit the nail. Slot machines like anything else need to stay fresh. Remember all the deal or no deal slot machines everywhere, now the program is finished they just look a bit out of place and dated. They are slowly being replaced. Konami can only leverage Silent Hill for so long before it slips out of public consciousness. I doubt many children now even know what silent hill is, and they will eventually be Konami's new customers.

[Asura]

Yeah you've hit the nail. Slot machines like anything else need to stay fresh. Remember all the deal or no deal slot machines everywhere, now the program is finished they just look a bit out of place and dated. They are slowly being replaced. Konami can only leverage Silent Hill for so long before it slips out of public consciousness. I doubt many children now even know what silent hill is, and they will eventually be Konami's new customers.

Yeah, some of this needs to come down to will, or intent, or something like that.

No-one who is aggressively business-minded really wants to be in the entertainment industry, especially the videogames industry. Entertainment products are extremely fickle. If you build bridges, or run gyms, or something, a company will generally get out what it puts in, as long as they offer a quality product at the right time.

Videogames, as we all know, can fail even if they're very good. Risk is a factor in any industry but I'd argue videogames are worse than most.

The IAP/Microtransaction stuff we've seen on iPhone etc. was clearly short-termist. It was people trying to have small teams release the next Candy Crush so they could make 2-3 million each and retire.

[gunrock]

Never ever.

Hold on, is this a continuation of [MENTION=10111]QualityChimp[/MENTION] 90s girl band puns?

[QualityChimp]

You are the cheeky boys.

[Digfox]

The best kind of Lawyers?...It's these two from Paris. Taking on EA via a Lawsuit in France.

Does Fifa Ultimate Team risk turning players into gambling addicts? | Tom Usher

Two lawyers from Paris, Karim Morand-Lahouazi and Victor Zagury, are challenging the makers of Fifa, EA, in an attempt to show just how dangerous a Fifa Ultimate Team addiction can be. “The developers of this game mode have created an illusionary and particularly addictive system,” Zagury said to L’Équipe, while channelling his inner Sartre, “We believe that a gambling game has been integrated into this video game because buying packs is nothing more than a bet. It is the logic of a casino that has entered their homes.”

Their client, a 32-year-old chauffeur known as Mamadou, said that he’d already spent €600 (£500) since Fifa 20 came out at the end of September and, worst of all, the best player he’d managed to get was the Napoli and Greece international centre back Kostas Manolas. “I didn’t even know him!” said Mamadou, “I put so much money in just to get Manolas. People I know have put in €2,000 or €3,000, it’s crazy. The amount I have spent has made me fall behind on my rent payments.”

Noticed the story on ResetEra.

[fishbowlhead]

Nintendo has now implemented an optional monthly subscription for Fire Emblem Heroes for features people were expecting as a given, so that’s absolutely awesome.

Yay.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Epic games cofounder has agreed that loot boxes are harmful. I think this may be the first time a person from a game developer has accepted this.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51502592

[fishbowlhead]

Sweeney says AFTER epic has already made billions from gambling style loot boxes.

[Digfox]

I thought Sweeney made some good points in that presentation, although there was some irony in a few of the points made. Certainly Epic had it's fair share of loot boxes as noted. However predatory business models don't end there. Battle passes, and the other shenanigans, from these companies are bad as well.

EDIT: Actually a good video from Jim Sterling with his take on Tim Sweeney's recent presentation and that loot boxes just being part of the problem.