Gamasutra argued last week that there are three effective in-app purchase strategies that mobile gamers don’t hate:
- the classic demo, where players can try the game out a little bit before they buy the whole game;
- opt-in, in-game advertising that rewards players with in-game currency;
- and paid DLC and expansion content on top of a free-to-play base game.
Now, Gamasutra is talking primarily about mobile games, but as we all know, a lot of mobile strategies have trickled back up from phones to PC, sometimes to the doom of MMORPGs. We’ve seen all three of these strategies applied to MMOs (though the second only minimally), and yet MMO developers seem as likely to bang the P2W gear and cosmetic gear drum, which if our comments are any judge just pisses the heck out of vocal gamers. We deal with huge box prices, #optionalnotoptional subscriptions, Kickstarter preorders, eternal early access shenanigans, and other payment tomfoolery too.
Do Gamasutra’s strategies sit well with you? Which MMO monetization schemes don’t piss you off?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
