OPINION: The most impactful game monetization models of the last decade

Kyleran

Yeah, got the idea from the other thread but this seems more interesting and relevant. 

Crowd funding certainly is somewhere on the list with Star Citizen totally outdistancing all others.  Verdict is still out on whether a fun, playable MMORPG can actually be produced from it.

While I'm sure lootboxes were first invented back in 1972 for Pong or something,  I feel they rose to prominence in the last 10 years.

There are many different implementations of course, with multiple names including loot pinatas or even the most recent laughers such as comparisons to advent calendars or references to surprise mechanics.

I know there are more mechanics, I'd be interested to hear what others people have seen.

Also I'd like to see what areas of game design or player behavior has been observed or changed as a result of various monetization models.

Aeander

Microtransactions are the only correct answer, because they embody the whole messed up thing, lootboxes included. 

I actually don't think crowdfunding has had that much impact, because its overall track record of delivering games is spotty. It's delivered such gems as The Banner Saga, DOS 1&2, etc., but most projects end up in limbo or scandal. Star Citizen is more of a cautionary tale than anything; it may very well become gaming's largest scam. 

Iselin

What I like to call "the full meal deal" monetization model: B2P + sub + cash shop. It used to be that games, especially MMOs, were either F2P + cash shop or B2P with sub, and when a sub MMO dropped the mandatory sub it just went F2P. But ESO pioneered this about 5 years ago when they dropped the mandatory sub and went to this model.

Now everyone's doing it.

lotrlore

I think if we're talking the industry as a whole, it'd be a MTX since Lootboxes are simply another form of MTX. But for MMOs, MTX, early access sales and crowd funding feel like a three way tie to me - especially since they typically are all tied together. You have crowdfunded MMOs that sell the right to test the game during development (early access) and you have some developers who sell MTX for a game that isn't even out yet (Ashes, Star Citizen, Chronicles). 

Microtransactions themselves are likely the most impactful monetization models of the decade across the indusry - and not in a good way. 

Aethaeryn

For MMOs microtransactions. . for single player games - crowd funding.  Some great games came out because of crowd funding . . and some crappy MMOs

Palebane

I always liked GW2 b2p model. You buy the game and have access to everything until the next season/expansion. Thats pretty much how I pay for these games these days. The f2p games I enjoy, I put money into at certain integrals if Im still enjoying the game. I actually really like how optional things are becoming. It feels more like games have to be good now to survive, more so than in the past decade and the competitive f2p market has a lot to do w that imo. I expect even big games like WoW will switch to a f2p model very soon

AAAMEOW

It is not directly related but I read China passed a regulation which cap how much a kid can spend on micro transaction every month.  I believe it is 29$ for kid under 16, and 58$ for kid 16-18.

Kid are also limited to be able to play 90 minutes of video game a day on weekday and 3 hour on weekend.

It is such a good regulation it should be world wide IMO.  

Wizardry

I still remember the day they became common place all because of Smedley.

He sent out a message to the EQ2 players,going to TEST the idea on a couple servers,if a success they will convert a few but leave the rest alone.Well it was such a success that he turned the entire business at SOE gaming into an all out cash shop business.

IMO a huge mistake,instead of working on improving games,making them more attractive he aims for the scummy way out by baiting whales into over spending.IMO all of SOE gaming went under because of Smedley to the point he let his friends down with the sellout to DBG which accomplished NOTHING.

Wizardry

Who was also right behind with a VERY noticeable new approach to cash shop gaming...a kids game in Wizard 101.Selling card packs with a chance to get valuable or i mean WORTHLESS virtual items at a higher cost than they are worth individually.That game started out ok,not a huge push but still a push at the cash shop by NOT allowing players to sell their own items,they bought and paid for....who does that crap? Kings Isle does,closest we have seen are gear that is what we call soulbound but the intent of those was NOT to force the cash shop onto players.

Of course we already knew about card pack selling with MTGO then followed by many other online tcg's.

Cryomatrix

I enjoy all the variety of payment models. They each have pros and cons and are good for some people and not others.

The 3 games i play are all free to play but  2 with microtransactions and one with macrotransaction.

The subscription models prohibits me from trying games. Same as with B2P.

Since, i play one game at a time mainly, then i prefer F2p because if it gets me addicted i can throw them as many bones as i want. If it doesnt get me addicted, no harm, no foul.

anemo

Early Access, and customers almost being guaranteed to be connected to the Internet for future updates has fundamentally changed development.  

Even the new AAA shooters can't be bothered to release with all of their modes now days.    And instead see updates as something that can be directly monetized, or a time to pitch new product.

Ridelynn

I say F2P w/ MTX for this decade

Some of biggest games of the decade were all F2P with MTX - LoL and Fortnite, for example. I would probably say the fact that giving your game away for free and selling teddy bear costumes would make you Billions would have been laughed out the door --- at least until this decade anyway.

On the other hand the B2P (With MTX or DLC) was pretty popular too - Minecraft, GTAV and PUBG, for example. I wouldn't say this is unique to this decade though, as this was one of the original models for video games and has been around for a long time.

Early Access is a plague, and yeah that has had a big impact this decade, but I don't think it's quite as pervasive as FTP/MTX has been, but yeah that's up there. I include things like Kickstarter and "Paid Beta Access" in this category

Utinni

Most impact by far are the small chance gambling style ones, especially combined with limited action points/energy in most mobile games. They are deciding the future of games making multitudes more money per quarter with much smaller teams than traditional games. 

People want to pay the same price for a video game for 20 years then complain when they add new forms of revenue. I'd rather games cost $100-120 up front than deal with this.

WhiskeyZulu

I prefer a monthly fee, first off, where a quality and playable product is purchased and used to fund continued quality.  Why this doesn't bother me: an MMO is better entertainment dollar for dollar than just about anything else over a given month.  I can take my kids to the movies and spend 3x my monthly sub cost for one movie and some candy, for example.

I also don't mind extras being sold in a game store but the key for me is that they're not P2W things.  Mounts, outfits, toys, etc to allow players to feel unique in a game are all fine by me.

What I am tired of is sandbox sandbox sandbox.  Oh yeah, we have this great idea of players creating the world which is basically a copout for the devs to not have to load the game with enough content.  And this ties in to the monetization strategy.

Sandbox basically = it's gonna fail or otherwise be a subpar product.  At some point though we'll see that turn and devs start to realize you don't have to reinvent everything; it's ok to steal what works.

Quizzical

Cryomatrix said:

The subscription models prohibits me from trying games. Same as with B2P.

There's no reason why a subscription or buy to play game can't have a free trial.  For example, WoW is free up to level 20, then a subscription beyond that to level 110.

For that matter, there have been buy to play single player games with a free trial for decades now.  That even goes back to the days when distributing that free trial was hard to do because digital downloads weren't practical.

Kyleran

OG_Zorvan said:

AAAMEOW said:

It is not directly related but I read China passed a regulation which cap how much a kid can spend on micro transaction every month.  I believe it is 29$ for kid under 16, and 58$ for kid 16-18.

Kid are also limited to be able to play 90 minutes of video game a day on weekday and 3 hour on weekend.

It is such a good regulation it should be world wide IMO.  

First, NOTHING China ever comes up with should ever be adopted worldwide.

Yet here we sit, with almost everyone of us using cell phones or computers made in part or in full in the People's Republic of China.

Apparently the ship has already sailed long ago.

  

rojoArcueid

I think MTX and then Lootboxes have had the biggest negative impact in the industry.

rojoArcueid

DMKano said:

I am gonna say - other - as in free gaming aka piracy.

Piracy has always had the biggest impact on video game industry- the whole shift to "always online" is a way of battling piracy. 

Unfortunately these companies are just ruining the industry with always online nonsense. They are punishing the majority of their loyal fans to try and hurt pirates. I have 3 years and counting without buying games (non-mmorpgs) that require always online. Destiny 2 was the only exception and i'm already done with it.

AlBQuirky

Micro-transactions for me. It de-leveled the playing field. Instead of everyone paying the same amount for the whole game, players were now divided into "cash flow" tiers.

@Cryomatrix, the MMORPGs I played with B2P and subs gave at least 2 weeks free, most of the time the first month. You still had to buy the game, but they gave you a awhile to see if you wanted to stay subbed

AlBQuirky

Gorwe said:

The only correct answer are the utransactions. Because they had a HUGE impact on gaming overall AND they probably revived mobile gaming too. It's both bloody brilliant and scummy as hell(depends on implementation and pricing). I really think that they defined the last decade or so.

Pardon my ignorance. but are "utransactions?"

anemo

AlBQuirky said:

Gorwe said:

The only correct answer are the utransactions. Because they had a HUGE impact on gaming overall AND they probably revived mobile gaming too. It's both bloody brilliant and scummy as hell(depends on implementation and pricing). I really think that they defined the last decade or so.

Pardon my ignorance. but are "utransactions?"

They’re probably made up on the spot.  Would guess games that are designed to have million dollar spends, from the top whales.

Mendel

I think there's an important distinction to be made here.  Micro-transactions fund a game post-completion, crowd funding happens before a game is released.  Micro-transactions may have made more money to date, and have been the savior of many older games, but crowd funding seems to have the potential to alleviate the entire 'complete the game' issue.  It has yet to be seen if a company can exist on pre-game revenues alone.  That possibility (and the observation that some companies seem to be trying just that) made me vote "Crowd funding".

To me that is a fundamental change on the psyche of purchase-product expectation, and may be more impactful in the long run.  We may be witnessing the evolution of the saying, "If you build it, they will come" into "If you think about building it, they will come."  Silly apes.

Mendel

AlBQuirky said:

Gorwe said:

The only correct answer are the utransactions. Because they had a HUGE impact on gaming overall AND they probably revived mobile gaming too. It's both bloody brilliant and scummy as hell(depends on implementation and pricing). I really think that they defined the last decade or so.

Pardon my ignorance. but are "utransactions?"

@AlbQuirky, I think utransactions are supposed to be Mu-transactions, using the symbol for mu, which looks totally like a fancy 'u'.    Mu is a Greek letter, and typically the lowercase version is used to stand for micron, denoting a measurement of 10^-6.  Blame keyboards (and forum software) for making this more difficult to display.

Xatsh

micro-transactions easily.

It is probably one of the best most successful marketing gimics of all time. It gives the illusion that you have a choice to play for free and support the game only when you want. When in reality to play the game on fair grounds you end up paying 5 to 25xs the amount of a monthly subscription. Making Free to play with microtransactions the most expensive model anyone can play.

With the industry shift to F2P and microtrasactions the games core designs were also impacted. Games were developed with massive hurdles, unnecessary time sinks (more then before), massive ludicrous ingame money cost for some items, large inconveniences, and core game mechanics locked out, all which can easily be remedied by buying something in the cashshop. Aka games went from a pure focus on good gameplay and fun gameplay to a model of how can we develop the game to funnel ppl into the cashshop.

Even in Non-free to play mmos it has an impact. FFXIV and WoW for example the cashshop has exclusive costumes and mounts. Before they were developed and put into the game through an event or questline in the actual mmo. NOW the only way to get them is through spending alot of money in the cashshop. So you are paying the cost to develop the item through your sub... AND then you are expected to pay again to get it. More or less the same as paying for a hamburger at McDonalds then paying extra for the bun.

This model ruins mmos and non-mmos in my opinion. I will throw Archeage in as an example since it is probably the best well known game that was killed by microtransactions. Version 1.0 was still probably the best experience of all times in a mmo (The model that was the Subscription model before changing over to f2p). The transition and redesign of all ingame mechanics to fit hte f2p model just destroyed the games chance at success. Even their new non-p2w model still has deep scars from the P2W designed game, were it is obvious they expected you to use 5-10 alt accounts and buy labor potions to fully play the game.

ChildoftheShadows

Kyleran said:

OG_Zorvan said:

AAAMEOW said:

It is not directly related but I read China passed a regulation which cap how much a kid can spend on micro transaction every month.  I believe it is 29$ for kid under 16, and 58$ for kid 16-18.

Kid are also limited to be able to play 90 minutes of video game a day on weekday and 3 hour on weekend.

It is such a good regulation it should be world wide IMO.  

First, NOTHING China ever comes up with should ever be adopted worldwide.

Yet here we sit, with almost everyone of us using cell phones or computers made in part or in full in the People's Republic of China.

Apparently the ship has already sailed long ago.

  

Oh well I guess we let them continue to take over the world. 

Amathe

I think the model that has risen to prominence (which captures several sub-models in the OP's list) is a willingness by game consumers to pay for things they will not have for years, and quite possibly never.