4 ms·

I work at a well-known and [formerly?] successful casual game company. Recently, the company ventured into the 'freemium' with in-app purchases model. It hasn't

by benched 13y ago

I work at a well-known and [formerly?] successful casual game company. Recently, the company ventured into the 'freemium' with in-app purchases model. It hasn't gone so well - garnered a lot of hate, and not nearly as much money as hoped. The execs have responded by doubling down and going all in on freemium. So now there's this uncomfortable tension in the air, where lots of employees think it's a potentially company-destroying mistake, while the execs are pushing it as the type of propaganda that you either shut up and get behind, or 'perhaps this is no longer the right company for you.' And if it fails, it'll be because those employees didn't believe in the vision, not because freemium fucking sucks and core customers hate it. Why are they doing this? Basically because of the success of Candy Crush and Puzzles and Dragons. The execs want so badly to be them. They want that money. It's revenue envy. Never mind that the company has always been wildly successful doing its own thing, these other companies are printing money doing this other thing. We gotta get that money. We gotta do whatever they're doing over there. I just think money inside games distorts the game and is distasteful, like money in politics, or money in your esophagus.

swombat 13y ago
That sounds awfully like Popcap games, with Plants vs Zombies... PvZ 2 was a total waste on me. I hesitated a long time before downloading it, and only did so because the reviews said you could play through the whole thing without buying anything. I played it until I got bored, and spent nothing. Throughout, I retained a vague sense of annoyance at the purchasable upgrades. I would happily have shelled out £10, maybe £15 to play it (and my wife and my mom would both have done so too), and would have played it through without any sense of annoyance. Result? Popcap game annoyed me despite all the effort they put into building a great game, and left £45 on the table. If their conclusion from that is to double down on IAPs, then quite simply they are saying they don't want users like me and my family, but want, as the second "Dungeon Keeper" iPad review from TFA, "fuckwits". Sorry, I don't buy games for fuckwits. I look forward, with little hope, to a PvZ 3 with no IAPs but a good upfront price.
- Silhouette 13y ago
  I really hope it's not Popcap. They are a favourite in my household too, again because they make entertaining, well polished, and not excessively priced casual games that several of us enjoy. If even companies like that are succumbing to the allure of ongoing charging, they'll lose us as well.
  - trobertson 13y ago
    Popcap is owned by EA, who is well known for being heavy handed with their studios. EA happens to really like the IAP model.
    - voltagex_ 13y ago
      I'm afraid for Mirror's Edge 2. Even Dragon Age saw the beginnings of this, with "Bioware points" used for DLC.
Silhouette 13y ago
...the execs are pushing it as the type of propaganda that you either shut up and get behind, or 'perhaps this is no longer the right company for you.' Perhaps they are right. As an entirely serious suggestion, if you've got a solid development team who know how to make good games and it's the leadership that is letting you down, maybe some of you should move to another company. Maybe there is an existing competitor that would benefit from hiring a ready-made team with a good track record, and you could collectively negotiate a mutually beneficial deal. Alternatively, in true HN style, maybe you could start your own company. Either learn the management skills you need personally, if that's achievable with your group, or hire in management staff whose views are more compatible with how you want that company to behave. You'll have to get a lawyer to look over your existing contracts for anything that might interfere with these ideas, and of course it can be a scary move to break away from an established job. On the other hand, if you're seeing the writing on the wall already, it might be a good idea to start thinking about your options.
- rocky1138 13y ago
  Will the next Traitorous Eight or PayPal Mafia come from the games industry? The guys that started Activision did this already 30 years ago. Do we have a catchy name for them, too?

by benched 13y ago

swombat 13y ago

That sounds awfully like Popcap games, with Plants vs Zombies... PvZ 2 was a total waste on me. I hesitated a long time before downloading it, and only did so because the reviews said you could play through the whole thing without buying anything. I played it until I got bored, and spent nothing. Throughout, I retained a vague sense of annoyance at the purchasable upgrades. I would happily have shelled out £10, maybe £15 to play it (and my wife and my mom would both have done so too), and would have played it through without any sense of annoyance. Result? Popcap game annoyed me despite all the effort they put into building a great game, and left £45 on the table. If their conclusion from that is to double down on IAPs, then quite simply they are saying they don't want users like me and my family, but want, as the second "Dungeon Keeper" iPad review from TFA, "fuckwits". Sorry, I don't buy games for fuckwits. I look forward, with little hope, to a PvZ 3 with no IAPs but a good upfront price.

Silhouette 13y ago
I really hope it's not Popcap. They are a favourite in my household too, again because they make entertaining, well polished, and not excessively priced casual games that several of us enjoy. If even companies like that are succumbing to the allure of ongoing charging, they'll lose us as well.
- trobertson 13y ago
  Popcap is owned by EA, who is well known for being heavy handed with their studios. EA happens to really like the IAP model.
  - voltagex_ 13y ago
    I'm afraid for Mirror's Edge 2. Even Dragon Age saw the beginnings of this, with "Bioware points" used for DLC.

Silhouette 13y ago

...the execs are pushing it as the type of propaganda that you either shut up and get behind, or 'perhaps this is no longer the right company for you.' Perhaps they are right. As an entirely serious suggestion, if you've got a solid development team who know how to make good games and it's the leadership that is letting you down, maybe some of you should move to another company. Maybe there is an existing competitor that would benefit from hiring a ready-made team with a good track record, and you could collectively negotiate a mutually beneficial deal. Alternatively, in true HN style, maybe you could start your own company. Either learn the management skills you need personally, if that's achievable with your group, or hire in management staff whose views are more compatible with how you want that company to behave. You'll have to get a lawyer to look over your existing contracts for anything that might interfere with these ideas, and of course it can be a scary move to break away from an established job. On the other hand, if you're seeing the writing on the wall already, it might be a good idea to start thinking about your options.

rocky1138 13y ago
Will the next Traitorous Eight or PayPal Mafia come from the games industry? The guys that started Activision did this already 30 years ago. Do we have a catchy name for them, too?