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What does "scorch the earth" mean? Are you saying that people will stop playing games? If so, I'm interested in seeing some numbers that demonstrate a correla
by lobotryas 13y ago
What does "scorch the earth" mean? Are you saying that people will stop playing games? If so, I'm interested in seeing some numbers that demonstrate a correlation between the rise of IAP and some kind of decline in number of participating gamers.
A fundamental issue in this discussion is that one side believes there's a finite amount of "resource" - be it gamer "good will", attention or money. So far I've seen zero evidence to prove this.
As for Zynga: they would have eventually sunk Facebook, but can you truly say their strategy was bad? You have to grab the money while you can.
- ricardobeat 13y agoAs a personal anecdote, I bought hundreds of apps/games from 2008-2011, before IAP took over, and can probably count on my fingers the ones I've bought since (Angry Birds, Edge, S&S, Infinity Blade...). IIRC the only IAP-based app I've actually used is Paper. Most of my friends also have very few games on their mobile phones.
- lobotryas 13y agoThat's a fair observation, however consider: are you spending less time or money on game or game-like entertainment now then you were in 2008? My hypothesis would be: "No". Instead, I would theorize you shifted your attention and money to either other games. Therefore your money isn't lost, it just has to be warned elsewhere by developers.
- ricardobeat 13y agoI'd say yes. The majority of my gaming is now on a PS3, but not being with me all the time means much, much less time spent on it.
- kevingadd 13y agoScorch the earth in the sense that nobody can ever use those mechanics again, because they don't work. Zynga overused them. It's equivalent to the idea that overworking the land while farming makes the land impossible to use for years in the future. Zynga's strategy was bad because it undermined their ability to continue delivering growth in the future. In the short term they grabbed all the money they could, but it wasn't by itself enough to guarantee long-term success. For reference, actual mid-to-high level Zynga employees have been quoted in the past on this subject - they agree with the idea that they overused viral pathways and that hurt their long term success.
- lobotryas 13y agoIs overuse in the digital realm, when there is no "earth" to speak of, truly so bad? If IAP becomes unviable, companies will move to other business models. If none exist with a good fit, then we'll see a gaming drought that will reset consumer expectations. I'm neither a fan nor a defender of IAP, but I fail to see much of a problem in this situation. Instead, I see it as a herd of wild gazelles multiplying to the point where their habitat can't support them. At this point man can interfere and provide artificial care for the animals (along with forced population control, would be my guess) or man can stand back and let mature run its course (ie: most of the herd die out until equilibrium is reached again).
- gaius 13y agoIf you were to send one of your FB friends a FarmVille invite today, would they a) join up or b) defriend you? No-one can spread games virally anymore, everyone hates it.