This is an interesting point you're making, but I guess that's where we differ. Sure, I've done all that, be it on a basketball team, or a CS clan, or whatever. But ultimately, I found myself unable to juggle my life with online gaming, even when I was younger and had the time to do so. Gaming is something I truly love doing, and the minute it becomes akin to a responsibility, all the enjoyment goes away. That's the bad thing for me. It ultimately depends on what you're looking for, if what you want is a social experience, well then, more power to you. What I want is a place where I can enjoy some peace and quiet, and lose myself for a moment, much like reading a book. I don't want to rush through its pages to keep up with the class, I want to savor every moment of it on my own rhythm. It is pretty cool that you and your boys get together for some online gaming, you get to talk, and be together in a way. But do you have these sessions everyday? Because I feel we're talking about different things here. One thing is logging in everyday into a game, because that's what's expected of you, to keep up on your obligations with your clan. Another is a friendly meeting that happens whenever you guys want, without any other added responsibility. Definitely a gem. And much like Wayward Souls, it's really low size just means it will never leave my device. It's kind of comforting knowing that world is always there, just a tap away...
It seems very easy to be pessimistic about the wave of F2P that pretty much dominates the App Store, but I don't think us premium gamers have it too bad. There are years' worth of top quality RPGs alone for example (unless you're Shaun Musgrave and can complete four in a week). Imagine going back to the console era when you would have barely two or three games a month that were actually worth playing. We're so inundated with games now, much of it F2p and derivative, that it's easy to look at the 98% of it that is dross and despair. But TBH, how many games can anyone play at once? Or fit on your device? It's early March, and this year we've had Crashlands, Tennis Champ Returns, FFIX, Ys II, Adventures of Mana, Super Phantom Cat, Lost Socks... And I haven't played through my 2015 backlog either, naturally. There's a massive Implosion update to get stuck into too... AAA premium gaming on iOS is niche, sure, but it's a pretty darn big one. Not like trying to find a decent RPG on the GameGear back in the day...
This. I actively don't want to be in a clan for the very same reason I don't sign up for any sports team. I want to play when and where I want to play. I want to do this at my own rhythm and pace. I don't mind an online component, but I do not like when I am forced to play at any time. It didn't very well click with me when I was younger, and it won't be fitting me now that I have a full time job, a wife, a house to maintain, 2 daughters and a social/family life scattered around a 2h driving circle around my house. Then again, there's more premium stuff coming out than I have time to finish, so I'm actually quite happy using my iPhone for gaming. Oh and I forgot to add: the other aspect of f2p is the paid consumable, or the paid thing others don't have. I don't like that, because it tends to give me the feeling that i am losing because of not spending enough. Regardless of whether that is actually true or not, I get that feeling and then I'd rather play something that is just fun for me. I don't mind premium unlocks, cutting stuff into chapters, paying for additional content etc. or even a subscription. As long as we have a level playing field.
I don't think you'll get AAA on ipod/iphone/ipad. I suppose Square games would be the games carrying the flag for AAA kind of quality games. But its all about suitability to the device, and they just aren't native to this platform, same for GTA, same for FPS games. The best games are the ones that take advantage of what touch screen offers. No use putting FarCry 4 on the Ipad which has a diminished ability to run it, and a diminished ability to play it.
Honestly? Nowadays you better finish the games you want as quickly as you can, because eventually they will break. iOS is just not a good ecosystem for premium games. The audience is there, it just doesn't bring as much money as f2p so Apple is not really interested in making the ecosystem healthier to that kind of product.
Most nights, yeah. We've got a huge iMessage group chat going which usually results in a minimum of one League of Legends game or a few rounds of Counter-Strike every night. As far as time requirements with social games, I really feel like you should give one a try for a week or two so you can speak more intelligently on them. The time requirements we're talking are measured in seconds to minutes once or twice a day, and are easily done sitting on the toilet.
Fair point... Can't argue with it. Generally speaking, though, I don't update my iOS without very good reason. And there are no compelling reasons to move to iOS 9 - although I would quite like Chrono Trigger.
I'm sorry, this does not compute for me. Have you even read what I've been saying? When I boot up a game, I don't want to play for a couple minutes, once again, I don't see that as a gaming experience. I've been trying to be polite on this discussion, despite the passive-aggressive style of writing you so seem to enjoy, but it seems to me we've reached an impasse and will reach no conclusion. Let's just say we're two very different people with very different expectations of what games should provide, and call it a day.
I feel it is more complicated than that. Depends on the game and on the person. Take for example Marvel Future Fight, which doesn't have real PVP or competition. So is "light" in a manner os speaking. You have to login daily to get a "gift", also, there are 6 little missions to earn some prizes and xp, also alliance contribution, alliance arena etc. And also the micromanagement. To keep up (if a person feel the need to) you have to spend a reasonable ammount of time. Imagine if there is real competition involved. It is waaaaay worse, that's why these kind of games make so much money. Sometimes I don't feel like playing but logged in anyway, just for not losing prizes or something like that. And don't even get me started on games that have "limited time events" and you are forced to log in, unless you are okay with missing it. Most people aren't and neglect other aspects of life to play. It is not devilish, by any means, but I can see why it forces some people to play. That takes a toll on our brains to keep on coming, spending and playing. A very different design from mostly offline-only games.
Really? I must've been imagining things then, because that's how I've been using this platform since I discovered toucharcade.
Eli,you're missing out one important thing,not ALL "free players" like multiplayer games,not all of them are willing to play CoC or even Hearthstone and there are a lot of them,some of them are getting sick of the same strategy copycats. If developers continue using this awful energy approach,they will loose customers,look at Gameloft,as an instance. We would not mind if very good,very fun quality games were f2p,required grinding/watching ads but with less brutal approach existed in the AppStore but currently developers don't listen to the players,they don't understand what they want such as Gameloft,they are dooming themselves due to the brutal approach AND releasing way too many useless and idiotic games that nobody ever wanted such as Siegefall or whatever it was called. People want Backstab 2,Nova 4 or anything else like that yet they don't even wanna work on these games cause all they need is quick cash grab. The main and the biggest problem is LAZINESS OF THE DEVELOPERS,devices are strong enough for some free2play first person roguelike game set in post-apocalyptic world or f2p third person shooter set on some alien planet with drivable vehicles,planes,multiplayer and a lot of interiors,alien base destruction and other awesome stuff like that that you see in console games but NOBODY WILL DO THAT,CAUSE F2P,MAINLY,ON IOS MEANS SHIT AND JUNK oh and a quick cash grab,nobody of these devs is willing to put love and their hearts into developing a game like this on iOS. But what makes me happy is that they will doom themselves at some point cause of that laziness and being completely ignorant,feeding their customers with shit,such as Gameloft which has already buried itself in a deep,deep grave from which they won't come out anytime soon. But you know what's funny?It's that we get more and more people and kids that want console experience on mobile EITHER for free OR for cash,so developers will have to stop making such junk and make what WE want! I hope that everyone here agrees with me,if you don't believe me,look at the comments under Gameloft's videos.Look at how hype people are/were for Barren Roads,The Wild,Bullet Force,that multiplayer CS like game AND THESE ARE FREAKING INDIE GAMES! So this means that indie developers,compared to big companies are willing to put more LOVE and EFFORT in making a game than these companies that earn MILLIONS OF DOLLARS every weeks or days!This is NOT right.
Exactly. Multiplayer games tend to make me anxious if there is progression involved. I feel it is more work than fun, most of time. However, I take much more easily the need to grinding on offline games, because even if I have to grind the "world" is not evolving when I am away from the game. So, it is not like I feel that I have to do more and more just to keep up.
Yeah, I guess lol. I really thought it was more about it being AAA, but I had it confused with another thread. They could almost be the exact same thread haha
No offense to any of the guys here, but I think I'll just stop adding to the thread. I can't seem to understand some of the points and I don't want to add negativity to the site by continuing the thread, even if it's me trying to prove that F2P isn't all that bad. This site is why I fell in love with iOS gaming to begin with and falling into these HATE ALL F2P threads is depressing lol yes, this is a copy/paste from another f2p thread. but i'm out lol
The problem is making some money with high production values. There are plenty of small scale games (and way beyond that, but those are fewer), though, that have high quality and you can get much, much from that, depending on your taste of games. But whatever it is you probably has a good number of games to saciate your hunger. If the game is f2p they can take some routes: cosmetic purchases (probably not making much money from that), paying for aditional content (remember what happened to Monument Valley, which devs dared to charge a "fortune" for the expansion), limit the gameplay (like timers), sell exclusive equipments (pay to win) or something along those lines. There's not so much room for fair pricing at the moment (save for exception) I fear. And a good part of that lies on us consummers.
See, I loo at the iOS landscape in the context of your last paragraph here. It will correct itself at some point: we will still have what we have now, but with the market evolving that feeds the industry, more people getting phones capable of XYZ, and f2p turning into something new altogether, albeit slowly, I believe firmly we will eventually see a two sided market of f2p games, premium games, and hybrids that take up nearly identically sized market shares. Maybe two with the hybrid overlapping. There won't always be CoC like success in the f2p market, and it will spread out to a point, at which time premium will essentially take up certain slack as more and more people start playing, and more and more companies give up on making a literal billion dollars because it will be flooded, or is I suppose. When it moves back, it will be cheap premiums on one side and f2p on the other and the tech will allow companies to make quality premium games much more easily and cheaply. Which in turn means more return for them and more games for us. This goes without mentioning the possibility of new monetization techniques that will allow a better balance, especially with combined superior development and concepts, whatever they end up being. This is just my opinion and thoughts on the matter; it comes down to Candy Crush and COC-likes not being possible to dominate anymore and a kind of paradigm shift on both the consumer and developer side. It's a fun ride to be a part of regardless though.
