"SimmerGeorge;c-17504103" wrote:
Wouldn't that mean that releasing an MMO-style Sims game like Olympus would make them lose money? It would be an one-time purchase with runing costs on severs etc. I'm pretty sure they thought of that and found a way to make it all work out, or they wouldn't have released SimCity or planned to release Olympus.
Well, mobile games are now filled to the brim with microtransactions and draconian %rates to get what you want, yet the most famous ones still bring a profit that's absurd when compared to the cost that it takes to produce them vs actual full fledged games. Second Life also pretty much requires you to spend real money to get anything beyond the ultra basic despite being "free" to play, yet is still running to the day.
At least with packs we know exactly what we are getting, now imagine having to play a slot machine with real money for a mere chance to get that object you want lol (0.5% rate for the "best" ones).
The reason so many of these game companies want to shoehorn this "games as a service" mentality into every game they can is because of how much money it can bring with the smallest effort possible - unfortunately there are many casual players and especially children who are willing to spend a ridiculous amount of real cash on virtual slot machines just to get that shiny new thing. Going free to play always online with a mobile version allows them to get the biggest install base possible, especially when the graphics aren't a priority given how powerful tablets and such are becoming, nor are in depth features that would take better tech to run like Open World.
