MTA's work quite well in games like GTA:Online and Pokémon Go, where the MTA model is essentially tied to a 'free content update' model...the MTA's act as the main revenue stream - that revenue is 'reinvested' to provide free content updates for all players - which in turn helps to keep the player bases astonishingly high.
In GTA:O, for example, the (only) MTA's come in the form of 'Shark Cards' which allow players to purchase in-game currency - the fact that people buy the Shark Cards helps to keep the content updates free for all, which keeps the player base high, which is good for everyone in an online game...there's no 'exclusive content', or any 'XP boosts' or 'performance gains' - and all in-game content can be purchased with or without MTA's (the in-game currency is relatively easy to 'grind' for, Shark Cards are essentially just a time saver allowing you to skip the grind and get straight to the content) ..I played the game for years - never bought a Shark Card, never missed out on any content - and, in many ways, felt like I was reaping the rewards of other peoples frivolity! ..I had to put the time in to ensure that my in-game bank balance was always nicely topped-up, but I enjoyed the game so it never felt like a chore - I dunno, it just felt like a 'win-win-win' to me...
I mean, Pokémon Go is another example - the vast majority of players download, play and enjoy the game (incl. all of its content updates) for free - and its mostly the revenue generated from the MTA model that allows that to happen (and continue)
Don't get me wrong, the vast majority of MTA's are very, very sucky (I seem to remember players being able to 'buy their way ahead' in GoldenEye Wii, for example, which really felt unbalanced and unfair - and actually ended up really putting me off the game) ..but I do think that there is a balance that can be struck with them that can be a good solution for all
@Octane Wow! Yeah, certainly one pretty large draw-back there! (..they sure are looking to bleed that cash cow dry, huh?) ..I'd much rather see their big games coming along a bit more frequently, that's for sure - I grew tired on GTA:O after a while and would've loved to have seen RDR2 (which is, I hear, going to have a similar model **gulp**) come a little sooner!
@NaviAndMii This is the model going forward with micro-transactions. Less games, but supported longer to cash in on the MTs. After all, a costume or a skin here and there is way cheaper for them to make than an entirely new game. It's also the reason why the industry is moving away from linear single player games and is starting to focus on multiplayer games, and for the single player games that are left; open world. Cause you're playing the game a lot longer if you spend 20 hours on walking alone, and every second spend in the game counts, because that means another chance to sell you on the MTs. I know it sounds a bit cynical or pessimistic, but it's happening unfortunately.
Housemarque, the veteran Finnish development studio behind Resogun and Nex Machina, announced in a blog post today that they will abandon arcade style games after a lack of financial success.
In a post titled Arcade is Dead, Housemarque CEO Ilari Kuittinen said that the studio will move away from their arcade sensibilities to focus on “something totally different than you might expect,” citing a lack of sales for their recent title Nex Machina. The game was a twin stick shooter developed with Robotron creator Eugene Jarvis. I liked it a lot.
“Lackluster sales of Nex Machina have led us to the thinking that it is time to bring our longstanding commitment to the arcade genre to an end,” Kuittinen said. “While this genre will always hold a special place in our hearts, the industry is moving more toward multiplayer experiences with strong, robust communities.”
Ugh. That's too bad. Their games are some of the best arcade-esque experiences out there.
They should port Nex Machina to the Switch. It'll absolutely find an audience.
EDIT: Shadow of the Colossus is a slow, cinematic sort of game, so I don't think 60fps is really important for it, but it's a nice upgrade for pro owners to have. As long as the PS4 version stays locked at 30 instead of the 20-ish fps the PS2 version often dropped down to, I'll be happy.
@Octane I'm glad I don't care much for Western third party efforts, as the emphasis on MP service oriented games over traditional single player experiences is becoming somewhat disturbing.
Is Housemarque bound to Sony in some way? They really should take Resogun and Nex Machina to other platforms.
Not that I'm aware of. Though looking at their release page, the last seven games they made were all exclusive to PlayStation 3/4 and/or PSVR. No idea why though!
Yeah, we've been exclusive and, relatively, we've done really well, but the big, big picture tells us that it seems there's not enough demand for [arcade throwback games like Resogun, Alienation, and Nex Machina]," he says. "Maybe this multiplatform thing is going to fix that up. But the thing is the games, and how we've done those; we've used relatively big teams, we make our own tech, these sorts of things that we feel are really necessary in order to get to that level that's needed, that we're pleased with.
Ultimately, that could mean a change in direction for the studio, the details of which Kuittinen is not yet ready to discuss. "The next games that we are working on are not really that kind of game," he says, referring to the top-down shooters for which Housemarque is known. "It's going to be something different from us, after the games we're getting out now... In general terms, the problem might be that the bigger audience might be expecting something else than a top-down or side-scrolling game - let's put it that way.
At its core, The Last of Us is still very much about Ellie and Joel, but for this reveal, we wanted to showcase several new characters that are integral to their next journey. We’re sure you have many questions after watching this scene. We’re also pretty sure that we’re going to see all sorts of theories about whom these characters are, where and when this scene takes place, and how all of this fits into Ellie and Joel’s next story. For now we’re keeping mum, but we’re excited to see what y’all make of this piece of the puzzle.
With all of Naughty Dog working on The Last of Us Part II, we’re making great headway into the project. From art, technology, gameplay, and story, this is by far our most ambitious game yet. You’re in for an intense, beautiful, harrowing, and emotionally moving ride. We’re extremely proud of the game we’re crafting and can’t wait to show you even more – and we promise you won’t have to wait as long for the next big reveal!
Makes me wonder if they're going to be at PSX too... Because the next event is E3 2018, and I'd say that's pretty far away. Hopefully we'll get something that a bit more in tone with the previous Last of Us this time.
Not gonna lie, I would've got Nex Machina if I didn't already have 10 other similar games. Arcade-style games are not "dead" - the market is oversaturated. Going for something "unexpected" is a genuinely wise choice, in my opinion. Give me something that I could easily differentiate from your competitors, and maybe I'll give your games some attention.
Sigh it'll only get worse before it gets better. Waiting for the inevitable "it's cosmetic so its okay!" arguments when it does happen.
Uh, guys, Uncharted 4 already has microtransactions in the multiplayer. For gun unlocks too IIRC. There's nothing inevitable about it, it's been out for like a year and a half.
Black Friday has never really been quite as crazy here in the UK as it is in the US. For those who are from America, the 1TB PlayStation 4 will be $199 over the Black Friday weekend.
There’s no bundled games confirmed yet, just the standalone console with a 14 days PS+ trial.
A 500GB family bundle is rumoured to come along soon, which includes physical copies (hooray!) of Ratchet & Clank, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Knack II for $249. That’s a pretty generous family friendly deal IMO.
The other two (1TB) limited edition bundles are the following; a Special Edition (black and silver) Gran Turismo Sport bundle, the odd-looking camouflage Call of Duty: WWII bundle and a grey PSone-esque coloured ‘Galactic Empire and Resistance’ Limited Edition Star Wars Battlefront II bundle for $299 each, the latter two of which are not even available yet!
:EDIT: I should clarify that the Special Edition Gran Turismo Sport bundle is only available in Australasia, Europe and the UK, which is where the series popularity has always been sky high.
So, what exactly are we doing with this revision? Well, as NISA President Mr. Yamashita mentioned in his message, we are addressing the localization of Ys VIII from the ground up including the below:
Reviewing and revising the translation with a new translator
A complete re-edit of the script (voiced and unvoiced) as well as corrections to item names and descriptions with a new editor
Voice re-recording
Debugging the new build
We also intend to incorporate external feedback and I’ll be sharing more details on what exactly that entails in a later update.
This is going to come as no surprise to many of you, but after beginning this revision, we have realized that due to the scope of this undertaking, we will unfortunately not be able to release by the end of this month as we had originally intended.
I don't want to throw out a hard date then have to backtrack again, but, barring any unforeseen issues, we are currently looking to get this out early next year.
Ahahaha! NISA is having to retranslate the entire stupid game thanks to their shoddy work. What a disaster.
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