You can only run through so many caves in Skyrim or assassinate so many British troops in Assassin’s Creed 3 before you realize that special spark you once had with the game has all but vanished. Your relationship with the game has become stale; you know it all too well. What used to be a game filled with mystery, action, and excitement has all but vanished. At that point you may decide get a new game, hoping your experience will surpass the standard $60 worth of fun.
Man, I should have rented that game…
After careful research and interweb reviews you decide to take that financial leap of faith and allow a new title into your home. You pop the game in and continue the two week process of playing the living crap out of it until you’ve sucked dry all its contents and what it has to offer.
Well now what?! You’re now left with the only option of spending even more money on content! DLC is supposed to draw you back into the game, but it often comes off as just extra cash revenue for greedy developers. I just bought your game why is there DLC on the first day! For some titles adding extra content only prolongs the games inevitable expiration date and is only truly utilized by the games top tier fans.
Man, I should have rented that game…
From Ashes straight to your TV! …for a small price of course.
Money
Money is one of the largest factors that influence a person’s probability of playing a particular game. $60 is not an easy amount of money to throw around nor is the extra $10-$20 on extra content helping your wallet either. This is why “Free to Play” (F2P) games have taken such a large role in the gaming world. By allowing uses to join for free and then pay for any additional content, players are more likely to be sucked in during the critical beginning hours of gameplay.
The initial down payment towards a game may stint a consumer from buying/experiencing it; however, by creating the illusion of a free game, developers have figured out a way to draw gamers in while creating a means of consistent revenue. F2P games don’t necessarily tease the player with gameplay and then sneakily ask for payment the full game later. Rather, F2P games draw the player in with core gameplay and offer gaming personalization at small price intervals. This type of strategy games keeps players invested in the game, while removing the fear of initially “paying too much”.
The Long Run
Game developers want you invested in the long run so they can slowly suck money out of your pockets. Many MMO’s offer their game for $15 a month (not including the initial price of the game). These regular increments of money can really add up especially for gamers that have been dedicated to the game for many years. MMO’s are notoriously known for creating long lasting fan dedication and the ability to churn out ridiculous profit margins.
The simple fact this is possible is because MMO’s have practically perfected gaming “replayabiltiy” that allows gamers to experience the game over and over again without the feeling of repetition. Character progression, a sense of place in the world’s community, and in game social interaction keep players bound to the screen. The core gameplay, however, would test gamers natural attention span had these games not implemented a large multiplayer aspect.
You can only solo that dungeon, kill the final boss, or stare at your armor so many times knowing no one will ever appreciate the hard work you put in before you eventually lose interest and quit. It’s what makes games fall short of that supposed “300 hour mark” and can keep you from playing the game to it’s fullest.
Multiplayer
Many games now include a separate multiplayer experience that rarely follows a linear gameplay path with a beginning, middle and end. Past every game lobby is a new experience determined by your actions and those you are playing with. While there still may be small progressions such as new guns, gear, and emblems, the core gameplay remains vastly the same. You play on the same maps, with the same weapons, with the same game mechanics. If it’s all the same then what is it about these games that can keep players invested for hundreds of hours?
Is it the competitive nature of the game or the desire to develop your skills and get better that keeps you in that long-term investment? What separates the experience of fighting aliens in single player or the aliens controlled by another gamer is the included aspect of human interactivity. Knowing that someone’s virtual avatar was killed by your hands feels great and can be more thrilling that killing a pre-programed NPC.
Also, with the ability for gamers to team up with friends and experience the game together allows for a more personal and exhilarating experience. This has led to more games adding multiplayer components into single player games with the hopes of drawing in these precious followers.
Conclusion
Something always draws us back to that digital world.
As video games begin to expand and evolve, it will be interesting to see how developers continue to draw in their audience. Whether it’s the depth of gameplay, a riveting storyline, or how high you can get your “K/D ratio” by killing obnoxious preteens.
Something always draws us back to that digital world.
Kevin Carrington
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