When it comes to mobile smartphone and tablet video games, there is a massive catalog of titles to choose from. Most have taken the free-to-play stance where the initial game is free to download and enjoy but to progress further without having to deal with a time limit or other restrictions, developers have encouraged players to pay for in-game micro-transactions. As a result, gamers can easily spend a ton of money on a video game without really noticing.
Shigeru Miyamoto is a well-known developer who has brought out a variety of video game titles for Nintendo such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda. Now the famed developer had chimed in on how he views the mobile game market and the price format which studios should focus more on.
Instead of going the free-to-play route that most developers tend to follow in their mobile title releases, Shigeru Miyamoto is pushing for a fixed-cost model. Rather than forcing players to pay consistently for the game, Miyamoto feels that a one-time fee would work better which would also allow other developers to create games more comfortably.
“I can’t say that our fixed-cost model has really been a success. But we’re going to continue pushing it forward until it becomes entrenched. That way everyone can develop games in a comfortable environment. By focusing on bringing games to the widest range of people possible, we can continue boosting our mobile game business.”
When also speaking to Bloomberg, Miyamoto had made mention of potentially working with subscription services as well which would unlock an assortment of video games for a monthly fee. However, the developer stresses that developers should seek a partner that will understand the value of your work.
[Source: Bloomberg]
