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Nicholas Lovell
Home   >   Analysis and Opinion   >   Opinion   >   Business models driving game design? Twas ever thus

Business models driving game design? Twas ever thus

By on August 4, 2011

The strange thing with everyone complaining about business models affecting game design is that this has always been true.

That perfect game that alway makes you want "just one more go"? A relic of the bygone era of arcade machines where you put a quarter in the slot.

A game that requires to spend months grinding your way up to level 80? A design decision that keeps you paying a monthly subscription.

Microtransactions allow those players who don’t like grind to avoid it. They can – legitimately – trade time for money.

Some dollars yesterday

It’s another way in which the business model and game design are intertwined, representing an attractive route for companies to make money AND for some gamers to progress faster through the game by avoiding grind.

I’m delighted that I now have the choice.

About Nicholas Lovell

Nicholas is the founder of Gamesbrief, a blog dedicated to the business of games. It aims to be informative, authoritative and above all helpful to developers grappling with business strategy. He is the author of a growing list of books about making money in the games industry and other digital media, including How to Publish a Game and Design Rules for Free-to-Play Games, and Penguin-published title The Curve: thecurveonline.com