We live in a unique world. Online gaming has skyrocketed to become a $21.1 billion dollar industry and sites such as Jackpotcity Casino review are increasing with each passing year. However, certain aspects of the gaming industry have drastically changed over the years, and not every change has been a good one. The games as a service model is one that has been debated throughout the years. We will examine the issue to help realize the pros and cons of this popular entity in the gaming world.
The age of the game console
Most people believe that the gaming industry was started by Atari in 1987 and although it was the most popular game console of that time, it certainly was not the first. That honor goes to the Magnavox Odyssey released in 1972. These facts may seem irrelevant to the modern online gamer of today, but back in the day when standard consoles ruled the world, the notion of subscription-based play was simply unheard of. Once you purchased the console and the game, they were yours without the need to purchase additional characters or subscriptions to continue gameplay.
The rise of subscription-based games
It was the late 90s when we began seeing games such as EverQuest, Ultima Online, and Lineage utilizes networks to bring players together. Finally, there was a way to play with friends without the use of one, singular console, and that was a significant boost for the online gaming industry. Again, many of these games could be played for free, but the gaming entities began looking into the use of games as a service at this point. Subscription-based games were born and became the first notion of how far the gaming industry could go without the restrictions of a perpetual license for its games.
What is games as a service?
New terms come out all the time in the gaming world, and a lot of people are wondering exactly what games as a service is. Essentially, this notion promotes an ongoing ability to sell more items and services that go along with the game. Upgrades, subscriptions, additional characters, or product sales within the game are all a part of the games as a service model. This might seem normalized in our society where everything seems to be turning to subscription-based programs, but games as a service is bad for the gaming industry as a whole.
Games as a service is unique, in a way
At first glance, Games as a Service looks like a revolutionary idea, and in many ways it is. This option has allowed the gaming industry to significantly increase profits, tripling their annual earnings over time. However, the notion of continual profits on games is not exactly a new way of doing business. The topic of games as a service can harden back to the days of arcade games, in which the more money you had, the higher in-game levels you could go. As you die within the arcade game, the use of a few more coins allowed you to continue to progress. The modern take on this gaming money pit is that you can upgrade your features, provided you maintain the subscription or make in-app purchases when required.
How games as a service could be a negative for the gaming industry
Increasing profits within the gaming industry is always a great idea, but games as a service model seems to take things just a little too far. Games such as World of Warcraft require subscriptions from players and for the game to continue, the gamer must continually keep up their subscription and make purchases for necessary upgrades. This can be great for boosting profits, but it also bars certain players from enjoying the game. Not everyone has the ability to have their own subscription and younger players will have to get their parent’s permission to use their credit card within the game, and that can bring up the potential for security risks.
The subject of greed
Increasing playing ability is great, but when do games as a service simply turn into another lesson in greed? Subscriptions and in-app purchases seem to be integrated into most games these days, but what about those that fraction off into sub-games that require further purchases from players? Final Fantasy is one of the main examples of how a game can become so large and entice players to continually make purchases for upgrading to different levels. This level of greed often leaves out older players who value traditional aspects of the game.
Games as a service regulations
Games as a service model is a relatively young idea even though it has been around for many years. Regulations on games in the United States and throughout the world are currently in an evolutionary stage. Games as service regulations could come at any time, but stipulations for how to promote a more positive experience for the gamer have yet to be determined. Rest assured, as games as a service continue to thrive, government entities will invest in regulations for the system to ensure the gaming industry is able to continue to grow, but it will not negatively impact the gamers.
Games are going to continue to evolve, and subscription-based games are on the rise. Although games as a service approach maintains certain positive aspects for the gaming industry, for the most part, this gaming model promotes greed in the gaming industry above all else. It can lead to gamers completely turning off a game that requires continual monetary investment just to keep up with gameplay.