Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

[Apr 19, 2012, 09:22 am ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

Splash Damage announces plans to develop free-to-play games under the label WarChest, saying the first such release will be an iOS RTS game called Rad Soldiers. Gamasutra reports on visiting the developer to learn about this project, and when they asked about the switch from PC shooters to mobile strategy game, Splash Damage's Paul Westwood explains that they plan free-to-play PC games under this label as well:

"It just happens that, as WarChest's first release, this game happens to be on iOS," he answers. In fact, the studio has a free-to-play PC title on the way later this year, and a free-to-play console game coming next year.

"The reason we chose iOS first for WarChest, and the reason we chose this genre first is that it's the most straightforward way for us to build multiplayer that is asynchronous," he continues.

"So in a first-person shooter, for example, it would be very difficult to create an asynchronous first-person shooter that was compelling, because part of what makes FPS compelling is that they have this very visceral feedback loop that happens - I shoot, I hit or I don't, if I hit you I get immediately rewarded. That's quite important."

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12.

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 18:42

MajorD

DangerDog wrote on Apr 19, 2012, 18:40:
"Rad Soldiers"

oh boy, that sounds like a winner.

Yeah, totally for sure dude! ;-)




http://www.youtube.com/user/M4jorDICK

11.

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 18:40

DangerDog

"Rad Soldiers" oh boy, that sounds like a winner.

10.

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 15:45

space captain

Matshock wrote on Apr 19, 2012, 14:00:
F2P is indeed just a buzz term but there's some real changes behind it.

there are always "real changes" when a particular business strategy begins to gain ground across the entire sector en masse

there is no choice at that point, its adapt or die

while there are some good points to F2P, there are also some bad points.. just like anything else its got potential to go both ways

whatever the case, these kinds of games are gonna start to flood the market in the near future... and in general i am wary of such blind adherence to trending methods because eventually it takes those "real changes" and turns them into "real stagnation"




Go forth, and kill!

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 15:37

Agent.X7

They have to go F2P because after the last two disasters they won't be able to get people to buy.




Seven Star Gaming - Sayre, PA

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 15:33

netnerd85

Prefer the pay-to-own-box-copy model. F2P = pay-to-win.

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 14:00

Matshock

space captain wrote on Apr 19, 2012, 12:13: free to play is a smart move vs piracy, because each F2P gane requires a DRM launcher/updater to constantly change shit... also its free so you dont have to pirate it to play.. its like enticing people to pay money rather than forcing them to also, its a taste of that WoW style cash flow, i.e. constant money transactions on an ongoing basis rather than just one shot its gonna be like the MMORPG boom of the mid 2000s, everybody thinks that F2P is the "wave of the future" One other thing F2P has going for it is that there are no install limits- which was a major gripe about DRM here and elsewhere. Updaters/launchers are just incidental to the real anti-piracy measure: all of your unlocks/stuff permissions are stored on their servers, not your local machine. For single player games, it's just a matter of storing your save games remotely and it's the same effect. F2P is indeed just a buzz term but there's some real changes behind it.

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 13:15

Verno

Krovven wrote on Apr 19, 2012, 11:48:
Seems like a bad business move to put all your eggs into the Free-To-Play basket.

But honestly, after Brink I'm surprised the studio was able to stay open.

Brink did alright (sales wise) for a new IP that had little marketing beyond word of mouth pre-release, certainly way better than it deserved. It dropped off a cliff after release and word got out about how bad it was. That game more than any other had me backing off on preordering games in the future.

Most disappointing game I played last year for sure.

I just wanted them to remake Wolf:ET with a new engine and better graphics! And add of course some more high quality maps/scenarios. And throw in some of the fixes by the mod community. I would happily pay for that!

I used to think that but I don't trust them not to totally fuck it up after what a colossal mess Brink was.

The F2P model is the best defense against the influx of low cost mobile games and conveniently works for that market too, there are too many examples to even list.

This comment was edited on Apr 19, 2012, 13:22.




Playing: Faster Than Light, Tales of Graces F, Fire Emblem 3DS Watching: Ghost in the Shell, Hannibal, Oblivion

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 12:47

Enahs

I just wanted them to remake Wolf:ET with a new engine and better graphics! And add of course some more high quality maps/scenarios. And throw in some of the fixes by the mod community. I would happily pay for that!




I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally. - W. C. Fields

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 12:13

space captain

free to play is a smart move vs piracy, because each F2P gane requires a DRM launcher/updater to constantly change shit... also its free so you dont have to pirate it to play.. its like enticing people to pay money rather than forcing them to

also, its a taste of that WoW style cash flow, i.e. constant money transactions on an ongoing basis rather than just one shot

its gonna be like the MMORPG boom of the mid 2000s, everybody thinks that F2P is the "wave of the future"




Go forth, and kill!

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 12:11

Elessar

Krovven wrote on Apr 19, 2012, 11:48:
Seems like a bad business move to put all your eggs into the Free-To-Play basket.

But honestly, after Brink I'm surprised the studio was able to stay open.

Yep. Still pissed at myself for preordering that.




"You don't get what you deserve, you get what you get."

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 11:48

Krovven

Seems like a bad business move to put all your eggs into the Free-To-Play basket. But honestly, after Brink I'm surprised the studio was able to stay open.

Re: Splash Damage's Free-to-Play Plans

Apr 19, 2012, 10:24

MajorD

Hopefully they learned from BRINK, or we'll See-Who-Plays......




http://www.youtube.com/user/M4jorDICK

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