We may be using some new hardware in our living rooms, but the process of acquiring and playing a game is generally still the same. We buy a game, we install it and then we play it while moaning endlessly about that one cheap bastard of a boss that is almost impossible to defeat. But on the other end of the spectrum, there happen to be free to play games that are making an impact. And by impact, I mean a jackhammering of success on home consoles.
That’s the word according to Sony Online Entertainment boss John Smedley who spoke to Gamasutra, as DC Universe Online has proven to be a big hit on the PlayStation 4. In fact, DC Universe Online on PS4 had a monetization rate that was triple that of the PC version. “The PS4 [version] has been monetizing amazingly well,” Smedley said.
Seeing that kind of difference in pay rate between the PC and the PS4 is really astounding — it shows there’s a real market there.
When it comes to older consoles, the PS3 version also boasted double the monetization rate of PC players. But timing was also the key to success here, as Smedley attributed the win to the fact that the game was the first of its kind to be released worldwide on the PS4. “It certainly benefitted us to be early. But the market is growing so fast, and there are so many new players every day, that it’s definitely still early days,” Smedley said.
It’s like the early days of social games — it’s that good.
You know what, as long as the end product has some quality to it that justifies supporting the game with a purchase here or there, I have no issues. I just hate seeing the format abused, when gamers are leeched of cash for unnecessary digital goods. Now if you’ll pardon me, I have a way to go still on my Warframe download.
Last Updated: January 9, 2015
Mark Vincer
January 9, 2015 at 14:04
#thatheader
Blood Emperor Trevor
January 9, 2015 at 14:11
F2P model is fine as long as you can play the game without feeling like you’re missing out or that it’s a massive grind without chipping in a few $.
Loadout was good that way, dropped around 70 hours into that & never spent a cent. I’m currently around 370 in Warframe. I’ve spent a few $ on platinum lately more to show a bit of support for the devs than any actual in-game need.
R.I.P. Commonsense
January 9, 2015 at 15:37
Warframe, people still play that? Me n my faction spent high triple figures to support those Devs in their early stages. Warframes, Faction upgrades, Weps ect only to have the Deva strip all the good stats away and nerf warframes as well remove some items completely to cater to non paying players. That was the biggest FU from a Developer to paying supportive players EVER.
After seeing the Devs of Warfrane constantly screwing their paying user base we left not just us.
The free players were complaining that a Warframe was healing them too much and the NPCs don’t have a fighting chance. I’m not fucken joking free players defending npcs against real players for keeping them alive when the Warframe (medic) design was made that way to stop them getting killed.
And the Devs Listened to the free players! They nerfed the healing warframe, never in my gaming life, have I seen such stupidity from Developers or the Gaming community.
After that experience of Free Gaming I will never support or go near Free Games like they are trying to push into the console market.
Hammersteyn
January 9, 2015 at 14:16
I’ve played this on the PS3 and it’s not bad, missions are pretty boring. Kill ten of this, fetch ten of that,etc.
Lardus-Resident Perve
January 9, 2015 at 14:24
I liked DC, just patch sizes bothered me.
ReaperOfSquirrels
January 9, 2015 at 14:53
DC Universe Online… could never get beyond lvl 15
R.I.P. Common Sense
January 9, 2015 at 16:06
Darynn, read my reply to Blood. Do NOT trust Digital Extremes the company that makes Warframe. You say you hate when the Format is abused and Leech money for uncessary goods. They do that! I had played in the Open Beta all that time ago and they screwed their paying supportive player base then. I would hate to see what it is like now!!
Also the Warframe community is borderline Toxic to that of comparison to League of Legends when on the forums and the Devs of Digital Extremes don’t give a shit.