Subscription, Pay to Win, Premium…
There are a lot of different ways that video games try to make money.
Let’s dig in.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:34 Retention Rules Them All
3:52 “Free”
5:54 Free plus Ads
7:09 Free plus MTX
11:09 Bounded and Unbounded Spend
13:24 Battle Pass
15:32 Premium
16:24 Why not 40$?
18:18 High Frequency Premium
19:08 Premium plus DLC
21:01 Premium plus Service
22:17 Premium plus Service AND DLC
23:28 Is Everything a Service?
24:16 Subscription
25:40 Multigame Subscription
27:32 Coin Op
28:32 Crowdfunding
29:06 Bespoke Games
30:14 Changing Business Models
31:12 Summary
Source
Well here i was, about to develop a single-player, narrative driven, party based role playing game with a live service component – it's good to know every game *can* be a service!
/s
I'm with you: being able to say "pee-poo" in a business setting will always better than any other alternative.
There's so much to go into in this video, thanks for doing this! I could ask a ton of questions but I guess if I only got just one: I was thinking while I was watching this would be another video where you talk about the "types of gamers" (either the Bartle's or some other taxonomy) and then maybe a series of shorter videos where you break down each type of gamer and how they might react to/engage with the different business models? I expect that's a big ask.
Not every game can be a service? ::::grabs popcorn:::: Seriously, though, I want to let you know that I don't have anything to add to your really insightful vids, but I am learning a lot. Obviously I'm the consumer of this media not a creator, but it's fascinating to see it from the other side and I really appreciate the way you break it down.
Excellent video, Mark, thank you for sharing your perspective!
Oh man, this video was super useful! I would have really loved this one earlier because I had to create a mock-up video game proposal for one of my master's classes and I floundered a bit on the business model aspect. Still, definitely bookmarked this for the future in case I ever decide to make a game that's not just a personal project!
Great stuff and so informative. I have load of questions but will spare you.
Great video Mark! Now, regarding the $70 budget video, the percentages seen there also aply to any of these models? I remember some months ago Epic had some issues with Apple because of Fortnite's store or something like that.
Really interesting ! Thank you for sharing your experience ! 😀
great job mark. very detailed and informative video, lots of things I didn't know in here about the business side of things in different game models.
I know it isn't the most exhilarating topic for most of us, but it doesn't have to be boring.
I think there is room for innovation in business models beyond new, and better ways to trigger our random reward responses.
Once again a GEM of knowledge, insight and experience from you and I love how much into detail you went. I like considering a dev's view as well as my own re: the games I buy, play and love and I think transparency is key. Like did my fave, BioWare, stumble a couple of times in that regard? For sure. But they keep trying new things and reforging themselves and I think that's very admirable. That said, I love seeing your videos, esp. these longer ones, bc you have so much insight and experience. And while I may never fully stop mourning that you are no longer on the DA team, I am glad you're finding new ways to be creative. And who knows, maybe in a few years you can travel back home to the studio and bring a lot of this new experience into it. (Lemmie dream, ok?) Anyway, thank you, Mark, for not only DA but for always being fun, kind, willing to unpack things and sharing your experiences. This industry is lucky to have you!