Monetization is becoming an essential trend in the current games industry. However, one expert argues that it is an entirely wrong way of thinking.
Sid Meier, the genius behind the iconic Civilization game franchise, emphasized that developers should improve gameplay rather than make money.
BBC interviewed Meier with his thoughts about the video game industry 30 years after Civilization's release. The developer talked extensively about the purpose of games and how monetization could destroy it.
Sid Meier Talks About the Video Game Industry
Meier emphasized that gameplay is the biggest appeal and best form of entertainment for games. He said that if developers focus on "monetization or other things that are not gameplay-focused, when we start to forget about making great games and start thinking about games as a vehicle or an opportunity for something else, that's when we stray a little bit further from the path."
For reference, Piers Harding-Rolls from Ampere Analysis said: "In 2021, 79 percent of consumer spending on games globally was from in-app purchases, microtransactions and add-on content for games. This share is expected to grow."
This means that many game companies are now supporting a financial model that relies on in-game purchases instead of the up-front price of the game title. Often these in-game purchases could be cosmetics, power ups and other types of digital resources.
It is worth noting that this type of financial model supports self-sustainability since in-game purchases guarantee developers a constant flow of money whenever they release a new item on the market. However, Meier pointed out that gamers might not like this system.
Meier said: "People can assume that a game is going to be fun and what it needs for success are more cinematics or monetization or whatever - but if the core just is not there with good gameplay, then it won't work."
Improving Gameplay Over NFT and Cryptocurrency
Meier's criticism definitely came out at an appropriate time for discussion since many in the global games market are exploring new ways to monetize their games. One big issue is definitely the introduction of non-fungible-tokens (NFTs), digital tokens or art pieces that players can collect.
Sources from PCgamer said that some game developers like Team17 were forced to change plans because of the negative reactions from its player base.
Before the Team17 Worms NFTs were retracted, many fans expressed their disappointment and even revulsion.
Like the game Civilization, the video game industry has evolved. With this, monetization may have become a staple for many developers. However, Meier emphasized that developers should keep in mind the primary reason why people play games.
"I think we need to be sure that our games continue to be high quality and fun to play," Meier said. Hopefully, his ideology can help guide the entire gaming community towards the right path.
