How fun's the fee?
Gaming as a Service (GaaS) - A concept introduced by hit gaming phenomenon's like World of Warcraft. The idea is simple: Sell a basically-complete (often top-tier/AAA-game) at full retail price with multiplayer user-bases connected exclusively online. Then expand and continue its development using it as a platform over time. Technically, the means to make this available only really existed post-2010 in may countries. Once seen to have vast potential, today too often gamers find themselves taken for a ride and abused by big companies operating this model. Some stooping so low as to take full advantage extracting the maximum profit with little apparent benefit to faithful subscribers or 'DLC-' purchasers*. Basically counting on a captive market to ensure continued revenues! Recently, this has morphed into the 'FtP,' or Free-to-Play model, which counts on in-game purchases to secure revenue.
Methods typical of the cyber-fleecing include the removal of support for and dropping major in-game features (even some core elements of games!) from the way the were when initially released. Less-obvious examples include thinly-masked paywalls and compelled registrations to select companies' distribution networks. These schemes might serve the short-term profit aims of major studios and publishers but such practices ultimately impact the game-buying public profoundly negatively—reducing our long-term incentive to attach any further interest to the underlying Intellectual Property. Adding insult to injury one will too often find substituted some wholly new, unrelated and poorer gimmicks in the place of those stripped from the game—some in spite of being advertised as stand-alone, single-player games! (See: STELLARIS!) The especially outrageous tactic of offering pay-to-play mystery in-game perks (commonly known as 'Loot-boxes') has also been a huge black eye on many a popular online-centric gaming franchise! Shenanigans like these were they tried in any other industry would prove outright criminal. Some of these practices now even are, or have been subject to strict regulation. Mostly though it's just criminally stupid on the part of management + stakeholders in the world of gaming to continue down this path. We're here to ensure that they do not.
Part of an ongoing series; look for installments in the near future!
*DLC - 'Downloadable Content': Game add-ons bought separately and without actual subscriptions required. The favored - and still favorite-to-abuse model!
Copyright GBAMFS 2020.
Updated 2024.
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