Large game companies like Electronic Arts have tried to use digital content as an incentive for purchase, such as with the pre-order pack for Battlefield 3. Philip Reisberger, chief games officer of browser based gaming company Bigpoint, thinks that such tactics (which are said to convey no in-game advantage) show a misunderstanding of the market.
“In a nutshell, EA doesn’t understand it,” said Reisberger. “It wouldn’t ruin the game. If selling an advantage ruins the game, you haven’t done the balancing right . . . EA and Ubisoft, for example, they’re both trying, but they’re not really there yet.”
“It’s a delicate balance, though, and that’s why I love my game designers. All of them have understood how to do this. If you have a sophisticated approach to free-to-play games, in the end you can monetize everything,” he added. “There are millions, hundreds of millions of people willing to invest even though they aren’t obliged to. The crucial part of the design is not having to invest, but wanting to. Most people in the Bigpoint universe don’t ever pay. But if they want to pay, don’t just offer hats – offer them something that will help them.”
Source: Edge
