Free - to - play game often look appealing , but it ’s hard to have a go at it at a coup d’oeil whether the business model is insidious and play ruin , or reasonable and worth pump a few sawbuck into . With Freemium Field Test , we ’ll take a recent free - to - gambling iOS biz , put it through its paces , and allow you know if it ’s really worth your clip ( and money ) .
Players sure are dropping a portion of John Cash on a free - to - romp game .
During the Super Bowl last calendar week , spectator were treat to a live - action ad for gratuitous - to - play hitGame of War : Fire Agestarring famed simulation Kate Upton . It draw her as a ruler — ab initio seen bathe ( sex appeal ! ) , but then charging into struggle — who gainsay you to connect her by downloading the secret plan in question . The phantasy setting is n’t very typical or interesting : you wo n’t mistake it forGame of Thrones , that ’s for indisputable . But at least the commercial has a smidgen of flavour .
That ’s more than I can say for the game it advertise . Upon seeing the spot , I grab my iPhone , open up the game I ’d been poking away at for two calendar week at that degree , and take in that I still had no idea what I was playing for . There ’s no unmistakable storyline , no clear foe or overarching objective in sight , and none of the very light personality depicted in a commercial seen on idiot box ’s biggest phase . It ’s not even a particularly attractive secret plan , full of menus and ancient - looking artwork .
DeveloperMachine Zonesurely spent meg to air that single ad , and it is the crown jewel of areported $ 40 million campaignwith Upton as its principal . I ’m certain it ’s been good : Game of War has hover near the peak of the Top Grossing apps list in recent week , and the more people that play , the more can be tempted to plash a little cash to speed up timekeeper as they expand their cities and alliance .
But from my experience , there ’s nothing to strive for in this rote kingdom - building liaison — no inducement to play , and even less to speed money . So what ’s the appeal ?
The pitch
Notice how full the main plot blind gets with quest timekeeper and various banners . you’re able to always pass gold or use items to speed along those quests and minimize the waiting game .
Upton provides her semblance to Athena , an illustrated scout whose image appears from metre to meter , but if the commercials hint at a plot line or grand struggle driving the legal action , it did n’t reveal itself in my time with the game . Instead , Game of War : Fire Age winds up being one heck of a menu - navigating model .
Starting with a mostly empty ball of res publica , you ’ll pink buttons through drab menus to return and upgrade buildings : farm , log camps , quarries , and mines to commence . And then within your city wall , also barrack , villas , hospitals , and finally structures like an embassy or prison house . Each rent meter to establish and have longer to elevate as you increase each building ’s capabilities , let it produce more resources for … well , that part was n’t always entirely well-defined .
Tired of just building stuff ? Your cartoonish hero and any educate troops can be sent out on quest — but all that means is tapping a clitoris in a card and waiting for a timekeeper to click down so you may amass a reward . badly . You do n’t even get a simple animation or filler dialogue : just a timekeeper and some stats . This all extend on for hours and hour as you ’re prompted to construct something fresh , take on more quests , and repeat ad nauseam . Your character and construction acquire more powerful , so it take , but the game does n’t blossom into an interesting experience as a result .
rent ’s go on an exciting quest ! OK , tap one of those buttons . Now just wait for the timer to run out and … you deliver the goods ! Congratulations . Wow , what a thrilling project .
Where Fire Age seems to provide its puff for some is with alliances . Joining one lets you tap into a private chat room and compound resources for a greater cause . Some of the member in the alliance I connect were dice - hards : discuss what to do about rivals that had “ scout ” our location , point out areas where we could go take resources from , and deciding the future course of the radical . It feel like they were playing an totally unlike secret plan from me , because something had clearly grabbed them . They were invested , and with more than just money and time .
Here and there , I ’d see people being more personal with their conversation : talking about home base life , military service , ill , and more . There ’s a clear social hook to the alliances , and Fire Age has something of an MMO - light feel to it . The game even translates written languages on the tent-fly so worldwide players can all coexist on the same servers . Seeing people connect like that over a game that I find so threadbare and half - hearted take exception me to rethink the value of freemium championship like this …
The catch
… But only to a small extent , true . I can sympathise the appeal for certain folks , but I still imagine the biggest apprehension is that Fire Age strain to convince players that an eventual “ tip ” will egress when there really is none . You ’re amassing mightiness and imagination , but to what remainder ? Where ’s the need ? And why would I spend money if still I do n’t see an aim after two hebdomad of steady play ?
This is scrap in the domain of Game of War : find something on the world single-valued function to attack , send your bomber and troop , and see them slowly walk there . They ’ll eventually assault the prey and then slowly return home .
Of naturally , you ’ll have plenty of opportunities to vest tangible hard cash : Game of War may be the most sharply monetized free - to - play game I ’ve ever played . Each academic session begin with a full - cover splash advertizement that tempt you to buy into some special - prison term promotional bundle : $ 5 or $ 20 gets you a push-down stack of gold and a slew of other resourcefulness and items that you’re able to use to speed up up timer or enhance your confederation . In one go back case , the “ X ” to exit the ad was confuse by its graphic design . I do n’t believe it was a coincidence .
Even when you cash in one’s chips the ads , the push to spend is ever ostensible — there ’s a distracting , impossible - to - ignore , animate “ SALE ! ” streamer that read up a chunk of real the three estates on the independent city screen door , not to remark a one-armed bandit automobile that tempts you into spending agiotage currency . Game of War tries so hard to sell you its digital currency and other perks that it thwack of despair , and the business model drive the experience unveil itself as the core design element , rather than the thin gameplay clothe atop it .
I ’ve got to give it to my alinement mates : they really corrupt into the phantasy , imagining conflicts with other groups and rallying the troops towards resources on the mathematical function .
Just to be thorough , I finally spend $ 5 to take advantage of a Super Bowl - themed package : “ Super Sunday SUPER SALE : Kick Off to VICTORY ! ” ( This deal still appeared the follow Monday , by the mode . ) That earned me a stack of gold and an array of other items for use in dilate and protecting my kingdom , but I really did n’t see the peak . At least not when the entirety of the game in front of me focused on tapping buttons every so often to make figure produce great .
While writing this up , I note one of my sophisticated alliance mates aver he had 38 solar day leave on his current research timekeeper . More than a month to expect for something to activate , because there ’s no such matter as insistent gratification in barren - to - play games — not without immense cost , at least . He seemed to be taking it in stride , however . “ I have nothing but time , ” he said . You ’ve also beat so many more options beyond this bland freemium grind . Explore them , please .
The verdict
Every single turn academic term starts with one of these : a full - sieve ad about some limited bundle whirl of premium point . you could also just buy gold packs instantly , but these bundles offer more bang for the buck .
Game of War : Fire Age seems to draw out citizenry in with its social lineament and hope of greater things , but as far as I can tell apart , there ’s nothing much to find beyond timekeeper , push button , and admittedly rattling and mirthful chat room . It ’s monetized to a distracting , overwhelming degree , but I did n’t find much time value in spending money instead of just hold back for timer to run out . After all , there are n’t any timer or restrictions on the conversation and camaraderie .
My biggest ailment is n’t about the timers or spending prompts , but rather the lack of any meaningful rationality to deal with either . Fire Age does n’t discommode with interesting gameplay or any gloss of plot line — it ’s all “ build up this ” and “ train them , ” but the reinforcement is only more and more busywork . Millions of players are feed into this cycle , for some intellect , but all they ’re buy themselves is more drudgery . And perhaps a chance to see Kate Upton on national television .
