Calls F2P ‘exciting and also really dangerous’
Expanding his thoughts on wanting the studio’s next game to be more commercially viable, thatgamecompany co-founder Jenova Chen spoke with Games Industry International about free-to-play gaming and Kickstarter. “[Mobile and free-to-play] are definitely where the money is flowing. I think free-to-play is both exciting and also really dangerous,” he commented.
“So we’re still testing out what will go there. How are you going to make people feel emotion when they’re constantly on guard that you’re manipulating them to make money? That’s something I’m excited to look into, but I can’t commit and say it’s definitely going to be free or definitely going to be mobile.”
As for going the crowdfunding route for the team’s new game, which is said to expand on the player connection aspect of Journey, Chen believes “most of the very successful Kickstarters are by veteran celebrity developers who made these games people in their 30s and 40s used to love. They’re the people who have loads of money to donate. And I’m thinking that most of the people who played our games are teenagers and college students. How much money are they going to have to donate? So I think it’s not my time yet.”
Journey dev “excited” to look into free-to-play and mobile [Games Industry International]
Published: Feb 15, 2013 11:30 pm