Three Ways The Game Industry is Making Games More Accessible and Affordable
The modern global games industry is by far the largest media sector in the world today, with a net worth of over $180 reported in 2022 – around 2.5 times larger than the film industry.
Yet sometimes it’s difficult to appreciate the cultural import of video games, after all, while the Oscars is broadcast to over 40 million people from countries all around the world each year, The Game Awards draw a fraction of this and even big winners will seldom command headlines in leading newspapers in 2022, but this picture is slowly but surely changing.
In spite of this forward momentum, one element of this industry has been the source of keen criticism of late – the fact that triple ‘A’ or flagship games are growing ever more expensive.
Even when correcting for inflation, next gen games set to cost more than ever, with $70 being asked for certain new PS5 games. Between expensive launch titles and extensive micro-transactions, it’s perhaps no wonder that the industry has managed to outcompete other sectors.
Yet while there’s no denying that gaming in 2022 can be more expensive than ever before, it also doesn’t have to be. A number of new modalities, monetization models and promotional formats have opened the door to gamers enjoying a more diverse and affordable range of gameplay experiences than ever before – and here we’re going to go over the very best of these.
Perhaps the industry’s unmitigated success can as much be attributed to its willingness to experiment with these alternative pricing models, as it is due to its premium big ticket production costs.
Free-2-Play Sector
Games belonging to the F2P category can, as the name suggests, be downloaded and played free of charge. This is possible because these games typically incorporate microtransactions for items such as in-game emotes, skins and outfits. Crucially, these transactions do not impact gameplay.
Many of the most popular and graphically rich games today are F2P, such as Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone and Halo Infinite’s multiplayer game. As such, gamers rarely need to compromise on quality when it comes to choosing an affordable, or free, game to dive into.
Promotional Offers and Trials
Promotional offers and free trials have always been closely associated with the games industry dating right back to its freeware roots. Whereas in the past free trials would most frequently take the form of demo CDs affixed to gaming magazines, nowadays developers often open a game up for public beta testing, sometimes even months in advance of release.
Not only does this let players ‘try before they buy’, but it encourages identification with titles that developers then hope will translate into sales. This is much the same method that is employed by over-the-top subscription services like Netflix when they offer new users 7-day free trials.
Likewise, certain specialist sectors like the online gaming industry utilize promotional offers as part and parcel of their organic outreach. For example, antipodean gaming fans from New Zealand readily make use of the promotional offers and welcome bonuses on $1 deposit casino offered by the likes of leading comparison platform CasinoReviews.
Services like these build positive consumer regard by furnishing prospective customers with a curated list of the best gaming platforms available in a given region. Users not only save money through redeeming the offers provided, but in selecting the platform that best meets their requirements from among those recommended, they can be sure they’ll be getting full satisfaction for their investment.
Cloud Gaming Services
Cloud gaming services, as exemplified by Xbox Cloud Gaming, give gamers access to a huge array of titles to enjoy all for the cost of a single monthly subscription. What’s more, these games can be accessed and enjoyed on any device that can connect to the internet.
As such, gamers can play leading titles like Assassin’s Creed or Forza Horizon from their smartphone, or web browser, using these services. This circumvents all the costs associated with purchasing next gen games consoles, not to mention the cost of buying these games through conventional methods. No wonder analysts are suggesting that gaming subscription services may be the future of the video game industry.
