Using a nostalgia as a marketing tool

Generation X was the first to be introduced to the marketing boom of video games that occurred in the 80's. For many who's childhood revolved around a screen, many a fond memory was made playing classics such as Mike Tyson's Punch Out! or Super Mario Brothers. That generation has since grown up, but the interest for recapturing these memories has all but gone away. As explained in this article by NPR, the market for old, original video games has surged in recent years.

One of the things I noticed about the article was the emphasis on the "original games." After all, if the person was nostalgic about playing the game, then couldn't they play it on an emulator? Classic games on newer consoles is not a new idea. They have been available in multiple formats, from plug-and-play consoles to downloadable titles on both Xbox Arcade and the PSN store. Why then, do these older patrons insist on the original copies on the original consoles?

Games can range from a few dollars to a few hundred, depending on popularity and scarcity.

This quote implies that it's not the game that invokes the nostalgia, but the experience itself. Buyers are willing to spend hundreds to regain the experience. As shown here:

For people of a certain age, the sound of the video game character Mario growing after eating a mushroom brings back great memories.

This is a testament of the "sticky power" these companies have on to their customers since they are children. While there will always be the older products that will be sold in second hand shops, it is the new iterations of these series that the older players will introduce to a new generations. Appealing to the older fans might be the best solution for staying afloat in the long run. 

Bradford, B. (2015, February 4). Businesses Offer A Link To The Past For Lovers Of Old Video Games. Retrieved February 5, 2015.

In-Game Economies Part 2: More Scummy Than You Think

One of the first articles on this blog I wrote about was the in-game economies that Valve has implemented into its three flagship games: Dota 2, Counter Strike, and Team Fortress. The source video was at a conference at Steamworks, the company held-event where Valve essentially gives a lecture to other companies on how to do it right. Obviously, this economics lesson is from Valve's point of view with very broad implications that gloss over the everyday micro-transactions between users. How, then, does Valve's model stand against the real world?

It comes as no surprise that the model works extremely well, as Valve had years of experience and hard evidence on their side to prov that what they did maximized profits and user satisfaction. What's surprising to most is the degree of effectiveness it has on the users in a bad way; maybe it's not surprising to the cynics out there. The demand for in game items with value dictated by the community has led some down the road of ill intent: scamming, sharking, among other things in this article by Polygon.

As the article states, certain items, which have a controlled scarcity by Valve, are a de facto unit of currency for buying/selling in game items. For the uninitiated: Earbuds were only available for a limited time to Team Fortress players on an apple computer, and keys are a one-time use item sold in the virtual store for $2.50. Both have a high enough demand for there to be an external market buying these items for real world money. Louie, the investigator in this article, deducted that criminals from Russia would perform credit card fraud and use Team Fortress as a laundering device.

 "Louie believes someone came into possession of some stolen credit card numbers, used them to purchase as many Crate Keys as they could before the cards were deactivated and then traded those keys for items they could sell via PayPal for clean money."

Due to the nature of online purchases, these transactions are completely anonymous and virtually untraceable. Unfortunately, the corruption does not stop there. Middlemen, used to facilitate a trade between in game items and real world money, are being impersonated as a way of scamming those eager to sell their items for cash.  Sharkers, those who keep their victim in the dark about the worth of their items and buy it cheap, buy tools to target inexperienced players and then resell the items on paypal.

"James used another tool, called an inventory scanner, to browse the complete inventories and friends lists of any given player or group."

There are many other types of scams, like phishing links that hijack your account, but this is besides the point. The economy that valve has created has morphed into a microcosm of real life; as such, it brings all the pitfalls of human nature alongside it. As long as there is money to be made, there will always be someone who will make a business out of lying and cheating. Valve cannot integrate real world money into its trading system, otherwise the company would lose sovereignty over its biggest intake of money. The integration of the Steam market will for now be the safest way to trade your items for cash, albeit cash tied with your steam account and non-withdrawable.  

Bowman, M. (2014, May 22). The Hidden World of Steam Trading. Retrieved January 29, 2015.

The new trend of releasing unfinished games

One of the biggest new trends that game developers have been doing over the last couple is releasing unfinished. The ludicrosity of uttering such a statement might leave some scratching their heads, but it would only be crazy if it didn't work. Of course, during the initial implementation of this idea, game developers didn't use the word unfinished. DLC, downloadable content, would be additional content to the game that would be sold maybe a couple of months after the games release. After a couple years of this practice, developers would get brazen enough to release Day 1 DLC, additional content for the game that was released right alongside the game which had a full price tag, as if to assume it was a full game. Gamers even discovered that some releases even had this content on the disc already, yet needed to shell out an additional 15 bucks just to activate it. Now, Steam has allowed  the newest iteration of this marketing to be released on its store. Games tagged with "Early Access" are essentially stating "we have not completed the game, but pay money to have access to it before it's finished." In this article from Polygon, the author describes how Early access has really opened the eyes of the uninitiated to this predatory marketing practice.

One of concepts the article mentions is the authors's beliefs of "unfinished games" and how he categorizes them into two types.

 Early Access has the kinds of games that, as long as they're supported, are going to be consistently tweaked, expanded, patched and even modded. 

Which is true, as many games before Early Access have followed this model. World of Warcraft and Team Fortress 2, with their constant updates over their long lifespans, have never had a final version because there is always something that is being added. Their widespread community support has allowed them to keep living, as many games before them have died because people lost interest. The other type of game he mentions is: 

 They're also unfinishable in that they're not games that players can say they've completed with any kind of authority.

While there can be argument for how open world games such as Minecraft, because they have no set goal and allow players to do whatever they want in the confines of the game, can never be "finished", the better type for Early Access games are those which are actually never completed. This isn't because of constant updates, but the lack thereof. Games marked Early access on steam but the developers have given up updating it and have left it in a stage of unfinished limbo have also been popping up. Even games that have been rushed to be released that are barely functional have pockmarked 2014 as the year of unfinished games. In response, more and more gamers have been taking a stance from pre ordering a game before they see if it functions or not. Some have gone far enough to boycott entire companies because of this sneaky tactic. While games were still considered a novelty, developers would take time to perfect the little details and treat their product like an art; hence, the late nineties and early 2000's are considered by many to be the golden age of gaming. Now, while games are being pumped out to maximize revenue, players are losing faith in the companies themselves. In order for companies to regain consumer trust, they have to think about customer satisfaction over the bottom line.

http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/24/5338478/early-access-exposes-the-lie-that-the-best-games-should-or-even-can

ESRB ratings and marketing towards children

Most gamers who play online have unfortunately encountered this scenario: they're at home, relaxing, about to play a match when a piercing shriek rings in their ear. Despite what they may think, it isn't from listening to music to loud; rather, it is the wail of a small child, possibly 12 or 13, talking over the microphone. The gamer does a double take and checks the rating on the box. There is no mistaking it- a big black M, meaning mature, in the right hand corner of the box is clearly visible. It should stand as a deterrent for parents from buying it. How come, then, does it appear to be the opposite?

In this article on Gamespresso, the author describes the faults of the archaic ratings system. Back then, the rating was a way to know what kind of game you're buying before purchase. Mortal Kombat, the infamous game with glorified violence which prompted the creation of a ratings system, proved that it was both beneficial to both child and parent to implement the ESRB. How they graded a game, in terms of child, teen, and adult levels, was pretty cut and dry, considering the limitations of technology of video games back then. With the advent of new technology pushing the boundries of both visuals and content, one can say violence and sex can go to 11.

The ESRB rating is intended to be a safe guide for those who don’t play games to view.

This is the intention of ratings, but as the article also points out:

a good majority of games are now rated Mature

Which is a safe measure from the ESRB to make sure there is no controversy from rating a game "too low." Also, putting a M rating on a game is always a good selling point- it generally produces more sales. Combining these two factors, its inevitable that kids will be convinced that the only good games are rated M, and they will convince their parents of the same. What the parents don't know, however, is the intensity of said violent/uncouth/sexual themes that is hidden within the disk. Since the M rating is so broad, parents are essentially tricked into buying a game. The M rating encompasses everything from a simple blood spatter on a wall to full on bloodbath orgies. Obviously, parents should take an active duty in investigating what they buy for their child. More descriptive information on the box would make a better buying experience. Also, we wouldn't need to hear a child's screeching voice in our supposed mature games again.

Fearnall, A. (2015, January 8). ESRB RATINGS: THE UNNECESSARY EVIL OF GAMING. Retrieved January 9, 2015.