With it becoming more and more difficult to sell games and apps to consumers, some of the industry’s biggest players are backing away from the premium model to embrace freemium gaming.
Electronic Arts is the latest industry giant to abandon premium-download mobile games this year.
“The market has spoken very loudly that [freemium is] the model they like,” EA All Play Senior Vice President and GM Nick Earl says. “Even though there’s some vocal minority that don’t like it, ultimately the numbers would show that they and others all support the freemium model better.”
EA’s Real Racing 3 was pointed to as a specific example of a successful no-cost game that includes in-app purchases.
“I think initially [critics] were a little bit annoyed because the all-you-can-eat model makes sense for them,” Earl told GamesIndustry International. “That’s the kind of people they are. But at the end of the day, they’re going to pay to eat, if that’s their choice. And they’re happy doing it.”
