| disolitude said: Maybe these platforms are the future for original and awesome AAA gaming... I have yet to hear of any paid DLC or tacked on pointless multiplayer for iOS or Android games. |
I think that is because there'd be no money in it. Like PC gamers are too discriminating and have too many free options on their open platform to be roped into paying for pointless DLC, I think iOS is already so crowded and competitive that you just can't dick people around there as much as on consoles. You're competing as much for time as for money because the vast majority of mobile gamers just use it for free timewasters and the like, so when you want people who are serious about gaming to splash out any real money there ($20 for XCOM is an arm and a leg in iOS terms) you are likely to take a more respectful approach than you are when selling to console gamers who will buy seemingly anything.
But I'm always skeptical when I hear, "X is the future." Compare how much money is generated from each of these platforms. As things stand you just can't sustain AAA gaming without consoles, and if the AAA gaming market ever somehow shifted to iOS or whatever, so would all the bad practices. The problem is with the fundamental economics of the model and the mindset of the people who make AAA games, so there isn't a silver bullet like just switching platforms. Games that cost this much to make will always have a certain amount of baggage because of the sheer financial investment required, and hardcore hobbyists will always be easily taken advantage of. That's an inherently bad combination.
