Joe Tung, former producer at Bungie for hits like Halo 3 and Destiny, is clearly in favor of the live service model. He explains why it is so much better
.
What is the problem with the 60-euro purchase model? Tung tells in an interview with PC Gamer that he is not a fan of the traditional 60-euro purchase model. He explains that developers in this model have to focus on selling as many copies as possible within the first 48 hours.
During his time at Bungie, he often had to make decisions that were not in the best interest of the players
. The model forces developers to think short-term and promise features that would ultimately never make it into the game.
E3 trailers and clips (not necessarily from Bungie) would often be filled with unrealistic features, which he refers to as ‘Bullshit Vaporware’. This is intended to impress the audience and boost sales.
The Benefits of Games as a Service
What does he say about live service? Tung left Bungie at the end of 2012 and moved to Riot Games, the developer studio behind the popular MOBA League of Legends. There, he worked on LoL and gained experience in the world of live service games that are free-to-play. In 2020, he also left Riot Games to found Theorycraft Games. With his new developer studio, he is currently working on a MOBA-like battle royale called Supervive – which is also intended to be a live service game.
Tung believes that the model Games as a Service
is so much better
for developers and you players.
He emphasizes the following strengths of the model (in an interview with PC Gamer):
It allows for making much, much, much better decisions overall
.- One can think long-term about what
is best for the player
. - Moreover, developers can continuously work on the game after release and incorporate direct feedback from players.
- This flexibility allows for decisions that are advantageous for both players and the company in the long run.
There are also critical voices against the live service model, especially due to the increasing microtransactions. However, one model does not necessarily exclude the other. The shooter hit Helldivers 2 is currently the best example of this and has found a middle ground. Helldivers 2 essentially combines both models and is extremely successful in doing so. MeinMMO editor Dariusz Müller reveals what makes Helldivers 2 so good: 5 reasons that make the shooter so good.
