Development vet Sid Meier has said that the games industry needs to be careful with its focus on monetisation rather than gameplay.
Speaking to the BBC, the Civilization franchise creator said that companys’ reliance on consumers spending money in-game might have resulted in customers no longer playing. Meier said that developers and publishers need to focus on creating great experiences rather than focusing on presentation and making money.
“People can assume that a game is going to be fun and what it needs for success are more cinematics or monetisation or whatever – but if the core just is not there with good gameplay, then it won’t work,” he said.
Meier continued, “I think we need to be sure that our games continue to be high quality and fun to play – there are so many forms of entertainment out there now.
“We’re in a good position…but we need to be sure we realise how critical gameplay is – and how that is the engine that really keeps players happy, engaged and having fun.”