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What existing franchises would work and make sense as GaaS?

RCU005

Member
I've been playing Genshin Impact lately and it has gotten me thinking about GaaS games. The first thing that comes to mind is the gatcha or PTW systems that makes you hate them in most cases or for most people.

However, I think that there are some games that would work. For instance, when I'm playing Genshin Impact, I'm always thinking that BOTW should've gotten more content like a GaaS game. New missions, new NPCs, new enemies that are constantly updating and make you keep playing. I know there are people that have been playing BOTW non-stop to this day, but they are replaying what's already there.

There's also the huge problem for GaaS games that developers need to be constantly develop for them, so it makes you wonder when should they stop and make a sequel or a new game?

But in a fantasy world if you will, where you could get a GaaS game where it's balanced in terms of gatcha systems (or without them), what franchises do you think would actually work? I

wonder if there are ways to make a GaaS game with a balance in financial system that work for both the players and the developers without being about milking every penny just to do basic things. (even Genshin Impact gets to a point that the game is telling you to spend money, even if you don't really have to, but it makes things really annoying).
 

Perrott

Gold Member
Metal Gear Solid, as The Phantom Pain already had the perfect framework for a live service game.
 
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Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Gears of war.
Gears is a GaaS game.
We literally got a new operation last week.
Unless you are talking about more Single Player content?
Metal Gear Solid, as The Phantom Pain already had the perfect framework for a live service game.
So true.
I would have loved a bunch of more content for Phantom Pain.
Heck considering how we can play a bunch of characters as is, a couple new "special" characters would have been cool.
A new region with new mission types.
New enemies.

That game got abandoned way too soon.
 

yurinka

Member
GaaS have been great for fighting game, to get more content periodically like new characters, costumes, stages plus new features, improvements, rebalances and game modes kept the games fresh and alive for a longer period of time, helping the recent games of the main series to be the most successful ones on the series.

In many cases it has been the first attempt for these series, so they had many rough edges and stuff to improve specially at launch. Stuff that as always they will keep improving in future iterations.

I think it's a good fit for MP focused games (I see potential for SP games too adding extra smaller story chapters to expand the lore) where new characters, weapons/techniques, stages, customization or missions/game modes help the game to keep fresh.

It's a myth that GaaS=MTX disaster. If GaaS is handled properly it can be positive for the game, both from the perspective of the dev and the player.
 
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GuinGuin

Banned
GaaS have been great for fighting game, to get more content periodically like new characters, costumes, stages plus new features, improvements, rebalances and game modes kept the games fresh and alive for a longer period of time, helping the recent games of the main series to be the most successful ones on the series.

In many cases it has been the first attempt for these series, so they had many rough edges and stuff to improve specially at launch. Stuff that as always they will keep improving in future iterations.

Yeah, amazing. Instead of paying $60 once for a game you can pay $1000 to collect all the costumes.
 

yurinka

Member
Yeah, amazing. Instead of paying $60 once for a game you can pay $1000 to collect all the costumes.
No, in the past you paid $60 for the game plus $60 for its update with a gameplay rebalance and some extra characters, plus other $60 for other update and a few characters more and so on, plus another $60. And the online was split between the the ones who updated and the ones who don't etc.

Now you pay $60 and get a lot of post launch free stuff including new mechanics, rebalances or game modes and the userbase isn't split. Regarding the characters instead of having to buy them all in a pack you can pay only ~$5 a single specific character you may want, or $30/40 for a season pass. And in games like SFV you can unlock like 2 or 3 seasons of characters without paying for them.

It's way cheaper now specially considering prices didn't increase with inflation during decades. And well, if you want all the costumes you can wait for the ultimate edition, as SFVCE was, that include over 200 costumes, basically all the ones that aren't from external licenses. And well, costumes are just cosmetics. They don't affect the game.
 
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8BiTw0LF

Banned
I've mainly played GaaS games for the past 5 years and learned a lot in that time. Destiny 2 is GaaS done wrong - Apex Legends is GaaS done right.

A $60 game without GaaS or regular expansions (which isn't GaaS btw) has a lifespan of 14-30 days, tops.

A free game with ongoing updates (for free) can last as long as the updates keep coming.
I'll happily pay $300 in cosmetics, to support the developer, over a 3 year period.

I think most games should be GaaS - done right tho'.
 

GuinGuin

Banned
I've mainly played GaaS games for the past 5 years and learned a lot in that time. Destiny 2 is GaaS done wrong - Apex Legends is GaaS done right.

A $60 game without GaaS or regular expansions (which isn't GaaS btw) has a lifespan of 14-30 days, tops.

A free game with ongoing updates (for free) can last as long as the updates keep coming.
I'll happily pay $300 in cosmetics, to support the developer, over a 3 year period.

I think most games should be GaaS - done right tho'.

All of those costumes are always in your face though. I want to play a game. I don't want to play a store.
 

8BiTw0LF

Banned
All of those costumes are always in your face though. I want to play a game. I don't want to play a store.
Have you ever tried Apex Legends? You literally have to move to the store from the lobby to see skins - no spam whatsoever.

I know there's a lot doing GaaS the wrong way. Don't play their games.

Splitgate is another newcomer doing it right.
 
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Fbh

Member
I wouldn't instantly be turned off by a Twisted Metal GaaS provided it stays true to the original tone and style.

Microtransactions are strictly cosmetic and "on brand"
Game gets updated with new maps, weapons, maybe occasionally a new vehicle and mode
They can change elements of the maps over time, add cool secrets and new elements to that
We have the same Ariana Grande in Fortnite style concerts but it's all just Metal bands.
 

8BiTw0LF

Banned
Well, I wrote in my post that I won't ever play them, right? 😅 I'm not sure what you're getting at.
I just think it's weird not wanting to play free stuff 😂 I get it if the game is all up in your face to make microtransactions - fuck those games! But there's a lot of free GaaS games out there which never do it, and I think we should support them, either by playing their game for free and talk about them, or buy a little now and then to support the developers.

GaaS games is the future - No doubt. We as consumers choose to support the developers who deserves goodwill. That's the only way to stop spamming all up in ur face games from continuing to rip off children.
 
I wouldn't have minded a game like Arkham Knight having seasons that you paid for up front and it provided a episodic new story within the framework of the currently existing open world. You know, like actual expansions (which Arkham Knight did a bit of)

The problem is, nobody will do that because its just too easy to nickel and dime people with "impulse buy" cosmetic shit. Minimal investment/maximum returns.
 

A.Romero

Member
If they are F2P and well executed I'm all up for it. Fighting games work well this way, I think. For example, Killer Instinct where you could play the game for free but had to pay for characters.

Dead or Alive or Tekken are bad examples I think where you pay full price up front and then a shit load of paid (expensive) DLC.

Games in the style of Marvel Alliance also work well, I think.
 

justiceiro

Marlboro: Other M
Any online multiplayer game, basically. I never play those for the history, and I rather deciding between buying a expansion/battle pass or not than having to buy the version of the year.
 
Gears is a GaaS game.
We literally got a new operation last week.
Unless you are talking about more Single Player content?

I guess what I was referring to as games of the service I was referring to kind of like more like outriders. I'm only thinking of it that way because of Gears of war tactics where you can upgrade your weapons. I think that would be pretty cool system for Gears of war as a whole.
 
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