Electronic Arts has announced that the third part of one of the most popular racing series will be distributed on a free-2-play model.
The company’s management explained this decision by the desire to reach as large an audience of casual users as possible with the game. Recall that before that, racing games published by EA were distributed as paid applications. The price of the last part of Need for Speed is now $ 4.99, although in the first days after the release the game cost $ 6.99. Despite this, the game’s position in the US box office top continues to fall.
High downloads of the game are provided, but not high revenuesAt the same time, another EA game – The Simpsons: Tapped Out demonstrates excellent performance.
Only in the 3rd quarter of last year, it accounted for 26% of all profits received from the mobile division of Electronic Arts. It is quite possible that the idea to make Real Racing 3 a free application was born precisely thanks to the financial success of Homer Simpson’s merry family.
But one thing is a builder, quite another is hardcore, according to mobile ideas, racing (at least they were such). It’s harder to keep the balance here. In addition, EA has already been scolded for the Need for Speed: Most Wanted just mentioned. In the latter, according to numerous estimates, donat was mandatory, and the prices for it bit (and this at the high cost of the game itself).
In general, it is not entirely clear what EA’s decision will lead to, whether it will help make Real Racing 3 a longer-lived project than its predecessors and earn more than The Simpsons. If the basic mechanics of the game are simplified towards CSR Racing, won’t it scare away fans of the series, and if they leave it at the same level, won’t it be a blow to casual users?
In general, there are a lot of questions, there are no answers to them yet. The company itself promises a gentle donation. Firemonkeys was directly involved in the development of Real Racing 3. The game will be released on February 26.
UPDATE: it turned out about monetization. It turns out that all the damage received on the highway will be preserved. It will take time to repair them. If the player does not want to wait, he will pay. Everything is simple.