Visual Novels and Monetization
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 11:01 am
So recently I played the VisualShower games that I could find for my phone. Specifically I played White Island and Beyond the Bounds, both of which I have been impressed with so far.
For those of you unfamiliar with VisualShower's games, they release visual novels that have "escape the room" type interactions for smartphones. Players get the prologue for free. After the player has read it, they can wait a few days for the next chapter to unlock, or they can buy it using in-game currency. The in-game currency can either be bought with real currency, or earned by sharing the completion of the chapter on social media.
I really can appreciate this sort of monetization of content. I always shy away from Otome games, for instance, because many of them employ the "purchase the routes of the boy you want to date" method of monetization. I may be wrong, but I haven't run into many popular otome games that allow you to earn the premium currency. Because I don't have disposable income, I usually just avoid these types of games.
However, because VisualShower lets players experience the game after waiting or earning enough premium currency via sharing, I have become absolutely fascinated with the concept of visual novels and monetization. I'm actually not too interested in the moneymaking part, but more fascinated by the methods of programming it. But money doesn't hurt.
I watch the Extra Credits series, and they make some really good points about "Free to Play" games and monetization. You can watch the playlist on Free to Play here.
Of course, when speaking of free to play games, I feel it's important to recognize that some companies do it with good intentions while others put forth efforts to get money from players that seems less than savory. I'm hoping to figure out a more "moral" way to monetize games, especially visual novels. This goes for both PC and mobile platforms.
I'm curious what you all have to think on this matter. Do you play or make monetized visual novels? What styles work for you personally as a player or as a developer?
For those of you unfamiliar with VisualShower's games, they release visual novels that have "escape the room" type interactions for smartphones. Players get the prologue for free. After the player has read it, they can wait a few days for the next chapter to unlock, or they can buy it using in-game currency. The in-game currency can either be bought with real currency, or earned by sharing the completion of the chapter on social media.
I really can appreciate this sort of monetization of content. I always shy away from Otome games, for instance, because many of them employ the "purchase the routes of the boy you want to date" method of monetization. I may be wrong, but I haven't run into many popular otome games that allow you to earn the premium currency. Because I don't have disposable income, I usually just avoid these types of games.
However, because VisualShower lets players experience the game after waiting or earning enough premium currency via sharing, I have become absolutely fascinated with the concept of visual novels and monetization. I'm actually not too interested in the moneymaking part, but more fascinated by the methods of programming it. But money doesn't hurt.
I watch the Extra Credits series, and they make some really good points about "Free to Play" games and monetization. You can watch the playlist on Free to Play here.
Of course, when speaking of free to play games, I feel it's important to recognize that some companies do it with good intentions while others put forth efforts to get money from players that seems less than savory. I'm hoping to figure out a more "moral" way to monetize games, especially visual novels. This goes for both PC and mobile platforms.
I'm curious what you all have to think on this matter. Do you play or make monetized visual novels? What styles work for you personally as a player or as a developer?