Less than 24 hours after releasing their latest game Godus Wars, Peter Molyneux’s studio 22cans is already facing controversy, announcing today that they have removed the game’s microtransactions following community backlash.
Godus Wars, a simple real-time strategy game that was both announced and released on Steam Early Access yesterday, was presented as something of a fresh start for Molyneux’s god game. In an attempt to win back fans, Molyneux had spent the past year staying out of the press and quietly working on the combat sections he had promised, which crystallised as this new game. Though Godus Wars is a separate package, 22cans also handed it out as a free update to anyone who had purchased the original Godus.
Yet when people started playing around with the game last night, they found a $US5 ($7) microtransaction package, which seems unfathomable for a game that’s barely finished. Somehow, the folks at 22cans didn’t anticipate that this might make people angry. And after some backlash, they quickly decided to pull it.
Wrote 22cans CEO Simon Phillips today:
We’ll be making some changes to the game and also the steam page to reflect the feedback that’s coming in and we’ll do a round up of that very soon.
In the mean time, its been brought to our attention that the extra content being a premium add on really isn’t a popular choice. Whilst we think that it does represent good value, especially considering that Godus Wars has been delivered as a free update to hundreds of thousands of users and the lower purchase price of the main game we understand previous Godus owners frustrations with this.
Therefore, based on your feedback, the extra content will be available to all free-of-charge.
Apologies for the frustrations and we hope you enjoy playing.
That sure was a quick turnaround. I wonder what the next controversy will be?
Comments
26 responses to “Godus Continues To Be A Mess”
I had such high hopes, one of two games I have Kickstarted.
I backed Hard West, but I don’t think I have the download link anymore it’s been out that long 🙁
Why would you ever have high hopes for a game with the Molyneux name attached?
To be fair I’d not heard of Peter Molyneux but that’s down to my ignorance/lack of video game knowledge 🙁
We all knew it was too good to be true. They are out of money and trying to find way to cash in. Rip off part of the godus game to make a new game plus microtransaction for quick cash.
Well they dod just remove the feature in record time, couldn’t have been that integral to your theory.
To leave it in means continued negative backlash which means that new purchasers are less likely to buy it. This way it seems like 22Cans is supportive of the fanbase and may attract potential players.
Well it is very likely that people will buy a game $15 than $20. Lower initial price will make consumer more likely to buy the game first and when they found out there is another $5 DLC in game, there is a chance of people buying the it.
If the game was straight up $20 with all the content, the purchase would be lower. In the end $15 + $5 will have more sales than a $20.
It is all in the microtransaction business strategy. People are more likely to get a lower price point base game and spend massive amount on microtransaction.
Yeah not dodgy at all. Hidden costs, cut content, Microtransactions in an early access game. Skewed game progression to favor said microtransactions….
I backed Godus, have yet to actually play it, but whenever I read articles like this I just feel like the ongoing scandal surrounding the game is far more entertaining than the game itself could ever be.
… Possible market for “damage control” sim?
Micro transactions shouldn’t be in finished games, let alone early access ones. The only place I find them marginally acceptable is in free to play games and I’m still yet to find one of those that isn’t pay to win or pay to avoid an unnecessary grind. However they still need to pay their bills and generate a profit (otherwise why make the game?) so I accept it as a part of free to play.
Any game I’ve paid for though I wouldn’t accept micro transactions. Haven’t seen much about the new Godus but if it’s just an RTS then there’s no justification to have micro transactions in my point of view. If they want more cash due to the amount of work and investment then make the price of the game higher and be done with it.
See, the thing is, creators make all kinds of justifications for them but you haven’t really addressed them, how could you something is NEVER understandable or justified when you can’t even reasonably percieve all those possibilities?
If you notice the wording of my comment Is say “I” a lot. This is my opinion. “I” don’t see a place for micro transactions other than in free to play games, so “I” won’t play or purchase any game that has them. “I” would much rather prefer that they just raised the base price of the game and did away with the micro transactions unless it’s a heavily multiplayer focused game (MMO, MOBA etc) and they have to run servers and are continually developing content.
I also didn’t say it was “never” understandable or justified, I said there’s no justification for Godus in particular if it’s just an RTS in my point of view.
You jumped to a few conclusions there that don’t represent what I was saying.
I disagree.
If you know that your final product is going to have a microtransaction system in it – Develop it in by all means. Make sure people KNOW that it is a game that includes this stuff.
Just don’t set a price. Make it $0, but also have a notice somewhere informing the player that upon release all prices will be set.
That’s fine if you disagree, these are my personal opinions after all.
I do agree on being upfront about having micro transactions. Would have been a bit of a slap in the face for anyone who bought Godus Wars and then discovered the micro transactions.
I don’t think that them providing it for free to people who bought Godus is a good enough reason either. They were the ones who decided to give it away, so if you’re going to give it away then actually do that. Don’t try to charge the customers for it after and re-coup the losses.
Dota 2.
Fair enough if Dota 2 has it but I’m highly unlikely to ever find it. I don’t like MOBAS in general. Played Smite in it’s early beta for a bit and liked it due to the different feel but even then I got over it in a few weeks.
The thing is, if it is not pay to win, who will actually pay? Unlike well established titles like Dota, other companies need to find a way to make people pay somehow. Best way is to give buyers a sense of worth after purchasing, thus quick progression or in game OP weapon. No one is gonna pay otherwise.
You’d be surprised. Team Fortress 2 hats come to mind or even CS:GO skins…
There’s plenty of ways to do free to play without making it pay to win. I think “Extra Credits” has a video or two about it on YouTube.
Yeah that’s the thing. Team Fortress 2 and CS:GO are both by Valve, like dota 2. Valve doesn’t need to give people the value, the public gives value to the items using the marketplace. Valve doesn’t need to control the economy at all.
Valve made a great little ecosystem for Valve games and it is pure genius. Other publisher doesn’t have that luxury.
Those are just two examples that come to mind because I’m familiar with those games. There are other examples out there, I’ve heard of various games that were “free to play done right” according to reviews. I just can’t recall what they were because I’ve been steering clear of that genre for the last couple years.
One word. Hats.
Path of Exile is a free game, supported by microtransactions that are not ‘pay to win’ (unless you think additional stash tabs are ‘winning’) and is reportedly doing really well for itself.
Agreed. What I said applies to a lot of company but of course some are doing quite well without such a system. Not to mention path of exile is a great game by itself, even if the was full retail price people will buy it.
Argh. Even playing tomb raider the other day I noticed there were new outfits on sale for 3 95 ffs. I wonder if FF7 remake is going to charge ppl to use yuffy and Vincent….that would suck balls.
Yeah the outfits give challenge cards and stuff. All come for free with the season pass.
What was the $7 dlc for? What was the actual content??
Raise your hand if you did NOT see a controversy coming with the release of God Wars.
*crickets chirp*
Yeah, exactly.