Objective: Explore how a game’s design choices and business model are intertwined
Use material from Chapter 2: The Living Business of Games
Quest: Select 2-3 games you’ve played in the last 3 years, or games you profiled in the last Chapter Quest. For each game, use what you’ve learned to make your own determination about whether the game qualifies as a live-service game or a traditional game. Write a sentence or two explaining your categorization.
For each game you select, answer the following questions:
Does the game require Internet to function? In what way?
If it doesn’t, you don’t have a live-service game. If it does, is the internet connection used merely to validate a purchase, or is there an assumption that the game’s content is constantly changing? Constantly changing content is a hallmark of live-service games.
When and how is money requested from players?
If it’s up front, it’s likely a traditional or hybrid model. If it’s a free to play game, you’re most likely dealing with a live-service game, although in some cases traditional retail games offer demos or “lite” versions.
Bonus Tool: Determining Video Game Business Model by Common Features
While there is no one true model for a live-service game or traditional game, there are clusters of features that make it clearer whether you’re dealing with one or the other. If you can’t quite tell what you’re dealing with, try sorting through this table and see whether the game you’re working with falls more on the traditional or live-service side of the line.
| Feature | Traditional games | Live-service games |
|---|---|---|
| Single player mode | Usually | Rarely |
| Multiplayer mode | Sometimes | Usually |
| Massively multiplayer | Rarely | Sometimes |
| Internet required | Rarely, except for rights management | Yes |
| Can be completed in full | Often | Rarely |
| Patch schedule? | As needed | Every few weeks |
| Major content updates after launch | Between zero and 2 times a year | Between 3 and 6 times a year |
| Purchase required to play? | Usually | Rarely |
| Can you succeed or progress without spending money MORE THAN ONCE? | Usually | Slowly / sometimes |
| Primary monetization model | Game or content purchase | Cosmetics, energy, subscriptions |
Bonus Quest: A Dystopian Launch Story
Cyberpunk 2077‘s business model is a controversial topic amongst some video game reviewers and academics. The game was sold as a traditional retail release, but issues with quality at release meant a regular release cadence and regular new content were critical to the game’s success. Without major updates at launch and new content, the game would not have been able to survive the store de-listing that occurred early in the game’s life cycle. This led to Cyberpunk 2077 winning an award for best ongoing game despite not considering itself a live service game at launch, which spawned a community meme.
Discussion prompts:
- Review articles and community posts about the launch of Cyberpunk 2077.
- Would you classify Cyberpunk 2077 as a live-service game or a traditional game? Why?
- Do you believe a game’s business model can shift after launch? Did this happen to Cyberpunk 2077? If so, when?
- Do you believe a game’s business model can differ from its intended model based on how the community interprets a company’s actions? Why or why not?
