The first two Pikmin games came out on the Gamecube, and while they got ports on the Wii with new motion controls, we didn't see a new entry in the series for the entire run of the Wii. Now with the Wii U we finally have Pikmin 3, a sequel that doesn't necessarily feel like a sequel. This isn't a bad thing though- in fact, it is probably one of the things that makes Pikmin 3 so good.

Rather than just continuing the story from Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3 follows three new captains from a new planet called Koppai, as they crash land on planet PNF-404. Thanks to a quick discovery of the Pikmin and how they operate, the captains are able to actually survive for longer than a day. The captains (Alph, Brittany and Charlie) were originally on a mission to collect fruit for their starving planet. Now that they have crash landed, you must collect fruit and turn it into juice until you can escape PNF-404. This is how you will spend each day in the game, finding the best way to use the Pikmin at your disposal and collecting fruit while defeating any monstrous wildlife that may cross your path. Eventually you'll be wrapped up in the even bigger mysteries surrounding the planet. If you fail to keep your juice supply up you will starve, ending the game, so that is your number one priority. There isn't an unlimited amount of fruit lying about though so you don't want to waste days just getting one piece to get through the day and not progressing in the story and through the world.

Even the Pikmin you control aren't a true continuation from the previous games. You'll discover the now standard, blue, red and yellow, but white and purple are nowhere to be found in the main story. Instead two new Pikmin arrive in this game: a rock type and a flying pink one. How they are controlled ( by extension of the captains) remains essentially the same. Each Pikmin type has its own strengths and weaknesses and you have to use them appropriately to survive the world and solve the puzzles within. For example, red Pikmin are immune to fire, the blue ones can survive in water and the yellow ones are immune to electricity.

You can play the game using the GamePad, WiiMote, or Pro Controller. The WiiMote controls like it did in the Wii ports of the first two games, which allows for a lot more precision since you have an actual pointing device. I decided to use the GamePad though (just for the true Wii U experience) and while it may not have been as precise, I found it to be just as fun. The GamePad displays the map of the entire world and to me feels integral to the experience; showing locations of fruit, secrets and paths so you can plan your day. Even better it allows you to select one of the three captains and set them on a path, allowing you to delegate your tasks for the day and maximize your time.

Visually, Pikmin 3 is great. The art style is vibrant and charming and the graphics are striking and engaging. There are some lower resolution textures but this is not a problem with the Wii U, but rather merely a product of the real time strategy genre the game is based on. Since you spend most of your time high up and looking down on your characters the ground doesn't need to be the most detailed thing, but all of the characters, enemies and bosses are great to look at. The music is also very enjoyable with some very well composed pieces making up the soundtrack, and the story and writing in general keeps you interested. I had a few laughs at the dialogue and actually felt connected to the three captains; it is hard to ask for more than that in this type of game.

Pikmin 3 is a wonderful new entry in the series with a lot of strengths and very few shortcomings. The length is great with some replayability and it has some challenging maps as well as an engaging multiplayer. It controls well, has a great story, an enjoyable presentation and the difficulty isn't too hard or too easy. Even better is that though it is a sequel, you don't need to have played the other games to get into its story or gameplay. It's a solid choice for any Wii U owner, so come by your local Slackers and pick it up today!

Visit http://www.slackers.com/ for more great reviews!

I happened across an interesting article from Nintendo Enthusiast detailing a theoretical idea for a Legend of Zelda title; one where Zelda is the protagonist and player-controlled character rather than Link. The author was curious as to why it had not been done before, and was asking if Zelda was just an incapable character for leading a title of her own.

It isn't that Zelda is an incapable character on her own, far from it. Zelda's alter ego, Sheik, could definitely make for a rousing and interesting adventure. Even the princess herself is capable and has some interesting tricks up her sleeve, and of course as a member of royalty (supposedly) plays an important part in the politics and major events of the game world.

The problem is that this is a major Nintendo title.

People go to Nintendo the same way a child continues going to their grandparents house; for the sense of nostalgia and a place of loving stability away from the chaotic, noisy, and constantly changing world outside. It is a sort of slight reprieve from the "adult" world and allows for one to just kick back, relax and let grandma and grandpa tell their stories.

Imagine going to your grandparent's home one evening for a visit only to find out that grandpa got a sex change, and that grandma is hosting dog fights in the basement?

What? Don't look at me that way, it's original, isn't it?

Terrible analogies aside, this is a large part of Nintendo's appeal. People always know what to expect with Nintendo, and they go to them for that. If you want good old fashioned platforming, colors, some Mario, Zelda or Pokemon action, you go to Nintendo, who could be said to be the last big gaming company to be delivering a wholesomely unique "feel" and experience with their console.

Even worse is the fact that some of the best ideas that people can seem to come up with for such a game is at best a mild role-reversal between two or more of the main characters and at worst a mere fan-fiction-esque gender swap. No one wants to pay and play a $60 big budget title with nothing more than fan-fiction allure going for it. Unless it's a Super Smash Bros. title, in which case it's somewhat understandable.

They say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Many people misconstrue this idiom as meaning something along the lines of "you can't try new things" or "old dogs suck, adopt a puppy." This isn't the real meaning behind it though. What it is actually saying is that after doing something the same way for so long, it becomes difficult to do something truly new or different with it.

Part of the problem with any of Nintendo's main titles is that they have been doing nearly the same things for so long, and have such a strong and cemented foundation in both their execution and what their fans think of their games. Because of this, any attempts to do something new or creative with these old IP's risks becoming or seeming like an obvious parody. This may have been part of what caused the overall (at least in comparison to Nintendo's other Zelda titles) poor reception of Wind Waker. The pirates and sailing and talking boat, Zelda turning into a rough and tough runaway and the cell-shaded style, it all gave off a vibe of parody, or at least a sense that it can't be taken as seriously as the other games in the franchise.

This is a shame because The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is probably my personal favorite title in the series so far.

Perhaps a better way to approach this would be to, as many, many, MANY people have been clamoring for, go for a more mature angle. A game featuring Zelda as the lead should primarily only have Zelda/Sheik as the playable characters, in order to maintain a consistent narrative similar to previous titles. It would also work best by utilizing both aspects of her persona; both the regal and politically involved Zelda, and the nimble and combat based Sheik.

Another good idea might be to go for a sort of day/night mechanic, with the overall gameplay split into two conjoining segments:

During the day (a.k.a. working hours) you would play as Zelda, ruling over the kingdom, partaking in political intrigue, exploring the castle and town to chat with various citizens, and basically governing your empire. This would be where most of the world building and characterization comes into play, news of current events plays out, etc. etc. Here you could talk to Link from time to time, or try to, considering he;s a mute. Actually instead you could just give Link orders and hope for the best, like everyone else does.

During the night (a.k.a. clubbing hours) you would play as Sheik, taking part in faster paced combat and even stealth sections. Here the player would be more free to explore the world's more dangerous and exciting sections, fighting enemies or sneaking past them. This would be the more investigative aspect of the game and involve perhaps the more dangerous and significant parts of the story and development. Perhaps you could even assist Link in his ventures, with what methods you use to help him actually affecting his progress and even the story's progression.

Again, these are just a few ideas that I believe would help make a serious game of this type work. Feel free to leave your own thoughts.

Following its crowd-pleasing showing at the E3 entertainment expo, Sony has revealed the full specification of its next generation PlayStation 4 games console. Set to go head-to-head with Microsoft's Xbox One, these details bring us a step closer to understanding the full capabilities of this new machine.

The first part of this article looked at the main and graphics processors, internal storage, RAM and the integrated Blu-ray optical drive. Here we deal with the video and sound output, connectivity specifications, the DualShock 4 controller and the included and optional accessories that will be available.

Video and Audio Output

When the PS3 and Xbox 360 were released, analogue connections were the most prevalent ways of connecting your console to your TV. Display technology has progressed at an alarming rate over the past few years, and as a result the PS4 only has digital outputs. For video, an HDCP-encrypted HDMI port is the only option, whilst for sound there is, in addition to audio over the HDMI output, a Toslink SPDIF optical connection.

Wired and Wireless Connectivity

Wireless options on the PlayStation 4 will be in the form of built in 802.11 b/g/n wireless network connectivity and integrated Bluetooth 2.1. Wired connections come on the form of a gigabit Ethernet port (also backwards compatible with 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX), two USB 3.0 ports and a bespoke auxiliary port used for connection to the PlayStation Camera motion detection device.

The controller (see below for more details) uses Bluetooth 2.1+EDR technology to achieve a wireless connection, although the USB port can be used for charging and playing games with a low battery level. The USB ports maintain a power supply even when the console is turned off.

Controller

DualShock 4 is the new standard PS4 controller and contains several new features over its predecessor, the DualShock 3. The first is a built-in clickable capacitive touch pad on the front of the controller. Another new feature is a light bar across the front of the device that is capable of displaying different colours and can be used for things such as identifying players in multi-player games or to indicate low battery level. The light bar is also used by the external camera to measure movement and depth. Improved motion detection using a three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer along with an improved vibration function also feature.

Some of the buttons have been revised. The START and SELECT buttons have been removed and replaced by a single OPTIONS button whilst a SHARE button has been introduced, presumably to allow the uploading of pictures, video or statistics from their games. The joysticks and triggers have also been redesigned.

The controller features a 3.5mm stereo jack and a micro USB port for charging and connection to the console when there is insufficient charge in the controller to continue playing wirelessly.

With regards to backwards compatibility of controllers, PlayStation Move controllers will be supported on the new console, however the DualShock 3 will not be compatible with PS4. Sony will include one free PS4 controller with the console, with additional units available at a cost of $59 USD or £44 GBP.

Accessories

In addition to the DualShock 4 wireless controller (see above), The Sony PS4 will come with a free mono headset that can be plugged into the controller. Despite the free headset being mono, the connection jack on the controller is capable of outputting a stereo signal.

A HDMI cable will also be included with the PS4 package, although due to the omission of analogue ports on the console no other video cables are included, although the user could purchase some sort of digital to analogue converter if this is the only connection option open to them.

The PlayStation 4 Eye camera will not be included with the standard retail package, but will be available as an accessory for $59 USD or £54 GBP.

This concludes our look at the technical specifications of the Sony PlayStation 4. Look out for other articles comparing the new consoles with that of its main rival, the Xbox One.

Packing an eight core processor, a dedicated graphics chip and a huge 8GB of high-end GDDR5 RAM, the Sony PlayStation 4 has the hardware to put the latest gaming PC to shame. Not only does it have the power, but the launch price is also likely to make a comparable gaming computer look very expensive and with the best developers working on new games the PS4 looks likely to be incredible value for money. Visit the Free PS4 website for the full specifications and technical rundown of the console which comes with a 500GB hard drive, wireless connectivity and the new DualShock 4 controller.

Disney Interactive's upcoming Disney Infinity video game, a physical/game world split-reality platformer being developed by Avalanche Software for release in mid-August later this year, will offer players a unique Disney/Pixar spin on the concept of action figures using Near Field Communication (NFC) integrated within video games. Following the groundbreaking success of the Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure toys-and-game model, Disney Infinity will feature its beloved characters and exciting new ways to play and create.

Into Infinity

Each copy of Infinity comes with a three-pack of collectible physical toys, modeled after popular properties from the Disney/Pixar library. Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, Mr. Incredible from The Incredibles, and Sully from Monsters Inc/University can be placed two at a time on the included "portal" board, which reads radio-frequency identification (RFID) in the figurines to bring them into the game.

Once the characters enter Play Set Mode on screen, only actual characters from the universe selected can interact with the story's game world. Sully, for example, can't enter Jack's Play Set. Every self-contained Play Set is unique to its source, and the gameplay draws from elements familiar to fans, such as the world of crime-fighting superheroes for Incredibles characters or pirate ships for Captain Sparrow to pillage.

Toy Box mode, on the other hand, is a wild free-for-all where any of the available characters and unlockable elements (trains, space ships, race cars) can interact in one space and create appropriate mayhem. Players can also customize their in-game world using "power discs", stackable chips that can alter the environment, add vehicles to the game, or boost character stats for an upcoming battle. In addition, players can even mod the game world using their own imagination and the creative tools available. Game rules and levels will be easy to customize, with players actually able to program how the saved game mode plays.

And Beyond

The highly collectible nature and cross-branded accessibility of the game extends to player-created levels published by Disney Interactive, which will be available across every gaming platform, even if created on one different from the end user. The game's name even hints at the future possibilities for what the publisher sees as a new content-delivery platform - with no end in sight to the massive popularity of the Disney/Pixar franchises, and more inbound, Infinity could live up to its name with new releases for the indefinite future.

Jason Forthofer is the owner of Disney Movies List which is a guide for Disney films and video games with a focus on Disney Infinity characters.

Everybody has a game or series that they just don't quite "get", something they have difficulty deciphering just what the fuss is all about. For me one of those franchises is the PlayStation exclusive first person shooter Killzone and, it seems I'm not alone in that view. I've always admired its universe, packed with striking World War 2 similarities and the powerful representation of a corrupt evil dictatorship lording over a civilization populated entirely by series antagonists the terrifying Helghast adorned in their instantly recognisable orange eyed uniforms. Regardless of my passion for the world developers Guerrilla Games had built the heavy trudging gameplay and somewhat stiff shooting mechanics failed to keep me invested for anything more than passing encounters with the series.

With that in mind it's unusual that like many PlayStation Vita owners I find myself eagerly anticipating the latest series entry Killzone: Mercenary. For the first time players will be able to take a full Killzone first person shooter experience on the go complete with a full deep competitive online mode. Killzone isn't the first FPS to come to Vita, the Sony owned Resistance series and Activision's colossal Call of Duty were both previously been released onto the hardware back in 2012 to a tepid response from fans and critics alike; both developed by the same company - Nihilistic Software. Owners of the powerhouse portable are hoping that it's Guerrilla Cambridge's first go at Killzone that will prove to be Vita's FPS saviour and buck the genres trend of disappointment on the portable. Sony seems confident in the game as PlayStation Plus subscribers were treated to an open beta of the online multiplayer earlier last week which I've spent some time with.

Allow me to start my impressions by saying how amazed I am that the 4v4 rounds run incredibly smoothly with little to no lag issues, through my time playing I've never seen a player disconnect once in play. The highest praise which I can impart upon Killzone Mercenary is how perfectly it emulates Killzone 3's gameplay; the engine has been ported to the Vita so sublimely it replicates the previous PS3 instalment to such a degree it's like playing a console quality game in the palm of your hand. Even with my qualms over previous entries gameplay I thoroughly enjoyed every round I played. Without a shadow of doubt if the beta is any indication Killzone could very easily be the FPS Vita has been waiting for.

Killzone Mercenary bears a stronger visual and gameplay resemblance to its predecessors than it does to upcoming PS4 launch title Killzone: Shadowfall. Locations accessible by players in the beta are awash with the series traditional war torn brown and grey palette. The controls are much tighter than expected considering the jump to a handheld; there's a slight adjustment period but players should acclimatise fairly quickly after which both aiming and movement feel responsive and precise. Mercenary controls undoubtedly and surprisingly better than any previous portable FPS thanks to the Vita's twin thumb sticks and happily feels as comfortable as playing on a home console like the PS3. Touch screen functionality is present but thankfully uninvasive - most touch inputs are also mapped to a button press allowing players to choose which they prefer. Only the intuitive knife kill inputs require swiping the touch screen, missing these touch QTE's allows enemies to counter or escape the attack adding extra level of skill to proceedings, whether this will simply become an annoyance however remains to be seen.

As previously stated all beta activity is restricted to one map named Shoreline that draws heavy inspiration from locales of Killzone past, it hasn't yet been announced how many maps will feature in the full retail release. Shoreline is well constructed with blend of sub terrain tunnels, open plan arenas and some strategic high ground for snipers - perfect for the 4v4 matches the multiplayer revolves around. Once the released the game will feature three competitive online modes: Mercenary Warfare, Guerrilla Warfare and Warzone - Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Objectives respectively. For the purpose of beta players are restricted to Warzone only. Within Warzone the two rival factions, ISA and Helghast, face off against one another attempting to fulfil alternating objectives before their rivals in order to score points.

Warzone matches consist of five rounds featuring four different types of alternating objective. The round kicks off with the first of the five objectives named bounty. In bounty players must face off against each other like a traditional deathmatch, though unlike a traditional deathmach players must also collect the bounty card rivals drop upon their defeat, meaning that sniping won't do much good unless you can swoop in to collect the reward. In addition to collecting defeated foes bounty card if team mates are quick enough they jump to the rescue and save a deceased ally's card before the opposing forces claim the kill. The objective is quick paced and engaging, it sets up the rest of the match perfectly guiding players to work as a team to ensure the successful collection of cards.

Next up on the playlist is hacker, this objective type pops up in list twice as both the second and fourth rounds. In this mode VAN-guard capsules are dropped onto the map, within these capsules are special temporary power ups, players who hack them are randomly assigned a boon, which include but aren't limited to air-to-surface missiles, a personal stealth generator and an arc launcher that zaps foes in close proximity into submission. Claiming the booty within these capsules takes a good amount of teamwork as hacking one requires the hacker to take part in a mini game of matching symbols, whilst doing so they become vulnerable to fire becoming reliant on allies to cover them. The mini game is simple enough to be an intuitive twist on the usual opening animation and timer without becoming a nuisance; additionally rewards skilled players who will be able to claim the prizes with more ease.

Smack in the middle at round three is interrogation. The goal in interrogation is to sneak up on rivals and dispatch them using Mercenary's violent knife attacks. These strikes use the previously mentioned touch screen QTE's making killing a group of foes in quick succession impossible, instead they need to be isolated; picked off one at a time. The round makes for an exciting diversion from the wonderful gun play forcing combatants to switch up tactics to get the drop on foes. This is the lowest scoring round in the stack of challenges as in many games I played combatants continued to simply shoot each other rather than attempting to interrogate with knife kills making point scoring difficult.

After a fourth round consisting of another go at hacker players are treated to a more traditional closing round - body count. With body count the teams are pitted against each other within normal team death match rules, points are awarded to each side whenever a rival combatant is slain by an ally. The mode doesn't take much more describing than that and is a delightful way to close the mayhem. Since most players seem to play this way 90% of the time it's where the points are made up and losing teams can make miraculous come backs. Overall the Warzone mode is a good laugh and strong indicator of the strength of Killzones gameplay. The final round body count simply makes me excited to play a standard team deathmatch.

Like most online shooting titles every "positive" action awards players with experience, actions like: kills, head shots, picking up ammo and completing objectives etc. Experience in Killzone also doubles as credits, the in game currency used to buy new weapons, armour and items that help tailor your character to your preferred play style. When the game launches actions from the single player will also allow the collection of credits adding a cross mode value to the currency giving player a choice of how they earn. Online the credit approach is a friendly system that allows players to advance along the paths they desire rather than a pre-determined system that locks players out of upgrades depending on their level. Speaking of which.

Although players are assigned ranks and levels in a traditional sense Killzone also features an additional indicator of skill. Remember the bounty cards that need to be collected in the first round of the Warzone? Well these are tailored to represent players skill level combined with their play style. Each card is represented by a card from a traditional deck, players earn a rank from 2 to Ace depending on how much money they earned the previous day, the more credits earned the higher the representation. The suit is awarded depending on which weapons players scored the most kills with the previous day. Collecting the cards earns players awards and gives them incentive to kill as many types of players to collect their cards as possible. Additionally the card is a better indicator of current skill than a level.

In the end the small slice on offer in Killzone Mercenary's beta exudes hope for the title, the fact Sony allowed the game to go to open beta a few weeks before launch should be a strong indicator that they feel confident; with good reason. What's available to play is a well-polished tightly controlled engrossing multiplayer experience littered with a good variety of exciting game modes. The unique bounty card system feels right at home on a portable system where players may not get a chance to play every single day. I wasn't a Killzone fan going to to Mercenary but it's slick fun gameplay won me over now I'm eagerly awaiting the release. Open Beta is now available for all Vita owners who want to check it out. Check back soon for a full review.

Daniel Collett
Http://www.gamerree.com/
Looking to increase notoriety of existing blog happy to come to an arrangement for work to be displayed elsewhere freely with my permission.

I happened across an interesting article from Nintendo Enthusiast detailing a theoretical idea for a Legend of Zelda title; one where Zelda is the protagonist and player-controlled character rather than Link. The author was curious as to why it had not been done before, and was asking if Zelda was just an incapable character for leading a title of her own.

It isn't that Zelda is an incapable character on her own, far from it. Zelda's alter ego, Sheik, could definitely make for a rousing and interesting adventure. Even the princess herself is capable and has some interesting tricks up her sleeve, and of course as a member of royalty (supposedly) plays an important part in the politics and major events of the game world.

The problem is that this is a major Nintendo title.

People go to Nintendo the same way a child continues going to their grandparents house; for the sense of nostalgia and a place of loving stability away from the chaotic, noisy, and constantly changing world outside. It is a sort of slight reprieve from the "adult" world and allows for one to just kick back, relax and let grandma and grandpa tell their stories.

Imagine going to your grandparent's home one evening for a visit only to find out that grandpa got a sex change, and that grandma is hosting dog fights in the basement?

What? Don't look at me that way, it's original, isn't it?

Terrible analogies aside, this is a large part of Nintendo's appeal. People always know what to expect with Nintendo, and they go to them for that. If you want good old fashioned platforming, colors, some Mario, Zelda or Pokemon action, you go to Nintendo, who could be said to be the last big gaming company to be delivering a wholesomely unique "feel" and experience with their console.

Even worse is the fact that some of the best ideas that people can seem to come up with for such a game is at best a mild role-reversal between two or more of the main characters and at worst a mere fan-fiction-esque gender swap. No one wants to pay and play a $60 big budget title with nothing more than fan-fiction allure going for it. Unless it's a Super Smash Bros. title, in which case it's somewhat understandable.

They say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Many people misconstrue this idiom as meaning something along the lines of "you can't try new things" or "old dogs suck, adopt a puppy." This isn't the real meaning behind it though. What it is actually saying is that after doing something the same way for so long, it becomes difficult to do something truly new or different with it.

Part of the problem with any of Nintendo's main titles is that they have been doing nearly the same things for so long, and have such a strong and cemented foundation in both their execution and what their fans think of their games. Because of this, any attempts to do something new or creative with these old IP's risks becoming or seeming like an obvious parody. This may have been part of what caused the overall (at least in comparison to Nintendo's other Zelda titles) poor reception of Wind Waker. The pirates and sailing and talking boat, Zelda turning into a rough and tough runaway and the cell-shaded style, it all gave off a vibe of parody, or at least a sense that it can't be taken as seriously as the other games in the franchise.

This is a shame because The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is probably my personal favorite title in the series so far.

Perhaps a better way to approach this would be to, as many, many, MANY people have been clamoring for, go for a more mature angle. A game featuring Zelda as the lead should primarily only have Zelda/Sheik as the playable characters, in order to maintain a consistent narrative similar to previous titles. It would also work best by utilizing both aspects of her persona; both the regal and politically involved Zelda, and the nimble and combat based Sheik.

Another good idea might be to go for a sort of day/night mechanic, with the overall gameplay split into two conjoining segments:

During the day (a.k.a. working hours) you would play as Zelda, ruling over the kingdom, partaking in political intrigue, exploring the castle and town to chat with various citizens, and basically governing your empire. This would be where most of the world building and characterization comes into play, news of current events plays out, etc. etc. Here you could talk to Link from time to time, or try to, considering he;s a mute. Actually instead you could just give Link orders and hope for the best, like everyone else does.

During the night (a.k.a. clubbing hours) you would play as Sheik, taking part in faster paced combat and even stealth sections. Here the player would be more free to explore the world's more dangerous and exciting sections, fighting enemies or sneaking past them. This would be the more investigative aspect of the game and involve perhaps the more dangerous and significant parts of the story and development. Perhaps you could even assist Link in his ventures, with what methods you use to help him actually affecting his progress and even the story's progression.

Again, these are just a few ideas that I believe would help make a serious game of this type work. Feel free to leave your own thoughts.

There's only one move left, hastily skimming the field I discover there is no path to victory on the board - painfully then with a singular swipe across the screen I take the final step towards the inescapable loss of my final life. As the input is complete the newly aligned brightly coloured trio of candy exuberantly bursts against the backdrop of defeat as the stage expectedly fails to clear - immediately a window splays itself across my phones display. Chirpily full of itself the box informs me for a small price I can buy a few more lives and have another go; alternately I can gloomily spend 20 minutes moping whilst I wait for them to replenish themselves. If you haven't guessed yet I'm of course referencing the mobile free to play phenomena, Bejewelled inspired, Candy Crush Saga.

Even a short few years ago the idea of downloading a game like Candy Crush for completely free was a mostly unheard of practice. Today a plethora of titles particularly Massively Multiplayer Online games and those released on to mobile platforms offer themselves up for free electing to sell players optional extra's later via micro transactions - a sort of extended demo, the so called Freemium pay model. Freemium's growing usage is thanks in no small part to the rise in popularity of social networks like Facebook and smartphone platforms where they thrive. Even monolithic publishers like EA have begun experimenting with free to play mechanics applying them into home console releases; recent titles including Dead Space 3 and Mass Effect 3 have included optional micro transactions. Despite its success the movement has found itself the victim of harsh critical backlash from traditional gamers, the group that is least partial to straying from traditional onetime payment models.

To understand the success of free to play models and their current upward trajectory you must first realise that gamers; therefore the market, are split primarily into two very distinct audiences - the so called core and casual. The core are traditional gamers, typically opting for devoted gaming hardware like PC's and consoles as their preferred platforms; they rarely have more than a fleeting interest in either MMO or mobile. Regularly buying numerous games a year ranging from blockbusters to smaller indie titles they are the market whom publishers traditionally target. On the other hand are the casual, they're pretty much everyone else, those who don't devote tens of hours to exploring Skyrim. They primarily game on devices they own for other purposes, like smartphones, tablets or Facebook. This audience rarely buys devoted gaming machines unless they can offer something unique - like Wii's motion control, PS2's DVD player or Xbox360's Kinect. The two groups are polarised on almost every front: including free to play.

Free to play's rise in prominence is easily attributed to the increasing number of casual gamers - the relation is distinct. Years ago there was no casual audience, gaming was something only the enthusiastic core did - no one's mom bought a NES (*ahem* apart from mine). The advent of the internet and mobile phones changed that, suddenly games were accessible; anyone could play them as a mere side effect of owning another device. Even the ancient, by today standards, Nokia phones foretold this eventuality, after all who didn't play snake? Later still Facebook started offering up games, in unprecedented volumes people who'd never bought a console in their lives started playing Bejewelled against their friends online. What did these games have in common? They were all free as part of a device bought for other reasons.

They were free for an obvious reason too, because they had to be. Think about it, imagine trying to sell the average person a £40/ $60 retail game on top of a devoted video game console, it's a hard sell- yet, for core gamers that's fine. Now imagine they've already bought a smartphone for another purpose, following the traditional model selling them Candy Crush for £10/$15 would still be very hard. You could perhaps get them to buy it if you utilized a Trojan horse, say like offering it for free. Trojan horse tactics are powerful tools, just look at Nintendo Wii. Initially Nintendo targeted the core who showed the system to their casual friends and family, effectively allowing them to demo the Wii's capabilities for free. Afterwards if they wanted it they could buy it, which they did in millions. Nintendo effectively Trojan horsed their way into casual's lives selling them something they didn't know they wanted until they played it. Sound familiar? It should, free to play utilizes that same tactic, put it in their hands for free; they'll pay later.

Sadly Wii was doomed to the life of a fad, despite it's incredible hardware sales software sales began to slouch as disillusioned core gamers departed from the system and the casual failed to move a significant amount of software in their stead. Another similar story and, more relevant to the free to play experiences of today is that of one time immensely popular Facebook game Farmville. Farmville as you probably know was a farming simulator. Players grew their crops and harvested them on a real time clock. The game could be played 100% for free but players who didn't pay would start finding themselves at a disadvantage as their friends who did pony up cash farms expanded much quicker - exemplifying the worrying "pay to win" problem whereby those who pay are tactically better off resulting in free players being treat as second class citizens. Over the course of a year vast numbers paid for micro transactions earning billions for publisher Zynga - like Wii though the fad burnt out as quick as it lit and Farmville is largely forgotten.

Farmville pioneered the freemium model that is now widely used and, like all fads it raked in a phenomenal amount of money during its brief time in the spot light. Now that everyone owns a smartphone, iPad, tablet, android or has a Facebook account, getting an audience to pick up a free to play game is easier than ever and therefore the chances of being lucrative are increased. Saying free to play fads only last for finite amount of time is something of a null argument anyway. Traditional full retail games have a shelf life as well - a less prolonged one too, whereby on average approximately 80% of a games sales is done in the first week. Both free to play and the traditional onetime payment methods can only be sustained for so long - each just works better on one audience.

Unfortunately we live in a world where people need to be paid; games aren't made out of the kindness in developer's hearts. It's integral that both they and their publishers make back their investment and turn a profit so they can carry on producing the games we love. The decision to release a title using a freemium model or including micro transactions is a business one and when targeting a casual audience it's a wise choice. If only one in ten players pay the bite size amounts for optional content then you'll still be turning a profit thanks to the astronomical size of the market - in theory that's very appealing. Everybody wins right? Free games for players more money for the publishers. However, whilst entirely possible to complete a game like Candy Crush without ever spending a penny it's incredibly hard and time consuming to achieve.

It's not traditionally difficult mind, no rather free games tend to set up pay walls that players need to pay to overcome. In Candy Crush's case it limits the number of lives players have, after a couple of failures - a relatively small period of time - they're presented with a choice: buy some boosters or more lives for a small price or wait it out twenty minutes for them to replenish. To that end the game sells time and convince but, logically to sell convenience one must first accept inconvenience is a core pillar of gameplay design. How can you save the player time without first wasting it? The game appears to actively step in your way forcing you to break down and spend money. It's not irregular either in free games for it cost more to buy all the content than it would to purchase a one payment comparative retail version.

For casual gamers who'd never pay for a full game that's fine. For the core though this is a bit concerning, generally intelligent and notoriously difficult to trick they click on rather quickly realising the game is simply trying to make more money in small instalments than it could in one big lump up front. At best that's a deal breaker, like many core gamers feeling on Plants Vs Zombies 2, at worst it's an insult. Mostly the core would simply rather buy the game upfront never hitting pay walls or paying as they go, core games are a form of escapism; who wants to escape to a world where they have to think about real life money?

Free to play is a deceptively tricky beast though; although it can be done terribly it can also be done positively in a way the core can support. Planetside 2 is a great example a massively multiplayer PC FPS that puts players at no disadvantages for playing for free choosing to sell customisation options. Sure they're other options available but none feel like they're trying to steal money from you, rather they sell permanent content at a fair price. Valve's Team Fortress 2 is another example of free to play done right, once a full retail game it can now be played for free and players pay for customisation options - nothing more.

I started this article asking is free to play a fad or the future. The truth is it's a combination of both. During the time that publishers have tinkered with the model it has become crystal clear that whilst it benefits the casual audience it's less friendly to the savvy core that are more than aware of its Trojan horse ways and actively oppose the model. Regardless of the core's feelings free to play is a lucrative payment model that is inevitably part of the future - in fact I'd wager it will become the primary mechanism for making money on smartphones, tablet PC's and social networks - home of the casual - in a the very close future. Even with some good examples of free to play systems in core games it seems like it'll be a while longer before they'll be a force within the core market - as long as it takes for the core to get routinely good deals. Ultimately the core's uncanny ability to avoid being ripped off means they shouldn't feel threatened by free to play's success in the casual market affecting them. So is free to play the future? Casually, definitely. For the core? Expect to see free to play and traditional titles co-exist in the future, just not today.

Dan Collett
http://www.gamerree.com/
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