You’ve simply got to love it when one of the biggest names in gaming decides to throw all caution to the wind, and host a charity golf tournament – with microtransactions included.
Apparently this is the brainchild of EA CEO Rich Hilleman who sought to use design elements from Korean microtransaction based games in a real world golf tourney. All players were allowed to purchase special abilities each round. Some would help them improve their score, while others would damage opposing teams (see pricing chart below). Prices range from $1 to toss a beach ball at another player and moving another players ball one club length from the hole, to $10 which allowed players the ability to kick another players ball into a water hazard (take THAT Mr. Perry).
Image courtesy of MTV
EA Partner’s GM David DeMartini joked that the event was actually a test. “So if microtransactions catch on here at the golf course today then it’s likely they will in the real world.”
And while EA smartly applied the microtransaction theme to a good cause, there’s also a timely message contained in this exercise. Bob Wallace, principal at Strategic Alternative says, “The industry has been interested in microtransactions since the arcades.” He thinks that although the model originated primarily in Asia, North America and Europe are prime to reap the benefits of microtransaction based pricing, “Because, you actually get what you pay for.”
DeMartini echos Wallace’s sentiments, “”I think we’re certainly headed in that way with more of the mid-session games, some of the free games…I think it’s going to be much more of a free-play microtransaction model.”
When asked about the market shift, Wallace predicts “Five years or less”. He says that the two models (subscription and microtransaction) will coexist for a time (aren’t we already at this phase?), but that microtransactions will gain ground, “I think it has a lot of appeal to mass market gamers.”
All proceeds from EA’s microtransaction charity golf tournament will be donated to the Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund, part of which may be used to help fund the education of future game developers. If you’re unfamiliar with who Randy Pausch is, clear 10 minutes from your schedule and watch.
View the full 1 hour 16 minute version here.
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Being back in Europe the jetlag still doesn’t allow me much sleep at night but – and what’s a lot more relevant – I am looking back to a super exciting week at fatfoogoo.
