We all see a lot of things that annoy us. I am sick of keeping it all to myself.
So let's begin with the company that sparked this blog to begin with; Ubisoft's Gameloft.
Gameloft have always made serviceable games, they work, they fill a gap in the market. I used to play their games on my old mobile phones.
Now their business practices employ nothing but copy-pasting. If you wanted a rant on what they're like you wouldn't be here, so let me talk to you about what really gets me down about them:
They're fantastic with their community. They respond to almost all queries, have a great, punctual customer support service and offer their games at competitive prices with sales as regular as the next provider.
But they've been getting a free ride, and it's set a VERY bad precedent for others to follow in the handheld gaming world. Studios like Madfinger (who I thought were going somewhere until they started doing the exact same thing with their recent release Shadowgun) are an example of this.
It is something some people call "whipping out the clono-tron" ;)
This is acceptable up to a point. If you copied the Mona Lisa so you could sell it on post cards then as long as you don't sell them as if they are the original, nobody will hate you. but the fact of the matter is that with the launch of the PS Vita; with titles such as Dungeon Hunter: Alliance and Asphalt: Injection seeing retail releases and price tags. Gameloft are saying that their mobile games have the same merit as full retail titles such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss.
They do not. Not because they aren't serviceable, not because you can see the bottom of a skydome in the background (you cant, all the parts are there). but because of the precedent that Gameloft has set; Mini-me's of your favorite games sold for pocket money. Harmless, until they start charging $40/£30 for them.
It's not illegal, its not even completely morally wrong. it's insulting. the Mums and Dads and those who do not subscribe to the game journalism or news do not know how cheaply this game is available elsewhere, potentially on devices they already own. and Ubisoft think they can ask these people to pay the same amount as a full retail product that has never seen a previous release.
Gameloft, you are in the position of pioneers. You were a part of mobile gaming from it's inception. And yet you chose not to further your medium. You chose the quick dollar. Now it seems that dollar is not enough for you. Do not expect us to follow you if you do not deliver something we would want on our shelves.
If you want to raise the price; you need to up the game.
Thank you for reading.
