Photo: Gameloft
The paid version of Disney Speedstorm has been out and about for a few days now, and it could have done better among reviewers and players alike. On Steam, for instance, it has a mixed review score of 69%, with people complaining more about its "pay to win" approach rather than the gameplay itself. The Metacritic score isn't out yet, but most reviewers weren't any kinder to it either.
Speedstorm was supposed (key word here, "supposed") to be this amazing kart racing experience that could have rivaled Mario Kart 8 Deluxe itself. But judging by its reception at launch, it doesn't seem like this is the case anymore.
Gameloft has been creating hype for this game for a good while now, and while everything was pointing toward a player-friendly approach, it looks like it went the other way around. Thus, people didn't take kindly to the game's not-so-friendly monetization tactics.
This isn't anything we haven't seen before in the gaming industry, but the words "such a shame" come to mind. When will publishers learn to stop pushing their luck with players? If a game is good in the first place, it will sell, period.
Look at Rocket League, Fortnite, Dota, League of Legends, or Counter-Strike. They're all free-to-play games with millions upon millions of players that can't get enough of them because they don't feel artificially pressured to buy things to progress further in-game or to win.
Usually, when this happens, the companies put out a PR statement along the lines of "Oh, we're so surprised you didn't want the game to be this way, but we are listening, and we're so grateful for your feedback/passion for our game." You're more than familiar with this kind of messaging and what it actually means.
In all fairness, the launch seems more doom and gloom than it actually is. If Gameloft wants its product to succeed, the next step is to try and realign the game's monetary vision with what players want.
There have been many more egregious cases than Disney Speedstorm, like Final Fantasy XIV, Rainbow Six Siege, and Star Wars Battlefront II, but even they managed to crawl out of Hell and get into the players' good graces. The trend here is to correct the current course, and things will sort themselves out.
From what the players are saying on Steam, it looks like the formula's right there, at least gameplay-wise. This is a shame because if the game were free-to-play, to begin with, then people might have seen things in a different light.
But nerves will ensue when you have to pay 30 bucks for the current Early Access build only to encounter a grind-oriented method of progression. Some of these "snags" come in the shape of coins, multiplayer rank tokens, season pass credits, seasonal tickets, and other wonderful currency items.
As you might have guessed, these off-putting methods have made people request refunds.
Speedstorm was initially set to be free-to-play, but now, you have to wait for the full release in late 2023 or early 2024 when it comes out from its Early Access stage. The odds are that people will start having an interest again when they can finally play it for free.
Gameloft has been creating hype for this game for a good while now, and while everything was pointing toward a player-friendly approach, it looks like it went the other way around. Thus, people didn't take kindly to the game's not-so-friendly monetization tactics.
This isn't anything we haven't seen before in the gaming industry, but the words "such a shame" come to mind. When will publishers learn to stop pushing their luck with players? If a game is good in the first place, it will sell, period.
Look at Rocket League, Fortnite, Dota, League of Legends, or Counter-Strike. They're all free-to-play games with millions upon millions of players that can't get enough of them because they don't feel artificially pressured to buy things to progress further in-game or to win.
Usually, when this happens, the companies put out a PR statement along the lines of "Oh, we're so surprised you didn't want the game to be this way, but we are listening, and we're so grateful for your feedback/passion for our game." You're more than familiar with this kind of messaging and what it actually means.
In all fairness, the launch seems more doom and gloom than it actually is. If Gameloft wants its product to succeed, the next step is to try and realign the game's monetary vision with what players want.
There have been many more egregious cases than Disney Speedstorm, like Final Fantasy XIV, Rainbow Six Siege, and Star Wars Battlefront II, but even they managed to crawl out of Hell and get into the players' good graces. The trend here is to correct the current course, and things will sort themselves out.
From what the players are saying on Steam, it looks like the formula's right there, at least gameplay-wise. This is a shame because if the game were free-to-play, to begin with, then people might have seen things in a different light.
But nerves will ensue when you have to pay 30 bucks for the current Early Access build only to encounter a grind-oriented method of progression. Some of these "snags" come in the shape of coins, multiplayer rank tokens, season pass credits, seasonal tickets, and other wonderful currency items.
As you might have guessed, these off-putting methods have made people request refunds.
Speedstorm was initially set to be free-to-play, but now, you have to wait for the full release in late 2023 or early 2024 when it comes out from its Early Access stage. The odds are that people will start having an interest again when they can finally play it for free.
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