Dungeon Keeper Mobile‘s producer isn’t worried about criticsm of the game, because its Google Play Rating is currently at 4.5.
When Dungeon Keeper Mobile came out, one of it’s harshest criticsms was that the “free-to-play” version of the game seemed severly crippled in order to try and make players fork out cash for expensive microtransactions. It’s a sentiment that is seemingly shared by critics and players alike, but EA Mythic’s Jeff Skalski, the game’s senior producer, doesn’t seem to think there is a problem. Skalski states that gamers upset with the game’s microtransactions are playing the game wrong, as “Dungeon Keeper is meant to be played on the go multiple times a day with a few minutes here or there.”
“We’re also seeing a lot of game downloads and in-game engagement so that tells us there is a large group of people who are playing and enjoying the game. Obviously, this is counter to some of the angry reactions we’ve seen around the internet.”
Furthermore, Skalski claims that it is only a vocal minority that has a problem with the game, explaining that “One of the important data points we’re looking at is our store ratings and downloads. At the time of this interview, App Store ratings currently sit at 4 out of 5 stars and Google Play ratings sit at 4.5 out of 5 stars.” He added that he and the team personally think that the game’s microtransactions are “fair”.
He did admit that the team was looking into further data points to see exactly where the rage is coming from, but theorizes that it is due to hardcore Dungeon Keeper fans coming into the game and expecting a full Dungeon Keeper expereince, rather than just a taste. “Our intention with the mobile version was to give as many people as possible a taste of that original Dungeon Keeper experience, and for some people, that’s not the way they want to re-visit the franchise.”
Were you upset with EA’s Dungeon Keeper Mobile? Is it a sign of everything that’s wrong with the games industry, or do you think, like Skalski, that it’s just a vocal minority kicking up a stink?
Source: Tab Times
Update: As confirmed by Gamasutra, EA has a rather sneaky way of getting all those 5-star reviews that Skalski values so much. When the game asks you to rate it on Android and you choose to give it less than 5 stars, it doesn’t allow you to do so, and instead asks you to message the company with your feedback. Of course, if you pick 5-stars you can still alter your rating later, but nonetheless, it’s a pretty underhanded tactic.
Source: Gamasutra
Update 2: Peter Molyneux, the lead designer of the original Dungeon Keeper game, has himself voiced his concerns about the mobile version of the game. “I felt myself turning round saying, ‘What? This is ridiculous. I just want to make a dungeon. I don’t want to schedule it on my alarm clock for six days to come back for a block to be chipped,'” he told the BBC, adding “I don’t think they got it quite right, the balance between keeping it familiar to the fans that were out there but fresh enough and understandable enough for this much bigger mobile audience.”
Source: BBC
