Gems of Opportunity: Games Industry Concept: "Game Modes Sold Ala Carte at Retail"

Hello All,

I just made it by the hair of my chinny chin chin, but here is this month's unique creative conceptual design. Finding opportunity in a constructive manner to promote commerce and goodwill as potential innovative solutions. To date this blog site of "Atrayo's Oracle" has 202 such conceptual designs since 2005 online. As freely available for any Innovator or ambitious Venture Capitalist to sift through the dozens of eclectic industries. (ie commercial business models, inventions. nonprofits, legislation, and military initiatives) These are just the primer in summary abstract form and not necessarily the whole shebang, that would make it too easy.

Today's original (as far as I know) games industry conceptual design solution is to bring full circle how video games were released in the early 2000's. Part nostalgia and part additional revenue streams for game publishers to offer an assortment of game modes ala carte to consumers. What I mean by Ala Carte Game Modes are the: single player campaign missions, multiplayer mode, mini-game modes, and the modders editor toolset (for creating grass roots level designed game maps for whichever game mode).

For those who may not recall what it was like in the early 2000's playing PC games besides the video consoles. When typically a FPS (1st Person Shooter) was released at retail it consisted of a: single player campaign, multiplayer maps, and a modder editor toolset. All of that at the standard price point of $50.00 US. Today when a FPS game title is released at least from EA (Electronic Arts) game publisher it only releases a multiplayer mode. The price point is split between 3 tiers of standard at $59.99, deluxe at $79.99, and collectors $120-140.00 being online download (standard / deluxe only) and as a physical boxed unit. No discounts between a full physical retail unit and completely a game download. I'm surprised why game publishers haven't charged a premium for a physical retail boxed unit to date? Perhaps to dissuade consumers on the environmental costs of selling a boxed unit would be the rationale.

In the early 2000's there were game expansions and not DLC's (Downloadable Content). However today's game season pass could be presumed to be a full game expansion. About 6 years ago a DLC pack went for $9.99 US nowadays with hyperinflation its $14.99, and perhaps in another 5 years time they'll cost $19.99. The Season Game Pass is rather a newer retail phenomena utilized by game publishers such as EA which I'll use as my prime example. Season passes for games have been around 2 to 3 years retailing usually at $49.99 US, with an extra included DLC pack sold on the house as free.

Back on June 10th, 2010 I made a Prophetic Call that Electronic Arts was going to ditch the modder editor toolset with FPS games. Will DLC Spell The End of the Modder Community?

I went on in that short commentary to raise the alarmist flag that EA was pulling a fast one on gamers. This is when "DICE's Battlefield Bad Company 2" was the preeminent FPS game back in 2010. Ever since that time modder editor tools in a FPS game title have gone the way of the dinosaur. (No relation to "Ark: Survival Evolved") :op

My conceptual design is to remedy this for a game publisher. With a quasi revival whilst expanding game units sold albeit with altering game modes of the identical game franchise version offered at retail. For example let's say EA on behalf of Disney's "Star Wars Battlefront" game franchise. Will develop a 4th installment of the "Star Wars Battlefront" series. (which it is confirmed they're doing so, however not how I'll explain it in this example) Let's continue to speculate it'll consist of the Star Wars movie saga episode 7 (2015) onwards in science-fiction operatic lore.

By doing either a Super Release product cycle offering or a Stair Stepped offering at retail. In the Super Release a game publisher such as EA hired by Disney to release "Star Wars Battlefront 4". With multiple game mode iterations of the identical game ala carte (ie meaning piecemeal). For instance an RPG single player campaign mission arch, FPS multiplayer game mode, MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) Strategy game, an assortment of mini-games for the mobile market, and modder map editor tools for PC gamers. (In any game mode retail iteration would the mod tools work for in PC and mobile platforms. The video console gamers would be omitted due to the manufacturer's saying "No" to such a notion.) All game mode versions sold simultaneously as a version of Shock and Awe for gamers to gobble up in festive joy.

A game publisher can task multiple inhouse game studio's to each handle a different game mode product iteration at retail. However all game mode iterations can share unique cross-pollination of game metrics and achievements by player account. What I mean by this is what a player on their own secure registered game account with the game publisher. Does in one game mode let's say the RPG campaign can have an impact in the turn of events in a meta sense within a FPS multiplayer game round. Every player would only see their game achievements mirrored back to them. It isn't necessarily shared with other concurrent players on their respective game client in a multiplayer game mode. (ie FPS, Strategy, etc...) Any in-game currency earned can be pooled also with all purchased game mode iterations a gamer may have unlocked on their account.

For the Stair Stepped product cycle offering at retail sounds exactly how it means. Let's say EA releases 1st the "Star Wars Battlefront 4" set in episode 7 of the movie saga. With an RPG single player campaign mission arch Sold One Full Month between subsequent game retail launches. So on month 2 the FPS multiplayer game mode is sold at retail for gamers, whichever platform they use. At month 3 the MOBA Strategy game mode is sold, at month 4 the mini-game assortment is sold for the mobile market, and at month 5 the full (for whichever game platform mode) modder game editor toolset is sold. The Season Passes can each be offered per individual game mode or offer an Ultimate Season Pass for all game modes purchased by the consumer / gamer on their account. By recalling a Season Pass is compromised of 5 or so DLC packs depending on their release schedule.

This games industry conceptual offering is meant to offer gamer interest variety per game genre. Perhaps only certain gamers will be interested in only one game mode and not others. Some of said just as much in regards why single player campaign missions have disappeared from the FPS game offering. However in this suggested proposal the single player campaign mission arch would be RPG (Role Playing Game) and not FPS for instance.

Inasmuch as a revival is meant to be created in a circular nostalgic game product offering to consumers. So another generation of gamers can sorta rekindle the joyous past time of enjoying multiple versions as in game genre's of the identical game offering. Making marketing budgets by the game publisher stretch that much further especially with a stair stepped game mode release schedule. Short of creating a dedicated MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game this would be the diversity of game genre's consumers are always demanding from game publishers. Offered ala carte each to their own game mode interest within the game franchise it is presented within. This easily so to speak gives the gamer the consumer choice many have been asking for many years now. Let's hope the suits in the games industry are paying attention and have their curiosity piqued.

Ivan "Atrayo" Pozo-Illas, has devoted 21 years of his life to the pursuit of clairvoyant automatic writing channeling the Angelic host. Ivan, is the author to the spiritual wisdom series of "Jewels of Truth" consisting of 3 volumes published to date. He also channels conceptual designs that are multi-faceted for the next society to come that are solutions based as a form of dharmic service. Numerous examples of his work is available at "Atrayo's Oracle" blog site of 10 years plus online. Your welcome to visit his website "Jewelsoftruth.us" for further information or to contact Atrayo directly.