I want to muse a little about Season Passes today, I think. I was discussing Deep Rock Galactic, one of my favorite multiplayer online games, and how they handle the concept. For starters, I'm going to qualify that in this case I am using "Season Pass" in the sense of a timed release of materials used for an online game. I do NOT include "Season Passes" for single player games that are just pre-paying for upcoming DLC content as part of this.
So, I am not /against/ the idea of a season pass in an online game. It is an effective way to both provide an ongoing series of goals and rewards, and maintain engagement, which is necessary for any long-term online game. If you're any good at it, it's also a reasonable way to manage a release cycle. You have a set period of time in which certain material can exist and thereby a set time frame to work with. The hard part, as in just about everything, is in execution. You need a timeframe that isn't too long, or people will get bored and leave. You need one that isn't too /short/ or people will get overwhelmed. Likewise you need to be sure that people can access the good stuff without having to do themselves in grinding. I am... undecided on the concept of the Free/Paid Pass split. I don't like spending money on anything but I recognize that there has to be money made /somewhere/ along the line.
By far, my favorite take on the idea is Deep Rock Galactic's. Each season, you have a big ol tree. Play games to earn points and level up the tree. Each node is a prize, of which about 75% are cosmetics and the rest resources. There are usually a season-specific side thing you can do to earn More Points on the tree, and each season brings new mission types, enemies or complications. The kicker? It's free. Completely and utterly. Moreover, at present, when a season is over, anything you didn't get out of the rewards tree is rolled into either the in game (game credits only) shop, or the normal "Find it in a bonus" loot pool. Events and encounters from prior seasons do not go away, though they do get de-prioritized compared to whatever the current season's gimmick is. They are, at present, also working on a mechanic that will let you freely select which season (Including prior ones) is "Active" and work on their rewards trees instead. No FOMO, just pick something and work towards it. I want to see more like this. DRG funds itself with the game buy in and periodic cosmetic releases. Funny hats, beards, gun skins... I'm told that the Helldivers 2 seasons work like this as well - they don't expire, though you do have to buy a premium track. However, funny money bux are also included in the drop pool so you do not in theory have to spend a cent.
#videogames #gaming #seasonpass #gamedev