While the latest iteration of Unreal Engine has always enjoyed a certain amount of prestige, Unity has come a long way over the last couple of years. Unity CEO, John Riccitiello, spoke about the company’s recent merger with the business platform ironSource in an interview with PocketGamer.biz, where he had a few choice words for game developers who aren’t overly keen on aggressive monetization mechanics.
RELATED: Unity Engine Cinematic Demo Shows Life-Like Character
Specifically, Riccitiello said that developers who don’t implement monetization systems early on are “the most beautiful and pure, brilliant people. They’re also some of the biggest f***ing idiots.” The former CEO of Electronic Arts didn’t mince words about the importance of clever, engaging monetization in contemporary video games, and holds the belief that developers should opt to bake them into their titles and focus on building a correctly tuned “compulsion loop” that keeps players coming back for more, over and over again.
With companies such as BMW introducing microtransactions for cars, it certainly seems like Riccitiello is voicing an opinion that’s reasonably commonly held in the tech industry. The CEO believes that modern video games ought to be finely tuned to accommodate an optimal engagement loop for long periods of time, which would presumably lead to improved microtransaction conversion rates. At the same time, Riccitiello claims that he appreciates the classic one-and-done payment system that video games used to have: “I know their dedication and care,” he said about developers who still stick to this model.
Though neither Unity nor Riccitiello had anything to do with it, the recent launch of Diablo Immortal made waves through gaming communities worldwide. Already, the game is being compared to the worst video game microtransaction systems ever conceived, though it’s worth pointing out that Activision Blizzard did earn $24 million in the first two weeks after it came out. Riccitiello’s commentary implies that he wouldn’t disagree with the sort of brazenness Immortal’s monetization system has put on display.
Unity has recently acquired Ziva Dynamics, Weta Digital, and ironSource, which signals a desire for growth in virtually every area of business. This reflects Riccitiello’s general view of gaming, as he believes that it will “double as an industry” over the course of the next five to seven years. Riccitiello says that he is bullish on gaming, and that the company’s recent mergers will allow Unity to become even more successful during that time with microtransactions being a key component of its presumed success.
MORE: Unity Acquiring Weta Digital Could Mean Big Things for the Games Industry
Source: PocketGamer
