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EA and Gameloft have teamed up for a new mobile gaming experience known as Fun Blocker 1 ($4.99 USD). This being the first of a series of joint titles that seek to evolve the mobile gaming experience into what it should have been all along: in app purchases.
The way it works is simple. You get to play any game you’ve already installed on your phone for five seconds before a button appears prompting you to buy an additional five seconds of game time with real money. Each five seconds of random gameplay increases the cost by 100%, ultimately culminating in a ceiling in the upwards of one million dollars. At this point, players graduate into the Rich Ass Zone and can pay an additional half a million dollars for three seconds of game time.
No specifics on DLC have been confirmed at this point, but Gameloft spokesperson Bryant Louche did tease everyone at the announcement event by stating: “You can bet your pockets we’ll be supporting this gaming model for years to come.”
IGN and other notable publications had the following to say:
- “A worthy cash grab!” – IGN
- “Finally, a title that gets to the point of what we’re all after: zero gameplay, 100% IAP!” – Gamespot
- “Most fun my wallet has had in months!” – Kotaku
- “Craptastic! Gamers rejoice, The future of mobile gaming is finally here!” – Gamesradar
This title follows the success of EA’s Real Racing 3 and Gameloft’s Dungeon Hunter 4, where players race or do battle against arbitrary pay walls for fun, complete with timers designed to bar players from completing certain tasks quickly, like socketing an item or upgrading a vehicle. When asked about the gamers who would rather pay for a complete mobile game up front, both companies stipulated such gamers are rare and are a very vocal minority.
“With MOBA titles and MMORPGs doing so well with free to play, this type of genre buster made sense. It’s our sincere hope gamers go broke and lose interest in any worth while mobile gaming sessions. I mean, we can always leave that to the indie devs.”
Above: Fun Blocker ups the price and kills the fun. The future of mobile gaming is here.
For made-up news, this is Rick Knight signing off. I’m returning to Dungeon Hunter 4 where my own inventory advertises for IAP by taking up one of my slots. Who knew the future of mobile gaming could be so much fun.