Top 10 Ways That Video Games Tried to Win Back Players
Top 10 Ways That Games Tried to Win Back Players
Top 10 Video Games That Came Back From The Dead
Sometimes, it takes a second impression – and a whole lot of extra effort – to really impress gamers. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re counting down our picks of the Top 10 Ways That Games Tried to Win Back Players. In this list, We’re specifically looking at instances where a game, and by extension its creators, went to incredible lengths in order to draw back those players who had lost interest. Our focus isn’t on the success or failure of these efforts, but rather on the generosity displayed by these games.
#10: Free Release of the Extended Cut
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“Mass Effect 3” (2012) To say that the concluding chapter of the original “Mass Effect” trilogy was controversial would be an understatement. Many fans complained of “Mass Effect 3” ending on an underwhelming and misguided note, a sentiment that was hammered home repeatedly for the game’s developer, BioWare. After some time, BioWare eventually announced their plans to release the Extended Cut, a free patch aimed at modifying the game’s conclusion. It added greater context to the final moments of “Mass Effect 3,” shed more light on certain characters’ fates, and even factored in more of the player’s previous choices. While it didn’t please everyone, it showed that Bioware cared … at the time.
#9: Free Maps & Modes
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“Titanfall 2” (2016) Owing to a number of factors – like releasing in the same launch window as EA’s other major shooter “Battlefield 1” - there was a lot working against the mech-combat-meets-FPS game “Titanfall 2.” Nevertheless, “Titanfall” developer Respawn Entertainment committed to their pre-release promise of not sectioning off downloadable content behind a paywall. From launch onward, “Titanfall 2” received multiple updates containing new maps, new weapons, and even a new mode in the form of Frontier Defense. Yet, despite having plenty of opportunities to charge for this additional content, Respawn kept true to their word. Quite an admirable display, all told.
#8: Adding an Offline Mode
“SimCity” (2013) Prior to its launch, the major point of discussion – and concern – regarding the 2013 reboot of “SimCity” was the decision to make it an always-online title. On release this would end up being key to the game’s struggles - “SimCity” initially was unplayable for days due to server issues and thus left many players fuming. At first EA tried to save face by offering players the choice of a free game on Origin, but eventually they caved to demand and patched in an offline mode in 2014. With local save files and the ability to manage a multi-city setup, it’s certainly an improvement over the original state of affairs.
#7: Ditching the Auction House for Loot 2.0
“Diablo III” (2012) Blizzard Entertainment’s long-in-gestation return to the “Diablo” series was met with wide praise during its May 2012 release, though the good times were tempered somewhat by a number of significant issues. Among the more pressing problems was the Auction House, which divided the fanbase over its inclusion of real-money spending for in-game loot. Many felt the concept of purchasing game items once found naturally in the world undermined and devalued the core “Diablo” experience. A month before the launch of the expansion “Reaper of Souls,” Blizzard opted to release a patch that removed the Auction House in favor of an improved loot system. Called Loot 2.0, it would aim to provide players with fewer items while increasing their overall quality.
#6: Introducing the New Game Enhancements
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“Star Wars Galaxies” (2003) Many “Star Wars” fans have dreamed of being a part of this universe. And while “Star Wars Galaxies” in its base form offered an opportunity to do so, players noticed that the path to become a Jedi was an extremely time consuming one. Thus in 2005, Sony Online introduced major changes in the form of the New Game Enhancements. From making combat real-time to reworking the Jedi path as a selectable profession from the start. These changes were specifically designed to make “Galaxies” more inviting to new players. But it’s a decision that ultimately backfired, as many Day 1 players felt like hundreds of hours of progression had been for naught, and demanded refunds en masse. Sadly the game never recovered from the backlash and it was shutdown in 2011.
#5: New Pokémon, New Events, Reworked Tracking & Gyms
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“Pokémon Go” (2016) While this mobile “Pokémon” game may have made an immediate cultural impact, it became clear weeks later that “Pokémon Go” was dropping players quickly. Players found that content was sorely lacking, the tracking system was too vague, and the gyms encouraged a Pay-to-Win system. Then came the updates. Pokémon from later generations were integrated, special events like Community Day’s offered players easier chances to capture specific rare (and/or shiny) Pokémon. Tracking Pokémon was made easier by centralizing spawn points around Pokéstops, and Gym’s were redesigned to earn coins easier than before. The updates haven’t stopped since then. Most recently; “Team Rocket” battles were added, making the game feel like a completely different title than we had in 2016.
#4: Free Month of Xbox Live, Extra Games
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“Halo: The Master Chief Collection” (2014) Finishing the fight took a lot longer than anticipated, that’s for sure. “The Master Chief Collection,” promised to take the first four main series entries and present them with greater polish than before (Especially Halo 2 which got a major graphical remake). This turned out to be partially true; the games looked far more impressive... but online matchmaking was riddled with bugs and nigh-unplayable at launch. In recognition of the collection’s troubled state, 343 offered those who’d purchased it before December 19th, 2014 several gifts as part of a wider apology. Among said gifts were a month’s subscription to Xbox Live Gold and a remastered version of “Halo 3: ODST. Though in 2019; the collection received “Halo Reach” alongside a PC port.
#3: Reworking Player Progression & LOTS of Free Updates
“Star Wars Battlefront II” (2017) The tale of “Battlefront II” infamous lootbox debacle has been heavily ingrained in gamers minds, that DICE has continued to go all out in updating the game with free updates just to make up for that disaster. The first much needed change came with a heavily reworked progression system. Star Cards now can only be earned through play, with microtransactions limited to purchasable character skins and the crates containing purely cosmetic items. But DICE hasn’t stopped there, as the game has also received content updates focusing on “The Clone Wars” era, as well as tie in content coinciding with the “Solo” & “The Rise of Skywalker” films. Credit where it’s due, the fact that EA and DICE has provided this much free support to a game heavily marred by it’s launch controversy, deserves to be commended.
#2: Multiple Free Expansions
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“No Man’s Sky” (2016) Speaking of fixing games heavily marred, here’s another example. The 2016 procedurally-generated space exploration game, “No Man’s Sky,” hit store shelves and, despite plenty of optimistic press in the lead-up, it became highly divisive among fans due to a laundry list of unfulfilled promises. Hello Games opted not to simply let things sit unresolved, however, and instead worked to fulfill their promises through free updates. Expansions such as the Foundation & Path Finder Updates brought in mechanics like base building and land vehicles. But it was the NEXT update that ultimately ended up being the game’s redemption, thanks to the inclusion of multiplayer, 3rd person camera support and freighters to explore the galaxy much easier. Hello Games is still updating the game, with inclusions so extensive they would need their own list.
#1: Remaking The Whole Game
“Final Fantasy XIV” (2010) While every other game on this list saw fixes through incremental updates and expansions, those feats pale in comparison as to what Square-Enix did to save “Final Fantasy XIV”. When the game first launched in 2010, it was widely panned by both critics and fans due to a clunky MMO interface and a plethora of performance issues. But rather than slowly fix the game overtime, Square-Enix made the unprecedented decision to completely replace the development team, and started again from scratch. And in 2013 the game was relaunched as “Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn”. This risky fix paid off though, and the game has continued to receive fine polished expansions, with 2019’s “Shadowbringers” in particular being released to widespread critical acclaim. Now that’s sticking to your guns.
