Crusader of the Lost Idol: Changing the ‘clicker game’ perception

Clicker games have a bad reputation, especially in the mobile space, but this is a perception Eric Jordan,Victoria, B.C-based Codename Entertainment’s CEO, want’s to change with his studio’s latest release, Crusader of the Lost Idol.

“Clicker games or idle games, are video games whose gameplay consists of the player performing simple actions repeatedly to earn in-game currency. The currency can be used to obtain items or abilities that increase the rate at which currency is earned,” said Jordan

“The genre started out as a grassroots commentary by gamers on established franchises where leveling up required repeating certain onerous actions. The earliest versions of clicker games distilled this concept down into simply clicking as the only action needed.”

With Crusaders of the Lost Idols, Jordan says his studio’s goal was to expand the established “clicker” genre, giving players a gaming experience they might not expect from this type of game.

“In the case of Crusaders of the Lost Idols, we wanted to evolve the genre, so we’ve added unique features that are unavailable in any similar game. This has added a lot of depth and playability which has generated a great response from players and helped build a great community,” said Jordan

“The whole team are keen video gamers, tabletop gamers and board gamers and that rubs off on our design approach. The unique formation system we have in the game enables us to introduce the growing roster of characters and each has unique abilities. On top of that, there are a myriad of ways you can combine Crusaders and buffs which creates endless debates amongst our fans on how to best play.”

LIke other games of this type, Crusaders of the Lost Idols adopts a free-to-play model. Jordan says his team adopted this monetization strategy for two distinct reasons.

“We’ve been using the free-to-play model since the founding of the company seven years ago. We’re very familiar with the model. It gives us the ability to engage with fans directly. They tell us what they like about the games we make and we iterate and improve them based on that feedback,” said Jordan

“The second part of the reason is more a side-effect of the gaming industry’s progression. It’s almost an expected model, especially amongst younger gamers.”

According to Jordan, the rise of free-to-play titles has created a free-to-play expectation among younger gamers, one of clicker games’ main demographics. He also says that digital distribution is the future of gaming and the direction the industry is headed.

“When talking with my own 10-year-old son, he’s almost bewildered why the latest releases require a premium purchase before he can play it,” said Jordan

Yet a stigma is still attached to the free-to-play genre and many people, especially those that consider themselves serious players, often skip over these titles because they assume the experience they offer isn’t worth their time. However, there are various examples of free-to-play done right in video gaming, with some of the industry’s top titles adopting a free, micro-transaction-focused monetization strategy.

“What about DOTA, League of Legends and Team Fortress 2? Those are free-to-play games that don’t have a negative stigma. I believe this is because those games aren’t exploitative,” said Jordan.

Jordan and his team at Codename Entertainment believe the only way to combat the stigma surrounding free-to-play is to create games they actually want to play themselves.

“With that in mind, it’s a simple step to create games using a free-to-play model that aren’t exploitative or create negative experiences,” said Jordan

In Crusaders of the Lost Idols, players can earn premium content in a variety of ways that doesn’t require them to actually spend money. Jordan says that premium content is only presented as an option for players to “enhance their gaming experience because they are already fans.”

Crusaders of the Lost Idols was nominated for a 2015 Canadian Video Game Award for best social/casual game but didn’t take home the award, losing to I love Potatoes.

“It was an enormous honour for the team to be a finalist at the Canadian Video Game Awards this year. The studio has been in operation for seven years and this year’s nomination was a great way to recognise the talent we have at Codename and the hard work put into making Crusaders,” said Jordan

While Jordan didn’t go into specifics, he says his studio has plans to bring Crusaders of the Lost Idols to additional platforms, possible even in the mobile space.

“We don’t have anything to announce at this time but it’s definitely something on our priority list,” said Jordan.

The post Crusader of the Lost Idol: Changing the ‘clicker game’ perception appeared first on CVA 2017.