Warframe CEO Claims Publishers "Eject Too Soon" from Live Service Games

"Well begun is half done" might not tell the whole story in the gaming industry.

Live service projects, particularly those that are free to play, may not generate revenue for both the developer and the publisher at the beginning. The primary source of revenue usually comes from microtransactions or optional paid content, which largely depends on the players' willingness to pay. As such, a game, which is the culmination of many years of hard work by a team of developers, can quickly disappoint its publisher if it doesn't have a successful launch.

In an interview with VGC, Steve Sinclair, CEO of Digital Extremes, the company behind the 11-year-old free-to-play shooter Warframe, recently expressed concern over some big publishers' tendency to abandon live service projects following initial setbacks.

"They think the release is make or break, and it’s not. They have a financial way to be persistent, and they never do it. It comes out, doesn’t work, and they throw it away."

Warframe

He lamented the premature abandonment of these ventures, particularly considering the substantial investment of time and effort.

"Isn’t that a shame when you put so many years of your life into iterating on those systems or building technology or building the start of a community, and because the operating costs are high, you get terrified when you see the numbers drop and you leave.

We’ve seen this with amazing releases that I think have massive potential, and I think they eject too soon.”

An example of a live service project overcoming a weak launch is No Man's Sky, whose recent ratings are 93% positive, a huge increase compared to an overall rating of 78% positive. Despite a problematic start, the developer has been working hard to elevate the game to make it better and gradually turn the tide. They recently launched a major free update that introduced a range of new elements and a visual overhaul, which has been a big surprise for players.

It's true that the initial reception of a game can shape its trajectory, but it's also important to recognize the efforts made to improve the game post-launch. "Well begun is half done" might not tell the whole story in the gaming industry.

Warframe

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