Phaedra, Michael and Michael get together for a detailed review of the economics of digital games for 2014. We continue to see the transition from Pay to Play to Free to Play games, and discuss how this is changing the game play of many MMOs. We also take issue with a recent report on how Gamificiation is failing health care. The issue is not gamification, but bad design. As more and more people jump into the hype of gamificaiton we are seeing the same patterns as other technologies, where people are trying to just use the term, without understanding the appropriate way of doing this. You can just use “blanket approaches” to gamifiction, you need to identify the correct success metrics, and build your game around ensuring the appropriate behavior and outcomes.

We end the episode with a discussion on how different generations engage with same game. Do you play games with your kids, or parents? Do you enjoy it in the same way? Do you enjoy watching others play games more than playing the game yourself?

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Digital Games Year in review

Maple Story

World of Warcraft competes in a freemium world

Lord of the Rings Online goes Free to Play

Star Wars the Old Republic goes Free to Play