Have you ever felt trapped in a video game because you had to see an ad to move forward? It is a common practice in many games in the App Store or Google Play, which has been standardized in recent years. And it is Not everyone is ready to pay in advanceAnd for many developers, this advertisement is the only way to make a living.
The problem is that, although there are many commercial models in video games, games with an excess of advertisements can transform the user experience into something frustrating. Some titles are completely paid, others have let a chapter play, then request a payment to follow. But most follow the model of monetization based on invasive advertisements, where The passage chapter can become an authentic torture.
Steam eliminates compulsory advertisements: goodbye to invasive games
Steam has decided to put an end to this type of practices on its platform, in a movement that reminds us of philosophy that Apple has been promoting for years: prioritizing the quality and experience of the user rather than intrusive monetization. The new policy of explicitly prohibited the games which depend on the forced announcements to continue. From now on, any title that uses this type of tactic will be eliminated from the store. This is an important step that seeks to protect the player's experience, guaranteeing a minimum of quality in all the titles available on the platform.
However, this policy does not affect the elements integrated into the own universe of the game, such as “product placement”, that is to say brands that appear in the context of the title, as Monster Energy in Death of death or adidas sneakers Spider-Man 2. These integrations do not interrupt the game flow and are therefore authorized. With this movement, sThe team will attack and faces one of the most common models In mobile games offered on platforms such as Google Play or the App Store. But the most interesting is how it reminds us of Apple's philosophy in several of its services.
Apple and Steam: philosophies that prioritize the user
The strategy that Steam has just adopted clearly reminds us of the decisions that Apple has taken for years: offer services that prioritize the user Above invasive advertising models. In Apple, this philosophy is reflected in services such as Apple Arcade and Apple Music, where there are no free options with advertising.
In the case of video games, Apple Arcade stands out to provide a completely clean experience of advertisements and microtransactions, which differentiates it from most game services. But this idea is not exclusive to games: services such as Apple music, unlike Spotify or Youtube music, have always opted for an advertisement modelBetting on subscriptions that provide fluid experience.
The advertising paradox in the App Store
However, there is an interesting contrast in Apple's ecosystem. Although services such as Arcade promote a model without advertising, the App Store remains a space where they predominate Games with invasive advertising. This generates a paradox: Apple defends its philosophy in certain services, but allows these practices in one of its main pillars, the App Store.
For example, Steam could have chosen not to intervene and allow users to decide for themselves games to play. After all, users are aware that the game model depends on the developer, not on the platform. However, Steam preferred to take a step forwardmarking a quality standard that affects the entire store.
The future of the game: how to monetize without invasive advertising
Steam's decision also opens an important question: how to monetize video games without depending on announcements? The platform has suggested several alternativesAs unique purchase models, optional microtransactions or even subscriptions. This approach not only encourages transparency, but also strengthens confidence in the platform.
Could Apple apply similar standards in the App Store? It would be a complicated decision. Recall that overly restrictive policies have already caused problems, as in the case of Fortnite and Epic Games, who ended his expulsion from the App Store. But at the same time Apple, this strengthens Apple's position on the deletion of any application which included advertising services or third part in the application itself.
What is clear is that so much Steam as Apple believes in this group of users who appreciate more quality experience that models according to advertisements. And although everyone applies it in their own way, the two seem to point to the same objective: a clean, fluid and targeted user experience.
Source | 3djuegos and steam
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