AB2 forum vs other AB forums

[Bluedog]

Just my opinion, but do you remember when AB was fun? Original AB, Space, Rio etc – played for the enjoyment and nothing else. My view of AB then (and by extension, Rovio) was light-hearted, cheery, harmless escapism. The forums and walkthrough comments reflected this – witty, supportive and cheerful.
Now look at us all on here; bitching, moaning (justifiably) swapping tips on how to cheat the game because we know the game cheats us.
I now see AB/Rovio as a money-grabbing, tedious chore.
From a brand perspective – that’s a worrying shift. And a massive one.

Thoughts?

Topic

[@angergoes]

Don’t forget about ABF @bluedog! ABF starts to be abandoned, floods of cheaters evryday!

[Mighty Red]

@bluedog Let’s take a look back at history. In 2014 Rovio’s profits dropped, so they had to fire over 100 of their employees. This called for changes in game development, changes that would focus more on generating revenue, and so in the summer of 2015 they released Angry Birds 2, which is packed with microtransactions.

[wrw01]

@bluedog
Well written…ditto the intention
Yes 2014, was a sad realty for a lot of individuals in Rovio and I can understand their reality and simpathaize, but 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 were outstanding years for Rovio and their flingers…the games were pure, simple and enjoyable to play. If one was not playing then, then do not comment, zero credibility

[CaptSternn]

They were fun, WRW. I got through the original, then Seasons, Space, Star Wars I and II. I came to this site to see the walkthroughs and three star the levels long before I ever posted a comment on any of the forums. I still have all of them installed with progress saved and occasionally play some of the new levels. But compared to AB2, the old games are clunky and static. AB2 is much more advanced and fluid.

The two major problems with AB2 is Rovio trying to milk people for money and people taking the arena way too seriously.

[KayBird]

Agree. The early AB games were exactly that, light hearted and fun. I liked the original AB, then Seasons and Rio, followed by Space and Star Wars. I didn’t mind spending the few dollars for these early games. I had hopes that AB2 would be the same. I was skeptical when I saw that the game could be downloaded for free. I didn’t take long, though, to see that you had to either play the game very slowly or spend money to buy gems. So frustrating. This was the first game I ever played with that format, i.e., free download but constant enticement for in-app purchases. I’d rather pay a fee up front and not be bothered with in-app purchases.

[Bluedog]

@mighty-red-1 – I’m sure there was a commercial imperative behind this. It’s clearly reflected in the way the game is set up, which is my point; Rovio have gone all out to gain revenue, and consequently the game feels as if it’s trying to turn you upside-down and shake the last coins out of your trouser pockets. Which leads to all the frustrations clearly demonstrated on virtually every thread on this forum.

My point touches on this though, because I feel by chasing the money so obviously, Rovio are in danger of changing brand perception enormously. Part of the reason they have been so successful is the affection players had for the game and it’s characters. Do you think they would have sold so many soft toys, and had a movie green-lit without that? And would those things have happened on the strength of AB2 in isolation?

I’ve also said on here that the game itself is beautifully designed and still fantastic to play in many ways. But it clearly doesn’t have an end-point as such, and has become a constant re-hash – makes business sense, because they don’t have the cost of developing new levels – but from a player’s perspective it is becoming incredibly tedious.

Put simply – it’s Rovio’s absolute right to produce the game as they choose; if they decide, for whatever reason, that they need a product that generates more money and AB2 is the result, then that’s their decision. However, I feel that they are playing with fire by moving completely in the opposite direction from what underpinned their success in the first place.