The update itself is scheduled to release sometime this month. It’s been very quiet from 22Cans with the last video update in 2013. The current beta build has stagnated.
Molyneux has been talking about a monetisation model for Godus that’s ”fresh and as new and as different from anything you’ve ever seen in any game.”
PC is not free-to-play.
Recently the veteran game designer blasted EA for its choice of monetisation used in the mobile Dungeon Keeper game, saying you shouldn’t be forced to plan a whole day around just digging a block of dirt out. Hence why he’s been devising a different sort of model for Godus.
”The free-to-play mechanic was so dominant that it obscured all the fantastic work they did. It was like a horrible odor,” he said. ”I wanted to play and keep on playing and keep on playing. But I just kept getting beaten up for being an impatient gamer.”
”You’ve got to be subtle about it and slowly layer in those mechanics. The point we introduce monetisation depends on the player, and the game maker has to get you into the right mindset,” explained Molyneux. The PC version of Godus won’t be affected by any ‘free-to-play’ monetisation as it’s the full experience, although it’s unclear whether additional content down the line, such as add-ons or expansions, wouldn’t be introduced this way.
He wants to ”tempt people to think about being proud about investing. Before we even talk about monetisation, we want players to feel like Godus is a hobby (not just a game).”
Molyneux is obviously anxious whether people will want more content: “Yeah, I’m worried about that, but those risks are worth taking. We could layer in ‘it takes six days to build this house’, and maybe we’d make a shitload of money, but that’s not my ambition for games. There has to be a better way.”
Godus PC Beta 2.0 should be revealed next week with a trailer and the update sometime this month.
Below is Godus Beta Update #36, which aired December 20th.
