The only redeeming thing I can find in all of this is that _some_ game makers actually have a semblance of morals and provide what I call a decent (in both senses of the word) F2P experience.
NimbleBit is (or at least was when I played) one of those studios. I played (and LOVED) Tiny Tower a few years ago. I'd say that game gave me a solid 6 months of casual gaming enjoyment.
It was, in my view, a perfectly fair F2P experience -- you could play the entire game casually - and get to the end - without ever spending a penny. It took a bit longer, sure, but it never got to the point of absurdity. You'd play a bit and know that a new level would be ready in a few days, but there was plenty to do in the meantime.
You could buy Towerbux, though, if you were impatient. They never crossed the line -- it was truly targeted at the impatient. Towerbux could be earned, but that took time, and spending real money was simply something for those that wanted instant gratification.
I think that's a perfectly fair division of players -- almost like sin punishing sin ;) Those that have patience could enjoy the game for free. Those that lacked it could get a quick fix with some real $.
I spent a total of $20 on the game eventually - partially because I too wanted a bit of a speedup, but mostly because I felt so good about the developer's genuineness that I wanted to reward them with some revenue.
NimbleBit is (or at least was when I played) one of those studios. I played (and LOVED) Tiny Tower a few years ago. I'd say that game gave me a solid 6 months of casual gaming enjoyment.
It was, in my view, a perfectly fair F2P experience -- you could play the entire game casually - and get to the end - without ever spending a penny. It took a bit longer, sure, but it never got to the point of absurdity. You'd play a bit and know that a new level would be ready in a few days, but there was plenty to do in the meantime.
You could buy Towerbux, though, if you were impatient. They never crossed the line -- it was truly targeted at the impatient. Towerbux could be earned, but that took time, and spending real money was simply something for those that wanted instant gratification.
I think that's a perfectly fair division of players -- almost like sin punishing sin ;) Those that have patience could enjoy the game for free. Those that lacked it could get a quick fix with some real $.
I spent a total of $20 on the game eventually - partially because I too wanted a bit of a speedup, but mostly because I felt so good about the developer's genuineness that I wanted to reward them with some revenue.