Palworld Going Free-To-Play? Developer Weighs Bold, Yet 'Difficult' Move
Palworld Going Free-To-Play? Developer Weighs Bold, Yet 'Difficult' Move
The developer of Palworld, Pocketpair, is considering a potential shift to a free-to-play model for its popular survival crafting game.
《Palworld》的開發人員Pocketpair正在考慮將其受歡迎的生存創造遊戲轉向免費模式。
Since its launch on Steam for $30 earlier this year, Palworld has achieved significant success, drawing comparisons to Pokémon due to its creature-collection mechanics. With its massive player base, the game quickly rose to the top charts on Steam and was also made available on Xbox and PC Game Pass.
自今年早些時候以30美元在Steam上發佈以來，《Palworld》取得了巨大的成功，由於其收集生物的機制，被稱爲類似於精靈寶可夢。憑藉龐大的玩家群體，該遊戲迅速在Steam排行榜上嶄露頭角，並且也在Xbox和PC Game Pass上提供。
Despite this success, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe revealed in an interview with ASCII Japan (translated by Automaton) that the company is considering a live-service, free-to-play model to sustain the game's profitability over the long term.
儘管取得了這樣的成功，但Pocketpair的首席執行官Takuro Mizobe在接受ASCII Japan（由Automaton翻譯）的採訪中透露，公司正在考慮採用長期盈利的服務模式來維持遊戲的盈利能力。
"Making Palworld a live-service game would extend its lifespan and make it more stable in terms of profitability," Mizobe explained.
Mizobe解釋道：「使《Palworld》成爲一個服務型遊戲將延長其使用壽命，並使其在盈利方面更加穩定。」
However, Mizobe acknowledged that the game was not originally designed with live-service in mind, presenting challenges for such a transition.
然而，Mizobe承認該遊戲最初並未考慮服務型遊戲，這給轉型帶來了挑戰。
"It's common for live-service games to be F2P with paid elements such as skins and battle passes, but Palworld is a B2P game, so it's difficult to turn it into a live-service game from the ground up," Mizobe said.
Mizobe表示：「服務型遊戲通常是免費遊戲，並設置了付費元素，例如皮膚和戰鬥通行證，但《Palworld》是一款付費遊戲，所以很難從根本上將其變成服務型遊戲。」
Various games successfully made the switch, such as Fall Guys and PUBG, but Mizobe noted that these transitions took years and involved significant effort. "While I understand that the live-service model is good for business, it's not that easy," he added.
各種遊戲成功轉型，例如《絕地求生》和《Fall Guys》，但Mizobe指出，這些轉型需要數年時間和大量努力。他補充說：「雖然我明白服務型模式對業務很好，但這並不容易。」
Player Concerns And Future Plans
玩家的關注和未來計劃
If Pocketpair does decide to move Palworld to a free-to-play model, it could spark backlash from players who have already paid for the game. Although Palworld remains in early access and further changes are expected, existing players may not welcome a sudden shift to a monetized free-to-play structure.
如果Pocketpair決定將Palworld切換到免費遊戲模式，可能會引發已經購買過遊戲的玩家的反彈。雖然Palworld仍處於早期測試階段，並且預計會有進一步的變化，但現有的玩家可能不會歡迎突然轉向貨幣化的免費遊戲結構。
In addition to gameplay changes, Pocketpair is working with Sony Group Corp. (NYSE:SONY) to form a new business called Palworld Entertainment, which focuses on licensing and merchandising the Palworld brand. The partnership is aimed at expanding the franchise beyond gaming into areas like merchandise and music.
除了遊戲玩法的變化，Pocketpair正與索尼集團（紐交所:SONY）合作成立了一個名爲Palworld娛樂的新業務，專注於Palworld品牌的授權和商品化。這次合作旨在將這個系列擴展到遊戲以外的領域，如商品和音樂。
Pocketpair has also teased a potential PlayStation launch for Palworld at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, running from September 26 to 29.
Pocketpair還暗示可能會在即將到來的東京遊戲展上推出Palworld的PlayStation版本，該展覽將於9月26日至29日期間舉行。
- Palworld' Success Overwhelms: 'Too Big for Our Studio,' But Pocketpair Open To Acquisitions
- Palworld 的成功已經超越了我們的工作室的能力，但 Pocketpair 對收購持開放態度。
譯文內容由第三人軟體翻譯。