Talk about a case of mixed emotions.
After some teasing, Atari announced that fan beloved franchise Roller Coaster Tycoon would be getting a fourth installment. And any celebration that this announcement would have caused was immediately gone when they also announced that the new game, Roller Coaster Tycoon 4 Mobile, would be hitting iOS devices for $2.99 later this year- and from what we can understand, would feature social features and in app purchases.
Curse mobile gaming forever, really. It’s actually turning into the scourge of the modern gaming landscape, where old beloved franchises are increasingly repurposed to be bastardizations of their former selves, retooled into something exploitative and abusive towards consumers, and sent out to die (see also: the recent scandal surrounding EA’s ‘revival’ of Dungeon Keeper).
I mean, it’s entirely possible we’re jumping the gun here, and that Roller Coaster Tycoon 4 Mobile (no, that’s actually what it’s called, we’re not kidding) is a good game, fun to play, with good game design that has in app purchases as a plus, not as a mandatory requirement. But, well- first impressions aren’t encouraging, and those matter (just ask Xbox One).
More importantly, publishers, get it into your heads- when PC gamers ask for revivals of classic franchises, they mean a new installment on PC. Not some bastardized mobile game.
Next up, Age of Empires 4 Mobile.