Bethesda Game Studios Montreal is apparently working on a “bleeding-edge AAA freemium game” according to a job listing for a Game Performance Manager.

The listing itself states that, “In this role, you will work with game team to envision, evolve, and operate monetization strategies, targeting the intersection of revenue generation goals and quality player experience.

“Ideally, you will have experience defining and operating online game business models, and have a deep understanding of player interactions with those models, both at the individual and community levels.”

Interestingly, there’s another listing for a Back-End Programmer which talks about Unreal/Unity engine. Could either of these two engines be used for development? Either way, Bethesda Game Studios Montreal is working on something different and it’s separate from the other big unannounced games that Bethesda has.

Bethesda’s E3 presser will be on June 11th, 9 AM PT and it’s already teased some mysterious games. What are you hoping to see? Let us know in the comments.

Clash of Clans developer Supercell reported this week that the game has now recorded over 100 million users per day. Considering the game is a mobile title, that’s an incredibly impressive feat, but one that isn’t quite as surprising considering what kinds of titles mobile gamers tend to spend their time on. As is the case with all of the mobile games that Supercell has put out, Clash of Clans is free to play. while some have claimed these games are actually pay to win, the fact that gamers don’t have to pay for the games ever is certainly something that has helped this title’s popularity.

Clash of Clans might be the most popular, but all four of the games that Supercell has developed for the mobile platform are plenty popular. Clash Royale, Clash of Clans, Hay Day, and Boom Beach are all similar in design but amazing. Clash Royale is the newest title in the Supercell stable having launched just a few weeks ago.

The 100 million users per day also isn’t much of a shock because the company announced it was earning about $654,000 per day from the game two years ago. The game is one of only a couple that’s ever been profitable enough to actually have a Super Bowl ad.

Free to play mobile strategy title Clash of Clans is raking in the dough according to a recent report by Business Insider. Due to the revenues generated from in-app purchases, developer Supercell is netting $654,000 per day from the game according to another report from AppData, which also says that players are picking up additional content such as DLC and other items with real money.

App Annie meanwhile says that the game is the third best freemium title in the world, falling just behind Puzzle & Dragons (who’s recent 3DS adaptation was a big hit in Japan) and Candy Crush Saga. For that matter, a cursory glance over at Google Play Store reveals 10-50 million downloads for the game on Android alone.

It’s kind of a big deal, it seems.

The revenue that Supercell is gaining from these purchases is interesting, especially because games like EA’s Dungeon Keeper have been heavily criticized for their blatant micro-transaction systems. Maybe some developers are just better at implementing it? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The freemium version essentially provides four playable characters – Kasumi, Ayane, Hayate and Hayabusa – with offline and online fighting modes (even the costumes and stages, with the exception of DLC content, are all available).

Only Story Mode is missing, and it can be purchased for $15 (1500 yen). You can fight against all the characters in the game, but only have access to those available from the start or ones you pay for.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Free will be compatible with available DLC though, and you’ll be able to play against people who have the full retail release. Those interested in picking up characters can pay $4 (400 yen) a piece. Despite only a PS3 version being announced, an Xbox 360 version is also being looked into.

Source: Famitsu

Speaking to GIBiz, Earl stated that, “The market has spoken very loudly that that’s the model they like. Even though there’s some vocal minority that don’t like it, ultimately the numbers would show that they and others all support the freemium model better.”

He took Real Racing 3 as an example, stating how despite the option of in-app purchases, it still garnered a great reaction. “I think initially they were a little bit annoyed because the all-you-can-eat model makes sense for them. That’s the kind of people they are. But at the end of the day, they’re going to pay to eat, if that’s their choice. And they’re happy doing it.

“At the end of the day you kind of have to look at real numbers. The old proverb, ‘You can’t please all the people all the time’ is just so true.”

Earl stated: “The future is not about one-time payments, the future is about freemium. A decent number of people convert to paying and they may not pay a lot but most of them actually pay more than you’d think.”

However, whilst it may be the future Earl isn’t quite so sure consoles are ready quite yet: “I don’t know if freemium gets to console but I do know that humans like free stuff. I also know humans who will pay for something if they’ve tried it out and they like it.

“I’ve wondered if freemium expands beyond the tablet, Facebook and smartphones, and out into consoles? I don’t think it’s impossible for that to happen.”

Source: MCV