Introduction

Puzzle and Dragons is one of the most successful mobile games of all time while also being Free to Play (F2P also known as Freemium). Despite the attraction of not having to spend real life money (IAP), GungHo is still a business where the goal is to be profitable.

As with any Freemium game, there is the option to purchase in game premium currency to accelerate your progress. Generally speaking, being able to buy your way to victory is unhealthy, but thankfully PAD is a solo progression game where your own success does not have any negative effect on other players.

Up until a few months ago, Puzzle and Dragons has had essentially no special IAP bundles with the exception of a mediocre one where the extra prize was random and mostly lackluster. As such, with the introduction of guaranteed Collab 6-star and now Lucky Bag Special Bargains, spending some real life money is more attractive overall.

As a disclaimer, I live in Canada which inflates my IAP prices along with only spending money if given gifts due to being on disability from a serious back/neck injury in 2014. Furthermore, I receive no financial or in-game support from GungHo so my opinions are my own.

Video commentary

–video coming soon–

Freemium Gatcha games

The concept of a Freemium Gatcha game has become somewhat of an industry standard in terms of profitability and accessibility for users. We live in a world where the concept of having to pay for an app scares people so everything has to be free regardless of the quality. On the other hand companies need to make money on a continuous basis so they regularly release new characters that are primarily acquired through gambling/random chance. Continue reading Thoughts on Limited Purchase IAP Bundles →