Novarama CEO claims freemium game devs 'degrading the whole industry'

Developers who believe the free-to-play model is the future of mobile gaming are "degrading the whole industry", according to Novarama CEO Dani Sánchez-Crespo.

Speaking at a mobile gaming conference in Barcelona yesterday, the studio head and Reality Fighters helmer launched a damning attack on freemium gaming, going so far as to suggest that games using this model don't deserve to be called 'games' at all.

"When you buy an app, it's not a game. You think it's a game, but it's not. It's a renting scheme," Sánchez-Crespo said, speaking via a translator.

He went on to explain his mistrust of what he referred to as the "taxi model" - games which require no payment upfront, but which you never truly own.

Though Sánchez-Crespo did concede that some titles do manage to deliver rich experiences under the constraints of the F2P model - most notably PC MMO World of Tanks - he continually highlighted the perceived gulf in quality between zero-entry gaming and premium console titles.

"When I see FarmVille and Uncharted both called 'games', it really gives me the creeps," Sánchez-Crespo revealed.

Novarama focuses on producing augmented reality titles, and signed a partnership deal with Sony to make games for the PS Vita back in June 2011.