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Midnight Star dev removes energy system, because core gamers hate it

Recharging

Midnight Star dev removes energy system, because core gamers hate it
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Industrial Toys says it botched free to play shooter Midnight Star by including an energy system that stopped gameplay and forced players to wait or pay to continue shooting aliens in their stupid faces.

The game's most recent update has removed the system altogether, giving you unlimited access to the game and your weapons.

"If you look at our retention, purchase, and dropoff data, it tells a pretty clear story about players not being cool with being told they can't keep playing the game," explains studio prez Tim Harris, in a blog post on Gamasutra.

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Harris says the game doled out currency for gamers to "keep rolling for extended periods of time", but the developer found that players didn't want to spend that cash on recharging, and instead hoarded it for different uses.

"Some players do spend it," says Harris. "And they spend a lot on it. But there aren't enough of that type of player to make it a worthwhile F2P system for us. If anything, it's been a negative message to some of our best players."

The studio says a restriction on long gaming sessions goes against what makes core gamers tick. "We're shifting to a more ownership-based economy, and we think it's the right decision for our players," says Harris.

Previously, Disney removed the energy system from Where's My Water 2, in reaction to negative player feedback.

Mark Brown
Mark Brown
Mark Brown is editor at large of Pocket Gamer