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Monument Valley dev ustwo on why free-to-play was never an option

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Monument Valley dev ustwo on why free-to-play was never an option
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iOS
| Monument Valley

Deciding which payment model to adopt is crucial to the success of both a mobile game and its developer.

That's precisely why sister site PocketGamer.biz asked Dan Gray from Monument Valley dev ustwo about his studio's decision to eschew F2P and launch Gold Award-winning Monument Valley at the £2.49 / $3.99 price point.

"After delving into development we began to realise that the only way to fulfill the vision we had was to go premium," Gray says.

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Gray is adamant that the integrity of the game should come first: "We don't want to be shoehorning features in or make significant changes if it detracts from the core experience."

"We wanted players to be entranced by this world and the journey of Ida, their eyes transfixed on what was unfolding and the only way to achieve this was by avoiding any distractions. That meant forgoing leaderboards, pay walls and heavy social integration."

With an Android version of Monument Valley around the corner and new chapters in the works, ustwo's strategy seems to be paying dividends.

"People told us we were crazy," Gray admits. "But we still stand by that decision."

You can read the full interview with Gray here. We recommend that you do so.

Nial Tobal
Nial Tobal
Nial keeps a keen eye on behind-the-scenes deals and enjoys watching them play out in the industry. On quiet days, though, he's really rather good at strategy games.