Palworld Going Free-To-Play? Developer Weighs Bold, Yet 'Difficult' Move
Palworld Going Free-To-Play? Developer Weighs Bold, Yet 'Difficult' Move
The developer of Palworld, Pocketpair, is considering a potential shift to a free-to-play model for its popular survival crafting game.
《Palworld》的开发人员Pocketpair正在考虑将其受欢迎的生存创造游戏转向免费模式。
Since its launch on Steam for $30 earlier this year, Palworld has achieved significant success, drawing comparisons to Pokémon due to its creature-collection mechanics. With its massive player base, the game quickly rose to the top charts on Steam and was also made available on Xbox and PC Game Pass.
自今年早些时候以30美元在Steam上发布以来，《Palworld》取得了巨大的成功，由于其收集生物的机制，被称为类似于精灵宝可梦。凭借庞大的玩家群体，该游戏迅速在Steam排行榜上崭露头角，并且也在Xbox和PC Game Pass上提供。
Despite this success, Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe revealed in an interview with ASCII Japan (translated by Automaton) that the company is considering a live-service, free-to-play model to sustain the game's profitability over the long term.
尽管取得了这样的成功，但Pocketpair的首席执行官Takuro Mizobe在接受ASCII Japan（由Automaton翻译）的采访中透露，公司正在考虑采用长期盈利的服务模式来维持游戏的盈利能力。
"Making Palworld a live-service game would extend its lifespan and make it more stable in terms of profitability," Mizobe explained.
Mizobe解释道：“使《Palworld》成为一个服务型游戏将延长其使用寿命，并使其在盈利方面更加稳定。”
However, Mizobe acknowledged that the game was not originally designed with live-service in mind, presenting challenges for such a transition.
然而，Mizobe承认该游戏最初并未考虑服务型游戏，这给转型带来了挑战。
"It's common for live-service games to be F2P with paid elements such as skins and battle passes, but Palworld is a B2P game, so it's difficult to turn it into a live-service game from the ground up," Mizobe said.
Mizobe表示：“服务型游戏通常是免费游戏，并设置了付费元素，例如皮肤和战斗通行证，但《Palworld》是一款付费游戏，所以很难从根本上将其变成服务型游戏。”
Various games successfully made the switch, such as Fall Guys and PUBG, but Mizobe noted that these transitions took years and involved significant effort. "While I understand that the live-service model is good for business, it's not that easy," he added.
各种游戏成功转型，例如《绝地求生》和《Fall Guys》，但Mizobe指出，这些转型需要数年时间和大量努力。他补充说：“虽然我明白服务型模式对业务很好，但这并不容易。”
Player Concerns And Future Plans
玩家的关注和未来计划
If Pocketpair does decide to move Palworld to a free-to-play model, it could spark backlash from players who have already paid for the game. Although Palworld remains in early access and further changes are expected, existing players may not welcome a sudden shift to a monetized free-to-play structure.
如果Pocketpair决定将Palworld切换到免费游戏模式，可能会引发已经购买过游戏的玩家的反弹。虽然Palworld仍处于早期测试阶段，并且预计会有进一步的变化，但现有的玩家可能不会欢迎突然转向货币化的免费游戏结构。
In addition to gameplay changes, Pocketpair is working with Sony Group Corp. (NYSE:SONY) to form a new business called Palworld Entertainment, which focuses on licensing and merchandising the Palworld brand. The partnership is aimed at expanding the franchise beyond gaming into areas like merchandise and music.
除了游戏玩法的变化，Pocketpair正与索尼集团（纽交所:SONY）合作成立了一个名为Palworld娱乐的新业务，专注于Palworld品牌的授权和商品化。这次合作旨在将这个系列扩展到游戏以外的领域，如商品和音乐。
Pocketpair has also teased a potential PlayStation launch for Palworld at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, running from September 26 to 29.
Pocketpair还暗示可能会在即将到来的东京游戏展上推出Palworld的PlayStation版本，该展览将于9月26日至29日期间举行。
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