Part of the appeal of Disney Dreamlight Valley is remembering the wonder and simplicity of my childhood. I can (however briefly) recreate the feeling of carefree fantasies, entire afternoons spent pretending I was Belle looking for The Beast. Another part is creating carefully designed spaces that pay homage to these memories. And a third party is sharing all this with a larger community.
The Valley of Dreamlight Reddit page contains players displaying a dress they created or unique spaces such as a hot cocoa corner or a Carnival. With each passing update, as more and more decorations, motifs and characters are added to the game, the opportunities for inventive inspiration multiply and the community around it grows.
Recent changes at Disney Dreamlight Valley hint at upcoming monetization strategy
Since the most recent update, Secret Missions in Uncharted Space, I can’t help but notice other smaller and more subtle changes that have also occurred in the Valley. For the first time, players could spend Moonstones, a premium currency, to instantly advance their Festive Star Path progress. I used it myself to quickly test the solution for the A Home for the Holidays Village Dreamlight task. The developers also announced on their patch notes that iron ingots had been added as a purchasable item at Kristoff’s stall, suggesting that this would make crafting items to decorate less of a hassle. they forgot about it strict inventory limits they’ve also been added to Kristoff’s Stall for everything he sells, making the changes add to the routine rather than relieve it.
If Disney Dreamlight Valley continues in its previous Announced On the way to a full free release in 2023, they’ll likely be incentivized to continue making “the grind” even more time consuming. Star Path could also become more difficult to complete, forcing players to play longer (or pay) if they really want that new Mickey outfit.
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While they don’t force you to buy anything, free monetization models are notoriously predatory, looking for opportunities to take advantage of a quick shot of dopamine into your brain. Limited-time content and items, in particular, are a staple of the genre, both providing a sense of “achievement” from obtaining them and the fear of missing out on others.
In a free-to-play monetization model, a game is no longer the product, it is its player. A developer’s attention and incentive is almost always squarely focused on getting players to spend a little more money. I’m afraid that with a free-to-play monetization model, the magic, creativity, and community built around Disney Dreamlight Valley will take a backseat to more grinding, waiting, and paying.
What a free-to-play monetization model for Disney Dreamlight Valley would look like
We have an idea of ​​what Disney Dreamlight Valley will look like as a free game. The monetization model currently proposed in the full release includes a in-game store menu, separate from Scrooge McDuck’s item shop. This shop will have premium items that will “generally be cosmetic items like special clothing or furniture.”
there is also this Note in the FAQ: “When the game is out of early access, [Gameloft] will continue to add new characters and story content for free regularly.” But they also add that “we [Gameloft] has plans to add paid expansions that will add significant content to the game. These optional expansions will add new content (including characters) to the base game.”
Finally, Gameloft has stated in its FAQ section related to pay walls that “Disney Dreamlight Valley will not monetize any core gameplay mechanics.” They then list examples of growing crops, recharging energy, and increasing friendship levels. I hope this monetization protection also includes time-limited content, such as increasingly longer waiting periods for quests to progress (looking at you, Stitch). I’d also hate to see players spend money upgrading Scrooge’s shop inventory, hoping to get another shot at a hairdo that gets away from them.
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All of this information raises a larger question. Does Gameloft consider coming and going to the Glade of Trust every thirty minutes for more Blue Marsh Milkweed, the core of their game? I think the core of the game is the creativity that allows you to show and share, which looks like it will be heavily monetized.
To be clear, paying directly for cosmetic items and expansions is not what I consider to be the issue here. In that case, at least I’m exchanging money for a product, transitory as that product may be. The problem is when money makes items easier to obtain, negates time, or allows you to bypass other artificial obstacles, Star Path-style. That’s the point in a free-to-play model where players can be manipulated and pressured to play longer hours, shell out the money, or lose it.
Disney Dreamlight Valley is magical, for now
I still enjoy creating my own unique spaces at Disney Dreamlight Valley. I love seeing the intricate designs others share, the funny moments, and even the difficulties of not catching a single Fugu during a thunderstorm. After months of playing, I’d still say the basic Founder’s Pack purchase was worth it. But I can’t help but feel that the path the free game is heading towards will eventually ruin this. With each “limited” task and item the game introduces, it feels less like my canvas and more like my to-do list.
A strictly DLC or pay-per-expansion model, with no time limit, would at least allow players to choose the content they want. This would incentivize developers to focus more on the quality of the content rather than the systems they can use to get players to pay more for that content. Unfortunately, with the constant teasing of upcoming updates instead of official announcements, the emphasis on more grinding, more time locks, and things that only exist for a “limited time,” the Disney Dreamlight Valley direction doesn’t seem all that magical to me. .
Looking for more of our Disney Dreamlight Valley coverage? Check out Who are the voice actors in Disney Dreamlight Valley? and Disney Dreamlight Valley: All Upcoming Characters here at MyFullGames.