At the Game Developer Conference in San Jose, Redmond, Wash.-based game developer WildTangent announced a "new" way of selling online games to the public, based on a tested old method. Anyone remember
how easy it was to lose a roll of quarters at the arcade? Well, I certainly do, but just think how about much easier and more enticing it would be to click to pay 25 cents in order to play a game
instead of putting quarters in a machine. That's what WildTangent is proposing--a token payment system, which, if successful, could spark a change in the way casual games are monetized. The online
gaming company, which also produces advergames for marketers, will introduce the micropayment plan at its WildGames.com game site, but some of its competitors, like PopCap and HipSoft, have already
signed up to use the system, which will be deployed in the late spring. The micropayment plan is in lieu of the $20 WildTangent and others charge to download and own certain casual games. Unlike
arcade games of the past, the token payment lasts for the duration of the user's session--not just for one game. WildTangent's CEO calls it "an all-you-can-eat-buffet," per game. Advertisers, he said,
will be able to capitalize on the new payment format by giving out WildCoins for their own token giveaway promos, something Coca Cola has already signed on to do.
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