EA pushes the freemium model with new Theme Park on iOS

Just how far can EA push the freemium model on smartphones?

Last week MCV revealed that the publisher had released a new version of Tetris on iOS that offered the option of subscribing to the game for extra perks and content.

Now AOL reports that a new version of RTS pioneer ThemePark is on the way which also tries to push the boundaries of what gamers are willing to spend money on.

Many of the game’s ‘attractions’ – that is, additional rides that can be added to a user’s park – can only be accessed as the player levels up.

This itself is normal, of course, but the speed of levelling is said to be extremely slow. Which is where in-game purchases come in. And they’re not cheap.

The Skull-Train roller coaster, for instance, costs the equivalent of $60 to buy outright for those not willing to put in the hours to purchase it

Titles such as Capcom’s Smurf’s Village has proven that, if pitched correctly, microtransaction based games can be hugely profitable on iOS. Whether EA’s aggressive new approach can match this remains to be seen.