Live data from Hacker News

Sega releasing every console game for free with ads on mobile

forever.sega.com

241–250 of 262 posts

Re: Sega releasing every console game for free with ads on mobile

#241
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not if they force you to do work for them in order to use it. They're basically employing you to look at ads, and paying you in game time.

And what about Google? They basically employ you to look at ads and then pay you in being able to check your emails?

I wouldn't call Google free either.

Re: Sega releasing every console game for free with ads on mobile

#242
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not if they force you to do work for them in order to use it. They're basically employing you to look at ads, and paying you in game time.

In that case almost nothing on the app store or Google Play store is free.

That's precisely the point.

Re: Sega releasing every console game for free with ads on mobile

#243
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's free (as in money), but "free (as in money)" is a very limited definition of free

It seems that most people would like it to be free as in charity, which would never happen.

If they just changed "Free" to "Ad Supported" I think most people here would be happy.

Re: Sega releasing every console game for free with ads on mobile

#244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a way. A firewall, that work as a local VPN. You don't need to root your Android. I use NetGuard. https://www.netguard.me It's open source.

I wonder if this local vpn trick would work on iOS.

Does iOS support VPNs? I've never used an iDevice before.

Re: Sega releasing every console game for free with ads on mobile

#245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't really compare some classic games to Google's product offering, there's a huge difference in the scale of value here.

Wheres the tipping point for when the product offering is enough for it to be ok to be supported by ads and data?

I wouldn't attach a value judgment in this situation. If you're making money off of ads and data then your product isn't free, regardless of whether you think the business model is good or bad.

Re: Sega releasing every console game for free with ads on mobile

#247
post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm starting to get to the point where I wish people weren't allowed to call advertising supported products "free." I don't know what other term would be better, but I feel like users are paying some non-monetary cost.

Well, Play Store does explicitly mark the app as contaning ads.

Google has invented such a narrow definition of 'not-advertising' that the label cannot distinguish between apps bundling countless third-parties vs someone linking directly to their own website in the game-ending credits.

https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ...

Re: Sega releasing every console game for free with ads on mobile

#248
Dear Sega, you won't probably read this comment. If you do this for saturn Dragon Force.... I... I don't even know how to express the feelings if this happens. I know it won't be a reality but I guy can dream. My favorite game growing up. (only finished it through an emulator because I didn't understand english when I was a kid. The memories of non sleep till I finally finished the game.

Re: Sega releasing every console game for free with ads on mobile

#250
post #189
post #11

Serious kudos to Sega. This is how old games should be handled throughout the industry when possible. The likelihood of someone not already familiar with a title or franchise to play it is a function of A) its cost and B) how dated it is. Once a game is seeing marginal returns, it's kind of a very corporate mindset to try and suck it dry of every last penny. Especially when you view games as a form of art. I fear for…

I'm a little confused by your post. You started with "Serious kudos to Sega." and ended it with "I can only imagine Sega has ruined this very noble idea with intrusive ads and a payment scheme for removing them." Should they be applauded or shunned? Additionally, the games of your youth are special, partly because they were a part of your youth. There will likely be games of your children's youth that they hold near…

Sega isn't just one person. I started out praising them and then remembered they have a marketing team.
Post reply on HN