Disney Magic Kingdoms

[supernova]

Okay, I officially think that whomever was in charge of creating this current round of Tower Challenge, was smoking something, or they didn't story board it out, or something. If you have all the characters and you work along to get the extra currency for the tower challenge, you reach a point where the task to gain said extra currency says Send Jasmine and Rajah to reunite. Like a fool, I clicked on said task before realizing, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!!! The whole point of this TC is to GET RAJAH. I sent in a ticket AND I sent in a post to game loft forums. What the heck???? (I want to say other words). Maybe they have a board in their office space that says, GOAL: How to we frustrate all our players?

It's just a way to keep players focused on the end goal. Not an oversight, and nothing that a help desk ticket is going to do. All they are going to do is suggest that you simply close the book. No real need to have it open anyway at this point.

 

[supernova]

There is legislation under way attempting to make it illegal to sell loot boxes in games that target children because it promotes gambling.

Looking at the legislation it would appear that basically everything Gameloft does in DMK would become illegal - selling characters, selling loot boxes, selling anything that gives an advantage or selling any time limited content. No wonder they’re hysterically pushing events as fast as possible. They need us to spend money NOW.

I wonder if that will mean the end of the game if and when this legislation is passed. Then gain, they can still sell characters, buildings, etc straight out, just not as part of a chest.

 

[karmstr112]

Sounds like quite a few people are passing on Sultan. I did use gems to get him, I hope I don't regret it in the long run. 300 gems for a premium character (that actually hasn't really done anything "premium" yet) seemed like a bargain after the Ringmaster. But now I'm down to 149 gems. Gonna gave to run my parades into the ground to earn some gems back. I used elixir to get him to lv 2 right away to start earning cocoa. Seems like the cocoa is being rationed this time around.

So if you pay for the Sultan you get 2 Rajah fabrics and 2 Rajah ears once you get to level 2. When you leveled up to 2 did you get the Rajah drops too? I have no intention of spending $9.99 for the Sultan. I MAY spend 300 gems if he has an actual purpose for the challenge.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

so one small change I noticed is they increased the elixir rewards for some of the items. Specifically I noticed those pink Mulan trees that used to only get your 2 elixir (so I just saved them) not get your 35 each and other similar things

Not a huge change but useful if you had a bunch of those stocked now if we need to use the "protect happiness" spell more often

 

[Arundal]

So if you pay for the Sultan you get 2 Rajah fabrics and 2 Rajah ears once you get to level 2. When you leveled up to 2 did you get the Rajah drops too? I have no intention of spending $9.99 for the Sultan. I MAY spend 300 gems if he has an actual purpose for the challenge.

I am sitting at about 230 gems so did not plan on getting Sultan unless I get to 300 before the end of TC which I probably will but then whether to keep for something else later, probably skipping Toy Story 4. Time for break or play only a little.

 

[mmmears]

I have the gems for the Sultan. Is he worth getting?

 

[hopemax]

Yeah, I don't know what to do about Sultan either. I have the gems in my IOS game, and I was considering buying Rex as well. Rex is at least useful in TC, and trophy drops, while I expect Sultan to be pretty useless when we are done with this TC. If I buy either of them, it will drop me to less than 200 gems. We know another event needing 700 gems is right around the corner (even if we have no news) but I am already sort of planning on taking the next event off. I'll work on like the first 3 characters, but at a normal pace and not an event pace. So not having the gems shouldn't be a deal breaker.

Oh, and I got the Dumbo float in my Windows game. Almost didn't realize what I had, because I am still not really awake, and wasn't really paying attention.

 

[mikegood2]

There is legislation under way attempting to make it illegal to sell loot boxes in games that target children because it promotes gambling.

Looking at the legislation it would appear that basically everything Gameloft does in DMK would become illegal - selling characters, selling loot boxes, selling anything that gives an advantage or selling any time limited content. No wonder they’re hysterically pushing events as fast as possible. They need us to spend money NOW.

WOW, if that lawsuit is trying to do all that it’s just silly and goes way overboard. I think the loot box aspect, aka buying something just for a chance at getting something part of it makes sense, because that portion is essential gambling, but the rest just goes to far. I’ve always had a problem with that aspect of the game and refuse to ever reward them by giving them money for that. The rest of it just goes overboard and is an overreach though. How is buying something like a character, not for a chance but actually getting that character 100% of the time gambling? If Vegas, slot machines, Casinos, etc. all had 100% odds than they would all be out of business. Now do they have addictive aspects to them, no question about that, but isn’t their a difference between gambling and addiction? Says the guy who was character/attraction completionist until recently.

Now if they were talking about some type of cap on games would have to in-act, that would make more sense, but then again how do you come up with what that cap should be. There is no doubt that games with IAPs are a real problem, but sadly that genie was let out of the bottle a long time ago.

I don't appreciate your pessimistic attitude. I've been looking at it as Ducky now having company for half of the month.

We’re not the rays of sunshine and hope that you are @supernova

 

[hopemax]

WOW, if that lawsuit is trying to do all that it’s just silly and goes way overboard. I think the loot box aspect, aka buying something just for a chance at getting something part of it makes sense, because that portion is essential gambling, but the rest just goes to far.

The "Pay-to-Win" part of the legislation is

Pay-to-Win: Manipulation of a game’s progression system – typically by building artificial difficulty or other barriers into game progression – to induce players to spend money on microtransactions to advance through content supposedly available to them at no additional cost

Pay-to-win - Manipulation of the competitive balance between players of multiplayer games by allowing players who purchase microtransactions competetive advantages over other players.

So for DMK, consider the events and how they have manipulated the game so that to complete events you have to purchase premium content. I think this legislation is going after those type of moves. They may be able to get away with selling bundles for storyline premium content. DMK is different than a multi-player game, where selling a sword to Player A leaves Player B at a disadvantage. But we aren't competing against each other in DMK. But all of these bundles for Events would be a problem.

I don't think *this* legislation will pass, but I do think we are moving toward the end of randomized loot boxes that cost money. So the gaming industry can avoid even more stringent legislation. But it won't come before the natural end of life of DMK. No Disney game lasts. Eventually, they all end. I imagine Gameloft has a licensing end date, and that more than anything is generating this constant stream of event content.

 

[mikegood2]

The "Pay-to-Win" part of the legislation is

So for DMK, consider the events and how they have manipulated the game so that to complete events you have to purchase premium content. I think this legislation is going after those type of moves. They may be able to get away with selling bundles for storyline premium content. DMK is different than a multi-player game, where selling a sword to Player A leaves Player B at a disadvantage. But we aren't competing against each other in DMK. But all of these bundles for Events would be a problem.

Yeah, I agree that part does make some sense, but I guess the question is how far is to far, for both sides? No question that the increased regularity of events and TC and increased difficulty of them in DMK is an obvious attempt to make more money. That said, it gets tricky deciding what does and does not constitute “Pay-to-win”? Take Moana as an example. Is the increased difficulty in questionable at best? I think so, but does not getting Moana make the game impossible to “win” or “beat” in the future? I guess I took issue with the term gambling? Completely get the fact that loot crates could/should be classified as gambling, but I consider the other aspects closer to an addiction, or addictive behavior than gambling.

Also no question that they are trying to take advantage of kids, and grown up kids (like us) and legislation to improve that is probably a really good idea. I guess I just took exception to certain aspects that I felt probably go to far? I would love it if IAP aspects of games were almost completely removed from games, and we went back to games that charge a few bucks to purchase, but sadly that ship has sailed. Way to many people refuse to spend any money to buy a game, but have no problem buying IAP in freemium games.

 

[hopemax]

Yeah, I agree that part does make some sense, but I guess the question is how far is to far, for both sides? No question that the increased regularity of events and TC and increased difficulty of them in DMK is an obvious attempt to make more money. That said, it gets tricky deciding what does and does not constitute “Pay-to-win”? Take Moana as an example. Is the increased difficulty in questionable at best? I think so, but does not getting Moana make the game impossible to “win” or “beat” in the future? I guess I took issue with the term gambling? Completely get the fact that loot crates could/should be classified as gambling, but I consider the other aspects closer to an addiction, or addictive behavior than gambling.

Also no question that they are trying to take advantage of kids, and grown up kids (like us) and legislation to improve that is probably a really good idea. I guess I just took exception to certain aspects that I felt probably go to far? I would love it if IAP aspects of games were almost completely removed from games, and we went back to games that charge a few bucks to purchase, but sadly that ship has sailed. Way to many people refuse to spend any money to buy a game, but have no problem buying IAP in freemium games.

The legislation does not actually equate these things with gambling. The legislation is actual about manipulation, especially with games targeted to minors. Gambling is the line the gaming industry is using to respond by saying that "courts have ruled this isn't gambling." But it's a bit of a non sequitur, as the legislation only refers to gambling in describing the addictive nature "like gambling."

 

[2010_Bride]

I don't appreciate your pessimistic attitude. I've been looking at it as Ducky now having company for half of the month.

Help! I need to have my head examined. I’m starting to think like Supernova When this task came up, I too thought “good, Ducky will have a friend.” Is there a support group I can join? Or a good councillor anyone can recommend?!

 

[mikegood2]

Off topic, but Disney related. Anyone planning on going to Aladdin? Does it actually look good to people?

Based on the trailers it just doesn’t look very good to me. The Lion King looks much more interesting. It’s the type of movie I wouldn't pay to watch in the theaters and wait to rent. That said, I’ll probably see it next week since I just signed up for AMC A-List for the summer (Up to 3 movies a week for $22 a month) and there were enough movies coming out this summer that I figured I’d actually save money with it. And since it lets me watch up to 3 movies a week “free”, I figured I might as well use one of them on Aladdin. Can only watch Avengers End Game and John Wick so many times.

 

[hopemax]

I don't watch any of the live-action movies that are based on animated films. I did see Maleficent because my Mom wanted to go, and I saw Jungle Book on Netflix. That was enough to make me say, nope! I worry about the longevity of a studio that can't make a successful non-recycled content movie. Everything is either Marvel, Star Wars or animation remake or sequel.

 

[supernova]

Help! I need to have my head examined. I’m starting to think like Supernova When this task came up, I too thought “good, Ducky will have a friend.” Is there a support group I can join? Or a good councillor anyone can recommend?!

Nope. Just stay on your meds and this, too, shall pass...

 

[supernova]

I worry about the longevity of a studio that can't make a successful non-recycled content movie. Everything is either Marvel, Star Wars or animation remake or sequel.

Yeah, that really does sum it up. Sad, huh?

 

[mmmears]

I don't watch any of the live-action movies that are based on animated films. I did see Maleficent because my Mom wanted to go, and I saw Jungle Book on Netflix. That was enough to make me say, nope! I worry about the longevity of a studio that can't make a successful non-recycled content movie. Everything is either Marvel, Star Wars or animation remake or sequel.

I totally agree. I will watch them for free (either Netflix, or if DH brings home a DVD from the library) but I don't think it's good that they keep recycling content and I don't find these remakes particularly good.

 

[mikegood2]

I don't watch any of the live-action movies that are based on animated films. I did see Maleficent because my Mom wanted to go, and I saw Jungle Book on Netflix. That was enough to make me say, nope! I worry about the longevity of a studio that can't make a successful non-recycled content movie. Everything is either Marvel, Star Wars or animation remake or sequel.

Yeah, that really does sum it up. Sad, huh?

Sadly, I think most of what Disney has done lately has just been to make Wall Street happy. They had great success with Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast live-action, so they’re gonna keep running that approach into the ground until it’s not. I think Dumbo was a bomb for them, but still #6 grossing for the year, so hopefully they will change that approach. Would really like them to take more risks though. That said I have no problems with more Marvel and StarWars.

 

[KimRonRufus]

Off topic, but Disney related. Anyone planning on going to Aladdin? Does it actually look good to people?

Based on the trailers it just doesn’t look very good to me. The Lion King looks much more interesting. It’s the type of movie I wouldn't pay to watch in the theaters and wait to rent. That said, I’ll probably see it next week since I just signed up for AMC A-List for the summer (Up to 3 movies a week for $22 a month) and there were enough movies coming out this summer that I figured I’d actually save money with it. And since it lets me watch up to 3 movies a week “free”, I figured I might as well use one of them on Aladdin. Can only watch Avengers End Game and John Wick so many times.

I'm gonna get dragged to it. Siblings want to see it. Aladdin was one of my FAVORITE movies as a kid, so I already know this one won't be as good. I've also seen the Broadway show, so try coming down from THAT. The best I'm hoping for is that it's "okay". (And what do mean?! There's never too much Avengers Endgame!!!)

 

[supernova]

Sadly, I think most of what Disney has done lately has just been to make Wall Street happy. They had great success with Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast live-action, so they’re gonna keep running that approach into the ground until it’s not. I think Dumbo was a bomb for them, but still #6 grossing for the year, so hopefully they will change that approach. Would really like them to take more risks though. That said I have no problems with more Marvel and StarWars.

We still have Mulan and Lady & the Tramp in the works, and tons of other animated classics to bring to life/CGI. In my world, recycling is picked up once a week. In Disney's world, every day is recycle day, apparently.