The digital games market report released for February by research firm Superdata suggests that Hearthstone revenue on both iOS and Android were at their lowest since the mobile versions launched. It also adds that desktop revenues have been down but not to the extent as on mobile.
The report which explores digital revenues suggests that FIFA 17 and Battlefield 1, both made by Electronic Arts continued to improve. FIFA had double-digit digital revenue growth for February, whilst Battlefield experienced double digit unit sales compared to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and Titanfall 2, gamesindustry.biz reports.
The overall report suggests digital revenue rose 4% for the month to a staggering $7.83 billion (£6.29 billion). Console sales rose 18% in year-over-year revenues, which the research company attributed to higher selling prices.
Blizzard, the game developer behind the popular card game Hearthstone have come under criticism for the state of the game’s meta and furthermore the paywall that players must break in order to be competitive.
The /r/hearthstone subreddit is filled with complaints about how expensive it is to stay competitive in the game, with each new expansion requiring further investment in order to obtain new cards that make the game more exciting. The latest card expansion will actually cost more for a player to purchase than the developer’s hugely popular Overwatch title itself. By purchasing it, it only provides a finite amount of packs and so further purchases or grinding are necessary should you not obtain the packs and cards that you wish for.
Additionally, and what could be to blame for the poor sales in recent months is the complaint that there is little to no alternative but to play one deck as it’s simply better than any alternative. As a result there’s little incentive for people to invest or even play the game as the game play has been described as stale by many.
Esports Insider says: The plight of Hearthstone goes to show the careful balance needed within a game if it is to remain successful. The popular card game certainly isn’t going away anytime soon but here’s hoping Blizzard listen to the community sooner rather than later.