Once upon a time, the community of mobile gamers cheered for premium games more than anything. We were willing to invest in quality games that lacked in-app purchases or advertisements. Those were the days when the quality of games were sky high. Then the freemium model invaded the mobile gaming platform and in order for companies to compete, they had to go freemium. Many gamers stopped investing into unknown premium games unless they came from a well known company such as Epic Games which released Infinity Blade or has been ported from a different platform such as Grand Theft Auto.

Many currently believe that the time of the premium model has been lost and forsaken, but we don’t nor does Square Enix. If this company is unrecognizable to you, then you surely recognize their mobile titles such as Final Fantasy, Hitman GO, Chaos Rings, and Deus Ex: The Fall. Quite a popular company with great influence, no doubt. So what does Square Enix have to say about the premium model?

In its most recent financial briefing, Square Enix said that the once abandoned market for premium games will see a resurrection. This is due to the new powerful devices that are coming out which open the door for console-like gaming. They even point out the advantages of premium apps which many companies seem to ignore.

1. Less burden of dev cost amortization
2. Long-tail revenue stream = Longer lifetime
3. Cumulative revenue-generating model

Although they are not halting the release of freemium games, they are suggesting that premium games will also be released. There is no doubt that premium games are cheaper to maintain and can sell for many years, which in the long run, garners more revenue in comparison to freemium games. For example, their latest game Romancing Saga 2 is worth $17.99 and is selling very well. That’s because it’s quite a known game with great content for players to enjoy.

We have seen for many years that mobile gamers are willing to invest money into quality games that offer an amazing experience. We only hope that other companies follow Square Enix’s lead into supporting the premium model more often. The premium model should economically attract developers and also attract gamers based on quality & content. Stay tuned with our website for the latest news in mobile gaming.