“Rocket League” has been downloaded more than 5 million times since its debut on July 7. It’s on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. Credit: Psyonix Inc.
This week's Digital Savant column, in Tuesday's print edition and on MyStatesman.com, is about "Rocket League," a new game that in a month has become an out-of-nowhere monster hit. It combines soccer and driving and is ridiculously fun and challenging to play.
Here’s an excerpt from the column:
But making a great, fun game can't be the only formula for success, right? Here are five things Psyonix did right to make "Rocket League" a hit:
1. Make it cheap and free. The PC version of "Rocket League" costs $20 to download, which is much cheaper than most $50-$60 mainstream retail games. But the PlayStation 4 version was offered for free through the month of July for all members of PlayStation Plus, which had 10.9 million members as of January. Online multiplayer gaming on a PS4 requires a Plus subscription; it's likely a lot of those 5 million downloads were PS Plus members trying out the game as part of their monthly subscription freebies.
How will Psyonix make its money back while giving the game away? In August, the game went back to $20 for PS4, and the company is going to be offering paid downloadable options soon, including an upcoming $4 pack of new car options. When PS4 gamers see online friends playing a game like "Rocket League," they're more likely to grab the game for themselves to join in.
You can read the rest of the column here and see a video of what it's like in action below. Are you playing "Rocket League?" Let me know what you think about it in the comments.
