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Dungeon Keeper (2014 video game)

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For the 1997 game, see Dungeon Keeper.

Dungeon Keeper
Developer(s)Mythic Entertainment
Publisher(s)Electronic Arts
SeriesDungeon Keeper
Platform(s)iOS
Android
Release30 January 2014
Genre(s)Strategy
Mode(s)Single-player
Multiplayer

Dungeon Keeper is a freemium mobile massively multiplayer online strategy video game developed by Mythic Entertainment and released by Electronic Arts in 2014 for iOS and Android. A reboot to the Dungeon Keeper series, players construct and manage a dungeon, recruiting minions to run it, although the gameplay has a tower defence style, featuring frequent raids of others' dungeons and the defence of the player's. Players can participate in tournaments and leagues online.

The game was announced in August 2013, and the development team wanted to carry over elements from the original Dungeon Keeper games by Bullfrog Productions, especially the humour. Richard Ridings provided the voiceovers, as he did with the previous instalments. The game is noted for its monetization of gameplay by relying on in-app purchases, for which it received widespread criticism. The reliance on in-app purchases also caused outcry in the gaming public. In the UK, Electronic Arts' advertising of the game was ruled to have misled customers, which forced them to amend their adverts. Electronic Arts also faced criticism over filtration of user reviews.

Gameplay

A typical dungeon.

Unlike previous instalments, the game is a tower defence game,[1] similar to Clash of Clans.[2] As with previous instalments, the game centres around dungeon construction and management, with players hiring and controlling minions. The dungeon heart is the life force, and its destruction ends the game. Imps are the dungeon's workforce, performing tasks such as digging tiles. Rooms have set sizes instead of being constructed by tiles, and minions are summoned manually instead of appearing at regular intervals. Which minions can be summoned depends on the dungeon's composition. Rooms include the workshop (which produces traps used to defend the dungeon) and the Dark Library.[3] Rooms can be moved without reconstruction,[4] and some have built-in defences against intruders.[3] Minions include trolls and warlocks. In campaign mode, major events are triggered manually.[3] At the start, players are given a tutorial by Horny, the Horned Reaper from the previous games.[3] Raiding other dungeons (with the goal of the opponent's destruction) using the acquired minions is a regular occurrence, and players also frequently need to defend their dungeon from invasion. During raids, rooms can be claimed and used to deploy units.[3]

There are three main types of resource: Gold, Stone, and Gems. Resources are used to construct rooms and traps, and summon minions.[3] Stone and Gold (stored in a treasury[3]) are produced by Stone Quarries and Gold Mines respectively.[5] Resources are also found in dirt tiles (dug by the Imps), of which there are three types: Soft Rock, Gem Veins, and Hard Gem Veins, taking increasing amounts of time to dig respectively. The idea of this is to keep Imps busy while the player is away, and to reward players on returning.[6] Imps can be slapped to speed up digging,[6] and Gems can be spent to dig tiles instantly.[3] Gems can also be spent to produce Imps, upgrade rooms, and instantly perform other actions that take time, such as room construction, and minion summoning,[3] and can be purchased using real money within the game.[7][8] Other resources include mana (produced by the Dark Library and used to cast spells (such as Dragon Breath, which conjures a dragon[9])),[3] and combat points, obtained by raiding and defending dungeons.[10]

In multiplayer, players can be a member of a guild, a group which shares minions and cooperate towards achieving goals.[11] Guild Tournaments, in which guilds compete for the rank of Horny's Chosen, are held. Victory stars are awarded based on players' performance in raids. If enough stars are earned, the guild qualifies for the tournament. The first five qualifying guilds enter the Horny's Chosen bracket. The other qualifying guilds enter a standard tournament. Guilds are ranked according to victory stars earned. The Horny's Chosen brackets yield greater Gem rewards than the standard tournament. Rewards are distributed to guild members according to participation. Guilds that do not win enter a lottery for a Gem payout.[12][13] Another feature is the League of Evil, a ladder system in which players are ranked according to trophies earned. The higher the rank, the greater the resource bonus for performing successful raids. As players promote through the ranks, achievements with Gem rewards are unlocked, and players are given all achievements and Gem rewards up to that rank if they already qualify for a higher rank.[14][15] Another event is Event Raids, in which players build defences to withstand waves of invaders.[16]

Development

Dungeon Keeper was announced in August 2013,[17] although development began the previous year.[18] It was scheduled for a winter release,[19] and designed for touchscreens.[20] According to senior producer Jeff Skalski, Mythic Entertainment had to make significant changes to Dungeon Keeper for mobile platforms, although there were aspects of the original games from Bullfrog Productions they wanted to keep, such as the humour.[21][22] The intention was to give players an experience of the original Dungeon Keeper.[23] Despite this, he stated that they were not trying to recreate the original games,[24] or the cancelled Dungeon Keeper 3, but rather a mobile game for mobile systems.[21] The colour palette was expanded to make the creatures easier to see on mobile phones. The role of traps was increased, and gameplay was made to focus as much on offence as defence. According to Skalski, the god-view facilitated the porting to touch-screen devices.[21] The development team took into account feedback from fans on the internet, and their goal was to make the game free so many people could play it. Skalski emphasized that the game is built for typical mobile game patterns, which meant that it is supposed to be played for brief periods multiple times per day. He disagreed with assertions that it lacks the humour of the original, due to Richard Ridings (who, according to him, is a fan-favourite) providing the voice-overs like he did with the original Dungeon Keeper and Dungeon Keeper 2, which included over 500 lines of dialogue.[25][26]

According to Nick LaMartina, director of Audio and Media, the team wanted Ridings to emote (he considered Ridings's voices in the original games flat by comparison), so the personality of Horny emerged. Ridings described working on Dungeon Keeper as "a licence to be bad", and was impressed with the scripts. According to LaMartina, the scripts contributed to how good the game sounded. Many people, including himself, the creative director, the producer, and the community manager, contributed to the scripts. LaMartina stated that the collaborative effort is what made Horny the character he is.[26]

Electronic Arts soft launched the game for Android in Canada and Australia in October 2013.[27] The game was released worldwide free of charge on the ITunes Store for iOS and Google Play for Android on 30 January 2014,[28][29][30] and Electronic Arts described the game as "a "twisted" take" on Bullfrog's game.[31] The game was highly anticipated by fans of the originals.[26][32]

Reception

Dungeon Keeper received a great deal of negative reception due to monetization. In particular, critics condemned the time the Gem Veins take to dig, forcing players to either wait or purchase Gems with real money.[8][40] Leif Johnson of IGN heavily criticized the heavy reliance on in-app purchases and waiting times that were not present in the original game.[35] Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer criticized the game for being a Clash of Clans clone as well its reliance on microtransactions, and commented that Dungeon Keeper had gone free-to-play in a "soulless" way.[8] Jim Sterling of The Escapist echoed these sentiments, describing the game as "One of the worst examples of a cancer that is eroding the market", and also criticizing the "babyish" characters and the lack of dark humour and appeal of the original game.[40] Jeuxvideo.com described the game as "Outrageous", and criticized the difficulty of playing without paying, as well as the behaviour of the units when confronting the enemy, although they commented that some of the humour of the original game is present.[36] Scott Nichols of Digital Spy criticized the waiting times and commented that they render the invasions inadequate for game worth.[42] Jaz Rignall of USgamer initially complimented the graphics and gameplay, but described the game as "a sad, knock-off of a wannabe, faux-Dungeon Keeper" due to the free-to-play business model.[39] Miguel Concepcion of TabTimes heavily criticized the waiting times and how quickly the game asks for payment.[43] Shaun Musgrave of TouchArcade stated that fans of the original games would be unhappy with the simplification and monetization.[38] Peter Molyneux, creator of the original Dungeon Keeper, described the waiting times and capitalization as "ridiculous", and criticized Electronic Arts for getting the balance wrong.[45][46]

Reception was not universally negative. Chris Carter of Destructoid gave a mediocre review. Although he criticized the waiting times and microtransactions, he commented that raiding other dungeons can be fun.[34] Harry Slater of Pocket Gamer described the game as a "well polished Clash of Clans clone", although he criticized the waiting times.[37] Nathan Meunier of MacLife lauded the "addictive" construction and "wacky" humour, but criticized the frequency of in-app purchases.[41] Slide to Play described the game as "not too bad" for a freemium game employing in-app purchases.[47] Stephen Yuen of AndroidSPIN stated that the game needs patience, but praised the graphics and sound.[44]

Controversies

In addition to strong criticism from reviewers, the game caused outcry from the gaming public.[18][48] British newspaper Independent stated that the game's use of microtransactions made it "unplayable".[49] At one point, the outrage was dismissed as the players playing incorrectly.[50] In February 2014, Electronic Arts was accused of censoring user ratings lower than five stars by making those players email them instead.[51] Electronic Arts claimed the practice facilitated feedback,[52][53] but was criticized for making players claim to give the highest rating in order to give one.[54] The practice was criticized for giving an impression of popularity.[55] Electronic Arts claimed that the outcry was mainly due to players' nostalgia for the original games, and pointed out that there were many players who did not have such criticisms.[56]

In July 2014, the British Advertising Standards Authority ruled that Electronic Arts' advertising that the game is free misled customers,[57][58] ordered the addition of fine print explaining about in-app purchases,[58][59] and banned the original adverts.[60] Electronic Arts counter-claimed that in-app purchases are not mandatory and that Gems are obtainable in-game.[61] Responding to the public criticisms, Andrew Wilson of Electronic Arts admitted that they "misjudged the economy", and resolved to learn from them.[62] He also stated that they failed to deliver value.[63] Peter Molyneux stated that they forgot about Dungeon Keeper's spirit, and expressed regret at not offering his input on the game, despite being consulted by the developers.[62] Electronic Arts' head of mobile, Frank Gibeau, also stated that they "innovated too much".[64] Shamus Young of The Escapist cited Electronic Arts' lack of understanding of the market and game design, and poor public relations as reasons the game was not successful.[50]

References

  1. ^ Vincent Ingenito (7 October 2013). "Dungeon Keeper Reboot: The Price of Being Bad". IGN. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  2. ^ Mike Fahley (30 January 2014). "It's Not Classic Dungeon Keeper, But It's Not All Bad". Kotaku. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Dungeon Keeper - Eurogamer Let's Play. Eurogamer. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016 – via Youtube.
  4. ^ Debbie Timmins (27 August 2013). "Dungeon Keeper Preview Pt. 1 – Rooms and Traps". The Average Gamer. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  5. ^ Dungeon Keeper FAQs: Claiming Gold Mines & Stone Quarries. EA Mobile Games. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016 – via Youtube.
  6. ^ a b Dungeon Keeper FAQs: Excavation Strategy & Gem Rewards. EA Mobile Games. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016 – via Youtube.
  7. ^ Dave Cook (5 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper mobile: why 'free-to-play' is losing its meaning". VG247. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d Dan Whitehead (5 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper review". Eurogamer. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  9. ^ Debbie Timmins (28 August 2013). "Dungeon Keeper Preview Pt 2 – Combat and IAP". The Average Gamer. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  10. ^ "Gameplay FAQ". Electronic Arts. 27 September 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  11. ^ "FAQ: Guilds!". Electronic Arts. 4 April 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  12. ^ "Guild Tournaments 101". Electronic Arts. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  13. ^ Dungeon Keeper: Introducing... Guild Tournaments!. EA Mobile Games. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016 – via Youtube.
  14. ^ "FAQ: The League of Evil". Electronic Arts. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  15. ^ Dungeon Keeper: Introducing... The League of Evil!. EA Mobile Games. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016 – via Youtube.
  16. ^ "Exclusive/Event Raids FAQ". Electronic Arts. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  17. ^ Mike Fahley (21 August 2013). "Dungeon Keeper Returns... As A Mobile Game". Kotaku. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  18. ^ a b Meer, Alec (1 April 2015). "How To Remake Dungeon Keeper". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  19. ^ Tracey Lien (21 August 2013). "Dungeon Keeper coming to iOS and Android later this year". Polygon. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  20. ^ Ryan Whitman (20 August 2013). "Electronic Arts And Mythic Studio Will Bring The Classic Game Dungeon Keeper To Android Later This Year". Android Police. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  21. ^ a b c Paul Semel (2 February 2014). "'Dungeon Keeper' is a PC classic given new life on tablets—but maybe not how fans expect". TabTimes. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  22. ^ Megan Farokhmanesh (1 October 2013). "Dungeon Keeper remains faithful to the original through humor". Polygon. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  23. ^ Eddie Makuch (6 February 2014). "EA responds to Dungeon Keeper free-to-play criticisms". GameSpot. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  24. ^ Mark Brown (16 October 2013). "Hands-on with Dungeon Keeper for iOS and Android - a clash of fans". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  25. ^ Paul Semel (5 February 2014). "EA responds to fevered 'Dungeon Keeper' paywall criticism". TabTimes. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  26. ^ a b c Dungeon Keeper Interview: Richard Ridings. EA Mobile Games. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016 – via Youtube.
  27. ^ Tony Zhang (14 October 2013). "Dungeon Keeper Soft-Launched on Google Play, Coming to the App Store Next Month". AppsGoer. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  28. ^ "Dungeon Keeper Out Now On Android And iOS". Retro Gamer. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  29. ^ "Dungeon Keeper By Electronic Arts". iTunes. Apple. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  30. ^ "Dungeon Keeper". Google Play. Google. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  31. ^ Tom Phillips (30 January 2014). "EA launches free-to-play Dungeon Keeper for iOS, Android". Eurogamer. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  32. ^ Jon Robinson (2 October 2013). "EA has massive hit on its (evil) hands with Dungeon Keeper". Social Times. adweek.com. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  33. ^ "Dungeon Keeper for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
  34. ^ a b Chris Carter (1 February 2014). "Review: Dungeon Keeper (Mobile)". Destructoid. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  35. ^ a b Leif Johnson (11 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper iPad and iPhone Review". IGN. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  36. ^ a b "Test : Dungeon Keeper". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). 7 February 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  37. ^ a b Harry Slater (31 January 2014). "Dungeon Keeper". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  38. ^ a b Musgrave, Shaun (5 February 2014). "'Dungeon Keeper' Review – The Dark Lord Would Be Pleased". TouchArcade. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  39. ^ a b Jaz Rignall (6 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper iOS Review: Not a Keeper". USGamer. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  40. ^ a b c Jim Sterling (2 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Mobile Review - Wallet Reaper". The Escapist. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  41. ^ a b Nathan Meunier (31 January 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Review". MacLife. Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  42. ^ a b Scott Nichols (4 February 2014). "Mobile reviews: Dungeon Keeper, Bloodstroke, Flappy Bird". Digital Spy. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  43. ^ a b Miguel Concepcion (6 February 2014). "'Dungeon Keeper' review: money raid (iOS/Android)". TabTimes. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  44. ^ a b Stephen Yuen (26 October 2013). "[GAME REVIEW] Dungeon Keeper on Android: This One Is Definitely A Keeper, If You're Patient". AndroidSPIN. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  45. ^ Mark Ward (7 February 2014). "EA faces criticism over mobile Dungeon Keeper game". BBC. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  46. ^ Emanuel Maiberg (8 February 2014). "Peter Molyneux on free-to-play Dungeon Keeper: "This is ridiculous"". GameSpot. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  47. ^ "Dungeon Keeper Review". Slide to Play. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  48. ^ Oscar Clark (4 February 2014). "The problems with Dungeon Keeper and why in-app purchases aren't inherently evil". develop-online. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  49. ^ James Vincent (10 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper mobile remake deemed 'unplayable' due to in-app purchases". Independent. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  50. ^ a b Shamus Young (15 July 2014). "How Electronic Arts Made Dungeon Keeper A Huge Fiasco". Experienced Points. The Escapist. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  51. ^ Luke Villapaz (10 February 2014). "'Dungeon Keeper' Review Controversy: EA Responds To Accusation Of Rating Manipulation In Google Play Store". International Business Times. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  52. ^ James Brightman (10 February 2014). "EA filtering out less than 5-star reviews of Dungeon Keeper on Android". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  53. ^ Jeffery Matulef (6 February 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Android's rating system filters out "1-4 star" reviews". Eurogamer. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  54. ^ David Hing (11 February 2014). "EA filtering non-5 star ratings for Dungeon Keeper". bitgamer. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  55. ^ Timothy Geigner (13 February 2014). "EA: You Can Only Rate Our Dungeon Keeper App If you Give It A Perfect Rating". Techdirt. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  56. ^ Mike Rose (6 February 2014). "EA downplays Dungeon Keeper free-to-play criticisms". Gamasutra. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  57. ^ Mike Rose (2 July 2014). "UK regulatory body rules that free-to-play Dungeon Keeper isn't really free". Gamasutra. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  58. ^ a b "ASA Ruling on Electronic Arts Ltd". Advertising Standards Authority. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  59. ^ Sam Machkovech (2 July 2014). "British regulator: EA "misled" by calling Dungeon Keeper free-to-play". Ars Technica. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  60. ^ Wesley Yin-Poole (2 July 2014). "UK watchdog bans Dungeon Keeper ad, accuses EA of "misleading" customers". Eurogamer. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  61. ^ Marla Desat (3 July 2014). "Dungeon Keeper Ads Misleading, Concludes UK Advertising Watchdog". The Escapist. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  62. ^ a b Wesley Yin-Poole (25 June 2014). "Will EA learn from the terrible Dungeon Keeper mobile game?". Eurogamer. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  63. ^ Stew Shearer (26 June 2014). "Cash Grab Dungeon Keeper Was Wrong, Admits EA CEO". The Escapist. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  64. ^ Ian Davis (9 July 2014). "EA: Dungeon Keeper Failed by "Innovating Too Much"". The Escapist. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
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