The Animal Crossing-esque Disney Dreamlight Valley has been in early access since September 2022, and it's soon to be making its full, proper launch in the very near future. However, plans have changed regarding its payment model; when it releases, it'll cost $39.99 instead of, erm, zero.
Initially planned to be a free-to-play game, developer Gameloft has made the decision to sell Disney Dreamlight Valley for a premium. When it leaves early access on 5th December, 2023, new players will need to buy in, with $39.99 being the price for the standard edition.
"As we look ahead to the official launch, with the learnings we've gained from Early Access, we’ve made the decision to remain a paid game for the foreseeable future," the team writes in a blog post. "This choice ensures that Disney Dreamlight Valley will be able to continue delivering on a premium game experience for all players."
For anyone who has already bought an early access Founder's Pack, nothing really changes. Anyone who purchases a Founder's Pack on or before 4th December will be given free access to unique cosmetic items from the game's Gold Edition, plus a bonus 2,500 Moonstones.
What do you think of this update? Are you still playing Disney Dreamlight Valley? Whistle while you work in the comments section below.
[source disneydreamlightvalley.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 26
I've bought it in early access and had some great time... for a week or two. Pretty great time-sinker and relaxing game, won't touch it again
Not my thing but I did start playing Speedstorm the day it went free and I play all I really feel the need to play, about an hour a day, so they're not making any $ off of me.
Would have been better if they said this from the start though, not 13 months after early access launches, that's a tough pill to swallow for anyone waiting like I was for Speedstorm. Had they done that with Speedstorm I just wouldn't have bothered.
Making them the same amount of money either way I suppose, which is why they've gone w/ pay. $40 is better than $60 or $70, hope most of the game is unlocked even at that price.
I mean I've put over 200 hours into this game so I've got my money's worth personally I think it's a wonderful game and I haven't spent a single penny on moonstone the dreamsnap competition every week is not only fun to do but can earn you tonnes of moonstone easily. This is a bit of a d*** move but I've personally been saying for a while that I think this was worthy of being a full priced game not to mention the team have been really great responding to issues and they add new content constantly.
I can't stand free to play games so this is a good thing to me. But the cynic in me says they'll charge for it and there will still be a bunch of extra monetisation anyway
Given Disney’s stock price at the moment I’m sure the Isner is pulling some strings at the House of Mouse
Its been completley designed around a free to play model, but now they want to charge for it too?
No chance at all that I'll bother with it now even though I liked what I saw in early access..
@Tomato_Goose 😂😂😂😂 this made me proper laugh.
It’s a fun game that I kinda slacked off on. I need to get back to it. Have on Game Pass but I kinda want it on Switch.
Yet I'm sure it'll still be full of microtransactions and paywalls since it was built from the ground up that way. Can't say I'm a fan of this f2p model coming into premium games. Essentially company execs having their cake and eating it too.
"Developer Gameloft"
All you need to know.
@Kanji-Tatsumi Its Gameloft. This is guaranteed.
I'm honestly surprised they still exist, they were responsible for so many generic versions of existing game franchises on mobile devices back in the day, and never maintained them.
How Disney and other companies trust them with licenses anymore is...just astounding to me.
@dskatter how are you commenting when DDV is pretty great experience as whole. But judging is easy, no? They have proved that they can create decent game from license.
@REALAIS I’m commenting because Gameloft has a very meh reputation. And because I can. I’ve played their earlier works (to my shame) and have a very solid opinion of their record.
@dskatter you live in the past. Yes, you can. But you are commenting negative just because it is companies name now. Not because their existing main product would be bad.
@Splat exactly. This'll kill the game. I've had it since it released but barely play it. My missus has it as well and she loves it but this decision to have it be paid for will kill it. It's not really worth £40 and as others have put it it'll be monetized to high heaven. Gameloft really tells you all you need to know.
@REALAIS Funny, most folks here seem to share my opinion.
It’s almost like they have a deserved bad reputation for pumping out shovelware games. The occasional decent game doesn’t negate their past examples of crap.
This will be microtransaction’d to death. Guaranteed. But please, keep defending Gameloft.
When it actually releases it will be advertised to children, and parents, and they will clearly buy it for the word Disney. They were stupid to ever consider it being free. But it's a bit cheeky saying it would be and going back on it
@Kanji-Tatsumi the game has free to play functions if you want to buy premium items like the disney castle you will either have to play the game for about two weeks or buy a 40 bucks moonstone pack.
the items they sell in stores for cheap.
are literally furniture with a crown stamp on the same items and call it frozen or cinderella edition.
all wall-e items are literally 3 different jump suits and a few garbage bins in with a wall-e E stamp.
It is was £40 and then I get access to everything then that would be great.
But they’ll still keep the ‘free-to-play’ model with paid passes to access content.
@dskatter
Gameloft doesn't make games for longevity they make games for a quick buck...so this checks out. Only need the game to last as long as it's peak and then...done (Disney washes hands)
@MikeOrator Eeeeexactly. Anyone who thinks this is going to be something that sticks around after the profits dip slightly deserves what’s coming.
So it'll be Fee to Pay, then.
@Kanji-Tatsumi it is already. There are a couple of themed quest lines that are behind the premium currency pay wall. You can earn that currency in game but it will take awhile to earn vs paying for it now.
It's probably a lose-lose whichever way they go with it. Either they put a price on it, or it gets labelled as 'live-service' and people won't touch it.
I’ve played 400 hours so far and I don’t mind spending £25 on an expansion pack. Some people online are super mad about this but it feels a little entitled to me. How do they expect the dev to make money? They aren’t making this game out of the goodness of their hearts.
@The_ghostmen if you collect the blue chests that spawn every day you can make 1,500 moonstones every month. If you take part in the weekly DreamSnaps, you can earn an additional minimum of 300 Moonstones every week (the lowest amount I’ve received is 1,200 moonstones but I average 1,500-4,000 moonstones every week). The game is very generous with in-game currency if you put the effort in. I’ve purchased nearly all premium shop items and I haven’t spent a penny.
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