Because, without listing any explorers or programs, you can download programs for your explorer to block ads.
Also, why would you pay money just to avoid watching an advertisement? You're already probably paying money for TV, and you watch THEIR advertisements. So why pay to not watch ads for something that's free?
Do your research. This website started declining a while back, most significantly with the release of their "MMO" category. While a few of them are slightly entertaining, the majority of them are the same thing, with a different setting. A pay to win enterprise. Following this, the quality of the games has gone down, but the quantity remains the same, if slightly increased (for influx of new games, clearly). You no longer show up every few days to see a new 8/10 game. You log in every day to see a new 25-50 rank game. Quantity < Quality. Tower defense shows you this. That is, DECENT tower defense games. Finally, to conclude, the advertisements have gone OFF the charts, and now it's a Pay to Early Access market. (see the recent Beta game release "Sentry Knight"
The only reason I go onto this website anymore is to see a new game, try it, USUALLY leave within 5 minutes, and continue on with my life. On the rare occasion I DO find a game I like, I support DIRECTLY to the creator, not through ArmorGames.
Now I'm not saying they don't have a right to ASK you for money, and by all means, I'm sure plenty of people pay for it. But why not ask them to pay for GOOD things, like a lightsaber, or maybe a Ferrari.
Really though, I think that ArmorGames needs to take a look at it's priorities. You're pushing away loyal, hardcore gamers in favor of shallow, quick smash'n'dash people who will leave once they get bored.
I don't quite see how ad-free gaming pushes away loyal hardcore gamers. The lack of quality of flash games is a problem, but it's not just an AG issue, but an overall decline in the Flash market. There aren't going to always be high quality games sadly. For every Sonny, there're going to be a half dozen flops.
Some people really have an issue with ads. They find them pointlessly annoying. Most don't care, but it was done to cater to them as well and I think it's good that AG bothers to try and appease that group.
Anyway about SK, it's just a beta release to a small group of users to test for bugs. It's not really a Pay for Early Access privilege/reward to play a game a couple of weeks earlier.
Also, why would you pay money just to avoid watching an advertisement?
Just paying to remove the ads I can see where you are coming from, but premium members get other benefits and features.
Do your research. This website started declining a while back, most significantly with the release of their "MMO" category.
I really dislike the MMOs as well. I wish there were less of them too. They almost all feel like scams (although some of them are very fun to play).
This is not an Armor Games thing though. It seems the new business model for many, if not all, areas of gaming (mobile devices, iPad, STEAM, console, PC etc.) is free-to-play games that include ridiculously similar gameplay structures that want you to make micro-transactions at every turn. Even fully price console games have tons of DLC nowadays. It's a sad and unfortunate trend, but it's a trend that is part of the entire gaming spectrum not just Armor Games. It's a rather unavoidable trend.
Following this, the quality of the games has gone down, but the quantity remains the same, if slightly increased (for influx of new games, clearly).
This is not Armor Games's fault.
One, I feel that there are still many quality games released often.
Two, look at Kongregate, they claim to have 89,230 games as of this date. That's way more than Armor Games. But, look at how many of those games are horrible. A large percent of those games is below a 60% rating. Kongregate has been doing quantity over quality for years. Armor Games is not like that. There is quality control on Armor Games.
Three, flash games were probably the outlet of choice for up and coming and indie developers a few years ago. My guess is that flash gaming was at it's peak from around 2004 or so to 2010. But in the last few years mobile devices and mobile apps as well as STEAM have surpassed flash gaming as the outlet of choice for indie developers. This is because flash gaming is usually free, while apps and games on STEAM can make money for the developers. Also, mobile apps and STEAM probably have a much larger audience than the flash gaming community meaning developers have more people to sell to if they release to a mobile app store or STEAM. You might not be seeing as many quality flash games because the developers have gone elsewhere (there are simply less developers making flash games total). Again, sad but it not Armor Games fault.
Anyway about SK, it's just a beta release to a small group of users to test for bugs. It's not really a Pay for Early Access privilege/reward to play a game a couple of weeks earlier.
Well, it definitely states that if I want early access, I can buy their ad-free gaming and get into it right away. Sure, maybe some people didn't have to buy it, but for someone like me, it's sort of an insult. I love beta testing games, and I'm a detail-critical kind of person, so by doing this, they make it even harder to release a quality game by not allowing the general public to put its feedback in. Apparently only "select individuals" and those who PAY are allowed to offer an opinion on up and coming games. Just my view of it.
...that want you to make micro-transactions at every turn. Even fully price console games have tons of DLC...
I definitely get that AG is just keeping up with what everybody else is doing, but there STILL isn't any quality control on the games. I mean honestly, have you seen some of them? The creators have problems spelling words longer than 4 letters, and yet AG doesn't send the game back with a sticky note saying "Hey, can you make this a little more understandable? Thanks!" They simply upload the game because anything the creator makes in money, AG gets a share of. Again, more proof of the money-hungry concept.
This is because flash gaming is usually free, while apps and games on STEAM can make money for the developers. Also, mobile apps and STEAM probably have a much larger audience than the flash gaming community meaning developers have more people to sell to if they release to a mobile app store or STEAM.
Well then there's an issue. If AG is trying to emulate STEAM and other big-name game hosters/sellers/uploaders, they AREN'T going to win, because those companies DO cater to a much larger audience. But that goes to validate my point; why would you try to compare to a company that sees probably 100X more views per hour than this page does in a day? All it does is hold them back. There aren't enough people on this website to make it a very worthwhile market (not that there isn't money to be made, but it's going to be significantly less than anything STEAM does.) The majority of people here are on this website to find a quirky, fun little game, waste a few hours, and continue on. Not get bombarded with advertisements and requests to buy things. Of course, the majority of the STEAM playerbase probably thinks the same, but the ratio of people there willing to pay their way is going to be vastly larger than on here.
I don't quite see how ad-free gaming pushes away loyal hardcore gamers.
Maybe not EVERY loyal gamer, but there are plenty of people out there who have at least a similar mindset to mine; why should I pay money to play (or ignore) something when I never had to before? Imagine if your TV company suddenly decided that you no longer pay a rate for a package of channels, but you need to either buy ALL of them, or pick and choose which ones to pay for, even at the same rate. Not life (or game) ending, but still an extreme annoyance. In said parallel situation, I'd find a new company to get my TV from.
Not only a few users face black/white screens when using them, yes i know, notb all, but still a significant amount.
I've never heard that But if true, I could understand not using them. And again, it brings us to the point; Pay for it, or get out. Not exactly a winning company policy.
I completely understand that this isn't a "website killer" and that AG will probably go on just the same as it did before. But the ideals involved, that you should pay money for things previously free, will just lead into worse things. It won't be long before sites start going with "Pay Per Play" and charging you a dollar to simply "unlock" the game to play it. And with how AG has been acting, it wouldn't be long after that happens that AG would do the same.
The creators have problems spelling words longer than 4 letters, and yet AG doesn't send the game back with a sticky note saying "Hey, can you make this a little more understandable?
Sometimes, maybe even more often than not, the creators of these flash games are from countries where English is not the first language. It doesn't mean the creators are incompetent, it just means they don't speak English well. Sure it makes the game a bit harder to understand, but flash developers are not large gaming studios, often it's only one person or a small team and often there isn't a localization department.
Those three games are from Kongregate, and there are pages more of games like that on Kongregate.
Have you ever seen a game that low-quailty on Armor Games? And even if so, Kongregate has almost no quality control. It looks like they will except any game. Armor Games on the other hand does.
Well then there's an issue. If AG is trying to emulate STEAM and other big-name game hosters/sellers/uploaders, they AREN'T going to win, because those companies DO cater to a much larger audience.
This isn't what I'm getting at. I am not saying that Armor Games is trying to emulate STEAM or mobile markets. I am saying that developers are leaving flash gaming to make games for mobile markets and STEAM instead. Because of this Armor Games probably can not host as many great flash games as in the past because there aren't as many flash games being made.
A lot of developers probably have decided to make their games for mobile or STEAM because they can make more money that way. The flash developers are most likely leaving flash and going to the mobile apps first. Sometimes a developer will make both a flash and mobile version of a game, but it looks like a lot of them are abandoning flash in order to just focus on mobile or STEAM. Again, my point is not Armor Games trying to emulate STEAM, it's developers are ditching flash, the number of flash games coming out is less and you loose some of the better developers who have jump ship to go work on mobile only /STEAM only games.
Interesting perspective. I think Ad Free Gaming is great though, personally.
I like it for the same reason i'm a newgrounds supporter; I don't like seeing ads but I still want to support this website. Things like Ad-Blockers hurt everybody, and Ad-Free Gaming is just an alternative if you want to support entertainers and hate ads. Everything on this site is basically the same content otherwise.
As nichodemus pointed out, the SK week early release is just for beta testing really. People who pay for these things tend to care (about the community, AG and the devs) and are typically better suited than the average player for testing because of that care. At least, that's how I see it.
I've never heard that But if true, I could understand not using them.
Well, we have several threads (of course also a main/official thread about this) in our forums.
And again, it brings us to the point; Pay for it, or get out. Not exactly a winning company policy.
Nobody said "ay for it, or get out"... do you really think thats what AG want/the way AG will go? If so: you are totaly wrong!
AG is a company, a company that have to pay bills, so they must earn money... in one or another way. No money = no AG (btw therefore we dont support the use of ad-blockers).
This new ad-free-gaming is an option (in fact an option some users ask for!), you eighter support the site indirectly by watching the ads, or, to avoid the ads, you support the site directly by paying a fee.
Apparently only "select individuals" and those who PAY are allowed to offer an opinion on up and coming games. Just my view of it.
Well, those select individuals are just the mods and knights. I didn't know that paying for ad-free gaming would allow you access to beta testing. I wouldn't say that it is a bad though, and not something that can or cannot be monetized.
I don't really find it annoying. When it comes down to the crunch, paying for Beta testing is not something to get really really mad about because ultimately the game is going to be released for all. The biggest boon that AG brings to us, the tons of free games, are all free. And that's what matters.
People always find something to beach (typo intentional) about. Making up non-existing conspiracy theories and some wild speculations.
You're pushing away loyal, hardcore gamers
speak for yourself, not a group of people that most likely don't even agree with you. I think i could be referred as " loyal hardcore gamers" (funny combination of words ), i actually like this Ad-free option. I can directly support website i visit everyday to kill those short moments of free time.
Honestly, i don't see what is this fuss all about. Ads have been here for ages and option to disable them is something bad? It costs next to nothing.
Some bonus features also are great addition, they alone are worth that $1. It sucks that they are not open for everyone, but if people really cared about those features so much - they would buy them.
There is all manner of free information in the internet, games included.
However, it being free is an illusion. If you did get it free, great.
Keep in mind that every game developer, writer, musician, or artist whose work can be converted to a digital format also has bills to pay, just like you.
Every time you download for free, or block an ad, you are saving yourself a few pennies at the expense of the artist who created what you are looking at.
In the end this means, less games, less movies, less music and less art all the way around.
So... when you find something on the internet you really like or enjoy, and that entity is asking for a few bucks, give it to them!
@Sandunes This is exactly true, and it's also why you've seen a wave of games now with payment opportunities inside them. People continue to block ads, ads are what funded free games - now we either don't have games, or we find a way to get people to fund them. Developers need to eat as well!
