Archery King's Shutdown: What Happened?

Archery King, a highly competitive and engaging bow and arrow shooting game, ceased its operations on March 18, 2021. The game allowed players to compete in 1-on-1 matches in classic or rush game modes, with different locations to master and secrets to discover. Players could also customise their gaming experience by mixing and matching components to create unique bows and arrows. While the game is no longer accessible, the app remains on players' phones unless they choose to delete it.

Player dissatisfaction with the game's mechanics

Archery King was a mobile archery-themed game developed by Miniclip. It featured one-on-one and rush modes, with players aiming to master different locations and rise up the rankings.

While the game was technically functional, it suffered from low production values and an aggressive in-app purchases model. The game's mechanics were also a source of frustration for players, who complained about the following issues:

Overly sensitive controls

The swiping mechanic was overly sensitive, making it difficult to aim accurately. Players had to use small and subtle swipes to avoid overshooting their targets.

Lack of progression in gameplay

The core gameplay loop never evolved beyond the basic mechanic of pulling back the bowstring and sliding your finger across the screen to release the arrow. While higher-level matches introduced factors like wind and distance that affected arrow trajectory, these simply made the game frustratingly difficult rather than adding depth to the gameplay.

Pay-to-win mechanics

Essential items such as zoom sights and faster arrows were locked behind paywalls, requiring players to spend real-world money to remain competitive at higher levels. This created a sense of unfairness, as players felt that their skills were not enough to succeed, and they were forced to engage in microtransactions to progress.

Lack of a single-player mode

The game heavily emphasised multiplayer matches, which required a fee to enter. Losing a match resulted in the loss of accrued in-game money, forcing players to start from scratch. The lack of a robust single-player mode meant that players had limited opportunities to practice and improve their skills without facing the risk of financial loss.

Poor AI opponents

Many multiplayer opponents were suspected to be AI bots, as they often exhibited unnatural behaviour, such as scoring suspiciously low or consistently matching the player's shots. This further contributed to the sense of unfairness, as players felt they were being robbed by the game's artificial intelligence rather than outplayed by human opponents.

The game's aggressive in-app purchases model

Archery King was a mobile archery game that ceased operations on March 18, 2021. While the game was technically functional, it was marred by low production values and an aggressive in-app purchases model.

The game's in-app purchases model was heavily criticised for being overly aggressive and predatory. While the first tier of equipment could be purchased with in-game currency, anything above that was classified as premium and required real-world money. This included essential items such as zoom sights and faster arrows, effectively locking progression behind paywalls. Players were forced to engage in microtransactions as their skills were no longer sufficient to progress in the game.

The game's multiplayer mode further exacerbated the issue of in-app purchases. Matches required a "fee" to enter, ranging from 500 to 4,000,000 in-game currency. Losing a match resulted in the loss of the accrued money, forcing players to start from scratch. Additionally, many multiplayer opponents were suspected to be AI bots, further adding to the frustration of players.

The aggressive monetisation strategy had a significant negative impact on the overall enjoyment of the game. Players felt that the focus on funds and microtransactions took away from the casual, lighthearted nature of the game. The constant push for in-app purchases created a sense of frustration and dissatisfaction, ultimately leading to the game's demise.

Archery King serves as an example of how aggressive in-app purchases and monetisation strategies can detract from the player experience and ultimately lead to the failure of a game. It is important for developers to strike a balance between monetisation and player enjoyment to create a positive and engaging experience.

The game's low production values

Archery King is a mobile game with a simple premise: it is a bow-and-arrow shooting game with a bright, cheerful art style. However, the game has been criticised for its low production values.

The game's graphics are simple and bright, with basic geometry and flat textures. The antialiasing is non-existent, creating an unsightly view in the equipment store where bows show up as jagged shapes until you zoom in. The sound effects are functional but uninspired, and the music is overly cheery and ordinary, to the point of being annoying. The game's UI is reminiscent of early 2000s Nintendo games.

The game's mechanics are extremely simple and do not get more complicated as the game progresses. The player holds the bottom of the screen to pull the bowstring back, and slides their finger across the screen to get the bow moving. The only added complication is that wind conditions get worse as the player progresses, making it harder to hit the target. However, the small smartphone screen and poor graphics make it difficult to see the target, and the wind conditions make it hard to hit.

The game's saving grace is that it runs well, with no technical difficulties. However, the Play Store reviews are packed with complaints about the game failing to launch.

Overall, Archery King's low production values, coupled with its aggressive in-app purchases model, doom what could have been a very enjoyable, casual game.

The game's gambling system

Archery King was a mobile archery game developed by Miniclip that shut down on March 18, 2021. The game featured a gambling system that allowed players to wager in-game money in multiplayer matches. While the game could be played casually, the progression was effectively locked behind paywalls as higher-tier equipment required real-world money to purchase.

The gambling system in Archery King was heavily criticised by players. To participate in multiplayer matches, players had to pay a "fee" ranging from 500 to 4,000,000 in-game currency. If a player lost a match, they would lose their accrued money and have to start from zero. This system was seen as a way to force players to make microtransactions, as the higher-level matches required better equipment that could only be obtained with real-world money.

Additionally, the multiplayer system was plagued by issues with AI opponents. Many players reported playing against opponents from Canada who scored suspiciously low on lower levels and then improved drastically on higher difficulties. This led to accusations that the game was using AI opponents to rob players of their in-game money.

The combination of the gambling system and AI opponents created a sense of unfairness and frustration for players. The focus on funds and multiplayer ruined what would otherwise be a promising and fun game. Ultimately, the aggressive in-app purchases and low production values led to the game's demise.

The game's poor reviews

Archery King was a mobile archery game developed by Miniclip that shut down on March 18, 2021. While the game was praised for its 3D graphics and physics, it received poor reviews for its aggressive monetisation strategies and low production values.

The game featured a simple mechanic where players hold the bottom of the screen to pull the bowstring back, and slide their finger across the screen to shoot an arrow. However, players criticised the game for its aggressive monetisation strategies, with essential items such as zoom sights and faster arrows locked behind paywalls, requiring real-world money to purchase. Additionally, the game lacked a straightforward single-player mode, forcing players to compete in multiplayer matches that required a "fee" to enter, ranging from 500 to 4,000,000 in-game currency. This meant that players could lose all their accrued money in a single match, having to start from zero if they lost.

The game was also criticised for its low production values, including simple and bright graphics with basic geometry and flat textures, as well as uninspired sound effects and annoying music. The user interface was also likened to early 2000s Nintendo games, with antialiasing issues causing jagged shapes in the equipment store.

Furthermore, players reported issues with the matchmaking system, claiming that they were frequently matched against AI opponents or bots that played suspiciously and scored unrealistically. This took away from the competitiveness of the game and made it feel like a cash grab rather than a balanced and enjoyable gaming experience.

Overall, while Archery King had the potential to be a fun and casual game, its aggressive monetisation strategies, low production values, and problematic matchmaking system led to poor reviews and ultimately contributed to its discontinuation.

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