It is very important to add some kind of manifesto similar to what I wrote in the introduction.
Here is a first draft.
Game Software Principles
First Draft
Software as a whole element
The full game experience must be available within the first purchase or giveaway. Game should not have any add on purchases nor additional DLC. Blocked levels, or additional features or power ups are only allowed if it possible to unblock them by playing the game or winning previous levels. In case of the necessity of adding additional DLC after game release then these should be part of free game updates.
Updates
All game updates should be free.
Free To Play
The games should not be of “Free To Play” kind. This means that the game must not have in game purchases of any kind.
Real money or its gems/diamond or any other equivalent should not be used to:
improve player’s character capabilities.
accelerate in game construction process or skill development.
buy additional game art or skins.
unblock new levels.
Decrease player’s frustration caused by level difficulties.
Additionally the game should not use technics to increment player’s frustration in specific places of the game like the end of a level, to afterwards tempt the player to buy or exchange money to get over the situation.
Game Objective
Game objective should be connected to the player’s development or amusement. Games should be to make player have fun or to make player think and resolve problems. Behaviours that are exclusively to retain the player in the game should be avoided by all means.
User Anonymity and Tracking
The game should never track player’s behaviour or any other elements related to the player and player’s activities like the following elements unless it is required by the game itself and there is a clear consent of the player.
User location: could be an exception on games that require geolocalisation for the game play.
IP address: ip address should never be tracked.
Player should not be allowed to enter his personal data inside the game.
Playing experience should be 100% anonymous.
All data that is tracked by the game, should be informed to the user.
Social Networks
Games should never post on social networks without player’s consent. Which should be by default off.
Games should never try to trade player’s social network posting for upgrades or to unlock game elements.
If player wants to share his in game activities within any network, his consent should be asked and real examples of how the posting will look like should be shown.
Player’s contacts on social networks should never receive any invites or any kind game promotion.
Game should never try to trade game invites for any kind of upgrades or game powers ups or add ons.
Notifications
The game should never send any kind notification to the player when the game is not loaded. Maybe this is too extreme… maybe we should allow some kind of notifications regarding friends multiplayer challenges or the incorporation of new levels.