Predictions for 2024

[sidzee123]

The game is making good return on investment and dlcs are doing well, but last year Frontier released JWE2 and PZ dlc regularly and still made a 26 million loss (financial report figures).

The loss was obviously due to bad decisions like licensed Warhammer and F1 manager amongst othet things, but the 26 million loss is significant and can't be saved just by continuing releasing pz and jwe2 dlcs.

Their current cash assets are 28.5 million according to the latest report i think. If nothing changes and even if Frontier make PZ dlcs as they have, they are still in a bad situation and the remaining cash will start to drain (fees for f1 license or fees to exit contract, amortisation charges etc and costs for developing the 3 new games including marketing)
Let's hope Frontier make it through this.

With inflation, layoffs reduced staff and new games to come, will have to see if the PZ dlcs are making enough money to justify making them, or are bringing in revenue keeping Frontier alive but not providing the boost they need. And if the next boost is the FY25 title in November we need something in between.

 

[Topaz Star]

Another European exhibit animal right after the Eurasian pack? And I really dont associate a European Adder with Tundra tbh. And the Alaskan Woodfrog is too similar to the American Bull Frog.
I really dont see any possible exhibit animal for a Tundra pack. Also frontier would not be able to make a DLC with only 4 animals without major upset.
So the option of 5 (easier) habitat animals is not too unrealistic.

Make it:

• Musk Ox
• Walrus
• American Black Bear
• Sea Otter
• Canadian Lynx

Other options are Rocky Mountain Goat, NA Porcupine, River Otter, Arctic Hare or Elk.

There's also some, I guess somewhat less realistic, oddballs choices involving the WE. Snowy Owls for example. Or even just a fish tank exhibit. But the Alaskan Wood Frog sounds like something Frontier would go for tbh. We get similar animals all the time and it's very low effort.

 

[jcp011c]

I’m really hoping for the following updates and packs:

Update 1.17
- Playgrounds

DLC: Domestic Pack

• Dutch Rabbit
• African Dwarf Goat
• Common Mallard Duck
• Scottish Highland Cattle
• Central Bearded Dragon (E)

Update 1.18
- Modular Exhibit Options

DLC: Latin America Animal Pack

• White Nosed Coati
• Southern Tamandua
• Greater Rhea
• Vicuna
• Ocelot
• Black and Gold Howler
• Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey
• Linnaeus’ Two Toed Sloth (WTE)

Update 1.19
- Hotels

DLC: Mountains Pack

• Domestic Yak
• Gelada
• Spectacled Bear
• Bukharan Markhor
• Chinese Giant Salamander (E)

Anniversary Update 5

• Asiatic Lion
• Sumatran Tiger
• Eurasian Brown Bear
• Remodel of base game cats, bears and wolves.

i would imagine support would end after the 5th Anniversary, if it even gets to this point. But this would be the ideal lineup for me for the coming year, with heavy hitting update features as well as highly requested animals (as well as easy but exciting options) to fill the gaps in the roster.

I like these options. They wouldn't be exactly what I'd pick myself but they're good choices.

To be honest if we're not getting a whole bunch of habitat birds, I am finding I have less concern or care of what we get outside of more Latin American species. Spectacled Bear and New Primates first and foremost for me of those as well. But really, I'm sure I'll buy whatever Frontier puts out, but the Eurasia pack really filled in a lot of non-Latin American spots missing in the roster, for me anyways. It feels like the top 30 or so of my want list has shifted dramatically as far as what I really want out of it.

 

[premierfong]

The game is making good return on investment and dlcs are doing well, but last year Frontier released JWE2 and PZ dlc regularly and still made a 26 million loss (financial report figures).

The loss was obviously due to bad decisions like licensed Warhammer and F1 manager amongst othet things, but the 26 million loss is significant and can't be saved just by continuing releasing pz and jwe2 dlcs.

Their current cash assets are 28.5 million according to the latest report i think. If nothing changes and even if Frontier make PZ dlcs as they have, they are still in a bad situation and the remaining cash will start to drain (fees for f1 license or fees to exit contract, amortisation charges etc and costs for developing the 3 new games including marketing)
Let's hope Frontier make it through this.

With inflation, layoffs reduced staff and new games to come, will have to see if the PZ dlcs are making enough money to justify making them, or are bringing in revenue keeping Frontier alive but not providing the boost they need. And if the next boost is the FY25 title in November we need something in between.

But at least with PZ DLC they dont need a lot of resource. Return is still high, might as well keep this line going for consistent cash flow. ALSO they should seriously just venture PZ expansion add on. Aivary and Aquariums, charge like 50$ each. This is pretty much like making a new game.

 

[Marvinb]

But at least with PZ DLC they dont need a lot of resource. Return is still high, might as well keep this line going for consistent cash flow. ALSO they should seriously just venture PZ expansion add on. Aivary and Aquariums, charge like 50$ each. This is pretty much like making a new game.

But they are also more resource hungry. So idk if something like that is currently feasible due to their layoff in 2023.

Also im pretty sure that a giant 50€ expansion is the wrong call. One of the packs big advantages is that with 10€ they are pretty affortable and fall pretty nicely into that impulse buy price range, so they are widely accessible, even to kids. With 50€ on the other hand you will think twice if you really wanna buy it, so there will be alot less people buying it. Will the higher price counterbalance the lower sales? Idk hard to say, but it sure is a riskier move.
If we ever see some expansion type DLCs im pretty confident in saying they will probably be 20-25€ max

 

[premierfong]

But they are also more resource hungry. So idk if something like that is currently feasible due to their layoff in 2023.

Also im pretty sure that a giant 50€ expansion is the wrong call. One of the packs big advantages is that with 10€ they are pretty affortable and fall pretty nicely into that impulse buy price range, so they are widely accessible, even to kids. With 50€ on the other hand you will think twice if you really wanna buy it, so there will be alot less people buying it. Will the higher price counterbalance the lower sales? Idk hard to say, but it sure is a riskier move.
If we ever see some expansion type DLCs im pretty confident in saying they will probably be 20-25€ max

I am still very into the expansion idea. I dont want PZ2, took us 5 years to get these rosters. I dont wanna wait again.

 

[jcp011c]

I am still very into the expansion idea. I dont want PZ2, took us 5 years to get these rosters. I dont wanna wait again.

Plus, I doubt PZ2 would come before 2027 at earliest and possibly not even until 2028 or 2029 if at all. I doubt that it's one of the 3 untitled/unrevealed games they mentioned last fall. Could be wrong of course, but just my own speculation.

 

[premierfong]

Plus, I doubt PZ2 would come before 2027 at earliest and possibly not even until 2028 or 2029 if at all. I doubt that it's one of the 3 untitled/unrevealed games they mentioned last fall. Could be wrong of course, but just my own speculation.

Totally, I doubt it will be one of the three games. BUT I do which one of then is aviary and aquarium and play seldom or combine with PZ.

 

[jcp011c]

Totally, I doubt it will be one of the three games. BUT I do which one of then is aviary and aquarium and play seldom or combine with PZ.

Oh I can totally see Planet Aquarium, but I'm a bit more skeptical of it being something that can be combined with PZ. If they wanted to go that route though I'm all for it. I'm not against marine animals being in the game at all. I'm just against trying to force one in when the mechanics for it don't appear to be part of the game as it is now. If Frontier wanted to add that coding in and bring us marine animals, either PZ/PA being combined, or just as part of PZ.. I'm 100% for it.

 

[The_Riot22]

I am still very into the expansion idea. I dont want PZ2, took us 5 years to get these rosters. I dont wanna wait again.

I think as many others have said, that the addition of fully aquatic and/or flying birds would be a waste at this point - from Frontier's perspective, not from a players perspective. The ROI(return of investment) would be significantly less than it would have been if they had released a year or 2 ago. I've since doubled-down on this take since learning of Frontier's financial troubles. They would be MUCH better off to hold off and put them in on a future PZ2. The marketing for having even one of those features included in the base game for PZ2 would ensure a ton of hype and all but guarantee a successful launch.

I think the best "new feature" Frontier could add to PZ right now would be some petting zoo mechanics, but I'm skeptical. Frontier seems pretty content right now with just adding to the current mechanics than adding anything significantly different.

 

[SuzieSky]

If support ends in 2024, this is what I would do/hope for:

• Spring Mountain Pack:
  • Spectacled Bear, Hamadryas Baboon, Pallas’s Cat, Markhor
  • at least 3 Asian pheasants in WE or (even better but less realistic) at least 1 in lieu of an exhibit animal.
  • Cabins/camping/horizontal wood and some Himalayan props
  • A Native American set as a free update, like the Africa pack update.
• Summer Latin America Animal Pack:
  • Spider Monkey, Mara, Rhea, Roseate Spoonbill, Ocelot, Coati, Brazilian Tapir
  • At least the big 3 Tamarins in WE
  • Parent-child interactions, sparring child-child interactions, and calling to individual guest behaviors in a free update.
• Autumn Farmyard Pack: (15-20$)
  • Turkey, Chicken, Guineafowl, Muscovy Duck, African Goat, Mediterranean Donkey, Kunekune Pig, Highland Cow, Watusi Cow, Rabbit
  • Feedable budgies in WE
  • Barnyard scenery, crops, and lots of props (hay bales, equipment, buckets, horse hay nets, food troughs, etc.) that can double for backstage objects.
  • Playgrounds as a free update (using the gift shop system) and feeding interactions with an animal feed shop. Carrots for giraffes, pellets for goats, duck feed, etc.
  • There are enough birds to appease the bird people, an equid for the horse people, petting zoo animals, and 2 weird cows for people who think domestics are boring.
• Anniversary:
  • Musk Ox (adds an arctic animal to the base game)
  • Updates to some base game animals (lion, timber wolf, brown bears, etc.), piebald peafowl
• Winter Grand Finale Pack: (20-25$) (macaws, 5 4x4 exhibit animals, and 20 habitat animals but very clone-heavy)
  • NA: Black Bear, Bighorn Sheep, Walrus
  • Europe: Pelican, Eurasian Otter or another critter, Glass Lizard
  • SA: Howler Monkey, Tamandua, Bush Dog, Emerald Tree Boa, 5 macaws
  • Asia: Blackbuck, Muntjac, Mandarin Duck, Grey Langur or Lion Tailed Macaque, Cobra
  • Africa: Guereza, Nile Crocodile or Spurred Tortoise, Serval, Grey Crowned Crane, Chameleon
  • Australia/Oceania: Tree Kangaroo, Echidna, Perentie, Tuatara
  • Antarctica: Rockhopper Penguin
  • Ornate guilded wall set, a carousel, a gyro tower, and a Ferris wheel

This roster is still somewhat lacking for monkeys and birds, but it seems doable. The secretary bird is the most notable absence and could potentially be swapped with the crane, but the crane is about as good with way less work.

The last two packs are larger, but they would be more expensive. The new petting zoo stuff and features and all of the new animals can attract new players, but the last two packs won’t go on sale until the sequel is released. The domestics and all the new animals will keep old players happy while they work on a new game. The budgies, macaws, and maybe pheasants give them a chance to test out looped birds and us a taste/teaser of them while they work on a sequel with more.

 

[RightWhale]

Well, seems like we may have all been off the mark a bit, hope we are wrong though. Either way I guess we can all predict what the last pack is.

 

[premierfong]

Its over folks, lets just hope they give us 20 animals for the farewell pack in March.