Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
[Column] General: The Complexity of Selling in F2P Games
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
The free to play business model in the MMO industry is constantly under fire for the notion that it is pay to win. In the latest Free Zone, we take a look at how difficult it is to see a F2P title as long as that misconception lives. Read on before letting us know what you think in the comments.
Let me be clear that I'm not a fan of selling superior gear that non-paying players cannot obtain. My first experience of such a situation involved paying cash for a weapon. It's still easy to remember even though it happened long ago, back in the mid-1990s. I really didn't like being forced to choose between buying it or sticking with my inferior gear, and my feelings in this regard remain very much the same. That said, I object when I see people act as if nothing has changed in the ensuing span of nearly two decades.
Read more of Richard Aihoshi's The Free Zone: The Complexity of Selling in Free to Play Games.
)
Comments
But devs want to live in candy land too where everyone gets paid the same. Ahhh poor devs. I feel so bad. Why dont you just man up take a good look at real success Gw2 even though I dont like the game, many do, but they are a success story that doesnt rip people off.
"Such companies are said to prosper by selling items that are significantly better than the ones available in the course of normal play."
This is a sub-case of the more general criticsm that developer's primary goal in these games is to generate a desire in the consumer which did not exist before they started to play the game.
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
Dwight D Eisenhower
My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.
Henry Rollins
I fundamentally distrust a game design that relies on manipulating game play at almost every turn to achieve maximized monetization potential.
Yes, I don't "need" any of the perks or flashy items. I can reach level-cap in just a few weeks of casual play, using dropped "green" loot.
But then, why bother ? None of those games have stellar gameplay, they're usually "disposable". Play it once or twice, then throw it away and start a new one...
I have yet to find a single F2P game where I felt the need to spend cash.
In the end the experience of it all feels very hollow and like I got no bang for my buck.
Far as time needed to play to spend $$$ on it? When I actually feel the game gives a damn about its players and not its players wallets.
MMORPG Gamers/Developers need a reality check!
In my opinion the f2p business model is under fire because most f2p games are sub-par / crap or just a total rip off. You only have to look at the last two f2p games to see how the model is flawed.
If developers have a good game and go f2p then they will always make money, so maybe the Op should be writing a topic on where he/she thinks the developers are going wrong, most gamers can spot a turd of a game straight away yet writers for mmo sites cannot, hmmm if only we had true gamers to write articles.
"Let's also be clear that there's no coercion involved. Even in games where the best items are only available in the cash shop, no one is obliged to purchase them."
Whilst I know what you mean steps are / have been taken in various countries to limit sales to minors; I could see this having an impact on games going forward.
Making developers declare whether purchases constitute gambling will have a further impact as well - and rightly so given the potential social cost of gambling.
Ultimately I remain unconvinced about the longevity of the business model as a whole. There are some excellent titles but far to many have simply jumped on-board with a poorly implemented product.
I could care less if it is pay to win or not. I have a bigger issue with these so called f2p models charging almost a months sub for 1 mount or item. Folks who think f2p is better are kidding themselves.
No game is ever free 2 Play. The companies need to make money. I have no problem with this. I would rather see a sun and pay 10 or 15 dollars a month rather then 10 to 15 dollars for each item.
Screw F2P its a scam!
F2P just leaves too much power into the hands of the devs and they don't take responsibility for ripping people of with lotteries, kids using their parents CC's to buy stuff etc.
With P2P, the subscribers have a monthly 'vote'.
Pretty much this, the pressure to maintain quality and provide value is always on the developer in a subscription game. In a F2P game they don't have to develop new stories and adventures they just have to put more stuff in the stores to keep people paying. Whether or not they go that route is up to the developer, but I have seen far too many games that make it hard or terribly inconvenient to play the game without putting down cash. If it isn't fun right out of the box I'm not sticking around. Pay to win is also fairly common. The F2P games that actually stick to vanity items and provide a fun experience without having to pay a dime are few and far between, just about as rare as successful sub games.
riiight, all the money comes from kids with their parent's credit cards. Oh wait, that's just your way of talking down to F2P gamers. Because it's cool to call people who play games you don't like or opinions you disagree with kids.
I'll put it this way.
It's free & it sucks so bad I can't make myself want to play it.
"Let's also be clear that there's no coercion involved. Even in games where the best items are only available in the cash shop, no one is obliged to purchase them. The argument is put forward that players must “in order to compete”. This condition conveniently forgets that the decisions to buy or not remain completely voluntary."
This is a favorite defense put forth frequently by developers/publishers, players and proponents of F2P. Thing is, while technically true, it's also disingenuous and a bit of a misdirection.
The games don't have to "coerce" people into buying anything because it's already been proven that people will do so voluntarily - and in great amount. Developers/Publishers have adopted this model in hopes that people will voluntarily spend money on things. They pursue it because it's already proven that they will. There's over a decade of evidence for this, predating the advent of F2P - certainly in the Western market.
Players of Ultima Online, Everquest 1, and other MMOs, would happily pay their monthly sub of $15, and then go and spend much more on characters, in-game gold, items, etc. With hundreds or even thousands of dollars being paid to third parties via EBay and other "outside brokers", it was only a matter of time before developers and publishers caught on and found a way to profit on this behavior.
Hello Cash Shops.
The things sold in Cash Shops mostly target the things people resorted to "eBaying" for: convenience, power and status. Especially convenience. They target these things because they know people will spend the money. That's already been proven. Some of the more brazen (foolish) will dip their toes in the waters of selling power, while others try to stick with less game-effecting things.
All of them, though, are selling things they know are commonly desired by players and will sell. And if what they're selling isn't selling enough? Well, they can just design more new items, tweak the game's design to make them seem more desirable (but never "necessary") and hope to hook a nice population of so-called Whales... the big money earners F2P MMOs thrive on.
So, to reiterate, when folks like Aihoshi, or the PR for some F2P MMO says "all the cash shops are optional!", they do so full knowing that 'optional' is all they have to be. As long as they bring some combination of Convenience, Status or Power to the player, they will sell. There's 10+ years of data proving that.
To put it another way, saying "cash shop items are optional! They're only there if you want to buy them!" is like placing a pack of cigarettes in front of a table full of smokers, and saying "You aren't required to smoke the cigarettes. We won't coerce you to have one. They're optional. But if you want one, it's only $1 each." They aren't there just in case some people want one. They're there because it's known that some number of people will want one.
It's the same principle with F2P/Cash Shop MMOs. Developers implement Cash Shops because they know people will pay money - and potentially a lot of it - for convenience, power or status. Cash Shops are designed to exploit and clean up on this.
I didn't quite read it in the same way as Ayulin: I figured when he said it was optional, he meant the option was to quit the game and to go another game. I mean, when I play an F2P and the cash shop gets on my nerves, I stop playing the game. It's not rocket science, and it's exactly Richard's point regarding building commitment.
Personally I see F2P as a major problem in the industry. Some cash shops are better than others for sure. In my opinion the core of the problem is whatever you purchase in a cash shop should be a reward of gameplay; not getting out my wallet. I don't have a problem with game developers making money, I will gladly purchase a game, subscribe to a game, but when I have to purchase my in game rewards it feels manipulative and doesn't feel rewarding at all.
Arguing whether F2P is P2W seems to be a pointless battle because fans of F2P will always say it isn't while those of us that detest it will always say it is.
I have never spend any money whatsoever on a F2P title. I just play it for a few hours and then quit instead.
But im one of those weird people who prefer quality over quantity.
"Let's also be clear that there's no coercion involved. Even in games where the best items are only available in the cash shop, no one is obliged to purchase them. The argument is put forward that players must “in order to compete”. This condition conveniently forgets that the decisions to buy or not remain completely voluntary."
Yes it is voluntary; just like it is voluntary to pay for this years sports gear from your favorite team, or buy sweets for your kids in the checkout aisle. But there are reasons you pay or feel you need to pay, and F2P MMO's are very good at making you feel you have to pay. This is how companies persuade people the world over to part with their money. To pretend this does not happen in F2P MMO's because it leads to allegations of P2W is disingenuous on Mr Aihoshi's part.
"The key example is that they compile and use metrics on various purchase behaviors, promotional interventions, resistance points, etc. Whether this constitutes tricking people is a matter of opinion. In my mind, it's an aspect of marketing."
Perhaps it is only Mr. Aihoshi who thinks marketing is a byword for truth and honesty? The purpose of marketing is to sell more to consumers regardless of their needs. I do not think that marketing is somehow evil, but trickery is a byword of marketing. Once again thats how it is used everywhere else in the world, but for some reason not in F2P MMO's.
As usual Mr Aihoshi thinks it is those of us who think poorly of F2P who are biased. Stones...glass MMO houses etc.
The free gamers who are a huff about P2W, want to play a free game. They want to play a free game for years (possibly 10 years) and never spend a cent. They want to be supreme overload of PvP, and never spend a cent. They want full and total access to all game content, and never spend a cent. They want to own the fastest, coolest, meanest looking mount, and never spend a cent.
The only stuff they tolerate in a cash shop is "Vanity" items A.K.A. "G_y" items. Then these free gamers what to turn around and K.O.S. any one caught wearing or using "Vanity" items. They want to harass and menace Cash Shop users in chat. Anything to make the cash shop user's in game experience a living hell, so they don't come back. All while never spending a cent.
This is who and the game play style you are defending Richard. They will play for hundreds of hours, even thousands of hours up to the day the servers close. If they don't have to spend a cent. They will cheer P2W = Fail, and move on to the next F2P game until it closes.
Boy: Why can't I talk to Him?
Mom: We don't talk to Priests.
As if it could exist, without being payed for.
F2P means you get what you paid for. Pay nothing, get nothing.
Even telemarketers wouldn't think that.
It costs money to play. Therefore P2W.
The choice is simple. I encourage anyone playing a F2P game to exploit and cheat as much as they want...it's free after all. And yes...I will laugh at you in game, with your "Hero" title and special ponie.
The only F2P games I have seen be decent...are indie games...I'm looking at you Path of Exile. Though I will have to go check out how Rifts has set theirs up.
F2P was set up and took over for one reason...Facebook . All the stupid people on the planet playing mafia wars and farmville.
F2P is a bane upon mmo gaming, it was not done to enhance the play experience, point of fact, it is put in place to aggravate the player to force them to spend more money than 15.00 a month. And it works for most of the young gamers now days. But it has succeeded in driving me from gaming anymore...if I cant pay a sub and not be harassed by nickle and dime schemes....I'm simply not going to play and I'll ridicule anyone who does play it...shaming works, and that is what it will take to get this F2P scam/curse out of MMO gaming.
FTP is a bane on the MMO genre.
I like being competitive and FTP leads to none of that because everyone is separated by how much you pay.
You say that just because I can choose to play while not being competitive is a choice but it really is not for someone like me. Thus FTP games is not even an option for me.
Whats really sad is that the mini charge for advantage mindset has creeped into other games as well. Now, single player RPGs that you bought for 20 bucks or whatever will offer a way for you to speed up your progress and such for extra money.
This is why the average game nowdays is complete trash. Games have changed from a creation of love into a cash grab machine. FTP games don't build loyalty to the game they churn through people.