Commentary
Free-To-Play Games Free Up Game Market
- by Shankar Gupta , April 16, 2010
Anyone who's played Farmville is familiar with how most free-to-play games work -- you can get started for free, and if you're content with a baseline gameplay experience you can continue that way. If you pay, you get a bit more, from in-game items to quick advancement through the game's challenges.
And boy, can you pay. A pre-teen in the U.K. racked up $1300 in charges buying "Farmville" credits on his parents' credit card, the Guardian reported last week. While that sort of consumer isn't entirely typical, having an engaging game with what's called an "elastic velvet rope" -- a paywall that lets people go farther the more they pay -- is almost a license to print money.
Take "League of Legends" -- a real-time strategy game with premium graphics and a robust multiplayer experience that is totally free to download (though you can also buy it at Walmart, if you desperately need to have a physical copy), and seemingly free to play -- but not exactly. The game has dozens of playable characters, only a fraction of which are available at any given time. If you always want to play your favorite character, you can pay. And, if you're willing to pay a bit more, you can purchase cosmetic upgrades to your characters, as well -- turn your Pirate character into a ghost pirate, for example.
Free-to-play games are a great place for brands interested in getting into the gaming space. Players have proven themselves willing to pay to receive in-game benefits, so it follows they'd certainly be willing to sample a product, watch a movie trailer, or take a survey for in-game benefits as well.
Indeed, a solid free-to-play game could take the place of a loyalty program for a brand willing to invest. After all, it's much easier to give someone a virtual T-shirt when they trade in 50 Reward Points than to mail them an actual T-shirt. And a brand wouldn't even need to develop a game on its own, as there are plenty of free-to-play games or gaming communities that exist already, whose usage far exceeds even the most effective brand loyalty programs out there.
Free-to-Play is deceptive and dishonest.
Similar to an illegal drug dealer offering 'free' samples.
I have some friends who play this and they reluctantly admit they are spending MUCH more to play these Free-to-Play games than if it was subscription of $10 to $15 per month.
So, parents beware as well when your kids say the game or games they play or want are Free-to-Play.
What publishers are starting to learn through grass roots and startups such as Riot Games, Unknown Worlds, Zynga, Playfish, Playdom, and others is that the aggregate revenue generated through this model can exceed normal publishing revenues. Gamers are fed up with buying very expensive games and losing interest quickly after. It's much easier and safer to tip toe in and pay by the drink.
As a League of Legends fan I continue to be impressed by the ways they get me to pull out my wallet for a "free game". I've already spent more than normal games are retail and my delight is higher because I got what I paid for, virtually at least and I felt a good return on my investment a few bucks at a time.
What I find interesting is that my expectations and tastes in games are changing as is are my friends. Heroes of NewErth is almost the exact same game as League of Legends as they are both created from the DOTA game but I can't stand to play it. Here is the kicker, HON is BEAUTIFUL!, has more options, and allows for most customization to me, but the other elements outside the game and some of the simplicity in game make me and others enjoy LOL more.
The fact that there are more people playing Farmville than using twitter regularly speaks volumes to me that the paradigm of gamig is changing fundamentally and continuing to evolve. 2010 and 2011 are definately transitonal years and we won't know what is going to be sustained as long as new mobile platforms and tablets role out.
I do believe that social games will continue to be the dominant factor along with people gaming their activities to get more enjoyment out of doing the same tasks. (HON is basic game, LOL is basic game with additional layers that make it more enjoyable. Similarly going to an event is fun, but going to an event and using Foursquare adds additional layers)
I'll shut up now. :)
Bill, you have stated one way of thinking about it which does have some merits.
As a parent and a gamer I'd pay triple the price for one game if my kids or I played it. I've spent far too much money rewarding well marketed games that are not good. The price per hour of engagement is far lower than other mediums when looked at fairly.
There are alot of games which do pray on people like that and most of those are the social Facebook type games fall into that category, but let's not rope them all into that same group. :)
Paul, you make some good points, thanks.
You are correct, too many games are hyped up to be so great, but then we lose interest quickly with most of them.
For me I lose interest if they are (and usually are) just another clone of World of Warcraft, with different environment, perhaps some things improved, but they all have the same combat system, where the player is very weak, and the NPC's (non playing characters) are always very powerful. So it takes multiple hits to defeat ONE, and if another shows up while you are fighting the first one, you are in big trouble, and you are dead if a third NPC shows up, which often happens.
As opposed to a game like Hellgate: London, where the player is POWERFULL and I mean powerful! so I actually have fun playing the entire time (instead of, as in most games: the brief moment of happiness when I finally succeed in defeating one boss NPC, or complete a long quest). replay ability is very good, since each zone is always different, and there are so many Unique weapons or armor that can drop, plus the ability to modify weapons, making each one unique even if not gold or purple.
(Hellgate multiplay no longer available since the company blew it. Singleplay still available and is what I currently play.)
The main thing I dislike about Free-to-Play is that you can wind up spending a lot more than you think you are if you're not very careful. Although it sounds like Paul is able to do that.
Kids and others might not be so attentive.
Also, my comment on the change in gaming, which I agree is happening, is that I've noticed that many games being released fit the 'blockbuster' type.
By Blockbuster I mean similar to movies: where a movie is hyped up a lot, has awesome special effects, or high action, but after watching it you leave feeling "huh, don't think I'd recommend that to friends..." after the initial dazzle wears off. :)
In other words, games these days have less substance. They seem to be just a quick clone of what is popular, where a lot less time is spent refining them, alpha and beta testing is way too short and the game gets released way too soon, and more prone to fail.
Developers ignore feedback from beta testers and release the game anyway. (Having been alpha and beta testing, this has been my Personal experience.)
Free game site always entertaining.it has different craze among children.when they play feel like a crazy one who live in unreal life.
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