The problem with these studies is that 99% of those "millions" aren't even playing the ftp games. Scenario: You see a nice FTP title: You register on a sponsored website (COUNT n& 1), you download from a sponsored website (COUNT 2), you install and play (COUNT 3) ... ... for 2 days ... you uninstall the scam. Then they count the income from their advertisers (just like this site) and .. then they publish the income from the website publicity and the number of dudes that did the first steps above.
Bingo : we now have a zillion "players" and "a billion" income ... End result: you - the player - was screwed. Repeat the scenario (endless loop).
wow really? I have never been scammed or screwed by a f2p game sry I didnt know that, maybe you can help me get all that money back that I never spent on a f2p game
Screwed by believing something that wasn't there and screwed up your hard disk with another fragmented piece of junk.
Not even talking about the junk mails from gold sellers and hackers you'll get....
You probably lost more money than you think by them.
I'm usually P2P, but like some, when I feel burnt out on the normal grind and twinkage, I like to escape with a F2P for a couple of weeks, maybe even up to a month. and you know, I've never once been hacked or received any junk mail from gold sellers, etc. Oddly enough though, when my husband and I quit playing WoW, he started getting a crap load of emails from hackers, gold sellers, and bots trying to buy his account. I never did, and to be honest, I saw more gold sellers in WoW then any other game I've played before, which includes 2 other P2P games and a dozen F2P ones.
and as far as something screwing my system and me being fooled into thinking it wasn't due to in-game hacking, well, that's never happened to me. probably because I keep my system clean :P
It is easily believable when you figure there was only said to be about 9-11 million total mmo players[accounts] before Wow came out,and that game shot up to 11 million in a couple years,so there was a HUGE influx of gamers,because about a year before Wow DSL was in just about every home and the cost became reasonable for everyone.Then of course since Wow, mmo gaming has become more popular and with the constant USA propaganda about War and everyone is out to get them,it seems War games like COD/Battlefield run rampant in the USA,so it brings out even more MMO people.
Accounts created on a website to download or try once a FTP game = NOT a player.
Let alone an active one.
Want a real mmorpg? Play WOW with experience turned off mode and be Pve_Pvp King at any level without a rat race.
It is easily believable when you figure there was only said to be about 9-11 million total mmo players[accounts] before Wow came out,and that game shot up to 11 million in a couple years,so there was a HUGE influx of gamers,because about a year before Wow DSL was in just about every home and the cost became reasonable for everyone.Then of course since Wow, mmo gaming has become more popular and with the constant USA propaganda about War and everyone is out to get them,it seems War games like COD/Battlefield run rampant in the USA,so it brings out even more MMO people.
Accounts created on a website to download or try once a FTP game = NOT a player.
Let alone an active one.
I don't think theres' anyway to get accurate numbers. If you sign on to a F2P game for 5 minutes, never play it again, you're counted as a "player". And I don't think they ever stop counting you, even if the last time you logged on was over a year ago.
I think every 12 year old and up that has access to a computer and likes computer games has tried a F2P game. THey don't have a credit card, so why not try it? It's free!
It is easily believable when you figure there was only said to be about 9-11 million total mmo players[accounts] before Wow came out,and that game shot up to 11 million in a couple years,so there was a HUGE influx of gamers,because about a year before Wow DSL was in just about every home and the cost became reasonable for everyone.Then of course since Wow, mmo gaming has become more popular and with the constant USA propaganda about War and everyone is out to get them,it seems War games like COD/Battlefield run rampant in the USA,so it brings out even more MMO people.
Accounts created on a website to download or try once a FTP game = NOT a player.
Let alone an active one.
I don't think theres' anyway to get accurate numbers. If you sign on to a F2P game for 5 minutes, never play it again, you're counted as a "player". And I don't think they ever stop counting you, even if the last time you logged on was over a year ago.
I think every 12 year old and up that has access to a computer and likes computer games has tried a F2P game. THey don't have a credit card, so why not try it? It's free!
would you blame them I am 40 something and play f2p with a credit card ive regretted more games that i bought 1st than those i havent
It is easily believable when you figure there was only said to be about 9-11 million total mmo players[accounts] before Wow came out,and that game shot up to 11 million in a couple years,so there was a HUGE influx of gamers,because about a year before Wow DSL was in just about every home and the cost became reasonable for everyone.Then of course since Wow, mmo gaming has become more popular and with the constant USA propaganda about War and everyone is out to get them,it seems War games like COD/Battlefield run rampant in the USA,so it brings out even more MMO people.
Accounts created on a website to download or try once a FTP game = NOT a player.
Let alone an active one.
I don't think theres' anyway to get accurate numbers. If you sign on to a F2P game for 5 minutes, never play it again, you're counted as a "player". And I don't think they ever stop counting you, even if the last time you logged on was over a year ago.
I think every 12 year old and up that has access to a computer and likes computer games has tried a F2P game. THey don't have a credit card, so why not try it? It's free!
would you blame them I am 40 something and play f2p with a credit card ive regretted more games that i bought 1st than those i havent
No, I don't blame anyone for playing a "free" game. The model is very effective. I've seen some interviews from F2P game devs. They expect 10% of their player base to buy items, and they make a lot of money from that 10%.
The only difference is, a F2P game requires more capital initially, because there's a lag time before you generate revenue.
When you first open a F2P game, almost nobody pays. It takes a while for players to become involved in the world, and grind up a few levels, before they are ready to start spending money. Then 3 or 4 months into the game, players start to buy things.
At least the ones that are really into the game. The other "free" players get a bargain, because they pay nothing! The people that play get a bargain, because they are more "uber" than all the "free" players.
Everybody wins!
I just dont 'want to buy items, because I dislike shopping. It ruins the game for me. And if I dont' shop the games going to be a bit to grindy for me. I'll stick to P2P games, but I think F2P is a great model for many players.
It is easily believable when you figure there was only said to be about 9-11 million total mmo players[accounts] before Wow came out,and that game shot up to 11 million in a couple years,so there was a HUGE influx of gamers,because about a year before Wow DSL was in just about every home and the cost became reasonable for everyone.Then of course since Wow, mmo gaming has become more popular and with the constant USA propaganda about War and everyone is out to get them,it seems War games like COD/Battlefield run rampant in the USA,so it brings out even more MMO people.
Accounts created on a website to download or try once a FTP game = NOT a player.
Let alone an active one.
I don't think theres' anyway to get accurate numbers. If you sign on to a F2P game for 5 minutes, never play it again, you're counted as a "player". And I don't think they ever stop counting you, even if the last time you logged on was over a year ago.
I think every 12 year old and up that has access to a computer and likes computer games has tried a F2P game. THey don't have a credit card, so why not try it? It's free!
would you blame them I am 40 something and play f2p with a credit card ive regretted more games that i bought 1st than those i havent
No, I don't blame anyone for playing a "free" game. The model is very effective. I've seen some interviews from F2P game devs. They expect 10% of their player base to buy items, and they make a lot of money from that 10%.
The only difference is, a F2P game requires more capital initially, because there's a lag time before you generate revenue.
When you first open a F2P game, almost nobody pays. It takes a while for players to become involved in the world, and grind up a few levels, before they are ready to start spending money. Then 3 or 4 months into the game, players start to buy things.
At least the ones that are really into the game. The other "free" players get a bargain, because they pay nothing! The people that play get a bargain, because they are more "uber" than all the "free" players.
Everybody wins!
I just dont 'want to buy items, because I dislike shopping. It ruins the game for me. And if I dont' shop the games going to be a bit to grindy for me. I'll stick to P2P games, but I think F2P is a great model for many players.
w/o going into an essay f2p models that give pvp advantages like 9dragons are bad hehe i dont care if people can buy exp gain stuff personally 9d tho if you pay for premium stuff you get access to the hermit that gives you a stat buff that other players cant get stuff like that is not good but still alot play it hehe
and imho i dont know why this site did a special interview with 2moons over 9dragons, 9d is such a better game its just the item shop stuff that kill it, still tho I would play 9Dragons 1st over 2moons even without the paid items
Basically, those numbers tell me there's a large enough market for each type of gamer for which a company can make a sizeable profit on, should they choose to focus on that group.
Basically, those numbers tell me there's a large enough market for each type of gamer for which a company can make a sizeable profit on, should they choose to focus on that group.
f2p would suffer significantly if p2p wasnt b2p 1st
Basically, those numbers tell me there's a large enough market for each type of gamer for which a company can make a sizeable profit on, should they choose to focus on that group.
f2p would suffer significantly if p2p wasnt b2p 1st
So, you think sticker shock from the initial purchase, rather than the recurring subscription payment is f2p's saving grace? I find that to be a stretch.
Basically, those numbers tell me there's a large enough market for each type of gamer for which a company can make a sizeable profit on, should they choose to focus on that group.
f2p would suffer significantly if p2p wasnt b2p 1st
So, you think sticker shock from the initial purchase, rather than the recurring subscription payment is f2p's saving grace? I find that to be a stretch.
ive yet to find a f2p game that i HAD to pay to keep playing
Basically, those numbers tell me there's a large enough market for each type of gamer for which a company can make a sizeable profit on, should they choose to focus on that group.
f2p would suffer significantly if p2p wasnt b2p 1st
So, you think sticker shock from the initial purchase, rather than the recurring subscription payment is f2p's saving grace? I find that to be a stretch.
ive yet to find a f2p game that i HAD to pay to keep playing
One could also say that there's no such thing as "forced grouping" because all games allow you to play solo all the way to max level.
It's a matter of tolerance for the grind.
Mine is very low. If I start to feel the grind, and I know there's an xp potion that I could buy that would lessen the grind, that's it I'm done playing that game. Because now for me the game has become about shopping, and I don't like to shop, so I'm done.
Every MOb I whack I'll think, gee, this is going kinda slow, it could go faster if I go to the shop and do some shopping....
the p2p works around things to keep players playing and paying
the f2p works around the rovolving door with players leaving to be replaces by others plus are often run by a hosting company not the devs and just translated in to another lang
The are tons of issues with f2p games because of the way they work
the bottomline for players is are you having fun
trouble is the f2p model brings in more elementals that will ruin a players fun then a p2p resulting in the player leaving the game and not only are they not willing to correct those problems thay are counting on it
The issues start at the cash shop for some games however for others this is not an issue as the pricing is fair enough that they can just trade ingame for items that they need and still stay free will the game devs counting more on players using the cash shop and item trades then high prices or unfair deals.
Then the other problem is game balance and gameplay the f2p model favors grind as then the cash shop items that fix that are in higher demand
the f2p model also favors item lose or item desturction as again the cash shop can protect from this
the other issue is bugs and tech issues arent fixed in a timely manor unless it effects alot of players. with the games mostly running through a host company and not the dev company it costs them money to fix these issues so it better for them to let them pile up or wait for their next expantion if its fix with that.
The result with a f2p game is your going to have issues at some point if you play it alot and the issues will likely not be fixable and typically result in you leaving
The p2p model they will work on them and even if it takes time they will fix them
The bottom line is a f2p you can play and have fun for a while where a p2p will be more long lasting. The trouble the majority of players only have a few hours to play and dont play alot so.
f2p games really arent for a player who plays alot they target is the guy who plays a little and will pay to make that play time give more results. The whole thing with the paying f2p player is after being burned once and leaving for a different game they likely will not spead the same as they have in the past.
The f2p market is poor quality compared to p2p and will stay that way based on the models on which they run. That will never change even with f2p making money or even making more, the f2p target is the player willing to pay alot more as then have less time to play thats how they work and there are more people in that area then the players who have more time.
The f2p field can make more money for the companies but thats really their goal money and not the game.
trouble is the f2p model brings in more elementals that will ruin a players fun then a p2p resulting in the player leaving the game and not only are they not willing to correct those problems thay are counting on it
Apparently f2p games are still fun ENOUGH for millions to play, and generate $1B. So there is no evidence to support that F2P games are not fun. In fact, the numbers show that they are fun enough for people to at least try. Surely they may not be as much fun as P2P, but they don't have to be .. they are free.
The bottom line is a f2p you can play and have fun for a while where a p2p will be more long lasting. The trouble the majority of players only have a few hours to play and dont play alot so.
f2p games really arent for a player who plays alot they target is the guy who plays a little and will pay to make that play time give more results. The whole thing with the paying f2p player is after being burned once and leaving for a different game they likely will not spead the same as they have in the past.
That is the whole point. There is a big market for non-long-lasting games. Frankly, it is better for many to dabble in the latest games here and there, as opposed to dump years into one or two.
The bottom line is that monthly fees make people feel they need to spend a ton of hours playing to justify that $15.00 a month, where as f2p there is no fee commitment at all. Most players now find that more comfortable for them.
I personally as of right now due to being poor only play F2P games. I do not pay a single dime in the item shop due to not having money. The only reason I have internet is to do research for my sermons etc... Playing a F2P mmo is a bonus for me. The last game I paid to play was FFXI, which I would pay to play still or pay to play FFXIV when it comes out if i could afford it but I can't. I have noticed that the people on this site tend to trash F2P games.
The trash talk usually centers around the item shops and how people assume you have to use them to play the games or you have to use them to advance etc. This is not true. Every free to play game I have played I have gotten rather far in before I got bored with it and decided to try something else. The game is a bit more challenging if you do not use the item shop, which I do like because it makes me feel like I need to use a bit more skill and get a group and what not. With that said some of the people who complain about F2P games do not even try said games and base their assumptions off of rumor and so on.
I do find it interesting that F2P gamers out rank P2P gamers. I also wonder what they consider a F2P MMO. Do they consider Farmville an MMO? Anyways I do not find it surprising that F2P gamers outrank the P2P gamers because of the economy, many people do not have the extra 15 dollars a month to fork over to pay to play a game X where as they can play game Y for free. Also in today's world a lot of people have the internet for work,school,research, and communication not really for gaming but they stumble upon a F2P game and are like wow I can do this for free, "why not"
The bottom line is that monthly fees make people feel they need to spend a ton of hours playing to justify that $15.00 a month, where as f2p there is no fee commitment at all. Most players now find that more comfortable for them.
I think that is the whole point. The ability to sample and play some games only a little bit. I will probably never sub to more than 1 (or may be even 2) MMOs. F2P games let me try and dabble in many.
"In the US the biggest age group of players are 8-12 year olds, which can be explained by the popularity of virtual worlds aimed at young children, such as Club Penguin and Disney Toontown."
Their focus group wasn't even adults, they state themselves that they studied ppl that can't even drive. It's no surprise they would have interest in a free game since they don't have a job. I've played plenty of mmos and the amount of 20+ yr olds I met have greatly outnumbered the 8-12 yr olds, how about you?
How is it that all the other gaming studies put average players for mmos over 20 yet this study chose 8-12 year olds as their majority to survey? Where was the study done, in a F2P game lol guess I'd have to pay 5 grand for the complete results and so would you. Pass, 8 year olds may not have even understood some words of surveys adults take too. Did they have age related queries? Sorry but that just took away the credibility when the biggest age group they had were kids to study.
So OP you could maybe restate your original topic to read... A Majority of US MMO players play F2P games in the 8-12yr old range. :P
Comments
wow really? I have never been scammed or screwed by a f2p game sry I didnt know that, maybe you can help me get all that money back that I never spent on a f2p game
Screwed by believing something that wasn't there and screwed up your hard disk with another fragmented piece of junk.
Not even talking about the junk mails from gold sellers and hackers you'll get....
You probably lost more money than you think by them.
I'm usually P2P, but like some, when I feel burnt out on the normal grind and twinkage, I like to escape with a F2P for a couple of weeks, maybe even up to a month. and you know, I've never once been hacked or received any junk mail from gold sellers, etc. Oddly enough though, when my husband and I quit playing WoW, he started getting a crap load of emails from hackers, gold sellers, and bots trying to buy his account. I never did, and to be honest, I saw more gold sellers in WoW then any other game I've played before, which includes 2 other P2P games and a dozen F2P ones.
and as far as something screwing my system and me being fooled into thinking it wasn't due to in-game hacking, well, that's never happened to me. probably because I keep my system clean :P
Accounts created on a website to download or try once a FTP game = NOT a player.
Let alone an active one.
Want a real mmorpg? Play WOW with experience turned off mode and be Pve_Pvp King at any level without a rat race.
Accounts created on a website to download or try once a FTP game = NOT a player.
Let alone an active one.
I don't think theres' anyway to get accurate numbers. If you sign on to a F2P game for 5 minutes, never play it again, you're counted as a "player". And I don't think they ever stop counting you, even if the last time you logged on was over a year ago.
I think every 12 year old and up that has access to a computer and likes computer games has tried a F2P game. THey don't have a credit card, so why not try it? It's free!
Accounts created on a website to download or try once a FTP game = NOT a player.
Let alone an active one.
I don't think theres' anyway to get accurate numbers. If you sign on to a F2P game for 5 minutes, never play it again, you're counted as a "player". And I don't think they ever stop counting you, even if the last time you logged on was over a year ago.
I think every 12 year old and up that has access to a computer and likes computer games has tried a F2P game. THey don't have a credit card, so why not try it? It's free!
would you blame them I am 40 something and play f2p with a credit card ive regretted more games that i bought 1st than those i havent
Accounts created on a website to download or try once a FTP game = NOT a player.
Let alone an active one.
I don't think theres' anyway to get accurate numbers. If you sign on to a F2P game for 5 minutes, never play it again, you're counted as a "player". And I don't think they ever stop counting you, even if the last time you logged on was over a year ago.
I think every 12 year old and up that has access to a computer and likes computer games has tried a F2P game. THey don't have a credit card, so why not try it? It's free!
would you blame them I am 40 something and play f2p with a credit card ive regretted more games that i bought 1st than those i havent
No, I don't blame anyone for playing a "free" game. The model is very effective. I've seen some interviews from F2P game devs. They expect 10% of their player base to buy items, and they make a lot of money from that 10%.
The only difference is, a F2P game requires more capital initially, because there's a lag time before you generate revenue.
When you first open a F2P game, almost nobody pays. It takes a while for players to become involved in the world, and grind up a few levels, before they are ready to start spending money. Then 3 or 4 months into the game, players start to buy things.
At least the ones that are really into the game. The other "free" players get a bargain, because they pay nothing! The people that play get a bargain, because they are more "uber" than all the "free" players.
Everybody wins!
I just dont 'want to buy items, because I dislike shopping. It ruins the game for me. And if I dont' shop the games going to be a bit to grindy for me. I'll stick to P2P games, but I think F2P is a great model for many players.
Accounts created on a website to download or try once a FTP game = NOT a player.
Let alone an active one.
I don't think theres' anyway to get accurate numbers. If you sign on to a F2P game for 5 minutes, never play it again, you're counted as a "player". And I don't think they ever stop counting you, even if the last time you logged on was over a year ago.
I think every 12 year old and up that has access to a computer and likes computer games has tried a F2P game. THey don't have a credit card, so why not try it? It's free!
would you blame them I am 40 something and play f2p with a credit card ive regretted more games that i bought 1st than those i havent
No, I don't blame anyone for playing a "free" game. The model is very effective. I've seen some interviews from F2P game devs. They expect 10% of their player base to buy items, and they make a lot of money from that 10%.
The only difference is, a F2P game requires more capital initially, because there's a lag time before you generate revenue.
When you first open a F2P game, almost nobody pays. It takes a while for players to become involved in the world, and grind up a few levels, before they are ready to start spending money. Then 3 or 4 months into the game, players start to buy things.
At least the ones that are really into the game. The other "free" players get a bargain, because they pay nothing! The people that play get a bargain, because they are more "uber" than all the "free" players.
Everybody wins!
I just dont 'want to buy items, because I dislike shopping. It ruins the game for me. And if I dont' shop the games going to be a bit to grindy for me. I'll stick to P2P games, but I think F2P is a great model for many players.
w/o going into an essay f2p models that give pvp advantages like 9dragons are bad hehe i dont care if people can buy exp gain stuff personally 9d tho if you pay for premium stuff you get access to the hermit that gives you a stat buff that other players cant get stuff like that is not good but still alot play it hehe
and imho i dont know why this site did a special interview with 2moons over 9dragons, 9d is such a better game its just the item shop stuff that kill it, still tho I would play 9Dragons 1st over 2moons even without the paid items
Basically, those numbers tell me there's a large enough market for each type of gamer for which a company can make a sizeable profit on, should they choose to focus on that group.
f2p would suffer significantly if p2p wasnt b2p 1st
f2p would suffer significantly if p2p wasnt b2p 1st
So, you think sticker shock from the initial purchase, rather than the recurring subscription payment is f2p's saving grace? I find that to be a stretch.
f2p would suffer significantly if p2p wasnt b2p 1st
So, you think sticker shock from the initial purchase, rather than the recurring subscription payment is f2p's saving grace? I find that to be a stretch.
ive yet to find a f2p game that i HAD to pay to keep playing
f2p would suffer significantly if p2p wasnt b2p 1st
So, you think sticker shock from the initial purchase, rather than the recurring subscription payment is f2p's saving grace? I find that to be a stretch.
ive yet to find a f2p game that i HAD to pay to keep playing
One could also say that there's no such thing as "forced grouping" because all games allow you to play solo all the way to max level.
It's a matter of tolerance for the grind.
Mine is very low. If I start to feel the grind, and I know there's an xp potion that I could buy that would lessen the grind, that's it I'm done playing that game. Because now for me the game has become about shopping, and I don't like to shop, so I'm done.
Every MOb I whack I'll think, gee, this is going kinda slow, it could go faster if I go to the shop and do some shopping....
Ok, it's a shopping game, I quit.
Look the games f2p and p2p work differently
the p2p works around things to keep players playing and paying
the f2p works around the rovolving door with players leaving to be replaces by others plus are often run by a hosting company not the devs and just translated in to another lang
The are tons of issues with f2p games because of the way they work
the bottomline for players is are you having fun
trouble is the f2p model brings in more elementals that will ruin a players fun then a p2p resulting in the player leaving the game and not only are they not willing to correct those problems thay are counting on it
The issues start at the cash shop for some games however for others this is not an issue as the pricing is fair enough that they can just trade ingame for items that they need and still stay free will the game devs counting more on players using the cash shop and item trades then high prices or unfair deals.
Then the other problem is game balance and gameplay the f2p model favors grind as then the cash shop items that fix that are in higher demand
the f2p model also favors item lose or item desturction as again the cash shop can protect from this
the other issue is bugs and tech issues arent fixed in a timely manor unless it effects alot of players. with the games mostly running through a host company and not the dev company it costs them money to fix these issues so it better for them to let them pile up or wait for their next expantion if its fix with that.
The result with a f2p game is your going to have issues at some point if you play it alot and the issues will likely not be fixable and typically result in you leaving
The p2p model they will work on them and even if it takes time they will fix them
The bottom line is a f2p you can play and have fun for a while where a p2p will be more long lasting. The trouble the majority of players only have a few hours to play and dont play alot so.
f2p games really arent for a player who plays alot they target is the guy who plays a little and will pay to make that play time give more results. The whole thing with the paying f2p player is after being burned once and leaving for a different game they likely will not spead the same as they have in the past.
The f2p market is poor quality compared to p2p and will stay that way based on the models on which they run. That will never change even with f2p making money or even making more, the f2p target is the player willing to pay alot more as then have less time to play thats how they work and there are more people in that area then the players who have more time.
The f2p field can make more money for the companies but thats really their goal money and not the game.
the bottomline for players is are you having fun
trouble is the f2p model brings in more elementals that will ruin a players fun then a p2p resulting in the player leaving the game and not only are they not willing to correct those problems thay are counting on it
Apparently f2p games are still fun ENOUGH for millions to play, and generate $1B. So there is no evidence to support that F2P games are not fun. In fact, the numbers show that they are fun enough for people to at least try. Surely they may not be as much fun as P2P, but they don't have to be .. they are free.
The bottom line is a f2p you can play and have fun for a while where a p2p will be more long lasting. The trouble the majority of players only have a few hours to play and dont play alot so.
f2p games really arent for a player who plays alot they target is the guy who plays a little and will pay to make that play time give more results. The whole thing with the paying f2p player is after being burned once and leaving for a different game they likely will not spead the same as they have in the past.
That is the whole point. There is a big market for non-long-lasting games. Frankly, it is better for many to dabble in the latest games here and there, as opposed to dump years into one or two.
The bottom line is that monthly fees make people feel they need to spend a ton of hours playing to justify that $15.00 a month, where as f2p there is no fee commitment at all. Most players now find that more comfortable for them.
I personally as of right now due to being poor only play F2P games. I do not pay a single dime in the item shop due to not having money. The only reason I have internet is to do research for my sermons etc... Playing a F2P mmo is a bonus for me. The last game I paid to play was FFXI, which I would pay to play still or pay to play FFXIV when it comes out if i could afford it but I can't. I have noticed that the people on this site tend to trash F2P games.
The trash talk usually centers around the item shops and how people assume you have to use them to play the games or you have to use them to advance etc. This is not true. Every free to play game I have played I have gotten rather far in before I got bored with it and decided to try something else. The game is a bit more challenging if you do not use the item shop, which I do like because it makes me feel like I need to use a bit more skill and get a group and what not. With that said some of the people who complain about F2P games do not even try said games and base their assumptions off of rumor and so on.
I do find it interesting that F2P gamers out rank P2P gamers. I also wonder what they consider a F2P MMO. Do they consider Farmville an MMO? Anyways I do not find it surprising that F2P gamers outrank the P2P gamers because of the economy, many people do not have the extra 15 dollars a month to fork over to pay to play a game X where as they can play game Y for free. Also in today's world a lot of people have the internet for work,school,research, and communication not really for gaming but they stumble upon a F2P game and are like wow I can do this for free, "why not"
God Bless,
Dustin
†
I think that is the whole point. The ability to sample and play some games only a little bit. I will probably never sub to more than 1 (or may be even 2) MMOs. F2P games let me try and dabble in many.
Whew this study really is coming to assumptions from a small pool of participants.
This came from their data.
http://corporate.newzoo.com/press/PRESSRELEASE_Results_TodaysGamers_MMO_191109.pdf
"In the US the biggest age group of players are 8-12 year olds, which can be explained by the popularity of virtual worlds aimed at young children, such as Club Penguin and Disney Toontown."
Their focus group wasn't even adults, they state themselves that they studied ppl that can't even drive. It's no surprise they would have interest in a free game since they don't have a job. I've played plenty of mmos and the amount of 20+ yr olds I met have greatly outnumbered the 8-12 yr olds, how about you?
How is it that all the other gaming studies put average players for mmos over 20 yet this study chose 8-12 year olds as their majority to survey? Where was the study done, in a F2P game lol guess I'd have to pay 5 grand for the complete results and so would you. Pass, 8 year olds may not have even understood some words of surveys adults take too. Did they have age related queries? Sorry but that just took away the credibility when the biggest age group they had were kids to study.
So OP you could maybe restate your original topic to read... A Majority of US MMO players play F2P games in the 8-12yr old range. :P