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General: F2P: Relax... Breathe
Stradden
Managing EditorMember CommonPosts: 6,696
MMORPG.com's Justin Webb, a developer who has worked for both F2P and P2P studios, uses his column inches this week to talk about why F2P exists and how it operates as a system.
There was lots of F2P news this week. First, Sony announced a kiddie Star Wars game, and then Turbine decided to make LoTRO free to play. In this article, I’m going to hopefully give some insight into this ever-expanding subgenre, and talk about some things that F2P games “do” and some things that they “don’t” do. In the spirit of full disclosure, before I begin, I should mention that I work for studio that specializes in F2P games and microtransactions. And, conversely, that I’ve also worked for a studio that made subscription-based MMOs. I’ve designed on both sides of the fence. Let’s begin…
F2P seems to be a dirty word in our forums; the mere utterance of which evokes violent palpitations amongst many readers. This is understandable. Compared to subscription-based MMOs, not that many people play them. There is an awful lot of misinformation and misunderstanding out there. And many players think they understand how they work, when really they only partially grok the nuances.
Read F2P: Relax... Breathe.
Cheers,
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
MMORPG.com
Comments
I don't think players are anywhere near as confused about F2P and how it works as you try to make it sound. Those of us who hate it get how it works, we still hate it.
It isn't a matter of needing to relax or anything else. When you prefer subscription MMOs (or in my case that's the only type you'll play) and you see big name MMOs switching over, you realize that your hobby is disappearing. For each big name that switches over and is successful from doing so, more will see that and decide they should try it. The only sub based MMOs that are going to be around in a couple years are going to be Indie games.
I have zero desire to play any game where someone can compensate money for time. This isn't because I have an abundance of free time to play either. These days I really don't and in subscription MMOs I'd tend to always be behind the curve, but I have no issue with someone who puts in more time and effort being ahead of me. However as soon as someone can compensate money for time, I'm out. I don't even like companies having a subscription and then selling cosmetic items. I feel the subscription should allow all players equal access to the same items, no matter how mundane the item is.
So for me, I'm not in a panic or thrashing around wildly. I simply won't play f2p/item mall games. It's no different then the fact I will never lease a car, that option just doesn't make sense to me and seems foolish to get involved with. There are people who love to lease cars and they constantly do, it just isn't something I would do.
My only concern is how this industry copies the hell out of each other. So instead of there leveling out with a good mix of subscription only and f2p games, everyone will switch to the new trend for a few years before switching to something else. That is the part I see happening that I don't like. Look at how many games came out trying to copy WoW because it was the big thing, instead of doing their own unique take on an MMO. Now all the companies want to tap into the f2p/item mall crowd, instead of each finding their own place in the MMO world.
"Relaxing' doesn't mean I'm going to close my eyes and turn off my mind.
Cash shops are a plague on the genre, and anyone promoting them is working against the best interests of players.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
I dont know why you even bothered to try and explain it to them Justin.They think F2P player saren't real gamers/
:rolls eyes:
i welcome all F2p games and cash shops if they have a system like perfect world. Then having a cash shop is great!. why? well when u can buy all item mall items ingame using game money via other players or buy the gold (item mall money) from ah from others players and get what you need. id say this is 100% fair to all players and gives every1 a even playing ground to get all the goodies they want and those who dont spend still get the same as those who do spend.
You can play F2P and be a real gamer - just don't buy anything.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
But subscribers are paying to play, are they real gamers? And they get points every month from turbine to spend in the item shop. if they start using their points in the item shop does that stop them from being a real gamer?
Why isn't it okay for someone to just not like F2P? Why the constant push of the writer to justify F2Ps existance? For the record, I have played tons of F2Ps and some of them are fun, and some of them (most of the ones I played) just suck. Isn't it ok to just NOT like something?
Yep.
In the forums I have noticed that the people post claiming F2P players are:-
1 not real gamers?!?!?!
2 cheaters?!?!?!
If they dont like the payment method of a game that isn't even forced on to them i just find stupid.
It's hilarious when people start throwing around phrases like 'real gamer' as if it means anything. Playing a game, any game, makes someone a real gamer just like breathing air makes them a real air-breather.
If there's some kind of approved guidelines that isn't someone's personal opinion I've yet to see it.
Back in the "early" days, you had to pay by the minute (and it wasn't cheap) to play games on services like CompuServe, AOL, etc. This was the "way of things". Only a few played or could afford to, and the people making the game were "happy". Then services like Prodigy started showing up and said "hey, for your monthly fee alone, you can play all these games without paying extra!" and the players were happy, and the people at prodigy/et all were happy, but CompuServe and AOL were sad pandas as no one wanted to pay the exorbitant fees anymore to play their games which were behind the technological curve anyways.
Then came "the internet" era. MUD's exploded onto the scene. Free to play, merely asking for donations to keep their Sparc 1 up and running. A few tried to charge, but it was rare. Now Prodigy was a sad panda. Everything it provided was now becoming available on the internet for free (and AOL switched up too).
Then came broadband and computers with enough power to do graphical muds, and lo, Meridian 59 came along. Since they had more infrastructure to support, they charged monthly fees (IIRC). And of course, UO and EQ1 then WoW took it from there... and then someone said "Hey, remember back when people would pay through the nose for this stuff? I bet they still exist!" And yes, they do. Give them something "free" and they'll be will be to be nickle and dimed, making far more than a subscription ever could. And more companies switch to the nickle and dime to play model.
But soon, someone will realize that there's a whole bunch of people who want to play a game at a flat rate and if they put out a good game, they'll make a killing. And other companies will follow trying to grab that market (WoW currently dominates it).
But see, there's the rub: Whatever developer wants that "WoW" market in the future has to make a great game. And we all know great games are rare, let alone a great MMORPG. The nickle and dime to play approach lets you put out grinders and make money. But they taint the genre with junk.
This pretty sums it up for me.
And then: I'm really wondering what's about all this sort of pro-F2P viral marketing that MMORPG.com is putting up with ever growing enthusiasm. Party Line now is that F2P is beautiful and players are to be indoctrinated for their own sake. This trend is getting more and more annoying. I can read and understand pro-F2P players' ideas even if I don't agree with them but there isn't a day by now that this site send us a F2P Prophet trying to enlighten the ignorant masses (we poor sobs) on the progressive destiny at our doorsteps with the final advent of F2P.
So what's up ? I start seeing the cooked meat beyond your smoke and it smells something unethical for a journalist.
I claim the right to think with my own head and have my own ideas. F2P is unfair and prone to all forms of abuse and money-milking by greedy suits and incompetent developers. And no brain-washing will have me think otherwise.
Take a look at all the ads on this site for F2P games.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
How is F2P unfair?
If you can't feel the difference between buying something, and winning or earning something, then it can't be explained to you.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
You keep saying this like that but never explain why.
How is the DDO/LotrO model worse for the players than the traditioonal 15/month or nothing?
And dont get me started on all the P2P MMOs and their cash shops...
If WoW = The Beatles
and WAR = Led Zeppelin
Then LotrO = Pink Floyd
As I pointed out in another column LOTRO going free to play is not something surprising or revolutionary. This will be the 3rd title Turbine has had to make free to play to keep alive. And it is their 4th failed game. They screwed up Asheron's Call 2 so badly their only option was to outright kill the game.
So can we please stop acting like this is a shocking new trend for Turbine, or worse some brilliant new buisiness strategy, when it is simply business as usual?
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
Yeah unfortunately what is more than likely the real reason behind most people not liking FTP models gets overshadowed by so many people repeating the line, "Pay to win." so much. Almost every free to play game I have tried just was not fun to me. There are two or three that I have enjoyed but the rest have fell short for my liking.
Luckily with some subscription based games offering unlimited trials such as Anarchy Online(I think they still have the unlimited trial), D&D Online and Lord of the Rings this should raise the bar for future free to play games.
It was a good article Justin, but I think it might have been wasted on this crowd. Too many people here seem to follow the mindset of the car-brand-buyer. You know the ones: "I drive a Ford and I won't buy a Chevy because......it's not a Ford, and my great-unlce's stepson's roomate had a Chevy and it sucked".
I want a mmorpg where people have gone through misery, have gone through school stuff and actually have had sex even. -sagil
Im not into bling items and doing stuff for rewards. I'd like to make perfect use of my skills with medicore armour weapons to take my openents down. thats why i dont have a problem with cash shops if they sell gear. and that it is why im some what of an MMO doubter myself, any mmo that requires you to have the best gear to be the best is not my cup o tea.
I feel like this sums up the thread. F2P games allow you to earn things by using real money, that is ridiculous. Why not just rob a bank rather than get a real job?
Cheating FEELS like cheating, buying things rather than earning them? FEELS like cheating.
I think it's more that we don't want a coin-operated car.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
I like subscription games because I am paying for new content to be introduced and the ability to earn them.
I don't like "Pay to Win" games because you are paying for the reward they just introduced rather than earning the right to acheive that item.
You didn't earn that flying constelation horse, you just paid money for it, this does NOT make the reward center of my brain go WHOOWHOO!!!!!! This makes my brain go "Dang, I wish I had my 25 bucks so I could go get lunch."
3rd title Turbine made free to play? It's the second title they've made F2P, might want to get your own facts straight before "enlightening" the rest of the community. Also LotRo, depending on the source of the info, was anywhere from 4th to 2nd most played Western MMO, doubt they "needed to keep it alive".
Is it just me or is this article condescending?
I get that F2P is viable in Eastern markets. In fact you made some good points there. However, I am a western gamer who wants to login to a game where the exact same rules and boundaries apply to everyone. By rules and boundaries, I mean that it takes the same amount of time and effort for every player to achieve results.
I want the guy I am pvping to have spent the same amount of time getting to that point as I have. Despite some who label pvpers as only caring about pwning I want to respect my opponent for what he has accomplished so that a victory is sweeter.
I guess mutual respect is what I see missing from F2P. That's important to me.
I'm sorry, but I'm still not convinced.