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Free to play is the future...
Kopogero
Member UncommonPosts: 1,685
And as in COMPLETLY free to play...League of Legends is best example and MMORPG's should start adopting this. Reality is the experienced gamer can enjoy a lot of great games free out there to justify paying for a game these days, especially one with sub attached.
MMORPG's should start adopting a more modern payment model if they want to stay competitive and attractive. Payment models such as adding advertisement ingame that fits for the virtual world. Have system in place where players are welcome to donate if they enjoy the product, but give them limited recognition, like supporter tag on forums, something like Path of Exile does.
Reality is completely free to play is the new player in town and it's taking the market rapidly by surprise. Fact is the bigger the playerbase you attract, the better it is for your product, free advertising through word of mouth and more potential players more potential ways to get $ floating to your product.
So, I won't be surprised at all if the next AAA MMORPG's coming in the next few years come completely free to play. Times are indeed changing and for the better for us the players. I've bought every single expensaion on release for WOW since launch, but it won't be the case anymore.
Bottom line is, why pay to enjoy a game when I'm already enjoying another one for free? The free will always have priority.
Comments
Disagree with everything posted here. F2P games have always been secondary games I play when I am bored. This may change, but it better change for the better. AAA titles that have gone F2P still don't hold my attention much.
ESO is NOT going F2P soon...unless you have some info the rest of us don't.
"This may hurt a little, but it's something you'll get used to. Relax....."
LoL is so successful with the F2P model because its not a traditional MMO, its just team-based arena combat, and all you're buying are new characters. There's no P2W in LoL.
A post on another forum sums it up imo:
"MOBAs don't cost as much as an MMORPG to run, maintain and update. Their content releases are simple characters not things like entire new zones , dungeons and such. If you have an example of an MMORPG that lives off selling chars and some cosmetic items only please link."
Traditional MMOs need some sort of P2W or F2P+sub model because they can't be very sustainable being 100% F2P and only selling cosmetics. Its simply not possible. Its like saying a band should feed themselves by selling t-shirts at concerts.
So what you're actually predicting OP is the complete death of traditional AAA MMOs and a lot more MOBAs or Path of Exiles to flood the market, which I won't argue with.
I really can't tell the difference between f2p and sub MMOs anymore, or even b2p. They all have cash shops now anyway, or some kind of benefit for convenience.
The quality isn't any different either. I can't believe people still think that a subscription means better quality or more content.
But...the quality IS different. What F2P game released lately are you thinking beats the Sub or P2P market?
"This may hurt a little, but it's something you'll get used to. Relax....."
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
WS will probably go F2P if the megaserver changeover doesn't have the desired effect. But it's going to be a long time before Zenimax considers going F2P with ESO. Problems with the game aside, it's doing very well and has no reason to even consider F2P in the near future.
LoL has more players than WoW. What are you talking about?
I think some of you guys are missing the point here. Free as in no cash shops, no premium, no pay wall limited content.
@Rhoklaw
It's not cheating that's the issue, but how the game is designed and what ways it has in place to detect and deter future cheaters. Planetside 2 is another popular game released by SOE, which I never played due to the hacking rumors around that plagued it. Arche Age, I never even downloaded that....That game was easy to dodge.
Anyways, back on topic. I would be encouraged to donate $ to an amazing AAA MMORPG, from time to time that's completely free that I see myself playing in the long run after some significant time of playing. Giving my $ to a company that shows no signs of greed and delivering a great product is one great reason for me to spend.
World of Warcraft indeed lost $ on me by becoming more expensive than ever, while leaving me twice dry without content, in a content dependant themepark MMORPG for years. If they released the expansion for free or at least gave it to those who've purchased its expansions on launch in the past would've been a step in the right direction, but hey...Blizzard believes I'm not in the majority and I hope they are right for their own sake.
I'm confident though a lot of people are not going to be playing WOW:WoD and missed out on WOW over the decade just because of the costs attached playing that game.
How do you fund a triple-A budget without box sales, subscription, cash shop or microtransactions? Advertising? Charity? Religion?
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
Quest NPC says, "Greetings, brave adventurer! I am a bit thirsty, but I can't leave my sheep flock unattended. Would you be kind enough to collect DELICIOUS THIST-QUENCHING MOUNTAIN DEW that drop from the nearby wolves?"
later in the game...
Dungeon loading...
Dungeon loading...
While you wait, a word from our sponsor:
This dungeon brought to you by MOUNTAIN DEW!
Yeah OP I totally see this happening, 100% free-to-play is TEH FUTURE!!!11
Except that it isn't. Servers cost money to run. Developers and programmers have to eat. Artists can starve and be fine. The money to pay for everything has to come from somewhere. If you aren't paying, then someone else is paying so you can play for free and leech off of their hard work.
Would you be willing to work at McDonald's (or anywhere) for free? I'm not talking about charity. I'm talking about working so someone else can benefit from your hard work who may not need those benefits.
Free-to-play is not the future because the game isn't free. It should just be called a "microtransaction game" because that's what it really is. As a payment model, it will be around a while and it is difficult to say if it will take over the subscription model or if people will stop tolerating the junk made with a "free to play" marketing tag and stop supporting it.
Devs wouldn't be working for free if they're selling in-game advertisement space, but I think Kopogero overestimates the income to be had from such a source. Not to mention it would be a huge risk to make an AAA title relying to ad income alone.
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been -Wayne Gretzky
He said F2P MMOS. Not F2P games like LoL. There is quite a big difference. If you just missed it, no problem.
It's not an MMO but multiplayer online battle arena game game. Hence it's called lol.
Did you read the OP? He made mention of in game advertising as a source of income.
I'm sorry to say, but you seem out of touch. I'm sure Blizzard is really stressing over you quiting WoW for good. And yes, no one is going to play WoD
LoL is an MOBA.........................
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Now you ask what does that have to do with anything?
There is no economy in the game and this means the game can have game mechanics seperate from the core gameplay that can be easily monetized. This is not possible with MMORPGs. The economy ties all aspects of the game together and that means that any monetization of the game will have detrimental effects on every other piece.
Microtransactions just don't belong in MMORPGs. At least nothing that has been currently implemented.
Since 2005, every MMO that was released as P2P was a catastrophic failure (except FFXIV's 2nd launch). The most recent examples are ESO and Wildstar which are already completely deserted.
Yet some people still defend the P2P model. Why? Are those people MMO fans or MMO haters?
F2P works. The most recent example being ArcheAge. Probably the most hated MMO of the last few years. Everywhere you look on the internet you see bad publicity. Bots, spammers, hackers etc. Yet, population-wise it is doing incredibly well. Many other MMOs were saved by going F2P (SWTOR, Rift etc.)
Like it or not, F2P/B2P are the only viable business models for new MMOs right now and in the future.
DAoC - Excalibur & Camlann
You mean we'll terminate capitalism and introduce, for example, a guaranteed minimum income, or a universal basic income ?
As a programmer I would probably enjoy programming such a thing for everyone actually free to play. And I strongly doubt I'm the only one.
Are you even playing ESO or are you just one of those f2p/p2w trolls?