"Free2Play" terminology

[FEichinger]

With the various business models out there, and "free 2 play" nowadays meaning nearly anything that doesn't require you to pay up-front, I'd suggest we - at least as a community - use different terms for each of those types.

Free to Play (F2P)
A game that is both free to acquire and free to access the entirety of the content.

Free to Pay (F2$)
A game that is free to acquire but includes a micro-transaction or premium subscription business model.

Free to Pay even more (F2$$)
A game that is free to acquire but includes both micro-transactions and premium subscription with both offering different products.

Pay to Play (P2P)
A game with a subscription or one-time fee to enter, but no further charges afterwards.

Pay to Pay (P2$)
A game with both an entry-fee and charges afterwards.

I for one have been using these for a while, it just seems to become necessary nowadays ... I've seen F2P thrown around too often, when really it was just an EA-style money printer.
Any objections, criticisms or random rage you want to throw at me? Go for it! SolveMedia tells me, I'm the teflon president, after all! =D

 

[yuval152]

*rage*

What about pay 2 win?(buying gives access to super OP weapons/unlocks)

 

[Naroiden]

Free to play games... They actualy more expensive game than other games.

 

[FEichinger]

*rage*

What about pay 2 win?(buying gives access to super OP weapons/unlocks)

That's a subcategory of F2$($), I'd go with F2$($)? "Free to pay (even more) to win".

 

[veloper]

There's not many F2P MMOs left going by that definition...

We only need to recognize 4 models: subscription based, F2P(anything without subscription), Pay2win(4 when the microtransaction perks get too excessive) and guild wars.

 

[krazykidd]

Pay 2 pay? How does that even make any sense?

Pay 2 play . Isn't that every game ever?

Free 2 pay even more . what the hell?

You need to hire someone to make up better names . These names are incomprehensible without a chart . The point of a name ( and accronym) is so the consumer knows what it is right off the bad . Thats why free to play and pay to play works as names/accronyms and everything else doesn't .

 

[Scarim Coral]

Err where does the "free to play but with extra/ optional content to purchase" fit in?

 

[BloatedGuppy]

FTP - Client is free to download, install and play. May include cash shop. Cash shop may be sinister. Example: Lord of the Rings Online

BTP - Client costs money to install and play. May include cash shop. Cash shop may be sinister. Example: Guild Wars

PTP - A recurring fee is required to access content. There may or may not be a box fee up front. There may or may not be a cash shop. If there is, it is seldom sinister, but never say never. Example: WoW

 

[yuval152]

*rage*

What about pay 2 win?(buying gives access to super OP weapons/unlocks)

That's a subcategory of F2$($), I'd go with F2$($)? "Free to pay (even more) to win".

Just because there's microtransactions or different models it dosen't mean that it isn't balanced.(higher chance but it dosen't instantly makes it unbalanced)

 

[Kordie]

FTP - Client is free to download, install and play. May include cash shop. Cash shop may be sinister. Example: Lord of the Rings Online

BTP - Client costs money to install and play. May include cash shop. Cash shop may be sinister. Example: Guild Wars

PTP - A recurring fee is required to access content. There may or may not be a box fee up front. There may or may not be a cash shop. If there is, it is seldom sinister, but never say never. Example: WoW

I think this model fits best. Considering DLC and other avenues for a game to sell you afterwards, I don't see a reason to clasify it beyond these three. Also, anything they sell afterwards is either optional, or can be counted as part of the games cost.

 

[Korten12]

Well the first Pay to Play is really Buy to Play which makes more sense imo.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I like this, but I'd suggest switching "Free to Play" to "Freeware" and/or open source, which are the existing terms for completely free games like that, shifting the names down from there, and replacing "Free to pay even more" with "Pay2win."

So:

Freeware/Open Source (like The Wager and Nethack, respectively)

Free 2 Play (like LoL, TF2, and DotA 2)

Pay 2 Win (don't play any of these, but I've heard a lot of Korean MMOs go this route)

Pay 2 Play (like Guild Wars[footnote]Which is ironic, since that game coined the term "free to play" to distinguish itself from the subscription based format that dominated the MMO landscape at the time[/footnote] and Half Life )

Pay 2 Pay (WoW fits in here, as do Diablo III and Portal 2. In fact, there may need to be another category separating the form that games like Portal 2 use, where it's nothing but cosmetic items, from the forms used by WoW (which needs a subscription to play at all) and Diablo III (which needs real cash to stay competitive.)

 

[Sixcess]

FTP - Client is free to download, install and play. May include cash shop. Cash shop may be sinister. Example: Lord of the Rings Online

I know you're just using it as a general example of FTP, but I've seen a lot of animosity from people toward LOTRO's store and I've never quite understood why. The fact that you can earn points in-game to spend in the shop really elevates in my eyes. Sure, it's grindy, but if you play a lot or have a lot of alts it's quite rewarding.

Now City of Heroes on the other hand charges for everything, up to and including the right to get drops from defeated enemies. Unlike LOTRO I really felt that CoH was pushing me to the store.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I know you're just using it as a general example of FTP, but I've seen a lot of animosity from people toward LOTRO's store and I've never quite understood why. The fact that you can earn points in-game to spend in the shop really elevates in my eyes. Sure, it's grindy, but if you play a lot or have a lot of alts it's quite rewarding.

Now City of Heroes on the other hand charges for everything, up to and including the right to get drops from defeated enemies. Unlike LOTRO I really felt that CoH was pushing me to the store.

Everyone has a different threshold in terms of what FTP shenanigans they're prepared to tolerate. I came up with MMOs from the beginning, so I've developed an expectation of what content is going to be accessible to me without getting nickled and dimed to death. I wouldn't go near the FTP models for LOTRO or COX, although there are worse offenders out there. Even the existence of the cash shop in GW2 gives me hives, although it is relatively benign, and I can rationalize it due to the lack of a subscription fee.

 

[FEichinger]

Err where does the "free to play but with extra/ optional content to purchase" fit in?

Err where does the "free to play but with extra/ optional content to purchase" fit in?

F2$

*rage*

What about pay 2 win?(buying gives access to super OP weapons/unlocks)

That's a subcategory of F2$($), I'd go with F2$($)? "Free to pay (even more) to win".

Just because there's microtransactions or different models it dosen't mean that it isn't balanced.(higher chance but it dosen't instantly makes it unbalanced)

Never said so. Hence: subcategory. It is a model with additional products for purchase, but it is also a model where the products affect balance.

I like this, but I'd suggest switching "Free to Play" to "Freeware" and/or open source, which are the existing terms for completely free games like that, shifting the names down from there, and replacing "Free to pay even more" with "Pay2win."

Well, Pay 2 Win already implies a change in balance, while Free to pay even more "only" has a duplicate business model (i.e. cash shop + premium subscription). Often alters balance, but not necessarily.

I do like the notion of calling it freeware (not open source, huge difference), but I went with a chart-able system for the abbreviations.

"Free to pay" makes no sense. Neither does "pay to pay" actually. What does that even tell you about the game. You pay... so you can pay? When I say "free to play", it's very easy to figure out what I'm talking about. If you want to play the game, it doesn't cost money. The other terms are confusing and dumb.

It isn't about the "type" of game. It's about the business model it uses. Free to [whatever] still means it is free to play. It may just be a different business model.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Spoiler: spoiler snip

Err where does the "free to play but with extra/ optional content to purchase" fit in?

Err where does the "free to play but with extra/ optional content to purchase" fit in?

F2$

*rage*

What about pay 2 win?(buying gives access to super OP weapons/unlocks)

That's a subcategory of F2$($), I'd go with F2$($)? "Free to pay (even more) to win".

Just because there's microtransactions or different models it dosen't mean that it isn't balanced.(higher chance but it dosen't instantly makes it unbalanced)

Never said so. Hence: subcategory. It is a model with additional products for purchase, but it is also a model where the products affect balance.

I like this, but I'd suggest switching "Free to Play" to "Freeware" and/or open source, which are the existing terms for completely free games like that, shifting the names down from there, and replacing "Free to pay even more" with "Pay2win."

Well, Pay 2 Win already implies a change in balance, while Free to pay even more "only" has a duplicate business model (i.e. cash shop + premium subscription). Often alters balance, but not necessarily.

I do like the notion of calling it freeware (not open source, huge difference), but I went with a chart-able system for the abbreviations.

"Free to pay" makes no sense. Neither does "pay to pay" actually. What does that even tell you about the game. You pay... so you can pay? When I say "free to play", it's very easy to figure out what I'm talking about. If you want to play the game, it doesn't cost money. The other terms are confusing and dumb.

It isn't about the "type" of game. It's about the business model it uses. Free to [whatever] still means it is free to play. It may just be a different business model.

Oh, trust me, I know the difference between freeware and open source. That's why I gave two examples, one of a freeware but closed source game, and one that was fully open source. The point was, though, both models involve the end user not paying a thing. Open source gives more freedom, but it costs no less money.

 

[Naroiden]

"Free to pay" makes no sense.

''Free to Pay'': You can play it for free but also you can donate some money to game developer.

Neither "pay to pay" actually.

''Pay to Pay'': If you want to pay to items, you must first pay to real game.

 

[Naroiden]

I know.