The dirty tricks of Free-To-Play

[BrotherRool]

This is a really good article on some of the nastier methods some F2P games (most of the examples are more casual titles but also second-hand references to Asian F2P MMOs and you can begin to recognise some of these techniques in much more legitimate games) use to get consumers to over-pay in games. I didn't realise the sophistication that people have developed and it gives a lot of insight into human psychology

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RaminShokrizade/20130626/19493/The_Top_F2P_Monetization_Tricks.php

This includes

* Targeting <25 year olds (particularly 18-25). The part of the brain that weighs up short-term pain versus long-term cost doesn't finish developing until 25 and that can be exploited. (I was shocked to find it took so long, I'm still well within the vulnerable age-range for example)

* You make the game skill-based and then put up some barrier that costs money to break and play the rest of the game. But the rest of the game actually isn't skill-based the difficulty is now balanced to where paying is much more necessary to winning. Since you've already been trained to believe it's a skill game and you've made the first payment (which is the hardest) it's much more natural to sink money into it.

* People are much more likely to spend to avoid losing a reward than to gain one. If you give people small inventory sizes and an incredible piece of loot drops, they're more likely to pay to save losing that loot.


Anyway, though it was an interesting read and wanted to share. Learning about quirks in thinking is always fun. The F2P revolution has opened up a much wider variety of games (and allows experienced older people to indirectly benefit from the people who more easily pay into the system) but it does put us in a situation where developers are motivated to try and hide the actual worth of a transaction from us as much as possible and to aim to get us to over-pay for a product. We can learn the tricks and build up resilience, but it's much harder to work out which out of Lord of the Rings Online or The Old Republic is asking us to pay more (or experience more 'fun pain') than it is to tell whether WoW's subscription is better value than FFXIV's. Hopefully the gaming press will grow increasingly skilled at making those judgements and informing us of them

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I think the best thing to do is to stop calling it "free to play", as history has demonstrated it is most certainly NOT.

Subscription vs One time fee vs Microtransactions. There is no "Free".

 

[Windcaler]

I think the best thing to do is to stop calling it "free to play", as history has demonstrated it is most certainly NOT.

Subscription vs One time fee vs Microtransactions. There is no "Free".

I disagree with that. Ive played quite a few free to play games and been able to compete or finish the games without spending a cent. Paying in those games gives you cosmetic items or reduces the time needed to get things. The big one IMO is Blacklight retribution which is a FPS. You start with the middle of the road armor and assault rifle and over time you can spend the currencty you earn in game to further customize your character with new pieces of armor, new gun parts, adn various equipment. I never spent a cent on that game and I was playing competitively for a good while before I moved on to other games

Another good example is path of exile. Ive beaten that game 3 times now and Ive never spent a cent on it either.

There are games out there that are quite literally pay to win games with predatory business models but I can name many that dont fall into that trap as well

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I had fun playing F2P Star Wars: The Old Republic for, like, a month. The more I played the more I realized what a gap there was between paying subscribers and everybody else. They riddle free-to-players with little uncomfortable setbacks, like cooldown periods, limited-use stuff and the like. But I was OK with it, a free game was worth it. What annoyed me was most quest rewards were exclusive to subscribers, so you'd end up an hour's grind in exchange for... nothing. Half the rewards would be incredibly rare artifacts I couldn't equip, because I couldn't accept, and I couldn't sell or trade. I more or less gave up on the game because of that. It basically strips objective from gameplay, and renders it pointless.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I disagree with that. Ive played quite a few free to play games and been able to compete or finish the games without spending a cent. Paying in those games gives you cosmetic items or reduces the time needed to get things. The big one IMO is Blacklight retribution which is a FPS. You start with the middle of the road armor and assault rifle and over time you can spend the currencty you earn in game to further customize your character with new pieces of armor, new gun parts, adn various equipment. I never spent a cent on that game and I was playing competitively for a good while before I moved on to other games

Another good example is path of exile. Ive beaten that game 3 times now and Ive never spent a cent on it either.

There are games out there that are quite literally pay to win games with predatory business models but I can name many that dont fall into that trap as well

"FTP" games make 95% of their profit off 5% of the player base, if the bean counters are to be believed. So yes, there is a large body of parasitic users, but SOMEONE is paying for you to play that game. It wasn't "free". Their business model just allows you to defer the cost on to someone else.

And even the most generous, non-predatory FTP models will encourage spending via tedium.

 

[madwarper]

I think the best thing to do is to stop calling it "free to play", as history has demonstrated it is most certainly NOT.

Subscription vs One time fee vs Microtransactions. There is no "Free".

I'd say it depends on the game, just because microtransactions are an option doesn't mean they're mandatory.

For example; Turbine's Lord of the Rings: Online. Yes, the "free" content ends around at around lvl 30, and from then on if you're dead set against getting additional quest packs, you're only left with the Epic quest chains, Daily tasks and Skirmishes... But, all while playing through that "free" content, you're also earning *free* Turbine points by completing deeds, which can be spent to purchase the additional content. So, with enough effort, you can get the vast majority of content of the game without every having to spending a single dime. In fact, the only 2 things you can't get that way is permanent Swift Travel unlock and access to PvMP (LotRO's PvP).

 

[A-D.]

I think the best thing to do is to stop calling it "free to play", as history has demonstrated it is most certainly NOT.

Subscription vs One time fee vs Microtransactions. There is no "Free".

I'd say it depends on the game, just because microtransactions are an option doesn't mean they're mandatory.

For example; Turbine's Lord of the Rings: Online. Yes, the "free" content ends around at around lvl 30, and from then on if you're dead set against getting additional quest packs, you're only left with the Epic quest chains, Daily tasks and Skirmishes... But, all while playing through that "free" content, you're also earning *free* Turbine points by completing deeds, which can be spent to purchase the additional content. So, with enough effort, you can get the vast majority of content of the game without every having to spending a single dime. In fact, the only 2 things you can't get that way is permanent Swift Travel unlock and access to PvMP (LotRO's PvP).

Actually no. The Points you can earn until that point are not enough to pay for everything. You can get one additional questpack, sure, but that will NOT let you earn enough points for another. However i once did some math on that, all regions till 30, not spending a single turbine point and doing it on 2 characters (max slots for free) on all the servers. Which totals up to 15k Points, enough to pay for everything there was at that time, which was before Rohan came out. So think about it, 2 characters per server, for 20-ish servers, all grinding to level 30 or so..yeah its free, if you can stand grinding relentlessly for ages.

The game effectively forces you to pay because nobody could ever grind enough points to get it truly free, doesnt matter when or how, but eventually, everyone pays. Which is a good thing i think, its still free and all, but even that one purchase helps the Devs to keep the servers on. And if you are smart, you can get alot for very little money too. But still, eventually everyone pays.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I'd say it depends on the game, just because microtransactions are an option doesn't mean they're mandatory.

For example; Turbine's Lord of the Rings: Online. Yes, the "free" content ends around at around lvl 30, and from then on if you're dead set against getting additional quest packs, you're only left with the Epic quest chains, Daily tasks and Skirmishes... But, all while playing through that "free" content, you're also earning *free* Turbine points by completing deeds, which can be spent to purchase the additional content. So, with enough effort, you can get the vast majority of content of the game without every having to spending a single dime. In fact, the only 2 things you can't get that way is permanent Swift Travel unlock and access to PvMP (LotRO's PvP).

You know it's interesting. I've seen a lot of people hold up Turbine's "FTP" model as admirable, and I actually find it one of the most onerous models ever devised. I viewed it as downright sinister when it first appeared, and still hate it to this day. The amount of tedium blocking and pay walls in those games is INSANE.

Frankly if we were to judge the "free" mode of "FTP" games on their merits as entertainment, they'd be amongst the worst games ever made. And I *like* MMOs.

 

[ParrotDye]

I think the best thing to do is to stop calling it "free to play", as history has demonstrated it is most certainly NOT.

Subscription vs One time fee vs Microtransactions. There is no "Free".

That's one of the facts of life. Anything that seems too good to be true, is.

The idea of selling futures is as old as the hills. For example, you join a gym on the promise of looking ripped in the future, but you have to pay money if you want to keep going.

 

[Windcaler]

I disagree with that. Ive played quite a few free to play games and been able to compete or finish the games without spending a cent. Paying in those games gives you cosmetic items or reduces the time needed to get things. The big one IMO is Blacklight retribution which is a FPS. You start with the middle of the road armor and assault rifle and over time you can spend the currencty you earn in game to further customize your character with new pieces of armor, new gun parts, adn various equipment. I never spent a cent on that game and I was playing competitively for a good while before I moved on to other games

Another good example is path of exile. Ive beaten that game 3 times now and Ive never spent a cent on it either.

There are games out there that are quite literally pay to win games with predatory business models but I can name many that dont fall into that trap as well

"FTP" games make 95% of their profit off 5% of the player base, if the bean counters are to be believed. So yes, there is a large body of parasitic users, but SOMEONE is paying for you to play that game. It wasn't "free". Their business model just allows you to defer the cost on to someone else.

And even the most generous, non-predatory FTP models will encourage spending via tedium.

Thats not necessarily true. It could be in a strictly singleplayer experience where there is no multiplayer but only in that case. You see when you have a free to play game your community grows much larger then it otherwise would because theres less monetary investment. These larger communities full of free to play players also gives paying players more people to play with (or against). While you probably cant put a strict monetary amount on what larger communities are worth it is unquestionably worth something

In the case of when some bought items can be traded (i.e. Raiderz costume potions) markets can be created and inflate how much paying players would normally pay

I also dont agree that all FTP games will use tedium to force people to spend money. I didnt ever feel I needed to use experience boosts in Blacklight, or Raiderz, or Warframe, or Star trek online. Certainly using such boosts would make you progress faster but Ive never felt like these games were tedious enough to require them

 

[madwarper]

However i once did some math on that, all regions till 30, not spending a single turbine point and doing it on 2 characters

You do realize that it's possible to purchase more character slots for TP? So, the more characters you run through each additional quest pack purchased only further increases the amount of TP it's possible to earn.

Your math is incomplete and you should feel bad.

nobody could ever grind enough points to get it truly free,

I did, and had ~15k TP last time I played.

Frankly if we were to judge the "free" mode of "FTP" games on their merits as entertainment, they'd be amongst the worst games ever made. And I *like* MMOs.

Compared to what?

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Compared to what?

Given you are replying to the statement "amongst the worst games ever made", what do you think the comparable is in this case? Pineapples? Streetcars? The clue is in the sentence.

I also dont agree that all FTP games will use tedium to force people to spend money. I didnt ever feel I needed to use experience boosts in Blacklight, or Raiderz, or Warframe, or Star trek online. Certainly using such boosts would make you progress faster but Ive never felt like these games were tedious enough to require them

All? Perhaps not. Most? Definitely. These guys aren't running charities. They're going to nudge you into spending money through one method or another.

Having tried Star Trek Online, that game was tedious enough all on its own even without Micro Transactions. Bleargh.

 

[madwarper]

Given you are replying to the statement "amongst the worst games ever made", what do you think the comparable is in this case? Pineapples? Streetcars? The clue is in the sentence.

con·text /&#712;käntekst/ Noun
1. The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.
2. The parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning.

Your post lacks it, which is why I asked you to clarify what games you're comparing free portion of LotRO to.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

I'm trying to look for the appropriate part article I found on Cracked, but I can't remember the name.

Anyway, the idea went that touching or using the item once gives you more of an incentive to buy the item because you have a feeling of ownership to it. Now, remember how most F2P games have a "Try for one day!" thing? That is another tactic that probably works well.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Your post lacks it, which is why I asked you to clarify what games you're comparing free portion of LotRO to.

You didn't clip and quote that part! How on earth would I know that's what you wanted to know?!

Other MMO FTP models. Or subscriptions, which was the comparable at the time.

 

[Windcaler]

All? Perhaps not. Most? Definitely. These guys aren't running charities. They're going to nudge you into spending money through one method or another.

Having tried Star Trek Online, that game was tedious enough all on its own even without Micro Transactions. Bleargh.

Thats fair I just didnt think it was fair to paint all games with the same brush when there are certainly quite a few that dont fall within the usual problems of pay to win games.

Just as a side note for games published by Perfect world entertainment (that would include Blacklight retribution, Raiderz, and Neverwinter to name a few) they actually have a system in place where you can earn the real money currency without spending money. It involves answering some surveys that can take some time but you can earn real money currency to spend in their various games if you want to spend time doing that instead of spending your hard earned money.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Thats fair I just didnt think it was fair to paint all games with the same brush when there are certainly quite a few that dont fall within the usual problems of pay to win games.

Just as a side note for games published by Perfect world entertainment (that would include Blacklight retribution, Raiderz, and Neverwinter to name a few) they actually have a system in place where you can earn the real money currency without spending money. It involves answering some surveys that can take some time but you can earn real money currency to spend in their various games if you want to spend time doing that instead of spending your hard earned money.

I actually don't think too many games are "Pay to Win". They flirt around the margins, but it's still a pretty dirty term. They're just "pay to not grind".

 

[madwarper]

Other MMO FTP models.

Such as... ?

Or subscriptions, which was the comparable at the time.

Wait. You mean to tell me that a game that you've already paid to play will offer more to you than a game you haven't paid for?

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Wait. You mean to tell me that a game that you've already paid to play will offer more to you than a game you haven't paid for?

Your bizarre defensiveness on the subject of FTP games aside, the value per dollar proposition for subscriptions was so far ahead of most FTP models it beggared belief. Strip out all ease and convenience, shackle blaring pay walls to anything and everything that will take one, and release the game as "free"! What a bargain!

Regardless, if that floats your boat, by all means, enjoy.

As for your Turbine question, pretty much any of the more recent models, most notably Aion, Rift, and TERA, were far more friendly and less mercenary than Turbine's. Even the rightly loathed and derided TOR FTP model was better.

 

[madwarper]

Strip out all ease and convenience, shackle blaring pay walls to anything and everything that will take one, and release the game as "free"! What a bargain!

Ease? Still there. Convenience? There too. Blaring pay walls? Nope.

Have you ever played LotRO through to the Lone Lands?

As for your Turbine question, pretty much any of the more recent models, most notably Aion, Rift, and TERA, were far more friendly and less mercenary than Turbine's. Even the rightly loathed and derided TOR FTP model was better.

Can't comment on F2P model Aion, Rift, or Tera. But, I did just recently try out TOR and can fully attest that you're speaking out of your rectum.

At no point did LotRO ever give you quest a reward that required payment to use. And, at no point did LotRO ever cut the amount experience you gain because you haven't paid yet.