A discussion of why developers choose F2P over P2P

Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:42 pm

So as some of you know, I've been in a rut lately regarding trying to find a really good solid MMO or even single player game to get into. Through my search, there is a really startling and odd thing that I've noticed (Well, not odd in the logical sense, but odd considering how many people do this), and that is that the majority of F2P games are honestly really, really bad. Like, bad bad.

The F2P section in Steam is quite honestly a joke. I get the feeling (because I've myself played the majority of these games) that they are free for a reason. And that reason is that they have no developer love and they are just really shallow games. It seems to follow suite that most games I've downloaded that are free to play are either shallow, lack content, lack a community, or lack real gameplay depth and world lore. The worlds that these people make are just copy paste of the last free game I downloaded. They aren't supported in the sense that they're being fed new content on a monthly basis, or less. The combat is abysmal in most of these games. The quest are shallow and boring.

I recently actually paid for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and I have to say, I didn't have this experience. The gameplay is fun. The quest writing is entertaining. The game is funded and supported by the developers, with patches/new content being announced, etc, even though it just came out. The combat system is fluid and visceral depending on which class you choose. It's just a huge cut above the rest of the drabble I've downloaded for free and tried for a couple of hours. It left an impression on me that this was a real world that was crafted by hand with dedication and love. It felt real.

So what gives? Why do developers choose to go F2P when it's quite obvious that a game that you have to buy is infinitely (in my experience) a better game in most regards? Why is Rift, Tera Online, LOTRO, etc, all F2P and honestly not that great of games compared to the others that are P2P? What does this bode for the upcoming TESO, which has decided to go the route of P2P with a sub based model? Will this decision secure it's success? It's no secret that sub based model devs put more content and love into their titles, because they have the resources and responsibility to do so because they're being paid monthly to do so.

This is all, of coarse, my experience, and any perception of what is good is subjective, and I know that. But I can't help but feel that I'm not the only one who feels this way. Thoughts?

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GRAEME
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 8:46 am

When you go in thinking "All p2p games are better than f2p games" you can't expect to get much of a response. I don't see why you created this thread, your ignorance obviously shows that you think all p2p games are superior.

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Joie Perez
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:32 am

Serious? Someone didn't read the last post of my OP. Good comprehension there, bud. I plainly and clearly stated at least twice that this was A: my opinion, based on B: my experience.

Hurrrrrr.

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michael danso
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 7:03 am

Money.

Which games are better than RIFT, LOTRO etc. and P2P? If you say WoW I can't promise I won't laugh.

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Karl harris
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 5:11 am

STO is a good F2P game.

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Jessica Thomson
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 8:44 am

Serious. You never said "my opinion" and you clearly don't believe this is all from "your experience" since you're stating (wrongly) what you think companies do and don't do with the payment models. I don't see what you seek to gain from this thread.

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Ashley Clifft
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 8:43 am

"This is, of coarse, my experience, and any perception of what is good is subjective, and I know that."

Just stop trolling. You're not very good at it. Or I'll report you.

@Frodo67, LOTOR before it went F2P was better than it is now, and FFXIV is better than those games. The depth of the gameplay is much greater.

It's simply an issue of you get what you pay for IMO. Millions of people are paying a sub, then that means more profit and incentive for the dev running the MMO. More profit means higher quality development and content, more staff hired to maintain or be thinktanks. Plus in-game support and moderation are of higher quality because they are getting PAID TO DO IT. How can anyone dispute that?

It can't be disputed; that's just a fact of marketing and business. So my question stands: why do devs CHOOSE to go F2P? It benefits no one. Devs are getting less money and players are getting less/less quality content.

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Claudia Cook
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 6:11 pm

Oh, okay, please report me after calling me a bad troll. That should be good. Really, do it.

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Marta Wolko
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 4:53 pm

M'kay, done. :shrug:

Let's stay on topic though, and you are more than welcome to leave the thread because you have no intent on discussion. That's called trolling.

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mimi_lys
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:26 pm

Nope, that is wrong. :)

Cool, if you stop replying to this thread, I'll understand.

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Bird
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 2:39 pm

Give me one instance where developers are getting MORE money from a F2P model and players are getting MORE content monthly from a F2P model? Please? Because that doesn't happen, ever, and I can quite literally prove it to you with numbers and a bit of research. But not after you prove to me your claim.

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Bedford White
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 6:50 pm

Every game you listed in the OP. If you can prove me otherwise, please do.

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emma sweeney
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 1:34 pm

That doesn't even begin to make any sense, actually. Proving it to me requires comparisons, numbers, and data. You have none, because there is none, and are resorting to horrific tactics of derailing.

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Josh Dagreat
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 7:30 am

And where is your data?

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Zoe Ratcliffe
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 9:46 am

As I told you two post back, I'll post mine after you post yours, because you made the claim that F2P games offer *more* content, which is absurd, first. So you go. Man, those mods sure are slow today.

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Samantha Mitchell
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 5:46 am

I don't have any data off the top of my head, but not like that matters, you don't have any anyways.

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Svenja Hedrich
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 11:08 am

You're just going back and forth here contributing absolutely nothing. Why are you so against the idea that F2P games have less content than paid games?

You obviously have some sort of a problem. Instead of acting the way you are, why not explain your angst?

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Nana Samboy
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 2:48 pm

Because it's blatantly wrong? I don't have any problem, but you obviously have a problem with being wrong.

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Bellismydesi
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 7:51 am

Actually with a monthly subscription based video game you get premium service compared to Free to Play (F2P) video games.

Here's why.

With Free to Play (F2P) video games you can play that video game for free without spending any money at all. You know why you can play that video game for free without spending any money at all? Because there are some other people who play that video game who spend money on that video game which earns that video game development company money to keep the servers running 24/7 and to pay the employees. If every single person who plays Free to Play (F2P) video games never spent a single type of money from whatever country they are from that video game development company would close down that video game forever which means closing that video game studio, laying off the employees, and shutting the servers off.

With video games that you pay a monthly subscription fee you get a premium service which means you get everything for free and by free I mean you don't get locked out of any content you get armor, weapons. experience points (EXP) (From killing NPC's and doing campaigns, missions, quests, stories or whatever you want to call them), money (From killing NPC's and looting the dead NPC's and from doing campaigns, missions, quests, stories or whatever you want to call them), potions (From killing NPC's and looting the dead NPC's and from doing campaigns, missions, quests, stories or whatever you want to call them), etc. Which means if you don't have the money to pay for that month for that video game then you can't play that video game at all which yes svcks for that person but all of the other people who pays for that month for that video game get everything for free people who pay for that month for that video game don't get locked out of content and by not getting locked out of content I mean you can still do that content if you queue up with groups to do dungeons, raids or whatever I have seen Free to Play (F2P) video games where you have to pay to go do some dungeons, raids or whatever if you are in a group that paid to do that stuff and you did not pay you cannot do that stuff. Video games that you pay for every month actually make the video game developers of that video game development company release a lot of huge content after about lets say every 6 months which should keep you playing for many months to come. Just look at EVE: Online, Final Fantasy XI, World of Warcraft (WoW), and soon to be released (Next year) The Elder Scrolls: Online.

I have seen on SONY Online Entertainment's twitter he said he banned a person who spent $300 dollars (USD) for one month purchasing stuff like ammo or whatever in PlanetSide 2. Another person who I read about he spent $400 dollars (USD) a month or every 2 months in some other Free to Play (F2P) video game purchasing experience points (EXP), money, potions etc I don't remember the name of that Free to Play (F2P) video game that that person plays(ed) though. It was like maybe 2+ years ago. Anyways those 2 people spending that much money on Free 2 Play (F2P) video games is what keeps other people who want to play video games for free to play them for free, the video game development company hiring people to employ to work for them, keeping the video game company open and running like having the electricity run which makes all the electrical stuff in the building run and the servers run 24/7 (Except when there is maintenance), and running water. But Free to Play (F2P) video games severely lack in content and premium services like good customer support.

The content in Star Wars - The Old Republic severely lacks in content compared to EVE: Online which gets expansion packs for free every 6 months which are huge and even compared to World of Warcraft which gets huge expansion packs every 2 years and lots of medium sized content about every 6 months or so and very small content every few weeks or ever few months.

War Thunder is a WWII flying Free to Play (F2P) video game for now you get everything for free by unlocking them the more you play but there's a catch that video game has 2 slots for your air plane which you have to pay for which you cannot unlock and has decals that you can put on your air plane you can unlock those for free by playing War Thunder or you can purchase the decals if you want. People purchasing the 2 slots and decals is what is keeping War Thunder running 24/7 and letting people like me and you play for free. War Thunder is getting the ability to let you play on land and sea as well land battles and naval battles will be coming soon for free but decals will still be purchasable with real life money which some people around the world will purchase which lets you play for free whenever you want to play.

So in the end Free to Play (F2P) video games make it harder for people like me to play video games because other people all over this world spend $300 dollars (USD), $400 dollars (USD) or whatever currency they have in their country each month. With EVE: Online and World of Warcraft I don't have to worry about this I spend $15 dollars (USD) a month that's $180 dollars a year to pay for 1 video game which is cheaper for me than spending lets say $300 dollars (USD) a month for a year which would equal $3,600 dollars (USD) a year and believe it or not there are some people all over the world who spend at least up to $1,000 dollars (USD) a year on Free to Play (F2P) video games purchasing stuff like armor, weapons, experience points (EXP), money, potions, etc. Which again as I said above is why that video game is Free to Play (F2P) for me and you to play when ever I want to play that video game which also svcks because hackers can more easily play these types of video games they can play for free they get banned easy fix to this make a new account hack again some people who hack will repeat doing this over and over again.

Some of the stuff I just said is facts and this is why I hate Free to Play (F2P) video games and love paying $10 dollars (USD) or $15 dollars (USD) each and every single month of the year for monthly subscription based video games. But whatever people can enjoy playing whatever they want to play all I am saying is why I hate Free to Play (F2P) video games and will never play Free to Play (F2P) video games.

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Wayne W
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 6:39 am

So, instead of this two man slugging fest, I'll leave this here since I'm tired and going back to bed.

Lord of the Rings Online's profits tripled when it went to a Free to Play format. Instead of going in with blind disdain that 'all F2P MMOs will svck cause they're free', try going in with an open mind and determining the actual contents of that game. :shrug:

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Robert
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 6:01 pm


If im wrong, prove that im wrong.
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Sophie Miller
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 5:39 am

You're wrong because you can't prove that I'm not.

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Cameron Wood
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 3:38 am

I wrote some actual facts to you in my comment 2 comments above and why Free to Play (F2P) video games in my opinion are bad. NOTE: I said in my OPINION.

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Stay-C
 
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Post » Sat Oct 19, 2013 12:03 pm

The only fact I've seen you post is "in my opinion".

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Dean
 
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