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'The market has spoken very loudly that [F2P] is the model they like'

LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247

Title is quote from an EA exec on the free to play model.

 

Full article: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-02-ea-mobile-boss-freemium-haters-a-vocal-minority

There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

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Comments

  • VesaviusVesavius Member RarePosts: 7,908
    Originally posted by Loktofeit

    Title is quote from an EA exec on the free to play model.

     

    Full article: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-02-ea-mobile-boss-freemium-haters-a-vocal-minority

     

    Please amend your title to something like; "Nick Earl says market has spoken in favor of free-to-play, no premium mobile games"

    As it stands it gives the impression that he is talking about MMORPGs.

    But, have to say, what EA say or think has zero zilch value to me.

     

  • BeansnBreadBeansnBread Member EpicPosts: 7,254
    I like how he used the phrase "all-you-can-eat" to describe the more traditional B2P model. It makes people that prefer that style of payment sound like they have a massive plate of food with barbeque sauce all over their face, gorging themselves with as much content as they can consume.
  • expressoexpresso Member UncommonPosts: 2,218

    He never spoke to me?!  I disagree F2P just breeds the 'Oliver complex' "Please sir i want some more" and by more I mean paid day-1 DLC, P2W and microtransactions.

    F2P has it's place in some genres but I hope it don't creep into the top end MMO's.

  • BattlerockBattlerock Member CommonPosts: 1,393
    I hate it I prefer buy to play or sub.
  • bcbullybcbully Member EpicPosts: 11,838

    Sub is just fine.

     

    B2P is evil. Anything with a 60$ upfront fee is evil. 

     

    Free is to intrusive.

    "We see fundamentals and we ape in"
  • WarleyWarley Member UncommonPosts: 508

    "There's a vocal contingent of gamers online who don't appreciate free-to-play business models, but their complaints are being drowned out by customers speaking with their wallets..." - Nick Earl

    Don't you find it ironic that both 'free-to-play' and 'speaking with their wallets' are both used in the same sentence; especially when you consider that 'speaking with their wallets' suggests people are buying here.  So, basically, people are buying free-to-play games. Honestly, 'free-to-play' is a marketing term that does not accurately describe these games.  Here's a few that describe these games better:

    - Demo, With the Option to Buy More Content

    - Partial Game With Endless Developer Hands Dipping Into Your Pockets For Money

    - Free To Download, Expensive To Get The Whole Game

    - Whale Hunting

    - Endless Nickel & Diming For Complete Experience

    - Half The Value At Double Or More The Price of Premium Games

    I remember when companies first started the whole 'free-to-play' is the future. Not many people actually wanted it. However, once they did (or rather, once the younger 'entitlement' crowd came)  you started seeing the trolling increase; the immaturity of gamers increase; and the general decline of gaming. Suddenly, planting crops in a game that asked you to spam your friends every 10 seconds or sign-up for this or that credit card became popular.

    FACT: There are very few 'true' free-to-play games -if any- that are not partial games in comparison to premium games. There are no exceptions. League of Legends? (which actually is a very well done 'free-to-play' game) Nope. You have to unlock heroes with money.  You don't get them all so you don't have the full game. The same even goes for freemium games such as LoTRO. Sure, you can earn stuff through in-game means, but you cannot unlock the entire game without a subscription.

     

  • VesaviusVesavius Member RarePosts: 7,908
    Originally posted by bcbully

    Sub is just fine.

     

    B2P is evil. Anything with a 60$ upfront fee is evil. 

     

    Free is to intrusive.

     

    I agree with all this BC.

    Free client, 1-2 week full access trial, then sub (with no cash shop) is my ideal.

  • WarleyWarley Member UncommonPosts: 508
    Originally posted by Vesavius
    Originally posted by bcbully

    Sub is just fine.

     

    B2P is evil. Anything with a 60$ upfront fee is evil. 

     

    Free is to intrusive.

     

    I agree with all this BC.

    Free client, 1-2 week full access trial, then sub (with no cash shop) is my ideal.

    If EA had done that with SWTOR people wouldn't need a subscription. They'd be done with the game after two weeks.

    And, yes, I prefer that as well. Unfortunately, the 'majority' (which consists of mainly people that are going to play for free without spending a dime anyways) says otherwise. 

    People don't realize that EA is misrepresenting numbers here.

  • RefMinorRefMinor Member UncommonPosts: 3,452
    Originally posted by Vesavius
    Originally posted by bcbully

    Sub is just fine.

     

    B2P is evil. Anything with a 60$ upfront fee is evil. 

     

    Free is to intrusive.

     

    I agree with all this BC.

    Free client, 1-2 week full access trial, then sub (with no cash shop) is my ideal.

    +1

  • YamotaYamota Member UncommonPosts: 6,593
    Originally posted by Vesavius
    Originally posted by Loktofeit

    Title is quote from an EA exec on the free to play model.

     

    Full article: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-02-ea-mobile-boss-freemium-haters-a-vocal-minority

     

    Please amend your title to something like; "Nick Earl says market has spoken in favor of free-to-play, no premium mobile games"

    As it stands it gives the impression that he is talking about MMORPGs.

    But, have to say, what EA say or think has zero zilch value to me.

     

    Exactly. What that corporate maggot says means nothing to me.

  • AeliousAelious Member RarePosts: 3,521
    ^ Agreed
  • nickster29nickster29 Member Posts: 486
    I prefer sub / b2p purely for the reason there is an upfront investment to discourage people from cheating.  Otherwise with F2P they just make a new account and go right back to cheating again.  Especially with shooters.
  • AeliousAelious Member RarePosts: 3,521
    Bah! Agreed to the model above Yamota. You're too quick Yamota!! :)
  • VengeSunsoarVengeSunsoar Member EpicPosts: 6,601
    Originally posted by expresso

    He never spoke to me?!  I disagree F2P just breeds the 'Oliver complex' "Please sir i want some more" and by more I mean paid day-1 DLC, P2W and microtransactions.

    F2P has it's place in some genres but I hope it don't creep into the top end MMO's.

    "Hope it doesn't creep into the top end MMO's"

    It's allready here.  Every MMO on the market has a cs of some kind.  There are very very very few MMO's left that do not have multiple levels of models, f2p, or subscription left. 

    Hmm which top end MMO's other than WoW have no other methods of paying other than sub?

    Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is bad.
  • VesaviusVesavius Member RarePosts: 7,908
    Originally posted by Yamota
    Originally posted by Vesavius
    Originally posted by Loktofeit

    Title is quote from an EA exec on the free to play model.

     

    Full article: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-02-ea-mobile-boss-freemium-haters-a-vocal-minority

    Please amend your title to something like; "Nick Earl says market has spoken in favor of free-to-play, no premium mobile games"

    As it stands it gives the impression that he is talking about MMORPGs.

    But, have to say, what EA say or think has zero zilch value to me.

    Exactly. What that corporate maggot says means nothing to me.

     

    I think it says something when the F2P campaigners have to use quotes from someone like EA to support their point... and EA and their shareholders liking a revenue model is meant to be encouraging to me how? ;)

  • WarleyWarley Member UncommonPosts: 508
    Originally posted by Loktofeit

    Title is quote from an EA exec on the free to play model.

     Full article: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-02-ea-mobile-boss-freemium-haters-a-vocal-minority

    The numbers are being misrepresented here. It can be simplified and understood this way:

    Game A (Premium):

    10,000 people who bought it

    Game B (Free-To-Play):

    50,000 people play it

    5,000 people pay for the nickel & dime scheme (10% conversation, VERY VERY HIGH)

    Of course, 50,000 is a bigger number than 10,000 so -for marketing/pr purposes- you twist this around.

    Now, Game B may make more money than Game A, but that's because Game B 'whales' have to PAY FAR MORE MONEY to get the same experience as Game A. Therefore, in the end, to get the same experience as those in Game A the 'whales' in Game B have to pay a HIGHER PREMIUM.

     

     

     

  • GravargGravarg Member UncommonPosts: 3,424
    Originally posted by Vesavius
    Originally posted by Yamota
    Originally posted by Vesavius
    Originally posted by Loktofeit

    Title is quote from an EA exec on the free to play model.

     

    Full article: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-04-02-ea-mobile-boss-freemium-haters-a-vocal-minority

    Please amend your title to something like; "Nick Earl says market has spoken in favor of free-to-play, no premium mobile games"

    As it stands it gives the impression that he is talking about MMORPGs.

    But, have to say, what EA say or think has zero zilch value to me.

    Exactly. What that corporate maggot says means nothing to me.

     

    I think it says something when the F2P campaigners have to use quotes from someone like EA to support their point... and EA and their shareholders liking a revenue model is meant to be encouraging to me how? ;)

    QFT

  • theAsnatheAsna Member UncommonPosts: 324
    Originally posted by Warley

    ...  You don't get them all so you don't have the full game. The same even goes for freemium games such as LoTRO. Sure, you can earn stuff through in-game means, but you cannot unlock the entire game without a subscription.

     

    I wonder if this is a substainable business model in the long run. Just consider your freemium example (LOTRO). A smart player can unlock most of the game by a combination of paying to unlock content and earning Turbine points to unlock content as well. The bottom line is that you might spend significantly less money than with a sub. With those options a sub becomes the company's unloved foster child.

    On the other hand the company will be forced to add more and more features that are not related to the gameplay. Instead it's intended to tempt (gullible?) players to spend more. Just take the "Daily Dice" feature from LOTRO's sibling DDO.

     

  • YamotaYamota Member UncommonPosts: 6,593
    Originally posted by Aelious
    Bah! Agreed to the model above Yamota. You're too quick Yamota!! :)

    Early bird catches the worm. Quite fitting phrase for this case ;)

  • CrazKanukCrazKanuk Member EpicPosts: 6,130
    Originally posted by Vesavius
    Originally posted by bcbully

    Sub is just fine.

     

    B2P is evil. Anything with a 60$ upfront fee is evil. 

     

    Free is to intrusive.

     

    I agree with all this BC.

    Free client, 1-2 week full access trial, then sub (with no cash shop) is my ideal.

    So are you saying 1-2 week full access as in zero limitations, no level caps? If so, then +1 

     

    I would love your model, but I don't really have any issue with the F2P models that are out there either. People bitch and moan about about the cash shops of PC MMOs, but has anyone ever played any sort of game on tablet or mobile that includes microtransactions? I'm sorry, SWTOR is nothing compared to those. I feel like the F2P options of any PC game out there aren't that bad when put in perspective. 

    Crazkanuk

    ----------------
    Azarelos - 90 Hunter - Emerald
    Durnzig - 90 Paladin - Emerald
    Demonicron - 90 Death Knight - Emerald Dream - US
    Tankinpain - 90 Monk - Azjol-Nerub - US
    Brindell - 90 Warrior - Emerald Dream - US
    ----------------

  • LoktofeitLoktofeit Member RarePosts: 14,247
    Originally posted by Vesavius

    But, have to say, what EA say or think has zero zilch value to me.

    Ditto, but EA is a company that can tell people that in order to buy their next game they need to cut off their own finger, and millions of people will ask where to send the money and which finger. :)

     

    There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
    "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre

  • ShaighShaigh Member EpicPosts: 2,142
    He speaks about what works for mobile phone games. I don't think we will see bf4 or command and conquer releasing as f2p.
    Iselin: And the next person who says "but it's a business, they need to make money" can just go fuck yourself.
  • free2playfree2play Member UncommonPosts: 2,043

    He's right.

    Database markets show free models are more popular.

    Not more profitable but more popular.

     

    It's good to know the CEO's of these companies are really that shallow and stupid. It just proves they got there by being yes men and knowing the right people.

  • tordurbartordurbar Member UncommonPosts: 421

    Going beyond what an earlier poster said - there is no such thing as a true free-to-play mmo. Every one of those games is pay to win. Sure many, if not most of them, do not let you buy better weapons and armor but they offer instead othere goodies such xp packages. Faster xp means you level faster - thus paying to be better - paying to win. Of course there is so much more involved (player skill, time in game, etc.) but the bottom line is that you can spend money and get ahead of those that do not.

    I know of no game that offers ONLY cosmetic items. Contrary to what the posters on this site avow - most players won't buy something unless it gives them some sort of advantage. And it works. True p2w works even better (in the sense that people will spend more money). 

    I loath f2p. Yet, here I am, back in SWTOR, and what did I do? I re-subbed so that  I could get all the goodies and the faster xp. That is what I hate about f2p - it is so seductive - like the Dark Side :) 

  • doodphacedoodphace Member UncommonPosts: 1,858

    Really? The Market decided that? What would Blizzard and CCP have to say about that?

    The market did not decide FTP for MMOs.....the market decided FTP for poorly made, no content "multiyplayer games".

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