A few thoughts on free-to-play games and in-app-purchases
So I was having a conversation with a few mates last night about some games coming out and the topic of free to play (F2P) and in app purchases (IAP) came up. The conversation was one of those things that I thought would make a good post. Mainly because its the first time that I properly and coherently expressed my thoughts without sounding like "that indie guy". Whether or not that will work now is another matter...
Let me start by expressing my opinion on the subject. I don't dislike these types of game models. Hell, I've engaged in a few of them, and when used correctly, to me they don't feel like a problem. I think that the real issue is that some (not all) games have taken the idea of using these kinds of models as a way of scheming more money out of people. So much so in fact that the mention of "Free-To-Play" or "In-App-Purchases" almost makes you feel as if you're setting yourself up for a mugging.
Lets take a trip down memory lane. Now, I'm from the UK, and like any young strapping UK lad, I collected premier league football stickers in order to complete my sticker album for that year. Consider what we were doing. We were asking our parents to spend money on collectable items in order for us to complete the set. When the next series came out, my old set was nothing more than a relic, and I started the cycle again.
Next came Pokemon cards (which I still collect). Consider what we were doing again. We were asking our parents to spend money on collectable items in order for us to complete the set. When the next series came out, my old set was nothing more than a relic, and I started the cycle again.
See where I'm going with this?
The difference is now that things like Fifa Ultimate Team etc. have now replaced physical collectables. With FUT, kids are asking their parents to spend money on collectible items in order to...
These kinds of IAP's are exactly the things that we remember so fondly about our childhood except in a digital format. We have a decision here. We can either decide that this is wrong whilst in doing so admitting that we were duped as children, or decide that this is fine and kids now will feel the same way about FUT as we do about collectible stickers and Pokemon cards.
Free to play models seem all the rage nowadays. In my experience, the general tone is that they are an awful attempt at money grabbing (and in some cases they are just that), however this doesn't seem to be the entire story in some cases. Look at the Elder Scrolls online. Were asked to pay $15 a month for an online game that people have been asking for for as long as the Elder Scrolls and the internet were in the same space. This seems fine to me, however there seems to be an outcry of "Why isn't this a F2P game" and "I want to play it, but I don't want to pay each month for it". Valid opinions. However, what I don't see, are people suggesting some other form of revenue stream for it.
Games need to make money. End of story. Every so often these letters called "Bills" come through the door and they're the greatest motivator for artists to make some money of their creations.
As an indie game developer I apologise for bringing it back to indie development but its the only angle I have ;)
If I was to build a game that would benefit from some sort of massive multiplayer component, I would need servers. Not only would I need servers, but I need the space to run them. I also need the electricity to run them, not to mention the time taken to code it so it works and I'm not leaking everyone's passwords online. These things take money. And its money that I have to invest from my own pocket. I want to make this back, otherwise the entire venture would have been a failure. If I decided that the best way for people to play my game is to make it F2P, then I need an alternative revenue stream in the form of IAP. These are all knock on decisions that have to be made, however the one thing I have control over is how to offer these incentives.
Now again, lets take a trip down memory lane.
You're a young lad or lass and you have your N64 or other fondly remembered console. You go to your friends house and you end up playing this awesome game that you've never played before. Your friend is awesome and decides to give you a lend of the game for a while. After playing the game you decide that this is the game for you, and end up asking your parents for it. Bing bang boom. New game.
By friends offering the game to you for a lend, you essentially have no barrier to entry for the game. You also have no barrier of release but if the game is good enough, you'll eventually own a copy of your own. Pilot Wings for the N64 was like this for me and it was less that 15 minutes before I asked for my own copy (luckily I had a birthday coming up). This is essentially the non-digital version of F2P.
- Down sides of IAP and F2P
IAP's and F2P can be useful, and they can be something that adds real value to a game. But like everything else they can also be used for nefarious purposes. Look at games like Farmville or any of the Something Something Saga games that come out on every device known to man. These games are suggesting that you cannot have as much fun as anyone else by methodically interrupting gameplay or placing barriers in your way, all with the intention of getting you to pay that premium fee. The fee is payed, you get the "reward" you wanted, and within moments, the reward is used up and you go back to the free model, only to start the cycle again.
The problem is that if it were advertised like this then the games would never have gotten off the ground.
How many times have you played a game, only to be asked to buy some crypto-Facebook dollars in order to continue and not wait the hour before you can play again? Also, how many times have you been asked to partake in the illusion and post on Twitter about how much fun you're having?
I guess my problem comes from being lied to. I don't mind if a game comes out and says "Hey, our game is free. If you want the full experience then it costs X amount of dollars." or "You can grind a few hours uninterrupted to get this particular item, or if you want to pay us $3 you can have it now". This for me is just an updated version of the things that we engaged in as kids. Just be careful that its not a proverbial "carrot-on-a-stick".
Just my 2 cents on the subject :)
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