Article: Debating F2P Monetization

Mikan · 08-16-2010, 03:32 AM

Debating F2P Monetization

This article discusses some issues with the free-to-play business models in the west (e.g Regnum Online).

Gideon_Slack · 08-16-2010, 04:27 AM

Overall, I think Regnum is one of the most ethical f2p games out there. The only ones that might be better are those that operate on a "freemium" model, which is more an unlimited trial where you have to buy new content (Runescape, DDO, future Lord of the Rings Online).

It walks a fine line with Lucky Boxes, but in other f2p games like Runes of Magic, you have to use cash shop items to get the gear to really participate in endgame raiding or pvp. You can participate in Regnum RvR just fine without the greatest gear.

Regnum also almost has a hidden subscription with the repair rate, which I assume can be tweaked to generate more revenue per customer, for those unwilling to grind for gold.

KKharzov · 08-16-2010, 06:37 AM

Very interesting article. I'll throw out some points:

- F2P tends to have a bad name in the west. This obviously does not mean the game is necessarily a piece of crap, but many (ignorant gamers of the masses) tend to believe this theory that if a game is subscription based it automatically makes it better quality. Well that statement is one of the stupidest arguments I've heard on game forums. Many western gamers tend to not even give F2P games a chance, because the F2P genre is mainly dominated by shitty Eastern grinders that have given a bad name to the F2P group.

- Eastern MMO's continue to plague the scene and look for more ways to get "western moniez". You have producers like NCSoft and the recently formed En Masse Entertainment that take EASTERN games that are still eastern and label them and western games when they are published in the west. It's simply a method to pull out as much cash as possible, and you see many games like Aion doing it. TERA (The Exiled Realm of Arborea), or the hilarious Korean game that was built off of the stolen L3 code will also be released soon. However once again we will be able to see two version of this horrid game. The western version, that will have less grind (because western gamers dislike grind) and the eastern version with all the grind you can get. What is the difference? Hardly any. The game is still highly Asian based, they aren't going to change the architecture and models to western style are they? The game will still have those porn dolls and giant pandas for furfags... so how does that make it western? (Yes I highly despise Eastern games and because I wasn't born on that side of the world that isn't my taste or the taste of millions of other western gamers. You can look at numbers and sales records and check for yourself if you don't believe me when I say western gamers primarily play western games. Fuck Asia. Western games play western games, at least in my neck of the woods a la North America. I know some of the Europeans always hop on the Asian bandwagon with great joy.)

- The MMO genre itself is slowly changing, hopefully for the better. Over the next few years you will see fewer of these shit quality MMO's that HYPE HYPE HYPE and then disappoint. No, what will happen is an unhealthy turn where gamers will buy games simply based on who developed them. If a new game development team forms, they better be prepared to have an assload of cash and some quality team. A couple of years ago you could make a game off a few million, that time is over. Now you need to compete with big names and triple A MMO's. If you want to have great success you need to be prepared to spend a good wad of cash, at least $60 Million in my book for a AAA MMO. You have horrid games in the west like Darkfail and Mortal Online that have been over hyped so much that people are suckered into buying these unfinished games. Speaking of Darkfail and Mortal Online, their situation is horrid, probably worse then Regnum in it's darkest moments, only these games have been published on a large scale. Unfinished, being patched only now, and still horrible quality in almost every aspect.

- Whats new in recent happenings? You have games switching to the F2P/B2P model that make extensive use of micro transactions. Dungeons and Dragons Online went F2P this way some time ago, and Lord of the Rings Online is also going to launch this way later this month. Turbine made this decision and it has already begun to benefit them. Other people it has benefited? You can look at Guild Wars, which although is a highly instanced game, has had probably some of the biggest success in the MMO industry. I'd go as far to say that GW is the closest competitor as king of the MMO castle of course under WoW. No other game got closer. If you look at it you can say they've suckered people into buying their product because it has no sub fee's, and that the entire model they use is simply a cleverly labelled P2P game, but they've apparently gained from it if they're making an epic sequel now.

My summary? The MMO genre fails. The only thing gamers can do is hope for games from experienced developers, and not virgin developers, that somehow revolutionize the stinking old mess we have now. Games simply need mechanics and support that you won't find in other games. For example what will you find in Regnum that you won't find elsewhere? Superb Linux support.

08-16-2010, 03:32 AM	#1
Mikan Baron Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: In Nekoko's lap ;) Posts: 768	Article: Debating F2P Monetization Debating F2P Monetization This article discusses some issues with the free-to-play business models in the west (e.g Regnum Online). __________________ Hannah Amelie • Catalina Nevena • Alicia Godwyn Alsius Horus ✝ No chance of victory, no chance of defeat ✝ Frozen Flame Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. An ocean of drama.

08-16-2010, 04:27 AM	#2
Gideon_Slack Master Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 264	Overall, I think Regnum is one of the most ethical f2p games out there. The only ones that might be better are those that operate on a "freemium" model, which is more an unlimited trial where you have to buy new content (Runescape, DDO, future Lord of the Rings Online). It walks a fine line with Lucky Boxes, but in other f2p games like Runes of Magic, you have to use cash shop items to get the gear to really participate in endgame raiding or pvp. You can participate in Regnum RvR just fine without the greatest gear. Regnum also almost has a hidden subscription with the repair rate, which I assume can be tweaked to generate more revenue per customer, for those unwilling to grind for gold. __________________ Bartle Test of Gamer Psychology

08-16-2010, 06:37 AM	#3
KKharzov Banned Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Land of the free, home of the dead Posts: 125	Very interesting article. I'll throw out some points: - F2P tends to have a bad name in the west. This obviously does not mean the game is necessarily a piece of crap, but many (ignorant gamers of the masses) tend to believe this theory that if a game is subscription based it automatically makes it better quality. Well that statement is one of the stupidest arguments I've heard on game forums. Many western gamers tend to not even give F2P games a chance, because the F2P genre is mainly dominated by shitty Eastern grinders that have given a bad name to the F2P group. - Eastern MMO's continue to plague the scene and look for more ways to get "western moniez". You have producers like NCSoft and the recently formed En Masse Entertainment that take EASTERN games that are still eastern and label them and western games when they are published in the west. It's simply a method to pull out as much cash as possible, and you see many games like Aion doing it. TERA (The Exiled Realm of Arborea), or the hilarious Korean game that was built off of the stolen L3 code will also be released soon. However once again we will be able to see two version of this horrid game. The western version, that will have less grind (because western gamers dislike grind) and the eastern version with all the grind you can get. What is the difference? Hardly any. The game is still highly Asian based, they aren't going to change the architecture and models to western style are they? The game will still have those porn dolls and giant pandas for furfags... so how does that make it western? (Yes I highly despise Eastern games and because I wasn't born on that side of the world that isn't my taste or the taste of millions of other western gamers. You can look at numbers and sales records and check for yourself if you don't believe me when I say western gamers primarily play western games. Fuck Asia. Western games play western games, at least in my neck of the woods a la North America. I know some of the Europeans always hop on the Asian bandwagon with great joy.) - The MMO genre itself is slowly changing, hopefully for the better. Over the next few years you will see fewer of these shit quality MMO's that HYPE HYPE HYPE and then disappoint. No, what will happen is an unhealthy turn where gamers will buy games simply based on who developed them. If a new game development team forms, they better be prepared to have an assload of cash and some quality team. A couple of years ago you could make a game off a few million, that time is over. Now you need to compete with big names and triple A MMO's. If you want to have great success you need to be prepared to spend a good wad of cash, at least $60 Million in my book for a AAA MMO. You have horrid games in the west like Darkfail and Mortal Online that have been over hyped so much that people are suckered into buying these unfinished games. Speaking of Darkfail and Mortal Online, their situation is horrid, probably worse then Regnum in it's darkest moments, only these games have been published on a large scale. Unfinished, being patched only now, and still horrible quality in almost every aspect. - Whats new in recent happenings? You have games switching to the F2P/B2P model that make extensive use of micro transactions. Dungeons and Dragons Online went F2P this way some time ago, and Lord of the Rings Online is also going to launch this way later this month. Turbine made this decision and it has already begun to benefit them. Other people it has benefited? You can look at Guild Wars, which although is a highly instanced game, has had probably some of the biggest success in the MMO industry. I'd go as far to say that GW is the closest competitor as king of the MMO castle of course under WoW. No other game got closer. If you look at it you can say they've suckered people into buying their product because it has no sub fee's, and that the entire model they use is simply a cleverly labelled P2P game, but they've apparently gained from it if they're making an epic sequel now. My summary? The MMO genre fails. The only thing gamers can do is hope for games from experienced developers, and not virgin developers, that somehow revolutionize the stinking old mess we have now. Games simply need mechanics and support that you won't find in other games. For example what will you find in Regnum that you won't find elsewhere? Superb Linux support.