Video game developers have been trying new ways to market their games for as long as they have been in business. One recent marketing approach toward online gaming have been the so-called ‘free-to-play’ games.
These games use different methods of obtaining revenue besides slapping a high sticker price on the game, including in-game advertising, purchasable downloadable content or expansion packs, and fee-based account upgrades or subscription services.
Although the idea has already been established in many Asian gaming markets, especially Japan and Korea, Western game developers have only recently began adopting it. The ‘free-to-play’ marketing strategy has even caught the eye of Disney, with its popular Pirates of the Caribbean themed game.
These games are able to reach out to players previously unable or unwilling to play more traditionally marketed games. Parents hesitant to shell out exorbitant amounts of money for a new video game for their child are much more likely to approve of a ‘free-to-play’ game that can offer similar gameplay.
Most of these games offer players the ability to either keep playing for free or to invest money through different avenues, such as extra game content or upgradable accounts.
The downside to this is that these games tend to create unequal playing experiences for its players. People who opt for the downloadable content, for instance, will have an edge over people who do not.
With ‘free-to-play’ games, players are rewarded for their investment of money, as well as their time and energy. Players who choose not to purchase any of the optional items, weapons or characters will have much more limited gameplay.
Simply put, ‘free-to-play’ games are not inherently bad or good, they just provide a different way to play. Like anything else, they have their pros and cons, and it is up to the consumer to weigh the options and choose whether or not to play.
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