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Free-To-Play Model Expected To Be More Popular On Consoles

Ben-Dutka 19 Comments

Love it or hate it, the free-to-play model will probably flourish in the next generation.

Most analysts believe we'll see more developers and publishers embracing the "freemium" model, and Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House agrees. In a recent Wall Street Journal interview , he said to anticipate an increase in the number of free-to-play projects:

"We may well see free-to-play games on console be a much bigger factor. It will be a big part of the console landscape in this generation," he added. "But it may ramp up first in Japan because there is more experience of developing those free-to-play gaming experiences."

CCP Games chief marketing officer David Reid also told the WSJ that it's really "only a matter of time before free-to-play gets big on the console." CCP's free-to-play open-world shooter DUST 514 released on the PS3 earlier this year, and that's obviously only the beginning. Do you support the free-to-play model? Maybe it has its uses and it can be appealing to play a game for free right out of the gate. On the other hand, taken to extremes, it could really suck.

What do you say?

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Free-To-Play: Morally Opposed, Indifferent, Or Supportive?

Ben-Dutka 45 Comments

The free-to-play business model is becoming increasingly popular, and it's inevitable that you'll see a lot more of it in the very near future.

This is a model that has resulted in plenty of discussions and arguments, so what's your take on the issue? Do you hate it for a variety of very serious reasons? Do you not really care one way or the other? Or do you see it as a promising style that you might really enjoy?

For my part, I'm not a big fan of paying as I go. There are pros and cons, of course, and I like the idea of jumping in and testing out a game for free. But there's just something…I dunno, sinister, I guess, about free-to-play. For whatever reason, it reminds me a little of gambling: It seeks to entice you and then keeps you coming back by means of your wallet. Whenever I hear "free-to-play," I picture some sleazy trench coat-wearing dude in a casino, chewing on a slimy toothpick and gesturing to the rows of slot machines and card tables. "The more you enjoy yourself, the more you'll pay," he's thinking…

Now, if there was some sort of setup where there was a maximum amount you could buy, that might be less creepy. So, if they released a game and only made $60 worth of total content for it, even if you ended up loving the game and buying everything, you'd only shell out a normal amount. And you would've had the added benefit of stopping whenever you like, before you ever hit the $60 limit. But such a concept could be abused like crazy; if you hook a player good, that person could end up spending a ton of cash. Remember, it's easy to forget how much you're actually spending when everything you see is only a buck of two.

Of course, everyone is responsible for their own lives. If you got hooked and doled out all that money, it's your own damn fault. I'm just not sure I like the idea, that's all.

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Activision CEO: Fans Shouldn’t Rebel Against What’s New

Ben-Dutka 24 Comments

Not everyone is a fan of the new free-to-play model. But as Activsion Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg says, many aren't big fans of anything new.

The freemium model has already been embraced by several game developers, and many analysts and other industry insiders say free-to-play could be the future of interactive entertainment. And despite the complaints by the hardcore veterans, Hirshberg warns against rebelling against new ideas.

Here's what the very candid executive had to say in a recent Edge interview :

"I think there’s a tendency in moments of disruption – [and] I don’t think this is industry-specific – to assume everything that’s new will destroy what came before. In many cases, the new thing creates a new marketplace and new demand, and then some entrenched and mature markets show remarkable staying power.

There wasn’t a day I worked in advertising [that] I didn’t hear about the death of the 30-second TV commercial. Originally, the VCR was going to kill it [laughs], then the Internet was going to kill it, the DVR was going to, satellite TV… It’s proved to be a resilient medium that’s still relevant today. There are a lot of similarities between what I experienced in the advertising business and what’s going on in gaming now."

Obviously, we should clarify that many gamers don't necessarily have a problem with the business side of freemium; the fans are often against it for other reasons. At the same time, you have to admit that Hirshberg has a point, and there are many instances of overreactions to new ideas and new technology that in fact didn't destroy "what came before."

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