Free to Play vs Pay to Play Ideas

[Krausus]

I vote for a hybrid model. Free to play but subscribers have everything unlocked as long as they continue to pay the monthly fee. For free players, features are unlocked one by one via "cash shop", such as retainers, character slots, advanced jobs (if applicable), certain quests, holiday events, etc. This way people can still play for free, and people who want to pay can pay and have everything unlocked from the start.

Microtransactions are incredibly profitable. I hate F2P games but it would only be logical for them to include some kind of microtransaction model. If it was flat out F2P without a subscription option, I probably wouldn't continue playing because I feel flat out F2P is bad.

The problem with that is that model is what games that are dieing off switch to, this game hasn't lived yet so I would hate for it to go that route unless absolutely necessary to keep server population up.

[Ava]

The problem with that is that model is what games that are dieing off switch to, this game hasn't lived yet so I would hate for it to go that route unless absolutely necessary to keep server population up.

I don't think that's a fair statement to make. It can be argued that the timing of hybrid models gives opportunity to dying games to take advantage of, but those games have experienced a significant increase in subscribers after the hybrid model was put into place. I think it's less that games go hybrid when they die, and more of microtransactions have become the most profitable idea in the entire gaming industry (see DLC) and it has only recently been applied to MMORPGs.

I honestly feel hybrid models are probably the future of the MMORPG. Developers are in it for the money and microtransactions/DLC is where the money is at. In Square's press release detailing the state of the company that happened around the time of FFXIV release, they stated directly they want to focus more on DLC products and mobile games because it is their most profitable area. The hybrid model keeps both sides happy, and while some people may be disappointed that they will be playing with free players, I think that's their problem and the hybrid model is a great "in-between" option.

[Krausus]

I don't think that's a fair statement to make. It can be argued that the timing of hybrid models gives opportunity to dying games to take advantage of, but those games have experienced a significant increase in subscribers after the hybrid model was put into place. I think it's less that games go hybrid when they die, and more of microtransactions have become the most profitable idea in the entire gaming industry (see DLC) and it has only recently been applied to MMORPGs.

I honestly feel hybrid models are probably the future of the MMORPG. Developers are in it for the money and microtransactions/DLC is where the money is at. In Square's press release detailing the state of the company that happened around the time of FFXIV release, they stated directly they want to focus more on DLC products and mobile games because it is their most profitable area. The hybrid model keeps both sides happy, and while some people may be disappointed that they will be playing with free players, I think that's their problem and the hybrid model is a great "in-between" option.

Well I have only seen companies use this model when the game population starts to die off (DDO, LotRO, AoC, think maybe CO). I haven't seen any companies start off with this model (though I dont claim to know of every MMO)