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.

[Jynx]

Had a quick look at Vindictus you keep going on about. So by fair and balanced items you mean something like...

This?

Instant party raise and 15 seconds of invunerabillity, yeah I'm sure thats totally fair to the people who don't pay for it. Hard dungeon? No worries 10 guildmates bought these potions so we can die as much as we want!

Didn't buy one? Well I don't think this guild is for you my friend, rich people only.

[Eldaena]

and all this could be added to the game without switching to a free to play business model, I dont think you are really PRO FTP business model, you said it yourself your experience is limited, I think you are just anti monthly subscription. Which is fine but take it from the folks with more experience, FTP MMOs are subpar when it comes to quality when comparing to P2P.

Well I have been playing a F2P game and it's sort of rivaling the enjoyment I have had on Final Fantasy XIV. Again I'm not pro either sides, but I was trying to place all payment options on equal footing here in this thread. However, there seem to be people having issues with some of the Free to Play games because of how that game did this or that, which isn't to say it would be that way for this one. If we could put aside past experiences with a payment model with the same name, and look at how it could be done here, it may be a viable option But people keep believing that just because of the name several things are attached to it, which isn't so.

[Eldaena]

Had a quick look at Vindictus you keep going on about. So by fair and balanced items you mean something like...

This?

Instant party raise and 15 seconds of invunerabillity, yeah I'm sure thats totally fair to the people who don't pay for it. Hard dungeon? No worries 10 guildmates bought these potions so we can die as much as we want!

Didn't buy one? Well I don't think this guild is for you my friend, rich people only.

lol I've never had that problem with any guild I've come across and those graces are hardly worth the buy. I used some of the free NX I had to purchase one once, while playing with my partner, only to get up, and literally die again. They are last resort items, but it's probably better to just replay the level instead of buy them. XD

Edit: None of the items in that cash shop I feel can really compensate for bad skills. Your reaction time and understanding of the combat is more important than cash shop items and gear in that game.

[Naylia]

Right now, the game has a bad reputation. And even if it becomes wonderful, it's hard to see people flocking back to it after being heartbroken, so I agree whatever they decide to do payment wise will most likely lose some of their current base. There are pros and cons to both sides of this coin and that's why I opened this thread to talk about it.

While PC gamers might like to think otherwise, they are not the core demographic for FF games. It's the console market and the 51.3 Million PS3s that are out there and only a single MMO on the platform (DCU). So my guess, is that right now the goal is to prep for a successful PS3 launch. A good community on the PS3 will encourage more PC gamers to give it another try, and then you get a "relaunch" on the PC with the first expansion pack.

[Krausus]

Well I have been playing a F2P game and it's sort of rivaling the enjoyment I have had on Final Fantasy XIV. Again I'm not pro either sides, but I was trying to place all payment options on equal footing here in this thread. However, there seem to be people having issues with some of the Free to Play games because of how that game did this or that, which isn't to say it would be that way for this one. If we could put aside past experiences with a payment model with the same name, and look at how it could be done here, it may be a viable option But people keep believing that just because of the name several things are attached to it, which isn't so.

Well first off using FFXIV to compare against some FTP models at this point in development isn't a fair assessment. This game is basically in a beta.

I have played a lot of FTP MMOS as well as P2P MMOs not just a few I think I have a pretty good handle on FTP games, which btw do not limit content (thats what hybrid models do) FTP limits resources (potions, crafting items, exp boosts) FTP also does not add a lot of content to their games (where as Hybrids tend to for the premium players).

Vindictus is not a true MMO its more like an action Guildwars or a lobby game, no one would pay a monthly fee for that type of game.

[Eldaena]

Well first off using FFXIV to compare against some FTP models at this point in development isn't a fair assessment. This game is basically in a beta.

I have played a lot of FTP MMOS as well as P2P MMOs not just a few I think I have a pretty good handle on FTP games, which btw do not limit content (thats what hybrid models do) FTP limits resources (potions, crafting items, exp boosts) FTP also does not add a lot of content to their games (where as Hybrids tend to for the premium players).

Vindictus is not a true MMO its more like an action Guildwars or a lobby game, no one would pay a monthly fee for that type of game.

Both games have been on the market since roughly the same time. An MMO is an MMO, and that is true. Simply because you would not, or you think others would not, pay for that type of game does not mean they wouldn't. And it seems depending on the payment type certain things may go hand in hand with either side.

A Pay to play game should have more content than a free to play one, stereotypically speaking, shouldn't it? But I feel that Vindictus, for example again, has more story and indepth characters currently than Final Fantasy XIV. That's not me saying all free to play games have this, and that's not me saying final fantasy won't or can't have more content than a free to play game in the 'future'.

The truth of the matter is, FFXIV is not in beta anymore, and there are more rivals on the horizon for it's player base's attention. "The game is still in beta," is just a nice way of saying the game is not up to par in comparison to the fee they wanted to charge on a monthly basis. I was just considering the outcome of either style of payment. With the casual focused content, and so on, it seemed to me that a free to play sort of option could be viable if done correctly. But, I, of course have pros and cons with both types of payment. That's why I opened this thread to hear ideas on both sides the subject.

[Eldaena]

While PC gamers might like to think otherwise, they are not the core demographic for FF games. It's the console market and the 51.3 Million PS3s that are out there and only a single MMO on the platform (DCU). So my guess, is that right now the goal is to prep for a successful PS3 launch. A good community on the PS3 will encourage more PC gamers to give it another try, and then you get a "relaunch" on the PC with the first expansion pack.

Are there many console games that are pay to play? Just curious because I have never played them before. I believe FFXI was, but what others?

[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.

[Felis]

Are there many console games that are pay to play? Just curious because I have never played them before. I believe FFXI was, but what others?

DC Universe for PS3. There aren't many mmorpg for console