Seems like alot of people want this game to become Free 2 Play. >.>

[Antipika]

Yet another thread where F2P = bad quality / P2P = amazing game. Consumers are evolving. Business models are evolving. Companies are just trying to deliver what would satisfy most of their customers (and thus generate a higher income for them).

5 years ago it was the exact same thing about DLCs, everyone was complaining "what? paying more for a game I already purchased!". While now, lot of consumers are used to it and don't hesitate to pay. Instead of making forum thread to complain about F2P, start understanding why this business model is becoming more and more popular in the video game industry. (Not only MMO, but all sort of games. TF2 or LoL are very good example as well.)

F2P done right is just as fine as P2P done right. This have nothing to do with users not wanting to spend 2 MCD value meal a month in a product.

And the new car smell is replaced with the smell of regret and disappointment.

I don't see how for D3. Lot of players had fun at least for couple playthroughs. Sure when you arrive at Inferno, it became annoying etc. But to get there and to get 60, you needed to play a good 40 hours. That's 40 hours of enjoyment for the price of one game. Which isn't too bad nowadays when you compare it to an average console game...

I liked Uncharted 2, I completed it once, never played it again. Do I have regrets? No. Same for D3. I played couple of months, enjoyed it. For £27.72 (amazon preorder) it did worth it.

[Starlord]

Well there 1 thing all F2P games have in common.. there Graphics are meh. If FFXIV was F2P Model from the start, would the graphics be the same as they are now and what we seen in FFXIV: ARR?

[Andrien]

I'd like to add;

Eve Online gives free expansions. Also has option to pay for subs with in game currency.

Phatasy Star online 2 is free with 740k subs and growing. (and thats only in Japan)

[Rannie]

Yet another thread where F2P = bad quality / P2P = amazing game. Consumers are evolving. Business models are evolving. Companies are just trying to deliver what would satisfy most of their customers (and thus generate a higher income for them).

5 years ago it was the exact same thing about DLCs, everyone was complaining "what? paying more for a game I already purchased!". While now, lot of consumers are used to it and don't hesitate to pay. Instead of making forum thread to complain about P2P, start understanding why this business model is becoming more and more popular in the video game industry. (Not only MMO, but all sort of games. TF2 or LoL are very good example as well.)

F2P done right is just as fine as P2P done right. This have nothing to do with users not wanting to spend 2 MCD value meal a month in a product.

actually it's more about people thinking if it's worth it or not. it all dependent on the person's point of view. Some people don't want to give up their extra value meals because to them the game isn't worth playing. then there are other people who are willing to pay to play the game and will do almost anything (bar robbing banks) to be able to pay for it (I know a few people who will starve themselves because they don't have the money granted I'll bitch at them for starving themselves and offer them money through like paypal and stuff like that) Also sometimes there is a quality issue not just with the game itself but player base too. Dc Universe is an example it's free to play but kinda crappy at that. it's ok for an free to play but it's not great in any sense also the player base isn't all what it's cracked up to be. there are a few other free to play mmo's that i've played and wasn't too thrilled with them because they weren't very good games and they would get you for your money or try to in other ways. But that's just my opinion on the matter

[Jokerz]

Ehh...F2P doesn't bother me it at all, it's actually quite convenient. I get to purchase the game and try it out for a good while, before I start throwing money at it. Now this is where things get hairy for me, the main reason I like a sub model is because I know how much I'm going to spend each month on the game. If I'm instead buying other things like extra chars and paying for special gear and such....I'm simply not interested. I can't stand the games where you have to pay to actually get ahead in the game...

I could see FFXIV doing a F2P model with freebie access having limited access to content, storage, classes ect. The freebie part serves to get you hooked to the game. Than have a sub option for people who find out that they do like the game!XD

[Rannie]

Ehh...F2P doesn't bother me it at all, it's actually quite convenient. I get to purchase the game and try it out for a good while, before I start throwing money at it. Now this is where things get hairy for me, the main reason I like a sub model is because I know how much I'm going to spend each month on the game. If I'm instead buying other things like extra chars and paying for special gear and such....I'm simply not interested. I can't stand the games where you have to pay to actually get ahead in the game...

I could see FFXIV doing a F2P model with freebie access having limited access to content, storage, classes ect. The freebie part serves to get you hooked to the game. Than have a sub option for people who find out that they do like the game!XD

I think that's why they tend to do a 30 day free trial and if you want you can cancel sub after that. Also I'm hoping they allow buddy passes which you can give to friends or so so they can try the game free for about 30 days and decide if they want to play the game

[Amherst]

F2P done right is just as fine as P2P done right. This have nothing to do with users not wanting to spend 2 MCD value meal a month in a product.

No, it's more of wanting to actually be on an equal playing field. With P2P it's straightforward. You either feel you get your money's worth, or you don't and base your decision to keep playing or not on that. At the end of the day assuming everyone has only one sub they're all paying the same exact price. With F2P you have to factor in a lot of other things. Is there a playtime limit? Do you need to pay real cash for items? How about content limits? Gacha coins? When F2P is done "right" you don't feel as if you need to spend money to progress, but want to because what they're offering is appealing and not rammed down your throat.

But come on. Be honest; just how often are F2P models done "right"? I can't really speak for GW2 as I obviously haven't played it yet, but I've played several online games over the years and only really feel that one title has ever found a nice balance, that being Phantasy Star Online 2.

A F2P done right is just as fine as P2P done right. In that same way, a fine cut of meat can be prepared just as well as a professional chef as someone with no real formal training. It's possible, but it's really, really unlikely to happen. That's why so many people in general are opposed to the F2P model. It has much more potential to nickel and dime someone then actually turn out well, and if such poor practices become widespread, then it would be a real shame for the genre. Certainly not for the businesses, but definitely for the genre as a whole save for the people who had no intention of spending money on anything regardless of what it may be.

[Zezlar]

and those people get bored and will quit in a few weeks anyways. I absolutely despise F2P. Please for the love of god keep this game P2P.

[Jennestia]

But come on. Be honest; just how often are F2P models done "right"? I can't really speak for GW2 as I obviously haven't played it yet, but I've played several online games over the years and only really feel that one title has ever found a nice balance, that being Phantasy Star Online 2.

Pretty much this -- I've played quite a lot of them and honestly F2P games almost never get it right, some come close but that all depends on the future as PSO2 can get it horribly wrong in a major update that may actually damage itself to the point it bleeds for awhile and fail to recover.

It's possible, but it's really, really unlikely to happen. That's why so many people in general are opposed to the F2P model.

This too.

[Quesse]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...d-unsubscribed

"The Old Republic stumbles; Guild Wars 2 soars. Is the age of the subscription completely finished?

As the advent of increasingly powerful and accessible digital distribution platforms continues to wreak havoc on traditional business and revenue models in the games industry, one business model appears to have collapsed faster than others - the monthly subscription. As little as half a decade ago, nearly every publisher on the planet seemed to want a slice of subscription action. Spurred on by the success of Blizzard's World of Warcraft, they poured tens of millions of dollars into creating massively multiplayer worlds which would give them access to the kind of recurring monthly revenue that had made Blizzard into the most bankable company in the business.

We all know what happened. While Blizzard continued to grow - and despite recent decline, it's still operating the most commercially successful game on the planet - almost everyone else failed miserably. Some titles dared to be radically different and found a profitable niche, like CCP's extraordinary EVE Online or Square Enix' stylistically gorgeous (and console-friendly) Final Fantasy XI. Most copied WoW, to greater or lesser degrees of competence, and fell far short of commercial expectations.

Today, the subscription model is dead in the water. Electronic Arts' Star Wars: The Old Republic was a hugely expensive final roll of the dice; in the coming weeks it will complete its transition to a free to play business model, less than a year after launching to immense fanfare with a WoW style "pay up front, pay again next month" revenue model........"