Free to Play? – Just how free are FTP games?

The free to play model has been rapidly growing in popularity over the last couple of years, but has it come at a price? This blog is going to investigate the free to play (F2P) phenomenon by reviewing various games focusing on just how ‘free’ they are. From indie mobile games to large scale AAA titles, the F2P model has spread to every genre and platform of the gaming world, but is the experience always the same? Do you get more from a big name? Are mobile games the worst for paid add-ons?

Many games present themselves as free but offer a very limited version of the game unless you buy in-game purchases such as top ups or subscriptions. Very often these games are reviewed as a whole, covering free content and paid without clearly specifying what is what. Here I shall only be using free content, no top ups, no extra content with subscriptions, etc. just what you get for free, nada, nothing, zip, nowt!

A brand ambassador for the Free to Play model has to be Jagex’s Runescape which first arrived on the scene back in 2001. With no broadband and less powerful computers this MMO was, to put it kindly, graphically limited, though despite this it was popular and player numbers soared. In 2002 a pay to play option was added but the game has never moved over to a fully subscription based game.

Runescape is an example of one form of free to play game, however, you subscribe and get more content but with other games you can buy your way through. This model often appears in social games such as mobile based or Facebook games. Here you use a form of premium currency to speed your way through the game without having to wait for a task to be completed or your health to regenerate. This model is often the one you see being criticised in the tabloids alongside a photo of a disgruntled parent wafting a credit card bill their child has racked up. The charges here can be a little deceptive as it’s very easy to say ‘it’s only £1’ here and there and lose track of your spending, especially when the games store your card details giving you one-click purchasing.

Until next time… hang on to your wallets.