Comments on: On globalisation, consumerism, and F2P

By: Blog news: Ratings on comments, future post schedule « Welcome to Spinksville!

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 07:00:52 +0000

[...] posts that touch on issues like the ones I have written recently about industrial societies and consumerism in MMOs. Textbooks can be [...]

By: spinks

spinks — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 06:30:39 +0000

Purchase the box + in game store sounds like F2P but with an extra box to purchase.

By: spinks

spinks — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 06:23:33 +0000

If you look at something like Farmville, although you could argue that it’s a timesink, I bet their best sellers are shinies for the farm and not items that reduce the grind.

And you’re dead right that the attraction for most people is that the games are free. I think that’s why F2P is going to be limited in scope — it doesn’t really turn most players into consumers. In fact it’s made with the assumption that most aren’t.

But if someone made a game which could somehow appeal so that the majority of players WERE consumers, they’d make a fortune.

By: Dblade

Dblade — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 05:57:00 +0000

I’ve never seen a F2P game that wasn’t as big of a timesink as a sub one. The problem is you are not buying to remove a timesink: you are buying to lessen an insane one into tolerable levels.

The attraction of those games are not about that though. To be blunt, the attraction is playing to midgame levels for free or for a reduced price compared to subs.

By: Void

Void — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 22:58:15 +0000

Extremely insightful. I had never thought about the MMO market this way before. I don’t even have anything to add, I’m just going to let your post simmer in my mind for a bit while I think about it.

By: Longasc

Longasc — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 22:01:26 +0000

Champions Online and FF XIV have something in common despite being very different. The background of both MMOs, Superheroes and in the case of Final Fantasy, well, Final Fantasy – just nothing that I really care for.

By: Tesh

Tesh — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:56:04 +0000

Seconding the GW model. That really is the best one for me, and in a lot of ways, I think it’s best for game design. It also seems to be adequate for fostering long term players and “endgame” activity.

But yes, F2P “item shop” games do indeed tend to function best at lower levels. There just won’t be all that many players at the “endgame”.

By: Drew

Drew — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:34:07 +0000

The folks at Square-Enix apparently missed the memo; they’ve designed yet another game that will demand just that. (your firstborn, friends, home, etc.)

For all the talk of how FFXIV was going to be more casual-friendly, they sure missed the boat. The world is gorgeous, however, and the story immersive. I just hope you’re ready to grind (and slog through a laggy UI).

By: spinks

spinks — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:32:48 +0000

I think it may go a bit deeper than “spend RL glod to progress”, I think progression itself is becoming less important to more and more people. They’re buying stuff because they like buying, or for the extra convenience.

Maybe next week I’ll do a piece on the big society(tm) and MMOs

By: Jomu

Jomu — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:25:39 +0000

its amazing how f2p has exploded; never really had a high opinion of them, but I like the stress-free environment of not having spent money on a game you may or may not like

i’m perfectly happy with how Arenanet (a la Guild Wars 2) seems to pursue a purchase the box, no monthly fee, with in-game store approach