The question is why is SOE changing from a straight monthly fee service to a F2P system only 9 months after it's initial release? The answer may be more complex than why is DCUO going free, but rather why are many games going free? Age of Conan, Champions Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and later this year City of Heroes will all have adapted free to play systems to their games. What is changing all of their minds to embrace this system? It's simple and can be summed up in one word:
Microtransactions.
The microtransaction model in videogames is a truly extraordinary concept involving having the basic bones of the game free to download and play, but in order to experience the game fully you must make small monetary transactions for premium content. The system effectively takes out the risk of buying a $50-$60 dollar game with the chance of not liking it and instead makes an extremely low barrier for entry so that more people will try the game. More people trying the game gives it a higher chance of finding its niche audience that's willingly to pay for additional content. It's popularity in MMO's has been the highest so far, helping keep Age of Conan and Lord of the Rings Online afloat, even profitable, after struggling to maintain a steady flow of money from the monthly subscription method.
DCUO's change to F2P may upset some that paid for the title, but I think it's the right move for the company. If you can double your communities size by making the game free instead of charging the $15 a month, the new larger community spending (lets say) an average of $10 a month on microtransactions will see better profits at the end of the day. I think its an ingenious system that ultimately allows more people to experience great games at no cost and allows the passionate fans like myself the chance to enhance their experience for small sums of money. I can skip out on the games I see as busts and put my precious free time and money where I want it to be. What do you think? Do you want to see more free games with their income coming from content transactions? Do you think it could work for blockbuster titles like Battlefield of Call of Duty? Do you think that we should instead be entitled to all content from the publishers at one simple price point? Sound off below!
Microtransactions are brilliant. The fact of the matter is that games are becoming incredibly expensive to make and buy, so the developers need to find the largest audience possible and the buyers need incentive to try out a game they aren't sure of (and we rental systems and demos just don't cut it). I am a believer in financially supporting whatever product or service you are a fan of, as I've been known to buy a CD after getting it for free if I liked it enough, and I am more than willing to pay for in-game content if I feel it's worth it, especially if I got the game for free. The only pitfall is ensuring that people don't feel pressured to pay money to be good at a game, that is to say; people shouldn't be able to buy anything that gives them an unfair advantage over non-paying players, who should be considered just as important as those who pay (since they are potential customers anyway, and making them feel forced to pay will just scare them away).
ReplyDeleteTwo points I really like from this Ryan. First is that it is a great way to replace the rental and used game system. If the game is free, Gamestop can't resell it for slightly cheaper and all the money that be spent on the title goes directly back to the developers through in-game transactions. I have been very anti-used games for awhile and this is an avenue that companies should try and exploit. Second is the balancing of the content. The best example I can presently think of is pre-order bonuses. Some seem very unfair, an example could be the upcoming physical warfare pack coming with Battlefield 3 that includes a flash suppressor that seems quite advantageous from early video previews. If something breaks balance, it can really upset parts of the audience your appealing to. Another speculative business model is paying for portions of a game and making titles "a la carte". Like Call of Duty's multiplayer? Pay only for that. Like Starcraft 2's single player? Par only for that. It's another model that could be an option for progressing more titles toward a near free system. Thoughts?
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