The AV Club recently posted an article on reasons why folks might choose to toss money at “free-to-play” games. Having lightly dipped my toes and flung some of my own coin into in the free-to-play waters, it piqued my interest. The writer came up with three motives players might choose to pay money in otherwise free games: to gain advantages, to gather rewards/extra content, and to support the game’s current and future development. Commenters tended to agree, though the “NEVER pay to play free games” camp was pretty strong, as well. I get it, because I used to be in that camp myself. There was certainly a time where I couldn’t fathom having free-to-play titles in my own library, let alone actually playing and paying for them. That all changed several years ago when I dove headlong into Neverwinter, which eventually led me into the depths of free-to-play MMOs. Never say “never,” right?
I spent the vast majority of my time with Neverwinter in actual free-to-play mode. I didn’t pony up a dime for anything, as I found the game’s free content to be perfectly satisfying. I wasn’t in the game to play for any other reason than to experience its story and level characters. That said, I did give the game money on a few occasions, and they mostly aligned with the first two reasons mentioned in the article. I signed up for a couple monthly VIP memberships throughout my time with the game to enjoy the extra XP gain it offered and to gather up keys for lockboxes. I also paid for extra in-game currency here and there to purchase nifty items from the shop. This was all several years ago when the game was in a highly different state than it is now. In picking up Neverwinter again recently, I couldn’t see much reason to pay for anything; even the VIP rewards seemed lackluster. (Maybe because they hadn’t really changed with the state of the game.)
My interest in Neverwinter trailed off around the time I started playing Fallout 76. Similar in some respects to Neverwinter (depending on how one feels about lockboxes and other gambling mechanisms), players don’t have to pay anything to access everything the game offers. Broken though the game was for a while (and buggy it remains), it was still a very good time. In my third year with the game, I purposely signed up for its subscription service and had an absolute blast as a “lone wanderer” in apocalyptic Appalachia. The virtual rewards for doing so were minimal compared to the overall experience. I loved having the entire game to myself. Even knowing that I could achieve a similar experience from existing single-player Fallout titles, Fallout 76 just clicked differently. It’s world was so appealing, seemingly so moldable – I could really make the game my own. For that alone, the sub was and still is worth every penny. Though, if I had to pick a reason for paying for it per the AV Club article, my head says it to support the game, though my heart would sway towards accessing extra content (in this case, the private server, primarily).
A final feather in my free-to-play cap (for now) is, no pun intended, Final Fantasy XIV. Though, I suppose it’s not technically “free-to-play,” rather, it’s “free-to-access-loads-of-game-content-but-only-up-to-a-point.” Still, the amount of the game that can be played freely is impressive and won’t leave even the heartiest players wanting. I should have kept it in it’s free-to-play lane, however, impetuously buying the full game on sale stuck in it the definite “pay-to-freely-play” ranks. At first, I saw that as a mistake; but then, it turned into something of a boon. Because in having to sub to play, it centers my focus. These days, I want to give my attention to so many different games, that sometime it’s hard to decided what to play at all. When I’m subbed to FFXIV, it’s the game I play. And thankfully, it’s story is so immersive, that all the other gaming detritus falls away when I’m in the midst of it. It’s actually refreshing to be to tuned into just one thing, for a change. And yes, I’ve even thrown some extra money the game’s way just for a few fun store items. For me, FFXIV doesn’t fall into any of the article’s categories, but I suppose that the sub does support the game, so there’s that.
While the AV Club article touches on important factors that might cause someone to spend money in otherwise free games, it misses a significant and admittedly highly subjective one: value. If players personally feel that spending money with a game is going to instill some extra value, make the game worth something more, then they are going to spend. Maybe that value is borne out of gaining advantages or extra cosmetics. Maybe it intrinsic to supporting a good company that’s made a good game. Or maybe it’s simply the personal price one puts on gaming as a beloved activity. Because there is something to be said for playing a game that’s free first and, if it strikes a good chord, having the option to spend on it later, versus paying outright for a game that turns out to terrible. “Free-to-play” models can be treacherous, but when tread with the right mindset, there might be some gaming gold to mine.
What are your feelings on the current state of “free-to-play” games?
Lede image captured by author during PS5 gameplay of Fallout 76 © Bethesda Game Studios, Bethesda Game Studios Austin (2018-2024).
VIRTUAL BASTION 