With the conversion of three of popular western titles (DDO, Everquest 2 and Lord of the Rings Online), Richard Aihoshi wonders in this week's Free Zone column whether or not more 'western' development companies will start to develop free to play games from the outset. See what Richard thinks and then add your thoughts on the forums!

I sort of brought this question up a few weeks ago, but really didn't address it. Converting subscription games is a hot topic these days, and it seems safe to assume the folks at SOE and Turbine were working to get EQ2X and LOTRO ready well before the made their respective recent announcements. But where they and the other major MMOG houses in this hemisphere stand with respect to developing titles that are F2P from the outset may well be a far more significant matter.

Read more of Richard Aihoshi's Free Zone.

Make more B2P MMO you idiots!!!

If you going to make MMo for Anti-WoW fans, than make them B2P so they can have life.

Do you anti-F2P people ever get tired of posting on every F2P story that's posted?

Basically all of the out of date games are gonna go F2P and new ones will go P2P.  It's that simple.

Originally posted by MMOExposed

Make more B2P MMO you idiots!!!

If you going to make MMo for Anti-WoW fans, than make them B2P so they can have life.

Agreed.

I expect to see a lot more games becoming and starting out as F2P in the future. Whether this is a good or bad thing remains to be seen.

I fall into the camp of, I don't really care, if it's a game I like, be it f2p, subs, subs with store, or what ever I am going to play it,   The face of the American mmo is slowly changing, for profit companies are finding ways to increase profit, and good for them, that means more content and game play for me...  It is one of those issues either adapt to the new way or find new games to play, the change is coming, love it hate it there is nothing you can do, but be assimilated or move on..:)

Originally posted by wgc01

I fall into the camp of, I don't really care, if it's a game I like, be it f2p, subs, subs with store, or what ever I am going to play it,   The face of the American mmo is slowly changing, for profit companies are finding ways to increase profit, and good for them, that means more content and game play for me...  It is one of those issues either adapt to the new way or find new games to play, the change is coming, love it hate it there is nothing you can do, but be assimilated or move on..:)

 On the other hand I bet they start giving you less content with less new game play designs. When they start only thinking profit and end numbers they lose what some of the people want with their greed. We want good stories open worlds with never ending gameplay along with no bugs or flaws. They want to give you what was cheap and easy/fast to put out with now thought in it but dollar bills in their eye sight.

I guess MMORPG.com the recent F2P vs P2P debate is generating lots of interest?  So you are hyping this a bit?

But, let's be fair... DDO and LotRO are not really in the same class as past F2P titles are they?

They offer a Hybrid Billing model;

1. You can play free and grind for content.
2. You can use the cash shop and buy the content
3. You can subscribe in the 'traditional' P2P way.

Originally posted by Loke666

Originally posted by MMOExposed

Make more B2P MMO you idiots!!!

If you going to make MMo for Anti-WoW fans, than make them B2P so they can have life.

Agreed.

I too am inclined to agree.

Buy 2 Play is an interesting model, somewhat riskier, but if a quality game is B2P and I have to fork over the cash for an xpack or two every year I'd find myself having a better variety of mmos to play

Instead of playing just the one or two games, I'd probably play 3-4 different mmos to keep me from burning out.

Originally posted by lethys

Basically all of the out of date games are gonna go F2P and new ones will go P2P.  It's that simple.

 

Minus the fact that LOTRO and DDO are far from out of date Though EQ2 is

Vanguard for f2p next, I hope :)  I'd look into it again.

Making P2P games into F2P make me sick. So, we gonna get games with no new contents, updates... Why? We will get bloody damn item shop which will make people hard to level, hard to make achievements, hard to make progress. That means less much work for devs, but much more money for them, they will not care about games, about bugs, etc... Just to make more money. Just see EQ2 f2p model... Unfortunatelly, those days so much ignorant people play mmorpgs, devs will make profit from them.

Both Funcom and Mythic (and Blizzard btw) have said they are looking at free to play models but waiting to see how things turns out for the games already making the switch.

I'm guessing both AoC and WAR will have announced a F2P model within 1 year. Blizzard will probably wait another couple of years.

WIth all the new MMOs coming out next year the market will be very crowded and you need to find a way to stand out, especailly with underperformers with potential like AOC and WAR.

I think Guild Wars 2 will blow the old no-gameplay, no-content for F2P games out of the water.  I have loved playing GW and keeping my money in my pocket for the last few years, but GW2 is going to be industry-changing.  Both Gamecon and PAX attendees and reviewers are raving about it, and the awards are piling in.

Methinks Blizzard, Turbine, and all the others will be left in a pile of dust once this game launches--and is Free To Play.

I guess I'll just wait and see. I'm not sure the F2A models are good-value-for-money for us gamers. As someone has pointed out, it could mean that we in fact pay more for less content. They have to balance fun with being forced to think about cash shops. I don't find it particularly fun to always think about cash shops m'self.... in that sense, I way prefer the P2P model of payment.

Where has Richard been:

[quote]Another is THQ, which has dipped its proverbial toe in the water via its joint venture publishing Dragonica.[/quote]

THQ*ICE has shutdown.

Originally posted by lethys

Basically all of the out of date games are gonna go F2P and new ones will go P2P.  It's that simple.

Spoken like a true record company executive.  :)

Originally posted by mlauzon

Where has Richard been:

[quote]Another is THQ, which has dipped its proverbial toe in the water via its joint venture publishing Dragonica.[/quote]

THQ*ICE has shutdown.

Richard undoubtedly knows.

Mr. Aihoshi has a tendency to downplay, ignore, or flat out omit any detail which might stain his "F2P is the new Messiah of gaming!" agenda that he pushes with each insipid "article" he writes. The only ones who buy into his spiel are the new generation of mmo gamer who is easily impressed with "OHHhhh, free shinies!", and a few mmo veterans who put on rose coloered blinders while feebly hoping F2P will really "save" and reinvigorate their stagnant and increasingly overcrowded hobby.

The rest of us just sit back, perhaps allow a smirk to arise to our lips, and wait for the realization to finally dawn on the "F2P" afficianados that their preferred style of payment ( or rather lack thereof ) is nothing more than an illusion created to pilfer their pockets for maximum profit with minimal effort.