Interesting take on F2P games

[Ginaz]

Ben Cousins, one of the leads behind Battlefield Heroes, has done an interesting presentation on how they turned around the game from the initial poor revenue model to one that now makes them a nice profit.  The concepts behind the presentation could probably be applied to most other F2P games and the monetary transactions that now seem to be creeping into sub based games.

http://www.slideshare.net/bcousins/paying-to-win

[Trouble]

"Forum posters spend 10x the average user" ($22/month)

Their conclusion (from what actually happened) is that people get into an uproar over purchasable advantages but it doesn't translate into lost userbase.

[Azazel]

These F2P big spenders may as well just buy a retail title...

[pants]

These F2P big spenders may as well just buy a retail title...

But its an interesting bit of psychology.  I know I kept my WoW sub going for months and months because $15 is below my impulse purchase threshold, whereas $50 is definately 'think about if I need it' territory.  Part of my brain knew that every 3 months I was spending $45, but the other (apparently dominant) part of my brain said 'Bah, its the same price as a pizza - I may play it next week'.  I'm sure a lot of those F2P spenders are the same when it comes to spending.

This is nothing new, but its still interesting nonetheless.

[Merusk]

That's because humans don't think rationally or long-term in general.  You have to focus and plan for that and then write it down.  We are hardwired for moment-to-moment because that's what the majority of our existence as a species has been.

Game marketing is just catching on to what retail has known how to manipulate for decades.  The slide about Korea's best-selling items sort of underscores this.  People like the shiny as much as winning, so cosmetics AND power-boosts sell well.

Also, dude needs to proofread his presentation. "Be careful the looser must not know they have lost because of the use of an item."  Misspelling AND awkward sentence.

[Malakili]

On the plus side, eventually all games will be like this and then I'll have a good excuse to quit the hobby.

[Jade Falcon]

On the plus side, eventually all games will be like this and then I'll have a good excuse to quit the hobby.

As long as they keep a fair amount of the game f2p then I`m more then happy to let others pay for my gaming.

[Mrbloodworth]

"Forum posters spend 10x the average user" ($22/month)

Their conclusion (from what actually happened) is that people get into an uproar over purchasable advantages but it doesn't translate into lost userbase.

Imagine that. 

[Sky]

It's almost as if people have a poor grasp of their finances, perpetuated by a lack of education for consumers in public schools.

[Malakili]

It's almost as if people have a poor grasp of their finances, perpetuated by a lack of education for consumers in public schools.

While that is true, I think its far less sinister than that in this case.  Mainly, just that the people who care enough to bitch on the forums are also the people that care about your game enough to pay.

[Mrbloodworth]

To add, Forum banter does not match data. New concept for some, I know.

[HaemishM]

F2P works on the retail add-on theory. You might not buy a case of gum for $40, but stand at the register long enough and you'll pay $.35 for gum as well 3000 other suckers behind you. Remove the barriers to entry (free for download time is the lowest barrier you can get short of going to someone's house and installing it on their drive) and monetize everything you reasonably can at impulse buy prices and you can make more money over a longer life cycle. It's better than spending multiple millions of dollars on the gamble of first month's sales bonanza.

[Kail]

To add, Forum banter does not match data. New concept for some, I know.

I dunno, on the other hand, now you have a model where genuinely pissing off your forum users DOES impact your bottom line more than pissing off the silent majority.  However much exaggerated drama queen bullshit they type, you do have to keep them playing your game and paying your bills somehow, because they're the ones paying for it.  People screaming "NERF DRUADS OR I QUiT" are now your primary audience, who you have to appease.  And those are generally your more hardcore, elitist members.  It's a design pulling in the opposite direction of something like WoW's philosophy of pleasing the casual masses.  Which is kind of strange considering the draw of an F2P game is that it pulls in a lot of casual players.

Obligatory (NSFW) Penny Arcade links:

[Ratman_tf]

XP Boosers (performance boosters) are what kill it for me. Yeah, they may have stumbled into a more profitable system, but they're no longer making games that I'm interested in playing.

[Azazel]

But who is "they"? You can still easily buy retail titles. With F2P MMO games like LOTRO or Champions, you're really only "competing" with others if you care.

[Amaron]

 Which is kind of strange considering the draw of an F2P game is that it pulls in a lot of casual players.

Those casual players who don't pay much are the product that's being sold.   In essence they are the peasants you can "rise above" by paying a few thousand dollars.

[sinij]

To add, Forum banter does not match data. New concept for some, I know.

Yes, but I'd be very careful entirely ignoring it. Treat it as early warning indicator.

But hey, feel free to ignore it in YOUR title, I am connoisseur of trainwrecks, you can never have too many of these.

[Morfiend]

But hey, feel free to ignore it in YOUR title, I am connoisseur of trainwrecks, you can never have too many of these.

CCP is a fine wine?

[Ginaz]

To add, Forum banter does not match data. New concept for some, I know.

Yes, but I'd be very careful entirely ignoring it. Treat it as early warning indicator.

But hey, feel free to ignore it in YOUR title, I am connoisseur of trainwrecks, you can never have too many of these.

Thats sort of what Ben Cousins says in that presentation.  Forum posters act like a canary in a mine.  You listen to what they say but do your own research before acting on whats being said.

[Merusk]

But who is "they"? You can still easily buy retail titles. With F2P MMO games like LOTRO or Champions, you're really only "competing" with others if you care.

For now.  Just don't plan on PVPing or raiding since, in time, powerups will be offered in these games, like the Korean ones.  Perhaps even the best armors/ weapons.  Then  it will be "Must have x powerups to do y"

[Fabricated]

Game developer discovers that players publicly scorn cheating/unfair advantages but will pay out the ass to do both. News at 11.

[Mrbloodworth]

To add, Forum banter does not match data. New concept for some, I know.

Yes, but I'd be very careful entirely ignoring it. Treat it as early warning indicator.

But hey, feel free to ignore it in YOUR title, I am connoisseur of trainwrecks, you can never have too many of these.

I never said you ignore them, however a grain of salt is needed. Many many times, actions or travesties do not match in game data and behavior, by a rather large margin. I am sure you personally, like all of us, have seen some knee jerk reactions to forum issues that did not really live up to solving the perceived issue. If there ever was one.

Thats sort of what Ben Cousins says in that presentation.  Forum posters act like a canary in a mine.  You listen to what they say but do your own research before acting on whats being said.

Exactly.