Written by Vivek Philendra

@vivekphilwrites_

Thumbnail Photo by Twitter

We’re creating a guide to make gaming feel like the most approachable thing on Earth, even to the most technophobic folks out there. This is the fifth instalment of a simple yet comprehensible guide that will explain everything you need to know about video games before you get your feet wet. Don’t worry, we’re going to look at everything from camera perspectives to payment models. In case you missed out on our previous instalment where we highlighted the accessibility in gaming, click here to check that out first.

Video games provide players with long hours of entertainment, hence it is only natural that game projects often cost upwards of millions to produce – akin to, and sometimes even higher than the budgets of Hollywood blockbusters. You may then be shocked to learn that some of the most highly played games did not actually cost the player a single penny to purchase. How does it possibly make any sense to give these expensive games away for free then — are game developers just philanthropists trying to make the world a better place? If that sounds too good to be true, it’s because these kinds of games do come with their own set of caveats. I’ll attempt to explain the common payment models prevalent in these games so you can play with confidence.

It’s Not a Scam!

Let’s start off by addressing the question lingering in everyone’s minds: so, what’s the catch here? Are these games trying to scam or pry your credit card information to slap you in the face with an insurmountable amount of hidden fees? Are they unknowingly installing malware to your device to steal your data? Reassuringly, the answer to these understandable bouts of panic is “no”. You will be able to play the core game entirely free for the most part, and the only thing that stands between you and accessing these games is probably a reliable internet connection. (Phew, that’s a relief!)

So, you might be now wondering how these games came into existence in the first place? The only thing you probably remember being free back in the day were game demos. To understand this, we need to go back a decade and then some more. Similar to how the iPod killed traditional MP3 and CD players, later to be replaced by smartphones themselves, the advancing smartphone industry had a grave impact on gaming behaviour of consumers. This effect was what led to the death of handheld giants like the PSP and Nintendo DS in the late 2000s. A new era of gamers emerged as games were now more accessible with smartphones, and people began to wonder why they needed to bother carrying, charging and buying accessories for a whole separate device to do what their phones were also capable of.

Now developers had to make games that appealed to the general public, not just gaming enthusiasts. They needed experiences that were addicting and not too complicated, and the best way to reel people in was to entice them to get into these games for free. Similar to how arcade players shifted to consoles, a sizable proportion of gamers began gaming on the mobile platform. While mobile games had been around for a long time, it was only until the massive success of Candy Crush Saga, and more recently, Fortnite, that industry leaders really started seeing the massive earning potential that free-to-play (FtP) games have. Once they generated profits of huge scale, everyone wanted to have a piece of the pie. That’s why you’ve been seeing an influx of FtP games on offer in the past couple of years, with many being household names today such as Among Us and Apex Legends, for instance.

The Good

FtP games aren’t a bad thing at all, quite the opposite actually. Consoles and gaming peripherals are expensive on their own, and spending our hard-earned money on individual titles released every month may not be feasible for a lot of us. That’s partly why services like Xbox Game Pass have gained so much popularity recently — we simply love a good bargain!

FtP games often waive fees to play online. Console manufacturers require you to purchase online subscriptions to play online multiplayer modes in games, which means you have to pay more after purchasing a game to play with other players. With FtP games, you can play with a group of friends or strangers without these subscriptions. Some FtP games even offer cross-play now, which means that you and your friends don’t even require the same platform to play together!

Killing your way into the top spot of a Battle Royale isn’t your thing? Don’t worry, FtP games today offer a large variety and different genres to satisfy the needs of all different kinds of players. Craving a role-playing game with excellent lore? Try Genshin Impact. Are fast-paced platform-fighters more up to your speed? Give Brawlhalla a shot. Were you always passionate about football (okay, soccer) and cars and can’t seem to pick one? Then the crazy FIFA-Street-meets-Hot-Wheels-Unleashed concept of Rocket League may be just what you’re looking for! Seriously, I am only scratching the surface of what free-to-play games have to offer here!

The Bad & the Ugly

Unfortunately, games still need to generate revenue and sometimes developers adopt some questionably distasteful strategies. The most common among them are microtransactions. These are in-game purchases for virtual items in games. Instead of a direct route, these items are purchased using virtual currency, which can be purchased by using real-world money. Some games are intentionally designed to be inconvenient and require players to make an unrealistic amount of commitment to make any progress. Then they offer these microtransactions as easy solutions to problems they created in the first place. These can also result in a terrible pay-to-win mechanic where players who are willing to spend money can access more powerful weapons or items that give them an unfair advantage over the competition.

Some games implement a Battle Pass system which exploits the players’ fear of missing out by tying it to specific seasonal and time-bound challenges. And others feature predatory loot boxes that are nothing short of sheer virtual gambling. The worst kinds are paywalls that don’t allow you to play more than a certain point in the game until you fork over your hard-earned cash.

As long as you pick a game that allows you to progress naturally, and don’t fall prey to these malpractices, you should be fine. How do you know whether the game is designed to make you pay? It’s simple, once you start feeling like it is a chore instead of a fun pastime, it is time to move on and find a new title that’s worth your valuable time. Now that you know what to look out for with FtP games, go out there and have fun!

A Beginner’s Guide to Video Games: What’s the Deal with Free-to-Play Games?

FOLLOW US