F2P Love

I <3 F2P 

This month we've seen a lot of MMO games announcing they are going Free To Play- CoX, FE, Lego Universe and AoC... Did I miss any? I think this is a great thing overall. This gives a huge variety of games that stay out there for us to pick and choose from, while letting us get a real feel for them. Some of these games would have probably closed down. While some people might think that would be a good thing but there are people who'd hate to see their favorite MMO shut their doors for good. I'm fine with subscriptions but if it isn't working for a company then sometimes F2P is a better option.

Just because a game is F2P doesn't mean it's not a good game. We've gone past that point in time. When I first started to dabble in F2P games, most of them were grindy with no choice of PvP or PvE. The selection was also pretty bad. You took what you could get if you wanted a F2P game. Now there are different choices, a wide variety with some even offering a subscription if you choose or just picking and choosing ala cart. Some offer better F2P models than other but being able to test drive the game or playing it free for awhile is also a great option. Want to pop in and say hi to your friends? No problem.

I recently read a blog where someone was complaining about all the F2P games of late and how they hoped it was just a fad. I suppose some people feel that they are playing a better game because they are paying a flat monthly rate, however there so few games that don't just offer a flat fee- many incorporate  a cash shop along with this monthly fee. Many F2P games also seem to offer content on a faster basis than the AAA MMO models. How can that be bad?

I've even heard that World of Warcraft was, at one time, considering to be a F2P game- in early development. Whether or not it surely would have changed things a lot, since WoW has had such an influence over MMO games as a whole. Would people be more open to them [F2P MMOs] today? Probably.

I love the amount of games out there today. I spent years and years playing the same games because there wasn't much when it came to choice. I also paid subscriptions to the same games for years and years because I didn't want to blindly jump ship.

I think F2P is here to stay, not just a fad, a better way to get into different games. I wouldn't have tried a lot of games if they didn't offer F2P. I just got sucked back into Champions Online and I'm glad I went back, sometimes things change, get better or just seem to be what you're looking for at a later time. Free to play lets you find out. It also brings new life to dying communities which is always a good thing.

IMO A true gamer is one who respects different ways of gaming, instead of 'preaching' on what they think is best. Do you enjoy the freedom of F2P MMO games?

-kaozz