Free-to-play

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Free-to-play (English for 'free to play'; alternative spellings: Free2Play , F2P ) is a business model in the computer game industry . It describes computer games in which at least the basic game content can be used free of charge. The manufacturer usually earns from advertising and paid additional offers that give the player advantages over other players, individualize the game for the player or remove advertisements placed by the manufacturer.

Business model

The basic functions of the game are generally free and are open to every user. The providers of these games often generate sales through advertising or paid additional offers for the game. This includes premium memberships or the possibility of individualizing the appearance of the character Avatar by purchasing virtual goods such as armor, weapons or means of transport.

A common model for this is the acquisition of credit in a provider- or game-specific pseudo currency with which the additional offers are paid for. The exchange rate of real money to virtual game currency is determined by the game provider. Often one finds several different virtual game currencies in a free-to-play game. One type of virtual game currency can be used by any player for in-game transactions. The second type of virtual game currencies is used to pay for the chargeable additional offers.

Specialized providers of online games such as Bigpoint , Gameforge , Gamigo , Goodgame Studios , Supercell or Zynga rely largely on the free-to-play model with their products. But publishers of full-price products such as Electronic Arts and Ubisoft are also increasingly expanding their range with corresponding offers. Several online games that had existed for a long time with mandatory monthly fees, such as Dungeons & Dragons Online , Star Wars: The Old Republic or APB: All Points Bulletin , were subsequently transferred to a free-to-play game, mostly as a result of low subscriber numbers or income that fell short of expectations. Model changed.

According to the Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software , the games industry in Germany achieved sales of 477 million euros in 2014 with virtual goods and additional content. In 2015, this turnover rose to 562 million euros. The games industry was thus able to achieve a total increase in sales of 18 percent within one year. In an interim balance of 2012, BIU managing director Maximilian Schenk also forecast a long-term weakening of business models with subscriptions in favor of free-to-play.

The counter-model to free-to-play is pay-to-play , which requires the player to pay for access to the game. There are numerous hybrid forms between free-to-play and pay-to-play, including B. Shareware , demos or free basic games with chargeable add-ons .

reception

Advantage to paying players

In gaming circles, free-to-play games are sometimes given the derisive term pay-to-win (English for 'pay to win'). Many games can be played without real money, but they cost a lot of time, are harder to win with free funds or have disadvantages in competition. Sometimes providers go so far as to only offer essential items for real money. The costs are often difficult to calculate due to the conversion into a game currency, which gives an additional incentive to potentially spend more money. Multiple investments in game currency can easily exceed the price of a pay-to-play game.

Process through targeted advertising to children

There is criticism of the business model, among other things, because free-to-play games are also very popular among children and young people and encourage them to spend a lot. In Germany, therefore, the example of Runes of Magic led to a legal dispute between the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) and the Karlsruhe provider Gameforge . According to a default judgment by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in July 2013, in-game advertising aimed directly at children is inadmissible if it specifically encourages them to invest money. The court criticized speeches in the second person singular (Duzen) and formulations such as "Grab the opportunity and give your armor and weapons that certain something", which according to the court violated § 3 UWG (prohibition of unfair business activities). The judgment was criticized by the GAME Federal Association of the Computer Game Industry, as the familiar form of address is generally characteristic of the game industry and is therefore not aimed solely at children. Gameforge appealed against the judgment, but in September 2014 the BGH confirmed its previous decision. In February 2015, the Media Dependency Association published recommendations for action.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ F2P. In: jeuxonline.info. Retrieved November 29, 2019 (French).
  2. ^ René Meyer: Computer games - engine of development. In: faz.net. August 17, 2010, accessed December 11, 2014 .
  3. ↑ The boom in free-to-play games - a business model with a future. In: online-games-4-free.com. Retrieved April 28, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Michael Bonke: Dungeons & Dragons Online: First flopped, as a free-2-play title suddenly a hit. In: pcgames.de . February 28, 2010, accessed March 26, 2020.
  5. ↑ Hanno Neuhaus: All Points Bulletin: Reloaded - Sold! - Coming in 2011 as Free2Play (Update 2). In: gamestar.de . November 17, 2010, accessed April 27, 2020.
  6. ↑ www.biu-online.de
  7. ^ Peter Steinlechner: German game market: ingame items for 145 million euros in the first half of 2012. In: golem.de. July 30, 2012, accessed December 11, 2014 .
  8. ↑ Engadget.com: Free for All: Turbine's pristine payment plan perfects pay-to-win. Retrieved March 24, 2020 .
  9. ↑ Game manufacturers gamble off children with free apps
  10. ↑ judgment of July 17, 2013 - Ref .: I ZR 34/12
  11. ↑ Bundesverband GAME criticizes the BGH's 'Gameforge judgment'
  12. ↑ Internet games must not encourage children to buy. In: sueddeutsche.de . September 18, 2014, accessed May 4, 2020.
  13. ↑ judgment of September 18, 2014 - Ref .: I ZR 34/12
  14. ↑ M. Dreier, A. Gohlke, M. Wirtz, A. Teske, M. Knothe, D. Scholz, KW Müller: Recommendations for action of the professional association media dependency e. V. for free-to-play games and free apps. (PDF; 614 KB) In: fv-medienabhaengigkeit.de. 2015, accessed April 13, 2019 .