Originally Posted by
pacox
Games do not go F2P because they are failing, they shut down or remain P2P ( such as Warhammer. the cost to maintain servers is much lower than many in this thread assume, P2P for even for low pop games is enough to keep the lights on). Games are going F2P because it has been proven to be a more profitable business model if game design allows it. Most MMORPGs, even WoW can afford to go F2P. How is it that WoW has done nothing but decline over the last year but see an increase in profit, micro-transactions. I always life when WoW players protest micros but their game has some subjectively crazier micros than hardcore F2P games, pretty much $25 to do anything which others (Rift) offer for free. How has LoTRO on become on of the most profitable game today, micro-transactions. LoL not a MMORPG but an MMO and purely F2P, probably in the top 5 profitable online games on the market today. Also when a game is "free" games feel like the developer is looking out for them.
With the exception of DCUO (which also had a bought of bad luck with the SOE/PSN downtime) not of the games mentioned were "failing". Their producers saw they could make more money going F2P/Freemium. One of the basic idea behind it, and most WoW players will agree they have done this, in between content patches players with established endgame character will unsubscribe to save money until whenever the patch is released. If another game pops up in between this downtime you risk losing subs altogether. F2P fixes this problem by allowing the player to hang around for the next patch with no obligations to pay for "casual play". In lieu of a sub fee, the player pays a one time fee or smaller than standard sub see to access new content (GW2 will more than likely be this way). As long as players hand around, there is the potential for them to poke around your micro-transaction shop and buy something. A lot of upcoming games are opting to start out as F2P/B2P/Freemium because its simply more profitable to do so but with the logic of this thread it means the game has somehow failed before it was even released.
I find it surprising that it isn't uncommon for people to compare SWTOR to DCUO which is the feeling I got. I don't do in the sense "SWTOR is a DCUO clone!" but their are a lot of similarities here and there.I feel like SWTOR will face the same problem DCUO had but it won't fall to it because its Bioware and Star Wars. The whole premise behind DCUO feels like it should be a F2P game. The game can easily be played solo, more so than any other MMORPG on the market. Playing solo just feels right, not many who have played SWTOR can dismiss the idea that it feels very much like a singleplayer game that is coop while leveling. Its like Bioware took Mass Effect and said "Lets make a KOTOR mod," and then said, "You know, I bet we can add mulitplayer to this as well". There isn't a lot of the "fluff" that other MMORPGs use as time sinks, professions are pretty much automated, gear doesn't need to be farmed, no reputation to grind, quest are given to you in a semi-liner compressed fashion. All of the mentioned items are designed to create a need for the keep playing a subscription to accomplish whatever goal they have set in the game. If it takes 2 weeks to level a profession, the player is probably going to stick around for 3 weeks to get back their time invested. That 5 weeks which is 2 sub payments. Without time sinks, goals are exhausted and players suspend their accounts until something else comes around.
Still pertaining to the SWTOR/DCUO connection is the fanfare that surrounds both games. Both games come from iconic backgrounds. That means not only do diehard fans want to experience the universe of the game but they also want to relive events they've read in comics or seen in movies. This is a great chance to release episodic content. The problem is do you go P2P or F2P? Go P2P and you have to release one every month (if you want to justify a sub), go F2P(or B2P) and you can spread out the releases a bit more in the favor of quality while fattening your wallet as well. Same idea with cosmetic designs. SOE realized this a bit too late but has made up for it. We've yet to see how Bioware will handle post launch endgame but I feel like they will be trading quality for quantity if they want to keep the sub money coming in. Going B2P and releasing endgame content in "episodes" would completely negate to problem of "releasing content too fast or too slow". There is no reason why SWTOR should "fail", however you define it, but if it does it will because of a shitty business model.
I have a question. How many AAA F2P games are actually "pay 2 win" and how does "pay 2 win" apply to PVE content? Aren't you already "paying 2 win" buy going out and buying the best rigs and finding the best ISP clearly creating an advantage over someone who cannot afford an PC with 8GB RAM, an i7 processor, a T1 line and the best keyboard and mouse money can buy.
Its almost as if gamers are someho ashamed to play a "free" game even if game design allows it. Gamers are conditioned to think "well they are making me pay for the game so it must be good" or that the company is doing you some sort of good by making you pay a sub fee. In reality there is not correlation at all.
TLDR: F2P ! = Bad, most upcoming games are actually adopting it. If by some chance SWTOR doesn't meet expectations its because they took a gamble on a business model that is swiftly becoming obsolete.