For most of its 40-odd-year existence, the home video-game market has been built on a fairly clear-cut, traditional economic model: Once a player buys a game, it's theirs in its entirety to enjoy as they see fit.
In recent years, however, a competing model has started to gain sway, particularly for mobile games. Under the so-called "free-to-play" model, players don't have to shell out anything to access a game's content.
Instead of an upfront cost, these titles generate revenue through advertisements and micro-transactions - in-game purchases that can speed up the game's progress, provide extra lives, offer chances to access high-level items or unlock nonessential content such as new costumes. Some titles favor a hybridized approach to free-to-play known as "freemium," in which players can experience the game for free up to a prescribed point, after which they must pay or become a subscriber to continue.
Despite the low buy-in for free-to-play's micro-transactions, the lack of cost to start playing has contributed to the growth of enormous player bases. Even a small percentage of players participating in the games' economy has led to tremendous profits for games such as "Candy Crush Saga," a puzzle title by developer King that earned $1.3 billion in 2014 through in-app purchases, according to an earnings analysis by U.K. newspaper The Guardian.
Since last December, Chattanoogan Patrick Hickey, 25, has been obsessively building up his community and training an army in "Clash of Clans," a free-to-play strategy game for mobile devices and tablets. He says he's not averse to paying for games but, in the past, he's been burned all too often by buying titles that failed to deliver.
"If I buy [a game app] and don't like it, I don't get a refund on it, so that's what kills it for me," he says. "[It] would look like something I'd want to play, so I'd buy it, but a few levels in, I'd realize it's not going to work."
The free-to-play model, Hickey says, lets him see if he'll actually enjoy a game before investing in it. "Clash of Clans," he says, roped him in with its emphasis on social interaction, but so far he's managed to largely avoid in-app payments. In the last year, he's used leftover credit from other iTunes purchases a handful of times to buy gems - "Clash of Clans'" premium currency - to speed up certain upgrades to his community.
"[It's] maybe $15 to $20," he says. "I think it was money well spent. I don't have to wait three weeks until I have enough gems to be able to do [these upgrades]."
According to mobile marketer Swrve, only a tiny fraction of players in free-to-play titles actually open their wallets. In a 2014 industry report, analysts found that 1.5 percent of free-to-play gamers actually make a purchase, and those who do, like Hickey, spend an average of $15.27. Less than half (49 percent) of those who buy an in-game item in a free-to-play title do so more often than once a month, according to Swrve's report.
But the success of free-to-play is writ large in the rankings of Apple and Google's respective app marketplaces. Two-thirds of the current Top 20 highest-grossing apps on the App Store are free-to-play titles; on Google Play, the model's dominance is even more pronounced, with 95 percent of the Top 20 earners being free-to-play.
The free-to-play approach also has made waves among PC and console gamers, ecosystems where a traditional pay-once model has been the norm for decades. Even many massively multiplayer online role-playing titles, such as "World of Warcraft" and "Star Wars: The Old Republic," recently have converted to a free-to-play model after years of reliance on monthly subscriptions.
Contact Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6205. Follow him on Twitter at @PhillipsCTFP.
FREE-TO-PLAY VIDEO GAMES
With the rising free-to-play tide, there are a host of games attempting to woo players into buying into their micro-transaction-rich ecosystems. Here's a guide to some of the most popular free-to-play titles available on PC and consoles and a look into how much you could eventually end up paying for the free-to-play privilege.
'WORLD OF TANKS'
' Summary: A multiplayer game in which players control one of more than 200 real-world armored vehicles and engage in 15-on-15 battles across sprawling maps.
' How "free" is it, really?: Given enough time and skill, players can earn free in-game experience and credits that can be used to upgrade the capabilities of most tanks or to purchase new ones. However, players also can use real money to purchase a premium-account membership that offers faster level advancement or to buy packages of the game's "gold" currency that can be exchanged for special tank models (each costing $6-$45), premium account memberships or to increase how many tanks they can store.
' Play if you like: Novel approaches to multiplayer and want to play a fast-paced game of vehicular cat-and-mouse with a stronger strategic emphasis than most action games.
' Platform: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. ("World of Tanks Blitz!" is available on Android and iOS.)
How "free" is "Team Fortress 2" Every class, mode and map can be played indefinitely without paying anything, but it features an in-game marketplace where players can purchase a host of developer- and community-created items, including cosmetic upgrades and weapons/equipment. Per-item prices range from 50 cents to $17.50.'TEAM FORTRESS 2'
' Summary: A multiplayer first-person shooter with humorous, cartoon-inspired art direction and a heavy emphasis on team collaboration. Before entering battle, players choose one of nine character classes such as scout, spy, engineer or heavy gunner, each equipped with special skills and weaponry.
' How "free" is it, really?: Every class, mode and map can be played indefinitely without paying anything, but "Team Fortress 2" features an in-game marketplace where players can purchase a host of developer- and community-created items, including cosmetic upgrades and weapons/equipment. Per-item prices range from 50 cents to $17.50. Multiple-item bundles cost $1 to $250.
' Play if you like: Games with distinct art styles or competitive multiplayer first-person shooters that emphasize team play. Also if you're willing to pay to customize your character to stand out from the crowd.
' Platform: Linux, Mac and PC.
"Path of Exile" is an action roleplaying game in which players create a character and roam around the massive online fantasy world of Wraeclast, solving quests and killing monsters to earn new equipment and experience to improve their hero.'PATH OF EXILE'
' Summary: An action role-playing game in which players create a character and roam around the massive online fantasy world of Wraeclast, solving quests and killing monsters to earn new equipment and experience with which to improve their hero.
' How "free" is it, really?: Grinding Gear Games has been explicit since the 2010 launch of "Path of Exile" that the game would be genuinely free to play, with any in-app purchases being purely cosmetic ones that wouldn't affect the game's balance. The game does sell "supporter packs" for $30 to $1,100, which players can purchase to help fund the game's ongoing development and upkeep costs.
' Play if you like: Deep, extremely extensive character customization and are a fan of action role-playing franchises such as "Diablo," "Titan Quest" or "Torchlight."
' Platform: PC.
How "free" is "Hawken"? Playing matches is free and players earn "Hawken credits" and experience at the end of matches based on how skillfully they performed. Experience and Hawken credits helps unlock new mech suits and items/weapons. The game does feature a premium, for-pay currency, Meteor Credits, that can be purchased in $5 to -$100 packs and can be spent on boosts that allow players to gain experience or credits faster, on special cosmetic customizations or to purchase equipment that hasn't been unlocked.'HAWKEN'
' Summary: A gorgeous multiplayer shooter set in a future dystopia in which players fight from the cockpits of surprisingly agile, heavily armed and armored mechanized battle suits.
' How "free" is it, really?: Playing matches is free and players earn "Hawken credits" and experience at the end of matches based on how skillfully they performed. Experience and Hawken credits helps unlock new mech suits and items/weapons. The game does feature a premium, for-pay currency, Meteor Credits, that can be purchased in $5 to $100 packs and can be spent on boosts that allow players to gain experience or credits faster, on special cosmetic customizations or to purchase equipment that hasn't been unlocked.
' Play if you like: First-person shooters such as "Quake" or "Unreal Tournament," but think they would be even better if weapon-toting mech suits were involved. Also if you were a fan of "Titanfall" or the "Mechwarrior" series.
' Platform: PC.
"Hearthstone" is a collectible card game in which players choose a hero and employ decks of magical cards to summon fearsome minions or cast spells designed to whittle down the health of their opponent.'HEARTHSTONE'
' Summary: A collectible card game in which players choose a hero and employ decks of magical cards to summon fearsome minions or cast spells designed to whittle down the health of their opponent.
' How "free" is it, really?: Playing matches is free, and the entire basic card set can be earned just by playing the game. Unlocking higher-level cards, however, requires the purchase of card packs, which can be bought one at a time using gold earned in-game or in bundles from $3 (for two packs) to $50 (for 40 packs). Two additional themed "adventures" further expand the card catalog and cost $20 to $25.
' Play if you like: Blizzard's trademark brand of slightly off-kilter fantasy and the strategy and collecting aspects of card battling games such as "Magic: The Gathering" or "Pokemon Trading Card Game."
' Platform: Android, iOS, Mac and PC.
"Planetside 2" is a massively multiplayer first-person shooter in which thousands of players fight in large-scale futuristic battles as part of a larger-scale conflict between three factions vying for control of an entire planet. The better players perform, the more experience they earn to unlock new items and abilities.'PLANETSIDE 2'
' Summary: A massively multiplayer first-person shooter in which thousands of players fight in large-scale futuristic battles as part of a larger-scale conflict between three factions vying for control of an entire planet. The better players perform, the more experience they earn to unlock new items and abilities.
' How "free" is it, really?: Creating an account and participating in matches is free, and players can access every class, vehicle and upgrade as they level up. Weapons and items can be purchased using currency earned in-game. The game does offer real-world purchases, including cosmetic-only upgrades and premium memberships that offer faster leveling and marketplace discounts for $9 to $15, depending on the duration of the membership.
' Play if you like: Vehicular multiplayer combat across sprawling maps - such as in the "Battlefield" series - but prefer a futuristic, sci-fi aesthetic and even larger-scale battles.
' Platform: PC and Playstation 4.
"Warframe" is a fast-paced, third-person action shooter that lets up to four players join forces and control agile, battlesuit-wearing warriors as they complete missions that range from destroying ranks of enemies and stealing data to completing assassinations. Over time, players can unlock a wide range of new battlesuits, weapons and combat abilities.'WARFRAME'
' Summary: A fast-paced third-person action shooter that lets up to four players join forces and control agile, battlesuit-wearing warriors as they complete missions that range from destroying ranks of enemies and stealing data to completing assassinations. Over time, players can unlock a wide range of new battlesuits, weapons and combat abilities.
' How "free" is it, really?: Players can earn access to all upgrades organically by playing matches and spending currency acquired in-game. New weapons and battlesuits can be constructed using blueprints that force players to gather specific ingredients, or they can be bought instantly using the game's premium currency "platinum," which is sold in bundles for $5 to $200.
' Play if you like: Multiplayer games with deep character customization and cooperative gameplay but would appreciate the fluid movement of a third-person action game.
' Platform: PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
One of the world's most popular competitive games, "League of Legends" is a multiplayer online battle arena that offers fast-paced gameplay combining elements of real-time strategy and roleplaying. Teams consist of five players, each of whom selects a champion to control from a roster of more than 125.'LEAGUE OF LEGENDS'
' Summary: One of the world's most popular competitive games, "League of Legends" is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) that offers fast-paced gameplay combining elements of real-time strategy and role-playing. Teams consist of five players, each of whom selects a champion to control from a roster of more than 125. During the match, they will defeat other players and computer-controlled monsters to earn gold and experience to upgrade their skills and equipment as they push to destroy a crystal at the heart of the opposing team's base.
' How "free" is it, really?: Playing matches is free, but on a given day, only a select few champions are available to all players. Unlocking permanent access to a champion - as well as various other cosmetic items and boosts - requires the use of either in-game currency, Influence Points or a premium currency, Riot Points, which must be purchased with real money in bundles costing $5 to $100. Champions cost from $2 to $7.50
' Play if you like: Real-time-strategy or roleplaying games, especially if you're looking for something that's fast-paced and deeply competitive.
' Platform: Mac and PC.