• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Why do people hate f2p if full priced games have microtransaction as well nowadays?

T

texhnolyze

Banned
The moment a game has a f2p tag, people automatically spell out how they loath f2p and give the game a pass. In the other hand, people accept microtransactions on top of the full price tag that they've paid for the base game.

There are many f2p models in which you can obtain what you want without even spending a dime, similar with microtransactions in full priced games. It's just doesn't make any sense for me when people won't give f2p games a try when they gladly spend more money on full priced games' microtransactions.
 
P

Platy

Member
GOOD f2p games (think TF2) are not bad .... the problem is bad use of microtransaction ... the pay 2 win and stuffs like that, don't matter how much the game itself costs
 
D

Deleted member 47027

Unconfirmed Member
People aren't informed or just acting like dipshits. F2P is accessible and valid. Sure, practices vary, but painting them all with that broad brush is dumbfuckery.
 
B

Blobbers

Member
If full games there's the fear devs will alter their game to encourage microtransactions and discourage normal progression but some hope still remains. In most F2P games there's not even a shred of hope because you already know the game is made around the abolute shitness that are microtransactions and gated content. The core design is already polluted.

Not all f2p games are like this, but that's still probably the general stance towards them all.
 
N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Theorry said:
I have the feeling F2P games get good reception these days?
Click to expand...

It varies.

There's a lot of hate for f2p games on principle even when some of them are trying to fleece you significantly less than some $60 retail games with microtransactions.

We've also had some interesting reactions where games like Street Fighter V have adopted f2p models for all content after the initial $60 game purchase that have been widely hailed as great.

I think in five or so years we'll see this become a much more widespread sentiment as gamers experience f2p games and f2p inspired business models that aren't the dregs of mobile monetization. Until then, I expect the same kind of pushback we saw about DLC in the early days to continue for a while.
 
T

texhnolyze

Banned
Theorry said:
I have the feeling F2P games get good reception these days?
Click to expand...

Really?
At least here on gaf, I can only see a handful of people of your description.

Blobbers said:
If full games there's the fear devs will alter their game to encourage microtransactions and discourage normal progression but some hope still remains. In most F2P games there's not even a shred of hope because you already know the game is made around the abolute shitness that are microtransactions and gated content. The core design is already polluted.

Not all f2p games are like this, but that's still probably the general stance towards them all.
Click to expand...

Yes, and it's just not fair, and unfortunate.
There are so many great f2p games out there that people are missing out due to that archaic stance.
 
E

Evolution of Metal

Member
You need to be more specific. F2P is too different on game by game basis. I could think of three different models that most games fall into:

1. Complete free game (outside of cosmetics): Dota, TF2.
2. Paid Account progression boost (instant character unlocks or xp boost): LoL, HotS, Warframe, War Thunder.
3. Paid in-game advantage like extra stats or lives. Payday 2, iOS crap.

I think most people have no problem with 1st and tolerate the 2nd. Some practices of 2nd are inexcusable like way too slow progression for non-paying users in the case of War Thunder. In the case of LoL, your progressions can impact your ability to perform well because you don't have an access to that champion or that rune combination. I think that 3rd one is cancer and I wouldn't even start playing a multiplayer game which sells advantage.
 
R

Razgriz-Specter

Member
Good free to play:
War Thunder - nearly everything is available and unlimited play, paying just speeds stuff along.

Now another flight game

God awful free 2 play:
Ace Combat Infinity - oh those 3 matches were awesome, now lets sit here waiting for 4 FUCKING HOURS! hours until I get a single fuel so I can fly 1 more time for under 5 minutes of gameplay.
 
P

partyphone

Banned
OP is creating a false dichotomy. there are good and bad ways to do microtransactions regardless of the base price of the game. if they have a major influence on game balance they're generally bad. if it's cosmetic or expansion content it's generally fine.
 
A

Akuun

Looking for meaning in GAF
It depends on how the F2P is done. If the game has plenty of enjoyable content that doesn't require paying and if microtransaction perks don't imbalance the game, then it's F2P done well.

If most microtransactions in a game are basically "pay money to make this game not suck", then that's the type of shitty F2P practice that makes people hate the model.
 
S

Sakujou

Banned
having IAP/DLC at all simply sucks.

its the cancer of the industry and most of you people are guilty for letting it happen.

now we even have microtransactions in a fully paid game.

i think season passes which arent even available takes the cake this time.

fallout 4 and battlefront season passes are already sold and there is still no content right now. its just the upcoming stuff...

how dumb are consumers!?!!?
you are literally paying for something which isnt even really announced nor available.

some of my friends already bought it. it makes me facepalm myself everytime i think about how stupid some people out there are.
 
A

Arttemis

Member
Pay to Win and Fee to Pay games are awful. I actually hate fully priced games with microtransactions more because those are games that require an initial investment.

It all depends on how they're designed, really. If the microtransactions are aesthetic options, then there's no harm at all. If the microtransactions are meant to speed up progression, then I find it shitty because the likelihood is high that the game was designed to create a desire for one to pay for the offered boosts. That's bullshit.

Free games are almost immediately ignored. Too many are designed to throw advantages at the players who throw money at the developers, completely ruining any balance. The only free to pay games I've even given any thought are Path of Exile, Tribes Ascend, Neptune's Pride 2, and Planetside 2. I don't have enough time to test the waters for the millions of free games that could be designed well or to suck money out of its playerbase.
 
G

Give War A Chance

Member
A good game is a good game, regardless of how much or little it costs.

Hearthstone is great.
Fallout 4 is great.
DOTA 2 is great.
Final Fantasy XIV:ARR/Heavensward is great.
 
1

1st Course

Member
Internet noise. I don't think gamers at large mind microtransactions (see the success of Destiny and GTA:Online microtransactions).
 
E

epmode

Member
Sakujou said:
having IAP/DLC at all simply sucks.
Click to expand...

Don't be silly. Expansion packs have been great since the 80s. The delivery method may be over the internet now rather than a disk but the potential for first rate products is clealy still there.
 
E

ElCidTmax

Member
F2P game mechanics usually have some aspect that feels manipulative. Everyone says it's not pay to win, but it often feels like it is (and sometimes it is). If you already paid full price for a game, you don't want the game telling you that you will get the better experience if you just pay a little more, every time you look at the main menu. It's manipulative and rude.
 
M

Militaratus

Member
Microtransactions isn't an evil concept by itself. It's just most companies use it evily.

An example of Microtransactions done well is the cash shop of Final Fantasy XIV. All the stuff sold there is purely cosmetic, and either has very low level stats or none at all. Almost all the items were earnable for free if your character participated in the seasonal event. FFXIV is a full priced game, with subscription.

Another example of Microtransactions done well is in Fallout Shelter. Lunchboxes grant random bonuses ranging from resources to new dwellers. These lunchboxes can be earned by completing objectives of various difficulty, and the game features a whole lot of objectives. The use of lunchboxes is not required to play the game at a continuous pace. Fallout Shelter is a F2P game.

An example of Microtransactions done wrong is Metal Gear Solid 5. The game features a separate currency that can only be increased using real money and very limited events such as a Daily Login. Worse, some options of this game can only be purchased using this separate currency. Such purchases include the ability to have more bases which grants gameplay bonuses such as increased research speed. Another purchase is of base insurance which prevents the loss of resources and removes the sense of competition. Metal Gear Solid 5 is a full priced game.

Another example of Microtransactions done wrong is Dungeon Keeper. The game features a separate currency that can only be increased using real money. Worse, the game features a common practice of Wait2play where the player is forced to wait an arbitrary amount of time to continue playing the game, unless the player pays a fee which can only be done with the seperate currency. The use of Microtransactions is required to play the game at a continuous pace. Dungeon Keeper is a F2P game.
 
L

LKSmash

Member
ElCidTmax said:
F2P game mechanics usually have some aspect that feels manipulative. Everyone says it's not pay to win, but it often feels like it is (and sometimes it is). If you already paid full price for a game, you don't want the game telling you that you will get the better experience if you just pay a little more, every time you look at the main menu. It's manipulative and rude.
Click to expand...

5541630+_1372f96375673cdc77d61ea6bde72abb.jpg
 
P

poncle

Member
It's just really rare to find f2p games that have transaction that are fair rather than exploitative or manipulative.
And yet it looks like most players don't actually mind, given how successful these practices are.
 
R

redcrayon

Member
texhnolyze said:
The moment a game has a f2p tag, people automatically spell out how they loath f2p and give the game a pass. In the other hand, people accept microtransactions on top of the full price tag that they've paid for the base game.
.
Click to expand...
You're assuming that the people who loathe FTP are the same ones paying for microtransactions in a paid-for game. There are lots of different people on gaf, you can find contrary opinions in any two of them.

Personally I'm wary of FTP as most of the ones I've tried have been pay-to-win or pay-to-not-wait. They aren't all like that as regular examples to the contrary exist in every mobile/ftp thread, but those games are in a severe minority in the mobile space, and so a game being FTP means I'm less likely to give it the benefit of the doubt and waste my time with it until it's had plenty of recommendations from others. If I do try it and enjoy it, I'll pay for a couple of small transactions just to chuck a few quid the way of the developer. Most of the time, a stamina meter or pay-to-win mechanics mean I just delete it and move on. My gaming time is both limited and valuable to me these days, and so wasting my time or putting limits on when I can play is just as much of a reason for me to ignore a game as it being otherwise crap. If I was a kid with more time and no money, I'd probably appreciate them more.

However, I absolutely don't give microtransactions in a paid-for game a free pass either. The only DLC of any kind I've ever downloaded are meaty rpg expansions. Ultimately I'd always rather pay a price I think is fair and then never have to be begged for money on every pause screen.
 
Zendoc

Zendoc

Member
Well, i ""hate"" f2p games AND microtransactions in full priced games.

And i truly hate microtransactions in full priced games with a subscription. Like FF14:ARR : you want every mounts/minions/dyes ? You have to go on their mogstation shop for some ( a few) of them. Disgusting.
 
V

Vital Tundra

Member
Most f2p games don't have good microtransactions models. And often when you are faced with a choice, you will play the game that's well established. Also no one is okay with retail games having microtransactions, but most often they can be ignored, unless your playing MGSV.
 
M

MetatronM

Unconfirmed Member
You have microtransactions in full-priced games now BECAUSE F2P games proved so profitable. If whales are going to drop hundreds of dollars on a game anyway, what difference is another $50?
 
P

Pompadour

Member
The issue is people on videogame forums are quick to call F2P, DLC, etc. awful as a concept because evaluating them on a case-by-case basis is too much work. It's easier to drive by shitpost.
 
S

SmarmySmurf

Banned
I love F2P. Battlefront should be F2P. Titanfall should be F2P. ESO should be F2P. Battleborn should be F2P. Last gen Blops3 should be F2P. Overwatch should be F2P. Left 4 Dead should be F2P.
 
S

shandy706

Member
It comes down to content being locked vs content not being locked.

A game like Forza 6 does it right. 100% optional and can be turned off.



A game where I have to purchase fuel points to continue, paint a car, etc.. SUCKS. (Just a random example)
 
R

redcrayon

Member
King Awesome said:
The issue is people on videogame forums are quick to call F2P, DLC, etc. awful as a concept because evaluating them on a case-by-case basis is too much work. It's easier to drive by shitpost.
Click to expand...
Aren't you doing the same by tarring everyone on forums with the same brush? I agree with your sentiment of looking at things on a case-by-case basis, and so do plenty of others in these threads. Even so, I've found that a majority of the FTP games I've tried are still pretty poor, despite the minority of genuinely good games that use an FTP business model to good effect while offering decent entertainment.
 
C

CecilRousso

Member
King Awesome said:
The issue is people on videogame forums are quick to call F2P, DLC, etc. awful as a concept because evaluating them on a case-by-case basis is too much work. It's easier to drive by shitpost.
Click to expand...

Well, F2P is almost by definition awful, so people aren't wrong. It's a business model that when it's not limited to cosmetic items, is designed to take as much time of you as possible, to make you want to pay for progress as often as possible.

I back away whenever I hear F2P being mentioned for a game, and I consider that being sensible self defence mechanism.
 
K

Kinyou

Member
texhnolyze said:
The moment a game has a f2p tag, people automatically spell out how they loath f2p and give the game a pass. In the other hand, people accept microtransactions on top of the full price tag that they've paid for the base game.
Click to expand...
From what I can tell people are pretty mad about those as well
 
D

DannyDanger

Member
King Awesome said:
The issue is people on videogame forums are quick to call F2P, DLC, etc. awful as a concept because evaluating them on a case-by-case basis is too much work. It's easier to drive by shitpost.
Click to expand...

This

You can't say you'll completely skip a game because it's f2p, yet on the other side of the coin pretend to know for sure the f2p practices in said game are bad.

How can you know without trying the game.

F2P has always been a case by case basis.

And its no risk to the consumer, so i don't get the mindset of not trying the game at all
 
Spacejaws

Spacejaws

Member
I think the assumption is a F2P game is going to try and heavily encourage you to buy micro transactions and the one's I've seen they are pretty blatant and plastered within game screens (Angry Birds Star Wars comes to mind)

Full pay game are usually a little more discreet or I'd hope so. Assassins Creed Unity for example got heavy flak for flaunting it's micro transactions and it was mostly all achievable in game. The chest and such were locked behind other F2P services which could all be obtained for free.

However if I play angry birds star wars and I have flashing icons in the corner telling me I can pay $1.00 to use a leia bird in this level I laugh it off as stupid F2P nonsense that I won't buy.
 
R

redcrayon

Member
Give War A Chance said:
Go read the threads on the front page of GAF right now.

He's really not that far off.
Click to expand...
My point is it works both ways.
Lots of gamers write off FTP on this site. Some don't.
Lots of FTP games are pay-to-win or pay-to-not-wait. Some aren't.

If you find the sentiment of a large part of the forum regarding FTP annoying, you can hardly ignore that a large chunk of FTP games are pretty awful despite the gems. Perhaps looking at both on a case-by-case basis before writing off the entirety of both is a more cohesive viewpoint.

I do find the problem exacerbated by the poor curation on the mobile game stores- games libraries have always been flooded with shovelware, but consoles and Steam and retail stores at least tend to push the good stuff to the front.
 
C

Conkerkid11

Member
I tend not to play full-priced games that are P2W.

Also, you don't get games like The Witcher 3, Bloodborne, etc... with a F2P model.
 
G

Give War A Chance

Member
redcrayon said:
My point is it works both ways.
Lots of gamers write off FTP on this site. Some don't.
Lots of FTP games are pay-to-win or pay-to-not-wait. Some aren't.

If you find the sentiment of a large part of the forum regarding FTP annoying, you can hardly ignore that a large chunk of FTP games are pretty awful despite the gems.
Click to expand...
If that same "large part of the forum" was actually playing them and reviewing them individually on the merits and faults presented in their game design, sure.

Unfortunately most people just say "Pay 2 win? Nope! Not even giving it the time of day!" If you never play any of those games, how do you even know how they impact the game, outside of guessing? It's lazy. Especially considering that the game is FREE. Literally no barrier to entry.

The fact that there are actually people in the Call of Duty cosmetic microtransaction thread are calling that "pay 2 win," shows you exactly what that guy is saying; lazy, driveby shitposting.
 
D

doop_

Banned
Sakujou said:
having IAP/DLC at all simply sucks.

its the cancer of the industry and most of you people are guilty for letting it happen.

now we even have microtransactions in a fully paid game.

i think season passes which arent even available takes the cake this time.

fallout 4 and battlefront season passes are already sold and there is still no content right now. its just the upcoming stuff...

how dumb are consumers!?!!?
you are literally paying for something which isnt even really announced nor available.

some of my friends already bought it. it makes me facepalm myself everytime i think about how stupid some people out there are.
Click to expand...
Dude dlc does not suck AS long as the original package has a good amount of content or is free.
 
S

Synth

Member
I'm not generally against f2p (or even all implementations or microtransactions in purchased games)... but isn't this a bit like asking why people hate punches to the face now that kicks in the nuts are also a thing?
 
H

Hibiki Kurosawa

Member
You are making assumptions here. It's not necessarily the same people shitting on f2p and embracing micro-transactions in full priced games.

Personally, I hate all micro-transactions, period.
 
S

spekkeh

Banned
texhnolyze said:
The moment a game has a f2p tag, people automatically spell out how they loath f2p and give the game a pass. In the other hand, people accept microtransactions on top of the full price tag that they've paid for the base game.
Click to expand...
Who the fuck accepts those? I loathe f2p and microtransactions in full games. It's just easier to ignore f2p altogether, because the games are generally Skinner box trash anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Devolver co-founder talks about competing with live service AAA titles for players' time and why indies may have a harder time on Xbox and PlayStation
Opinion Business Game Dev
10
847
Hypereides replied
Live Service Games - Why are pubs moving in this direction?
2
69
3K
TheThreadsThatBindUs replied
[Jez Corden] If Microsoft really IS bringing Steam, Epic Game Store, etc. to Xbox consoles, it needs to answer these big questions
2 3 4
155
10K
sachos replied
  • Poll
Palworld has, once again, highlighted the on going deficiencies in PC Game Pass and the Xbox app on Windows 11 (Windows Central)
Hardware Platform 2 3
111
12K
Unknown Soldier replied
Favorite Recent Gaming Pickups
Social Opinion
4
1K
That Damn Kid replied
Top Bottom