Microsoft and Sony's next generation of consoles could struggle if they don't fully embrace free-to-play gaming, says Crytek's Cevat Yerli - although he admits the two platform holders face some tough decisions if they're to pursue such a model.
Yerli has bullishly stated that Crytek is itself embracing a free-to-play future, an area it's testing with some degree of success with Warface. After production has completed on Crysis 3, Ryse and Homefront 2 - the game being developed by Crytek's UK studio - all of the company's games will utilise the business model.
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"We know that free-to-play games have a bad image," he said. "They have a bad reputation - it's pay to win, it's low quality. I completely get that, but we are making free-to-play that's high quality. It's CryEngine 3, it's a big investment."
Yerli's beliefs hold up - Digital Foundry recently investigated Warface and came away impressed with a free-to-play game that boasted triple-A production values.
And Yerli's adamant that Crytek will stick to its guns when it comes to free-to-play - and that the kind of social gaming that implies would, for example, be a part of any future instalments in the Crysis series beyond the one that's planned for early next year.
"We will do a single-player esque experience," Yerli said when asked if Crytek would produce another single-player experience. "But it will be for you and your friends together. Single player with two players! Story-rich experiences for at least two people. The premise I can say clearly is that free-to-play is going to be part of any business model we have going forward."
