Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

Thirty minutes into playing Dungeon Runners, a F2P gamer loots a health potion that he can use only if he becomes a subscriber. Thirty minutes later, he loots a “Giant Can of Whoop Ass,” a blunt weapon that is better than what he has equipped. His warrior won’t be equipping the can because it’s for subscribers only. Later our F2P gamer plays Requiem: Bloodymare. He gets a decent pickup group and is mowing through enemies. Oddly, one of his group mates has gained three levels in the time he has gained one. A little discussion reveals the gamer who’s gained three levels is using an EXP +30% consumable item he bought in the item mall. In both play sessions, our F2P gamer was reminded that F2P games need the support of microtransactions to operate, but is one method better than the other? Do “open games” (F2P titles that make their money via item malls) have more success than “closed games” (free-to-play games that restrict some elements of gameplay), or vice versa? My response is that neither method of pushing sales is better because companies either can execute both well or in a way that hurts the game.

Failure to buy a box and obtain this awesome Bling Gnome does not ruin the experience in Dungeon Runners.

What to Do

In solid open game formats, gamers can enjoy the entire experience of the game but are able to purchase items that enhance their play experience from the item mall. Common items you can buy at the item mall in a good open game are extra inventory space, special cosmetic changes (clothes and hairstyles that do not affect the strength of the character), and permanent versions of items players can acquire for free for a limited time in game. As an example of a permanent item a gamer might want to buy but that is also available temporarily in the game for free, look no farther than Runes of Magic. Players can rent mounts in the game using the gold they loot from monsters, or they can buy a permanent mount using real cash at the item mall.

In good closed game formats, players are able to complete all content just like subscribers, but the subscribers have an easier time doing it. Dungeon Runners serves as the shining example of this type of revenue model. In my fictional story of the F2P gamer who plays Dungeon Runners, that guy wouldn’t be able to use the greater health potion, but he could still use the lesser version. It means he is more likely to die, that his challenge is greater, but it does not prevent him from completing content. Likewise, the Giant Can of Whoop Ass would allow him to kill monsters faster, but not using it won’t prevent him from killing any monster.

The common theme in games that peddle their wares correctly is that freeloaders are not precluded from participating in anything. When my fictitious F2P gamer logged into Requiem, he was able to play right alongside the person who used the item mall. With more play time, he’d even be able to keep pace with the gamer who used the EXP +30% consumable.

What NOT to Do

In poorly-designed open game formats, gamers who spend money can complete content that freeloaders have access to but no realistic chance to finish or failure to spend money creates a rift between freeloaders and those who buy things from the item mall. Common mistakes in games that do it wrong are level curves that are nearly insurmountable without XP boosters from the item mall, methods of instant transportation that disrupt groups in game, or difficulty tweaking that provides an even challenge for paying customers and a nearly impossible play experience for freeloaders. These mistakes manifest as players feeling they have to purchase XP boosters to have any chance to see the high end content, part of a group having instant travel to a dungeon or town while the freeloaders have to run, and epic weapons in item malls being a “required” part of a boss strategy. For a specific example of something that bugs me (and reader miggy), look at the aging system in Mabinogi. Gamers can continue to play forever without buying a rebirth from the item mall, but the growth of their characters suffers. Older characters earn less AP each week, meaning that a player who pays for rebirth will always have a stronger character than a freeloader. (NOTE: The developers have actually mentioned to Ten Ton Hammer that they will be adjusting their aging system in the upcoming free expansion Pioneers of Iria, so developers actually understand this notion well.)

Dofus is a very cool game, but the free part is really just a trial.

In poorly-designed closed game formats, players who do not spend money are unable gain experience beyond a certain level or enter particular areas if they do not subscribe. With all due respect to the folks at Ankama Games and Kingsisle Entertainment, neither Dofus nor Wizard101 is a F2P game. When I had a chance to interview Ankama about Wakfu, I asked about the restricted experience of the free version of Dofus. Despite the answer I got, I still view the free experience of Dofus as a trial; it is NOT a full game. Similarly, players will never experience certain content in Wizard101 without subscribing or participating in microtransactions.

Parting Thoughts

I am willing to play games that use an open format or those that employ a closed system to promote revenue…provided they’re built correctly. Both design models are subject to flaws, and I have encountered good and bad examples of each in my play experience. In the end, the trick is to make a F2P game so good that I want to spend money to support further development. Using hurdles to my progression or separating me from my friends with more disposable income is just lame.

Do you have examples of games that do it right? Email Ralsu to let him know.

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