Gaming on a Budget: Free-to-Play

Finding the Right Free-to-Play Game For You

If there was a dream phrase for a budget gamer, “free-to-play” would be the closest thing to it. The term free-to-play stands for those particular games – specifically in the MMO marketplace – that require no subscription fee and often no initial purchase price. Free-to-play games use a variety of methods to provide their free business model, but they all have the “free” part in common. Free-to-play games come in many shapes and sizes, often vying to find a niche marketplace or a specific user that would be attracted to their free game.

If you’ve never picked up a free-to-play game, you should try it out. What’s holding you back? They are FREE…so take your time, pick an interesting title, and see how the world feels. In the rest of this article, I’m going to explore the different methods of a free-to-play business model and I’ll give you as many examples of free to play games as I can in the length of the article. So sit back, enjoy, and prepare to download some free MMO fun!

Advertising

A large majority of free-to-play MMOs exist because of in-game advertising. These ads may appear on actual in-game billboards or they could show up on the various patching or loading screens that run on any typical MMO. While some recent releases have decided to opt for the in-game advertising method, many older games have picked up subscription number slack by appealing to gamers who wish to run their accounts for free.

For those of you searching out a multitude of free to play games, you can look no further than Acclaim. For the old timers, Acclaim may be a familiar name. That’s because it used to be one of the leading companies in the game development business, creating brands like Turok and porting successful arcade games like Mortal Kombat. Now known as Acclaim Games, the company has been put on the fast track in promoting free-to-play MMOs and is now running the “Top Secret” contest to find the newest face in MMO development.

Anarchy Online and Shadowbane are two older titles that are relying on in-game advertising to keep them afloat. When both games felt their subscription numbers start to fall from their previous peaks, they turned to in-game advertising to keep them going. Now both games feature an in-game advertising segment, where games can continue to play on their accounts for free, if they allow in-game ads to run.

No Subscription Fee

Some of the most engrossing MMOs – let alone free MMOs – use this type of business model. While we still consider them free, these games require you to make an initial purchase – usually a boxed copy – before you’re allowed to enter the game world.

One of the best examples of a no subscription free model is Guild Wars. While the developers of the game don’t consider Guild Wars an MMORPG, most players do. And it’s certainly been popular enough to merit making this list. With over a million copies sold (and may be closing in on two million by the time I’m writing this), Guild Wars has been hugely successful.

ArchLord is another great example of a free-to-play game that requires players to buy the boxed version. This is a recent change for ArchLord, as they were previously requiring consumers to subscribe to the game. The developers at Codemasters have stated that they’ve seen a huge spurt in the growth of their game since making that announcement, and they’re hoping for continued success in the future.

Micro-Transactions

A micro-transaction business system relies upon gamers to use their credit cards to make many small in-game transactions to support the game’s economy. There are a large number of games and game companies running on the micro-transaction system, and many games that support in-game advertisements also have a micro-transaction system. Micro-transactions vary from game to game, but often include buying weapons, armor, money, and various other goods if the player in the game cannot simply find the in-game money that he needs.

Again, if you need a large selection of titles to choose from, the company you’re looking for this time is Gpotato.com. Inside the Gpotato stable, there are four MMORPGs, all with different styles to choose: from space pirates to cute, anime style flight and fight MMOs. There’s a great selection and I recommend Gpotato to anyone.

Another successful MMO that uses micro transactions is MapleStory. With a terrifically successful track record, this 2D MMORPG has been created with the micro transaction in mind, but it still caters to players who would like to play for free and simply earn the spoils with their own two hands. Still, many of the “interesting” items in the game are purchasable only via small payments.

Limited Environment

And finally, the limited environment free game. Companies that offer “limited” free games are offering a portion of the game to users for free, but only users who pay a subscription fee are allowed to see the entire game. It’s a fairly common theme these days, especially among the smaller “indie” developers to offer this type of service.

Perhaps the most prominent among this selection is Runescape, a game that has rivaled World of Warcraft in the western market for the sheer amount of money it’s raked in. It’s a simple 3D environment, but Runescape’s ability to play through firewalls is a terrific asset to its stock.

Minions of Mirth and Puzzle Pirates are also two prominent names that extend this list, with subscription models available to gamers who want to experience the full range of their titles experiences.

So Which Should I Pick?

In the end, that’s up to you to decide. If you’re looking for a game that is, in its entirety, free to play, your best bet may be the games that use an advertising business model. With these games, you’ll be able to play the entire game from the word “go” and the only thing holding you back is your aggravation at seeing an ad on a billboard or during a loading screen.

Micro transaction games may also be up your alley, but they often limit you in the same way the limited environment and no-subscription models limit you. But, in the end, it may be best to simply do research on the titles available and give each a shot. These games offer you a free experience, so why not just give them all a whirl.

Have an opinion on free to play games? Drop me an email and let me know!

Check out the rest of our Gaming on a Budget Series in the Editorials section!