Before any discussion should be clear what ACTUALLY mean "free-to-play". Or better, what grammaticaly SHOULD.
Usually games with cash shops are actually very expensive. Without using cash shops game experience is terribly crippled. First come in my mind experience with Rappelz years ago, for terribly crappy game with disgusting performanse at the end of first month have spent aprox 50$ per month before realising soon how stupid I was not to sub at that time to wow for *incredible* experience for silly ammount of aprox 13$).
At least by law games with cash shops SHOULD be forced to clearly say they have cash shops. I do not care if they advertise as "only cosmetics".
And we should also discuss difference between games that both claim to be "free" but some are also P2P, some allow to download client also for free.
Is 13$ a lot per month? Depend. If you smoke or drink probably you spend at least 5 to 10 times more.
But out there there are so many people that love anything free, even if crappy, causing cramps, stinking, .... just to be free. But worst tragedy at the end is, there is no such thing as being free. ALWAYS there is price to pay. Sooner or later. If later usually is more expensive.
I do not swim in money, but still will always prefer paying 13$ and up, let's say, 40$ per month, to have game that I can enjoy, meal I can enjoy. And that does not have any cash shops or alike.
So far my best are Swtor, Wow and Rift. Currently however enjoying pretty a lot GW2. Is free to play? Yep, I guess at least. Have cash shops but with difference compared to other game, have not found in cash shop so far anything that I would really need (ok, have spent 20€ additionally for 2 more slots, guess will spend 10 more). BUT GW2 it is also PAY to PLAY. Can this bee considered as free? There are many games, that are free to play and you can download also client for free.
No sub -> no real money investment in constant improving, quality, ... Soon if trends continue this way we will soon kiss for good bye quality mmo gaming. As Cyberquat said "If subscription dies, then so does the MMORPG genre".
So far after playing for short, I can say game is much better then expected. But truth is also, I did not have any high expectation, mainly thinking about original GW.
Overall I think is really worth money for game client. Would I ever sub like for Wow, Swtor, Rift, ... to GW2? Very unlikely. No problem for 3 mentioned.
I really hope this putrid plague called F2P never come to swtor. And I'm really starting to hate cheap people. Whatever, no matter what quality, ... give me anything ... just to be free.
F2P can be usefull somehow for lower end, lower quality games, .... I really hope wow, rift, swtor, ... always stay P2P. One small exception can be F2P games that are free to certain level or alike ... but that is more eternal trial (like now wow model). Or like CO where you actually have to sub to have decent experience.
Before any discussion should be clear what ACTUALLY mean "free-to-play". Or better, what grammaticaly SHOULD.
Usually games with cash shops are actually very expensive. Without using cash shops game experience is terribly crippled. First come in my mind experience with Rappelz years ago, for terribly crappy game with disgusting performanse at the end of first month have spent aprox 50$ per month before realising soon how stupid I was not to sub at that time to wow for *incredible* experience for silly ammount of aprox 13$).
At least by law games with cash shops SHOULD be forced to clearly say they have cash shops. I do not care if they advertise as "only cosmetics".
And we should also discuss difference between games that both claim to be "free" but some are also P2P, some allow to download client also for free.
Is 13$ a lot per month? Depend. If you smoke or drink probably you spend at least 5 to 10 times more.
But out there there are so many people that love anything free, even if crappy, causing cramps, stinking, .... just to be free. But worst tragedy at the end is, there is no such thing as being free. ALWAYS there is price to pay. Sooner or later. If later usually is more expensive.
I do not swim in money, but still will always prefer paying 13$ and up, let's say, 40$ per month, to have game that I can enjoy, meal I can enjoy. And that does not have any cash shops or alike.
So far my best are Swtor, Wow and Rift. Currently however enjoying pretty a lot GW2. Is free to play? Yep, I guess at least. Have cash shops but with difference compared to other game, have not found in cash shop so far anything that I would really need (ok, have spent 20€ additionally for 2 more slots, guess will spend 10 more). BUT GW2 it is also PAY to PLAY. Can this bee considered as free? There are many games, that are free to play and you can download also client for free.
No sub -> no real money investment in constant improving, quality, ... Soon if trends continue this way we will soon kiss for good bye quality mmo gaming. As Cyberquat said "If subscription dies, then so does the MMORPG genre".
So far after playing for short, I can say game is much better then expected. But truth is also, I did not have any high expectation, mainly thinking about original GW.
Overall I think is really worth money for game client. Would I ever sub like for Wow, Swtor, Rift, ... to GW2? Very unlikely. No problem for 3 mentioned.
I really hope this putrid plague called F2P never come to swtor. And I'm really starting to hate cheap people. Whatever, no matter what quality, ... give me anything ... just to be free.
F2P can be usefull somehow for lower end, lower quality games, .... I really hope wow, rift, swtor, ... always stay P2P. One small exception can be F2P games that are free to certain level or alike ... but that is more eternal trial (like now wow model). Or like CO where you actually have to sub to have decent experience.
I really hope this ugly, disgusting, putrid, virulent disease called f2p never come to wow.