You know CryTek, makers of the most prettiest of pretty game engines? Well, they’ve mentioned to VideoGamer.com that they’re going completely free to play just as soon as they bloody well can.
CEO, Cervat Yerli, said that the current model of selling a game to a consumer and then letting them play it wasn’t very nice. Well, actually, he said that gouging players for DLC and premium services wasn’t nice but it all leads to the same thing: They’re going to stop offering the option to buy additional content after the game and start badgering us to buy it during the game instead.
Right now we are in the transitional phase of our company, transitioning from packaged goods games into an entirely free-to-play experience
What this entails is that our future, all the new games that we’re working on, as well new projects, new platforms and technologies, are designed around free-to-play and online, with the highest quality development.
It’s difficult to argue with him from a business perspective – so-called Free to Play model is, ironically, the most profitable but it has yet to prove capable of providing the same kind of experiences on the same kind of scale as the traditional model. It’s disappointing to see a traditionally excellent developer abandon the system of making and selling games that I’m comfortable with but it also gives me slightly more confidence in future Free to Play market. That it will have excellent talent like CryTek’s involved might lead to an overall increase in standards.
Shall we start asking for that Free to Play TimeSplitter multiplayer game now?
Source: VideoGamer
bmg_123
I still don’t like free-to-play games. After seeing that Battlefield Heroes was comprimised of the core game, with arbitrary add-ons like costumes and ‘pay-to-win!’ upgrades like ‘rent this more powerful sniper’, I just don’t see that it’s going to be better overall for innovation, as the devs will stick to samey, cheap formulas and then make their money off of the more complex addons. Or maybe I just don’t like change.
Bilbo_bobbins
Nope, not for me. I wont get sucked into this at all. Free to play means you end up in a game, where you HAVE to buy to be able to compete with other players who have bought it.
gazzagb
Not necessarily, some F2P games are not Pay2Win such as Dota 2 where Valve said the only stuff to buy would be cosmetic and not game-enhancing. It’s all up to the developers how they want to do it. We’ll just have to wait which path Crytek chose to follow.
cam the man
I’ve been enjoying ACR and F1 Online, both free to play where you can win without spending a penny.
Bilbo_bobbins
Good to hear there are some games, but for most FPS ones this is the case. Not played Dota 2, have to check that out.
TROPtastic
Don’t forget Dust 514. Free to play, and according to the developer, definitely NOT free to play.
bunimomike
Ah, but look at it from the other way around too. League of Legends is F2P so I’ve found out – for absolutely zero money – that I’m shit at it! :)
skibadee
will give a few some time if all games go that way forget it.
cam the man
I don’t mind paying small amounts now and then as it helps pay for development of the game.
hazelam
that’s good because after buying the mega rig you need to run their games you’ll have no money to buy any games. ^_^
baggyg
Played Tribes: Ascend but seemed a tad shallow. Not writing off free to play games but have yet to experience one that would hold my interest like a retail game. If anyone can do it, I wouldnt write off CryTek
PoorPaddy89
F2P still has a bit of a stigma attached to it of being somewhat lesser quality, but hopefully big developers like Crytek will help push this out. I personally prefer buying a packaged game when it comes to home consoles, but you can’t argue too much with free games.
Of course WHEN F2P takes off, the issue will be how much of the game is free. Will CoD #19 be F2P except you have to pay for every gun except a water pistol? It’s not impossible.
SH Number 7/Mini-Lipscombe
I really don’t want this to be a standard affair. The Pay2Win model just ruins games, even the DLC for Battlefield (where you can get every unlock) is a bit shitty, but the game has been around for long enough for it not too be too much. But I want to unlock my stuff even if it’s cosmetic. I don’t want to have to pay for it. I’ll buy a game and earn my stuff, where is the fun if you don’t have a reason to progress in the game. I’ve cheated on too many games and just ruined them after 5 minutes to know that I hate this model.
Please don’t Crytek.
Tuffcub
The games run on the Crytek GFACE platform so that means no more console games from Crytek.
cc_star
Quite a brain drain to F2P occurring recently, as more respected people end up in this field the more that will follow them too.