Without a shadow of a doubt, the gaming industry is one of the largest nowadays. Video games were blamed for anything from the 2020 pandemic to people staying inside all day. If people weren’t playing video games on their computers, consoles, or mobile devices, they would be watching Netflix or reading a book.

As people from all walks of life came together to play video games, the industry reaped the benefits financially. While some gamers are ready to spend up to $60 on a game, others would rather play for free. Publishers make a lot of money any way. The debate over whether free-to-play or paid games are superior continues. Let’s examine the advantages and disadvantages of each one individually.

Free to Play Games

Games like CrossFire and DotA 2 that are free to play have recently become popular with a wide range of players. While they don’t cost anything, you get the whole game without any pay to win strategies. Offering the full experience to players at no cost inspired other publishers to follow suit.

But only a select handful, like Riot Games, the multi-player’s creator and publisher, were successful. This also marked the beginning of the era of freemium mobile gaming. A new demographic of gamers known as “casuals” emerged in 2010 as a result of the success of games like Plants vs. Zombies, Angry Birds, and Jetpack Joyride. The games’ widespread appeal led to monthly revenue of millions of dollars and the creation of spinoff media such as films, TV shows, and animated shorts.

What are the Disadvantages of F2P Games

The gameplay of free-to-play games is notoriously boring and monotonous. Most free-to-play titles fall into one of three categories: competitive, gacha, or hyper-casual. They are better recognised for their lengthy and repetitive gameplay than for their narratives.

One more drawback is that anyone who can’t be trusted with their own finances may fall prey to online gambling. In general, gacha games function like slot machines, but there is no assurance that the player will obtain a valuable in-game object. High-value things are hard to come by, thus the financial fallout for those who aren’t prepared can be devastating.

How F2P Games Earn Money

When there is more buzz about a product, more people will be exposed to it. That’s why popular games like Subway Surfers and Temple Run can make money through ads. Microtransactions and other in-game purchases allow these games to make money even if no one plays. They rely on advertising, just like free television shows. Exposure can help expand one’s financial resources. Microtransactions are another revenue stream for free-to-play games. This is the best and most lucrative way to monetize games like Apex Legends and Fortnite.

Pay to Play Games

To keep things simple, we’ll group together both one-time purchases and recurring subscriptions for games. The hobby of playing video games is notoriously costly. However, the quality and replay value of a full match, which typically costs $60, was consistently high. The storylines, voice acting, visuals, and audio of these games have made them famous. From the early days of Doom to the massive success of World of Warcraft, the pay to play model has developed throughout time.

Because of the reliability of its consumer base, the industry has figured out how to take advantage of its customers’ compulsion to buy. Furthermore, this practise contributes to dishonest commercial practises. Popular current-gen titles include Cuphead, Dark Souls, Skyrim, Dragon’s Dogma, Gran Turismo, Grand Theft Auto, Drift Boss and Rainbow Six: Siege because to their high quality and extensive replay value. Indie games are cheaper and have smaller budgets, but they nevertheless provide interesting and original gameplay.

What are the Disadvantages of P2P Games

The addition of microtransactions is currently perhaps the only issue with P2P games. Free-to-play games outsell pay-once titles solely because players may keep spending money indefinitely. It makes sense, as players typically view pay-to-play games as a one-and-done proposition. If you try a free-to-play game and end up loving it, you might easily spend hundreds of dollars in a short period of time.

As a result, companies like EA Games and Activision intentionally exploit their customers. From the point of view of a player, it is an obscenely greedy technique, but from the point of view of a corporation and its shareholders, it is cunning and shrewd.

Which One is Better?

Free-to-play and pay-to-play games are on equal footing these days. Consider Genshin Impact, a free-to-play game available on several platforms that offers nearly the same high-quality of-life gameplay as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As a result of the realisation that free-to-play models generate more revenue, some formerly P2P games have made the transition. Some of these games are Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, and Rocket League.

However, it is up to you to decide which kind of game would be most enjoyable. The type of game you enjoy playing depends on your personal preferences and skill level. Enjoy playing with millions of other people each month? Go for a game like Fortnite or Rocket League. Halo, the Uncharted series, Yakuza, Nintendo’s hallmark titles, and any highly rated Steam game are excellent options if you place a premium on story and presentation.