Reaching out. The differences of traditional and free-to-play model.

Here is a common dilemma in a consumer buying process for video games.

I can go to a retail game store, my app store on my phone or a digital game service like Steam and pay $10 to $60 for a new game

Or

I can download a free-to-play game and spend money on in-game services whenever I want to.

Most traditional video games are offered for a one-time purchase and any money between the business and the consumer ends. Afterward, the business develops the next video game for the consumer to buy and repeats the process again. The consumer has to invest money into a product every time for a something new.

Free-to-play games let consumers play a video game for free. In exchange, players can choose to buy in-game goods or services to expand on experience in their free game. As time goes on, the business can decide to new release updates for their free-to-play game and offer new goods and services the player can enjoy. League of Legends and Team Fortress 2 are great examples to look at.

The key difference between these two models is how accessible it is for a consumer. Anyone can play a free-to-play game which raises the potential and consistent  revenue stream that a traditional game can’t offer.

Here’s a video on the “Evolution of Free to Play Games” at the DICE summit this year.

Here Comes a New Blogger!

It’s 8:00am.

I’m sitting in front of my laptop, wondering if I’m getting better.

I have just left an online lobby for a video game called Street Fighter.

In the past hour, I played 12 matches and won 10  against high level players.

Before I get the chance to review my match replays, I look at the clock and realize I have to get ready for my 8:30am class.

My name is Harley Yeatman, an online world warrior of fighting games and a second-year marketing student at St. Lawrence College. You might see me in the SA tearing up some players in video games time to time or doing school work while watching a video stream in the computer labs. I take my hobby seriously but keep it in check with the help of prioritizing my future marketing career.

Here’s a bit of background information about me. I’m originally from Red Deer, Alberta. I moved to Kingston with my parents at a young age. My parents bought a Super Nintendo when I was in grade school and I have been hooked on video games ever since then. I have gone and lived independently from my family for a year and just recently moved back to my family home for school.

As for why I’m in the marketing program, it was the only business subject that I have genuine interest in and it offered career paths in communities that I want to be with after school. My dream job would be as an event coordinator or a community manger for a video game company. I want to go out and bring something exciting for people to enjoy and for them to be a part of it.

Here an example of the experience that I want to help make bigger and that is a part of my life. The video is from the biggest annual fighting game tournament, Evolution.

(Source: evo2vids’s Youtube channel)

I hope you enjoyed a first look at my blog. Get hyped for next week as I going to be posting about marketing in the video game industry!