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Free-to-play games are video games that don’t cost anything for players to install and start playing. Many, although certainly not all, have some paid elements to them. In-app purchases or content subscription packages, for example, can expand the playability of the game but they do cost extra.
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This model has seen free-to-play games dominate the gaming market where they incredibly make up the majority of revenue in the industry.
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Free To Play Games
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As the name suggests, free-to-play games enable at least some gameplay for free. They should enable the player to enjoy the vast majority of gaming content without having to pay any money, and there are many examples.
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Games like Fortnite are popular on all platforms and make money through cosmetic items and season pass sales. Games like Destiny 2 also sell season passes but they also monetize through the sale of additional content. SweepSlots offers sweepstakes slots where players can receive free coins, although they typically also offer the opportunity to buy additional coins to use playing their online slots.
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How Free To Play Games Make Money?
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Games cost money to make, and game makers have to pay for licenses, marketing, and other costs, so free-to-play titles have to make money somehow.
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Microtransactions
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Microtransactions are in-app purchases players make from within the game. These purchases are usually for cosmetic items but may also be for functional items or for additional levels or extra content.
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Advertising
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A lot of free-to-play games have in-game advertising. Advertisers may pay a flat fee or they may pay the game maker for every view of their ad or video. A lot of F2P games will offer free boosts or extra levels if players watch in-game videos.
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Season Passes
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Season passes have become common in games like Fortnite. They provide additional content as well as access to unique items. Players can still enjoy the game for free without a season pass, but a lot of players are willing to pay.
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Pay To Win
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In some games, it is possible to pay for timer resets, powerful weapons, or other items that help the player progress. It is possible to play these games without paying, but free players are at a disadvantage compared to paying players.
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Merchandise
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If a game becomes popular enough it can sell merchandise and other branded items outside the game. Fortnite is a good example of this. The game is free but Epic Games sells licenses to other companies to make and sell branded merchandise, and they sell some of their branded items too.
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Monetizing Player Data
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One method that F2P games might use to monetize their content is to sell player data. The game should require explicit permission to sell user data, but this isn’t always the case. Even major game developers have come under fire for allegedly selling or sharing player data in this way.
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Are They Really Free To Play?
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Strictly speaking, the games are entirely free to play, at least in some part. Games like Fortnite are free to install and many players go their entire Fortnite lives without paying a cent. However, a lot of players do choose to buy skins or pay for season passes to expand the playability and enjoyment of the game.
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Is There A Difference Between Free To Play And Free Games?
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Generally, free games are considered to be completely free with no elements that cost any money. F2P games typically either sell additional content or use some other means of monetizing their games.
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Are Free To Play Games Pay To Win?
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Some free-to-play games are considered pay-to-win. The term is usually used as a derogatory term to suggest that players who are unwilling to spend any money have no chance of winning the game or beating opponents, in the case of multiplayer titles.
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However, not all F2P titles are pay-to-win. Some offer the vast majority of content for free and only profit from the sale of cosmetic items or the offering of advertising.
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Conclusion
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Free-to-play games make up the vast majority of all gaming revenue, thanks to in-game purchases, or microtransactions, as well as other forms of monetization like season passes and paid DLC.
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They differ from free games, which usually do not have any form of monetization, and are most popular on mobile platforms followed by PC and then console.
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