2020
Alha, Kati
The Rise of Free-to-Play: How the Revenue Model Changed Games and Playing PhD Thesis
2020, ISBN: 978-952-03-1774-4.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Attitudes, Augmented reality, Ethics, Evaluation, Experience, Facebook, Free-to-play, Freemium, Future, Game industry, Grossing, Heuristics, Literature review, Metascore, Mobile gaming, Paying, Playability, Pokémon Go, Reviews, Sales, Social games, Social networks, Virtual goods
@phdthesis{Alha2020,
title = {The Rise of Free-to-Play: How the Revenue Model Changed Games and Playing},
author = {Kati Alha},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-1774-4
},
isbn = {978-952-03-1774-4},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-12-11},
abstract = {Free-to-play games have permanently transformed the game industry. Offering a game for free and gaining income through voluntary purchases during gameplay have proven to be the most successful way to gain revenue. Due to the model, more people than ever before play games, and the economic significance of games as business has multiplied. Simultaneously, the model has received a backlash for offering inferior, imbalanced game experiences that take advantage of players, manipulating them into playing and paying.
Despite the criticism and changes in game experiences, the research on free-to-play games is still heavily focused on economic aspects, with the goal to maximize revenue and find the best practices by which to implement the model. The voices of players are measured mostly through log data or quantitative surveys, while exploratory, qualitative research has been in the minority. The significance of free-to-play games and their connection to our game culture and society are still lacking critical inspection.
This dissertation takes up the challenge by studying free-to-play games from various perspectives through multiple methods, concentrating on qualitative approaches. The work shows the broad view of how and why free-to-play games have become so successful, how they have transformed games, and what problematic aspects are connected to them. The main claims of this dissertation are connected to: 1) the undervaluation of free-to-play games; 2) the unique challenges between money and gameplay experience; 3) the different framings of fairness and equality; 4) the need for transparency and legislation; and 5) the transformative power of free-to-play games on the consumption and creation of games.
The results show that while free-to-play games are played extensively, they are less valued than other games. This is especially true with mobile or casual free-to-play games and is descriptive of how we appraise and evaluate games. The lack of appreciation is connected to the nature of many free-to-play games, which are often never-ending and slow-paced, and offer challenges that differ from other games. The experiences that these games offer are different from the traditional, meritocratic values we have come to expect from games, and especially allowing advancement with money is in direct conflict with these values. The devaluation is shown in how the games are discussed, how they are reviewed (or not reviewed at all) by game journalists, and how they are studied. The players who engage with these games can also be excluded from gaming communities and gaming identities. At the same time, the challenges of the revenue model have resulted in new, creative solutions that bring diversity into game experiences and offer flexible playing for wider audiences.
The ethical issues connected to free-to-play games do need to be taken seriously. Problems connected to a lack of transparency, problematic playing, a resemblance to gambling, marketing to under-aged players, and privacy issues raise valid concerns. While free-to-play companies need to be especially mindful in giving players enough information and to implement tools to prevent accidental purchases and problematic playing, the industry also needs regulation that comes from outside itself. Thus, to create fair and functional legislation, we need academic and industry expertise in the committees doing the legislative work.
Despite the challenges and undervaluation that free-to-play games encounter, it is an indisputable fact that their impact on the game industry and on game consumption is both formidable and irreversible. They therefore deserve our attention and a critical exploration as a legitimate part of game culture. If you do not know free-to-play games, you do not know games.},
keywords = {Attitudes, Augmented reality, Ethics, Evaluation, Experience, Facebook, Free-to-play, Freemium, Future, Game industry, Grossing, Heuristics, Literature review, Metascore, Mobile gaming, Paying, Playability, Pokémon Go, Reviews, Sales, Social games, Social networks, Virtual goods},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
Free-to-play games have permanently transformed the game industry. Offering a game for free and gaining income through voluntary purchases during gameplay have proven to be the most successful way to gain revenue. Due to the model, more people than ever before play games, and the economic significance of games as business has multiplied. Simultaneously, the model has received a backlash for offering inferior, imbalanced game experiences that take advantage of players, manipulating them into playing and paying.
Despite the criticism and changes in game experiences, the research on free-to-play games is still heavily focused on economic aspects, with the goal to maximize revenue and find the best practices by which to implement the model. The voices of players are measured mostly through log data or quantitative surveys, while exploratory, qualitative research has been in the minority. The significance of free-to-play games and their connection to our game culture and society are still lacking critical inspection.
This dissertation takes up the challenge by studying free-to-play games from various perspectives through multiple methods, concentrating on qualitative approaches. The work shows the broad view of how and why free-to-play games have become so successful, how they have transformed games, and what problematic aspects are connected to them. The main claims of this dissertation are connected to: 1) the undervaluation of free-to-play games; 2) the unique challenges between money and gameplay experience; 3) the different framings of fairness and equality; 4) the need for transparency and legislation; and 5) the transformative power of free-to-play games on the consumption and creation of games.
The results show that while free-to-play games are played extensively, they are less valued than other games. This is especially true with mobile or casual free-to-play games and is descriptive of how we appraise and evaluate games. The lack of appreciation is connected to the nature of many free-to-play games, which are often never-ending and slow-paced, and offer challenges that differ from other games. The experiences that these games offer are different from the traditional, meritocratic values we have come to expect from games, and especially allowing advancement with money is in direct conflict with these values. The devaluation is shown in how the games are discussed, how they are reviewed (or not reviewed at all) by game journalists, and how they are studied. The players who engage with these games can also be excluded from gaming communities and gaming identities. At the same time, the challenges of the revenue model have resulted in new, creative solutions that bring diversity into game experiences and offer flexible playing for wider audiences.
The ethical issues connected to free-to-play games do need to be taken seriously. Problems connected to a lack of transparency, problematic playing, a resemblance to gambling, marketing to under-aged players, and privacy issues raise valid concerns. While free-to-play companies need to be especially mindful in giving players enough information and to implement tools to prevent accidental purchases and problematic playing, the industry also needs regulation that comes from outside itself. Thus, to create fair and functional legislation, we need academic and industry expertise in the committees doing the legislative work.
Despite the challenges and undervaluation that free-to-play games encounter, it is an indisputable fact that their impact on the game industry and on game consumption is both formidable and irreversible. They therefore deserve our attention and a critical exploration as a legitimate part of game culture. If you do not know free-to-play games, you do not know games.
Despite the criticism and changes in game experiences, the research on free-to-play games is still heavily focused on economic aspects, with the goal to maximize revenue and find the best practices by which to implement the model. The voices of players are measured mostly through log data or quantitative surveys, while exploratory, qualitative research has been in the minority. The significance of free-to-play games and their connection to our game culture and society are still lacking critical inspection.
This dissertation takes up the challenge by studying free-to-play games from various perspectives through multiple methods, concentrating on qualitative approaches. The work shows the broad view of how and why free-to-play games have become so successful, how they have transformed games, and what problematic aspects are connected to them. The main claims of this dissertation are connected to: 1) the undervaluation of free-to-play games; 2) the unique challenges between money and gameplay experience; 3) the different framings of fairness and equality; 4) the need for transparency and legislation; and 5) the transformative power of free-to-play games on the consumption and creation of games.
The results show that while free-to-play games are played extensively, they are less valued than other games. This is especially true with mobile or casual free-to-play games and is descriptive of how we appraise and evaluate games. The lack of appreciation is connected to the nature of many free-to-play games, which are often never-ending and slow-paced, and offer challenges that differ from other games. The experiences that these games offer are different from the traditional, meritocratic values we have come to expect from games, and especially allowing advancement with money is in direct conflict with these values. The devaluation is shown in how the games are discussed, how they are reviewed (or not reviewed at all) by game journalists, and how they are studied. The players who engage with these games can also be excluded from gaming communities and gaming identities. At the same time, the challenges of the revenue model have resulted in new, creative solutions that bring diversity into game experiences and offer flexible playing for wider audiences.
The ethical issues connected to free-to-play games do need to be taken seriously. Problems connected to a lack of transparency, problematic playing, a resemblance to gambling, marketing to under-aged players, and privacy issues raise valid concerns. While free-to-play companies need to be especially mindful in giving players enough information and to implement tools to prevent accidental purchases and problematic playing, the industry also needs regulation that comes from outside itself. Thus, to create fair and functional legislation, we need academic and industry expertise in the committees doing the legislative work.
Despite the challenges and undervaluation that free-to-play games encounter, it is an indisputable fact that their impact on the game industry and on game consumption is both formidable and irreversible. They therefore deserve our attention and a critical exploration as a legitimate part of game culture. If you do not know free-to-play games, you do not know games.
2018
Paavilainen, Janne; Korhonen, Hannu; Koskinen, Elina; Alha, Kati
Heuristic Evaluation of Playability: Examples from Social Games Research and Free-to-play Heuristics Book Section
In: Drachen, Anders; Mirza-Babaei, Pejman; Nacke, Lennart (Ed.): Games User Research, pp. 257–279, 2018, ISBN: 9780198794844.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Free-to-play, Game development, Games user research, Heuristics, Play experience, Playtesting, Social games, User experience, User testing
@incollection{Paavilainen2018,
title = {Heuristic Evaluation of Playability: Examples from Social Games Research and Free-to-play Heuristics},
author = {Janne Paavilainen and Hannu Korhonen and Elina Koskinen and Kati Alha},
editor = {Anders Drachen and Pejman Mirza-Babaei and Lennart Nacke },
url = {https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/publications/heuristic-evaluation-of-playability-examples-from-social-games-re},
doi = {10.1093/oso/9780198794844.003.0015},
isbn = {9780198794844},
year = {2018},
date = {2018-01-01},
urldate = {2018-01-01},
booktitle = {Games User Research},
pages = {257–279},
abstract = {The fierce competition in the video games market and new revenue models such as freeto- play emphasize the importance of good playability for first-time user experience and retention. Cost-effective and flexible evaluation methods such as heuristic evaluation are suitable for identifying playability problems in different phases of the game development life cycle. In this chapter, we introduce the heuristic evaluation method with updated playability heuristics, present example studies on identifying playability problems in social network games, and propose new heuristics for evaluating free-to-play games.},
keywords = {Free-to-play, Game development, Games user research, Heuristics, Play experience, Playtesting, Social games, User experience, User testing},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {incollection}
}
The fierce competition in the video games market and new revenue models such as freeto- play emphasize the importance of good playability for first-time user experience and retention. Cost-effective and flexible evaluation methods such as heuristic evaluation are suitable for identifying playability problems in different phases of the game development life cycle. In this chapter, we introduce the heuristic evaluation method with updated playability heuristics, present example studies on identifying playability problems in social network games, and propose new heuristics for evaluating free-to-play games.