The developers of free role-playing game Path of Exile have always said they will stick to what they believe to be ethical and not make the game a pay-to-win experience. Has it ruined their bottom line? Not at all: the studio and game are actually doing quite well, the developers revealed in an interview with Polygon.
Free-to-play models have become increasingly popular ways of doing business for game studios, particularly in the RPG, MMO and shooter genres. Developers hope that by either not charging for the game nor requiring a subscription fee, they can attract a large player base that will make them money in other ways, such as advertisements or in-game purchases.
This model has become divisive amongst gamers, though. This is in part due to some developers doing free-to-play games in a way that unbalances the gameplay, which is referred to as pay-to-win. In these setups, the in-game purchases you can make put you at an unfair advantage over those who can't or won't spend real money on in-game items, some of which are only attainable by spending cash. These titles give free-to-play a bad name, and have partially cast the model in a poor light.
The setup preferred by gamers, which we are seeing increasingly more of due to the criticism of money-driven games, is that all items or weapons are unlockable simply by playing, even if it takes a while (within reason). If it's balanced properly, it's not the end of the world if a player willing to spend money can unlock, for instance, a superior gun sooner than someone who gets it just by playing a lot, so long as everyone has an equal chance.
But ideally, anything that can give you an advantage in gameplay is only unlocked through effort, not paying to be better than everyone else. The only things players don't mind being able to buy with real cash are cosmetic, useful, or fun items that have no impact on the competetitiveness of the gameplay.
Path of Exile developer Grinding Gear Games have always said they wish to steer clear of a pay-to-win system, intrusive ads, or forcing paid content into players' faces, and they've stuck to their guns. Those fearing this would mean the end for the very well received, deep, and fun online RPG need not worry: the studio has made back its development costs and is turning a profit with the game. An expansion for the game, Sacrifice of Vaal, is coming out next week.
"We probably would be making more income if we were pay-to-win," said lead programmer Jonathan Rogers. "But the game is doing very well. We paid off our development costs, the company is making enough money to expand."
Lead designer Chris Wilson said, "We would never want to compromise the game." He added that gouging and persistent monetization policies generally hide game mechanics that are built around profits. The only way to win with a non-intrusive approach is to "make a really good game that people love to play."
I've played about a dozen hours of the game and it's very good, so I'm glad to hear they're doing well while sticking to their guns. You can find and download Path of Exile on Steam or on their website.