The free-to-play genre is a mixed bag with a wide array of games that are scorned by one audience as much as they are met with approval by another. And while you can sing the genre's praises or scoff at it 'til the cows come home, the fact is that the genre is a HUGE moneymaker. According to market intelligence firm Super Data, the top 10 games of the genre generated an astounding $3.6 billion, meaning that in the business of video games, free-to-play is here to stay.
Leading the chart of F2P money makers were military shooter CrossFire and MMOBA League of Legends, bringing in a king's ransom for publisher Tencent. The rest of the list makers was a virtual who's who of the free-to-play genre. According to the report, "Wargaming managed to stay ahead the Western publishers, with $372 million in annual revenues for World of Tanks, and hoping to penetrate the US market by launching on the Xbox One. NCSoft’s Lineage I, now in its fourteenth year since launch, continues to generate revenue, and takes the number six spot with $257 million in total sales."
Despite major losses of subscribers, other pay-to play titles are still popular enough to generate a respectable cash flow. "World of Warcraft managed to generate $213 million in micro-transaction sales in 2013. Similarly, Star Wars: The Old Republic earned $139 million in additional revenues, suggesting that both titles’ change to a hybrid monetization model succeeded to stem a more drastic revenue loss."
Coming in last were Valve's Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike Online, bringing in $260 million.
The more "casual" games aren't performing too shabbily either, with Candy Crush Saga (also the top social game for the year), Clash of Clans, and Pet Resuce Saga as the top 3 mobile games for the year.
While the genre as a whole is often discredited by "hardcore" gamers, it's a proven moneymaker, especially when compared to big name big budget titles. Consider Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V, which featured a budget larger than some Hollywood movies. Don't get me wrong, the game has more received its share of accolades, both critically and financially, but developing such a game is requires considerably more time, money, and talent. Some games (often carbon copies of other games) can be hammered out in a few weeks or days by teams of three or less.
With the number of players for games that use the F2P model growing in leaps and bounds, even major studios have adapted and adjusted their own IPs (of all varieties), often leading to re-gaining lost players, or acquiring a bevy of new ones. Ultimately, as long as a meager investment of time and/or money can turn any small time development team into the next Zynga, you can bet these kind of games will keep coming.
