Should the 2K Series move to the FREE TO PLAY model?

[jadert]

Would you still have an issue with excessive VC based modes if 2K was free?

The Fornite phenomenon has introduced a whole new error of videogame payment models. NBA 2K has benefitted from getting dual income sources for years now. As newer gamers download more free games instead of purchasing them, how would we feel about VC if 2K was free?

There are a few arguments for this model. First, it would provide access for millions more to play 2K. 2K comes out in a quarter that competes with other blockbuster titles. There is a finite amount of money people will spend on video games. Video games sales recently has been a little flat. Being free would allow many more millions of fans to download the title and play.

Secondly, 2K can then provide episodic content on a fairly regular basis rather than having a game come out yearly with a dozen patches.

Not sure what I think about this, but this is the direction that the videogame industry is going. Should 2K/Take Two get on board? What are your thoughts?

[ksuttonjr76]

Why would they? Too many basketball junkies for them to even entertain this idea, and that concept mainly work with new IPs where they're trying to grow a fanbase.

EDIT: Hypothetical speaking...if they actually did this in some strange Twilight Zone episode, I believe that the grind would actually be "worse", because now they have make-up for lost sales. Being mainly a PNO player, I don't believe that I would be impacted by such a change, HOWEVER I could see them tweaking the PNO model to "lock" teams behind paywalls.

[WaddupCouzin]

Fortnight isn't paying for a license, so I'm not sure how that works.

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[Pokes404]

Free to play games either A) have very little development costs, or B) don't have to pay pricey licensing fees. 2K has licensing fees to the NBA and a fairly substantially-sized development team. I don't see a free to play model working for them. If they did go that route, I'm guessing they would have to design the game to HEAVILY incentivize you to spend real money. And I'm not just talking about making the VC grind a little harder ... I mean stuff like:

You can play 5 games a day. After 5 games, you have to wait 24-hours to let your "Stamina Bar" recharge before you can play again ... UNLESS, you want to spend some "Workout Coins" (only available for purchase in the store with real money, of course) to refill that meter and play more games now.


With a game that requires the kind of development and programing that 2K does, not to mention the licensing fees, I just don't see how a free to play model could work for them.

[Junior Moe]

Why go free when you're selling 10million copies, PLUS the extra from microtransactions. It doesn't make any sense.

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[ksuttonjr76]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pokes404

Free to play games either A) have very little development costs, or B) don't have to pay pricey licensing fees. 2K has licensing fees to the NBA and a fairly substantially-sized development team. I don't see a free to play model working for them. If they did go that route, I'm guessing they would have to design the game to HEAVILY incentivize you to spend real money. And I'm not just talking about making the VC grind a little harder ... I mean stuff like: You can play 5 games a day. After 5 games, you have to wait 24-hours to let your "Stamina Bar" recharge before you can play again ... UNLESS, you want to spend some "Workout Coins" (only available for purchase in the store with real money, of course) to refill that meter and play more games now. With a game that requires the kind of development and programing that 2K does, not to mention the licensing fees, I just don't see how a free to play model could work for them.

I would be heated if I was only allowed to play a certain number of games online.

[ChiefKeef300]

Madden probably but not 2k

[jadert]

It would be interesting to examine the difference between selling 10 million copies vs. having 40-50 million users in terms of revenue.

Of course now the idea seems crazy, but as more developers move towards this model, I think it will be trending in the coming years in the video game industry.