The Debating Chamber

Forum for intelligent debate on possibly controversial topics related to gaming

What would you consider a "Free" game?

  • Posted on 25 March 14 at 12:18
    There are many games available or will be made available in the future for "free" according to the developers, but to what extent?

    Some games allow you to play on a more trial-like basis, with a lot of features locked unless you purchase DLC. Other games enable all features but lock out some achievements until you pay and finally some games have everything unlock-able from the beginning but involve a lot of mind-numbing grinds that can be decreased dramatically by paying.

    With more and more games going towards micro-transactions these days, in your opinion what constitutes a "Free" game?
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    Removed Gamer

    Posted on 25 March 14 at 12:27
    I would consider a game to be free if I could play the full game without paying.
    By 'full' I mean that extra money will not buy you any more 'basic' parts of the game, such as levels or basic weapons for instance. Paying players can buy characters/skins, extra weapons, or even extra maps but I would sooner consider those to be DLC for the free game.
  • Das KuhnenDas Kuhnen770,704
    Posted on 25 March 14 at 12:38
    Its a free game if I have to pay nothing to beat it.
    Deep into that darkness peering.. Long I stood there.. wondering..fearing.. doubting..
  • QuickMythrilQuickMythril799,566
    Posted on 25 March 14 at 12:58, Edited on 25 March 14 at 12:58 by QuickMythril
    free means you get everything at no cost. other deals would have to be categorized differently.

    games with microtransactions that are not required to beat and complete the game are still free.
  • WarmedxMintsWarmedxMints1,256,023
    Posted on 25 March 14 at 13:56
    A free game for me is simply one I do not have to pay for.

    It is irrelevant if there is a cost involved in completing it. A game is still a game even if you cannot get all the achievements with or without incurring a cost.
    http://www.trueachievements.com/gtasc-2014.htm
  • JMJimmyJMJimmy631,531
    Posted on 25 March 14 at 17:52, Edited on 01 February 16 at 20:17 by JMJimmy
    Free game = game which allows me to get 1 achievement or more (regardless of GS value) without having to outlay any money.

    Simply put, if it gives me something that's recognized on TA without me paying, it's free. If I have to outlay money to complete it after that, that's my choice but for some like myself who have massive backlogs completing every achievement isn't as much of a priority as it is for others.

    Edit: Put another way:

    Free games have no mechanism for charging the user any money at any point. Otherwise it's freemium or free-to-pay-more.
    Life, it's funny that way.
  • Posted on 25 March 14 at 18:23
    That was at least three different opinions already. I can see where this will go... laugh
    Editor-in-chief of Gamin' Girl - gamingirl.com
  • QuickMythrilQuickMythril799,566
    Posted on 25 March 14 at 21:49
    WarmedxMints said:
    A free game for me is simply one I do not have to pay for.
    It is irrelevant if there is a cost involved in completing it. A game is still a game even if you cannot get all the achievements with or without incurring a cost.
    you can play any xbla as a trial for free with no achievements. would you consider Cut the Rope for WP free? you can play a few levels and even get achievements, but you can't play all the levels without paying. so you can't really "beat" the game. not that there's really a storyline or anything.

    a game is still a game even if you can only play for 1 hour, or only play 1 level right? i agree with jmjimmy for purposes of the Free Content thread. if you can play it and get even one achievement, then that's relevant to the users of this site.

    also to address anemoneman's point: killer instinct would be a free game then. you can play as much as you want in any mode, i believe. you just can't use all the characters (which could basically be considered "skins" or different fighting "themes"). especially with the fact that they are rotating the free character monthly. it's a free game with no achievements, and the fact that you can simply buy one cheap piece of dlc to enable achievements makes it even better.

    not trying to disagree with anyone, just providing some alternate points of view.
  • WeisGuy9WeisGuy9776,090
    Posted on 26 March 14 at 01:26, Edited on 26 March 14 at 01:31 by WeisGuy9
    I'd like to see more developers use a model like World of Tanks. The full game is entirely free, and you can unlock every achievement without investing any money in the game. Without a doubt, the game is much easier to complete is you spend some money on it, and there are plenty of cool tanks that you can pay money for, but the fact is that you don't have to, or need to. Plus it's just a pretty damn fun game.

    A couple of really nice things about it is that I've never waited more than 30 seconds to get into a match, and the team balancing is outstanding. It not only balances by type of tank, but also by Tier, matching more powerful tanks with each other, and lower powered tanks (newer players) with each other. A really nice feature is that if you die in the match you can choose to either stay and spectate (which is a really great way to learn how to play well), or you can return to your garage and select another tank and jump right into another match.
    CEO/GSSP: Not polite, patient, or politically correct.
  • Posted on 26 March 14 at 05:25, Edited on 26 March 14 at 05:27 by CrAzEdCaNuCk18
    QuickMythril said:
    WarmedxMints said:
    A free game for me is simply one I do not have to pay for.
    It is irrelevant if there is a cost involved in completing it. A game is still a game even if you cannot get all the achievements with or without incurring a cost.
    you can play any xbla as a trial for free with no achievements. would you consider Cut the Rope for WP free? you can play a few levels and even get achievements, but you can't play all the levels without paying. so you can't really "beat" the game. not that there's really a storyline or anything.

    a game is still a game even if you can only play for 1 hour, or only play 1 level right? i agree with jmjimmy for purposes of the Free Content thread. if you can play it and get even one achievement, then that's relevant to the users of this site.

    also to address anemoneman's point: killer instinct would be a free game then. you can play as much as you want in any mode, i believe. you just can't use all the characters (which could basically be considered "skins" or different fighting "themes"). especially with the fact that they are rotating the free character monthly. it's a free game with no achievements, and the fact that you can simply buy one cheap piece of dlc to enable achievements makes it even better.

    not trying to disagree with anyone, just providing some alternate points of view.
    Personally I wouldn't consider these free and would much rather them just be honest and charge everyone one or two dollars instead of trying to tempt everybody with "FREE!" in hopes of luring in a handful of people that will pay the five or ten dollars(I don't know the prices to complete the games in question so don't take that as fact) to finish the main game. If the developers decide later to charge for some added DLC then that would be acceptable to me as it would be up to the gamer then to decide whether or not they enjoyed it enough to pay for more.
  • WeisGuy9WeisGuy9776,090
    Posted on 26 March 14 at 06:36
    I agree completely. I'm instantly skeptical of any game that says it is Free To Play. I even did some serious checking on World of Tanks before deciding to DL it. I'd be much more likely to go ahead and try a game that lists for $3 or $4, than to try one that says Free.
    CEO/GSSP: Not polite, patient, or politically correct.
  • HoffmanHoffman158,811
    Posted on 28 April 14 at 03:03
    Throne Together, while clever and a fun concept, is a good example of what you're referring to Bud.

    There are several levels which require specific blocks to drop in order for them to be beaten, and they don't always drop, so you get pissed off and just pay the two dollars to get what you need to move on.

    I'm currently stuck on a challenge because you have to complete a specific build (gate/portcullis or throne/torches) to get enough points, and I've only gotten the needed blocks once out of 15 tries. That one I got it on, I screwed up. You can't buy special pieces, so I'm stuck until the game gives me what I need.
    Please, pardon my absence. The Great One will return shortly.
  • Posted on 28 November 14 at 17:13, Edited on 28 November 14 at 17:22 by HyruleBalverine
    I know that I'm very late to this discussion, but I wanted to add my opinion here.

    To me a free game, as far as Xbox Live is concerned, is any game where I have the possibility of earning all of the base game achievements without the requirement to purchase anything additional.

    Games like Killer Instinct, Crimson Alliance, and Cut the Rope (Win 8), while free to download, are not free to complete. I see these more as extended trials.
    Games like Pinball FX2 are more like hubs than games because everything needed to get achievements (or really play the game) is "DLC".

    There are obvious various degrees of "Free" games out there, between glorified trials, pay 2 play, and free 2 play formats, as well as full games for free like Games with Gold.
    Xbox Community Level 15 | XCA: Rank 12 | ßeta: Rank 0 | EU: Rank 12 | Forums: Rank 3 | @HyruleBalverine
  • DarzlatDarzlat154,306
    Posted on 01 February 16 at 16:54
    A game that has a price of $0 and no micro transactions.
  • MrJenkins91MrJenkins91405,128
    Posted on 02 February 16 at 22:55
    A free game for me is a completely free game, withouth ads, micropayments and any locked elements, for which you have to do something else like (Like us on Facebook!) and so on.

    I know it is useful for promotion, but seriously if i have a free game, which i completed fast (except those neverending games like Farmville), i really don't want to follow it on Twitter, Facebook or anything else just to get achievements.

    I think most gaming studios are misusing the title "free", or "free" has another definition by now.
  • Posted on 03 February 16 at 12:29
    A free game for me is one that you do not have to pay to be able to own and play but they CAN have the OPTION of micro transactions. However, it becomes a bit more blurry/grey when micro transactions are necessary for completion - these I would not consider free.
  • Posted on 03 February 16 at 13:45
    A free game is free to download/get. Microtransactions optional. Watching ads to get ingame currency that normally would costs money is a valid option that I can only get behind.
    gamingirl.com is on hiatus, working on new project. Danish people can write a PM to me and ask as the magazine is in danish!
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