Free-to-play
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Free-to-play (F2P, FTP) refers to any game that has an option of allowing its players to play without paying. Some of these games have both a free version and a Pay to Play version that offers the full version of the game and all of the updates. Free-to-play games with pay-to-play components utilize the freebie marketing technique to draw in a user base with this advanced type of game demo. The term "free-to-play" is frequently heard in the context of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs).
Many game developers keep a free-to-play version running so people can try the game before paying the membership costs. It also helps attract more players to the game. Other developers, for example Softnyx or Nexon, generate revenue by selling in-game items that significantly enhance the player's in-game experience. In-game items can be purely cosmetic (vanity items), enhance the power of the player (power items), or accelerate progression speed (booster items). A common technique used by developers of these games is for the items purchased to have a time limit, after this expires the item must be repurchased before use can continue.
The term forever free-to-play game (FF2P) is used to distinguish MMOGs that promise to never charge a subscription fee from those that are currently free-to-play but may become pay-to-play in the future. It applies only to online games because while a conventional singleplayer freeware game becomes free-forever as soon as it is downloaded to the player's hard drive, a free online game may start charging a fee and instantly transform into a pay-to-play game.
There are many games specifically designed around the free-to-play model. The largest number of monetized (revenue generating) free-to-play games are developed in South Korea and Russia, where they dominate 90% of the gaming market. Companies that pioneered the Korean monetized free-to-play model are Nexon, NHN, YNK Interactive, Neowiz, Astrum Online Entertainment and Aeria Games.
There are Free-to-Play, Pay-to-Connect games such as Knight Online, where there is no charge for playing but often the free servers are congested. Access to uncongested servers is reserved for fee-paying members.
[edit] Play 4 Free
Play 4 Free is a specific, brand of free-to-play games such as EA:Battlefield Heroes, Aeria Games: Shaiya, and Nexon: Maple Story
