Guide to Game Development/Miscellaneous/Free-to-play

One free-to-play games are put out there, and the developers make no money from them what so ever, but for the majority of free-to-play games, developers make money from them.

Ways in which free-to-play games make money

 * Donations
 * This is where below the game or with/in the game there is a donate button for it.


 * Games with advertisements
 * This is most popular with web and mobile games, they make the money from in-game advertisements.


 * Wait or pay
 * This is when the game stops you from playing and forces you to have to wait a period of time in order to play, but they allow you to bypass the waiting time for a small purchase.


 * DLC
 * Downloadable Content - The game is free but the add-ons you have to pay for.


 * Ability to purchase in-game aesthetic alterations
 * These don't affect game play, it's just used as a way to show off, this is most effective when it's a multiplayer game as they want to have some one to 'show it off to.'
 * Is seen as a decent way to for free-to-play games to work and it's not frowned upon as they don't get an advantage.


 * Ability to purchase perks/abilities that can only be acquired by buying it.
 * This is frowned upon in the game industry as it's known as 'pay-to-win', it's like the rich person always wins, where a game should be based upon skill.
 * This is usually inplemented into games as a secondary unique currency that can only be obtained with money.


 * Ability to bypass the 'grind' to unlock perks/abilities with money instead of putting effort in.
 * This is when normal players would need to put in a lot of hours trying to unlock an ability, but some players can just not put in the hours and just pay instead.
 * This is frowned upon a little bit, but not as much as "Ability to purchase perks/abilities that can only be acquired by buying it." This is because it's still possible for players to be equal, they just have to put more work in to get it.