Summary of F2P Game Monetization: Good vs. Evil! | Eric Kress, Tim Morten, Ed Zobrist

00:00:00 - 00:45:00

This video discusses the different monetization models used for free-to-play games, with a focus on how to make games more friendly for players. The speakers discuss the pros and cons of different models and share their experiences in the industry. They also talk about the idea of predatory monetization and how it can make it difficult or impossible for players to earn money without spending money.

• 00:00:00 The video discusses the future of free to play game monetization, with three speakers discussing their experiences in the industry. One of the speakers, Eric Kress, has experience with whale-based game monetization, which many traditional Western players would consider predatory. Tim Morton has worked on games such as StarCraft 2 at Blizzard, and is currently production director and CEO at Frost Giant. Ed Zobrist, formerly ahead of publishing at Epic Games, teaches at USC's advanced games business class, and was formerly a principal at gossamer Consulting. All of the speakers share their perspectives on free to play game monetization, with a focus on how to make games more friendly for players.
• 00:05:00 Eric Kress, Tim Morten, and Ed Zobrist discuss the pros and cons of free-to-play monetization models. They discuss the decision to go with a free-to-play model for Stormgate and how it was received by players.
• 00:10:00 Free-to-play games are monetized in a variety of ways, but most tend to be predatory. One exception is Fortnite, which has a Battle Pass system that is less predatory.
• 00:15:00 In this video, Eric Kress, Tim Morten, and Ed Zobrist discuss the differences between free to play games that use a pay to win or pay to progress model and those that don't. They also discuss how successful these models have been in the past. Finally, they talk about the idea of predatory monetization, which is when a game uses mechanics that make it difficult or impossible for players to earn money without spending money.
• 00:20:00 In this video, Eric Kress, Tim Morten, and Ed Zobrist discuss the different monetization models available for free-to-play games, with a focus on PC games. They note that while Fortnite was the number one mobile game for many weeks, it was never outside of the top ten before it was removed from the App Store. They also discuss the small size of the shooter genre on mobile, relative to other genres. Finally, they note that understanding the total adjustable market is critical for success in building games for the market.
• 00:25:00 This YouTube video discusses the different monetization strategies pursued by different video game companies, including Epic Games. The video argues that, in the Western markets, conversion rates are low, and so most of the revenue generated by games is from the top five percent of players. In Asia, however, conversion rates are high, so a much larger proportion of players generate revenue. This difference in monetization strategies has led to different design decisions in Western and Asian video games, with the latter often focusing on exploiting addictive behavior in order to obtain deeper monetary spend from players.
• 00:30:00 This video discusses the differences in monetization practices between F2P games in the West and East, and how this may change in the future as the macroeconomy changes. Eric Kress, Tim Morten, and Ed Zobrist discuss player monetization philosophy and how it relates to game design. They also mention the importance of an audience's expectations when it comes to monetization.
• 00:35:00 The video discusses the monetization models of free-to-play games, focusing on the different ways that retention, spending, and conversion rates can affect business success. The presenter asks Eric Kress about how free-to-play games should be designed in order to achieve success.
• 00:40:00 This video discusses the business model of free to play games and how the monetization strategy can shift from payment optimization to willing to pay. This shift is due to the deprecation of the industry by IDC.
• 00:45:00 The video discusses the importance of monetizing a game, and how it is important to focus on retention rather than acquisition. It highlights the importance of design features that make people want to spend money on a game, and the need for companies to focus on retention in order to succeed in the future.