Free-to-play

In this economy, people cannot spend as they used to when that money has to go to other things such as family, pets, their girlfriend/boyfriend, hair, rent, water, and so much other needs and wants that can eat up one's lifetime. Because of this, the game industry has decided to run a new try system know as Free-to-play (FTP.) Which is an ironic term since only few can run the system fairly.

While it is good designed FTP games, there are games that are keyed "Pay-to-win" because of the total corporal ways to milk money from the players.

One way is Pay-walls, which force the player to buy the power they need just to move on to the next stage or to remove a cap that prevents players from moving on. Not only that it's unethical, this can sap a lot of money from anyone stupid enough to pay for this system. The most resent is EA's Dungeon Keeper App for iPhone and android. As you have to pay just for the jems to even minions, as getting new parts of your own dungeon. Another bad FTP game that fallows this evilness is Star Trek: Texels, because it fallows the same tactics. To sum it up, as Angry Joe puts it, Greed-over-game-play. (This is why I had no choice but to boycott EA and Capcom because how they premote bad practice)

The way to prevent this issue is to allow players to find or unlock power without leaving caps or pay-walls, nor timers. I did mention that in Phantasy Star Online 2 where you can find most your rares, but the most recent example is Payload, as you can get most clothes by dailies and winning matches to get points to help adjust and make weapons. Paying for the starter kit dose help pay the developers for the cost of their art and graphic design, but that seems to be optional thanks to how their FTP game is built.

Another issue is Area-lock, which only selected countries can play the game. The biggest example is DragonBall Online. One of the world's biggest animes in the world has an online game...Only for asia. However, they did allow an English patch later on as it bough tons of new fans. While it dose have it's "trolls," as most communities do, they can easily be hunted down with a huge Ban-hammer. That is not a huge issue. While, yes, some English patches can be discouraged, Some can actually be promoted and even help moderators find jobs! this is why the modding community is a major plus for the gaming industry, as we would never get games like Day Z nor The Stanly Parable...But that's for another topic.

Even though the solution for games like that seem to be third-party help-outs, that is not always the case. One example is Play-Asia, as they botched most of their online-ports. Their biggest flop has to be DC Universe online, as they took the best part of the game has been taunted by delays, bugs and glitches that weren't in the original port, and unneeded censors, even when sometimes it works. The sad thing is Japan and other foren companies are aware of this because they fallow their own rules, and because the industry is constantly changing in other countries, companies are taking economical and financial damages because they are refusing to adjust to the changes.

The last thing I have to say is that it's up to people to make the wise decision to what they play and what they spend their money for, but even that's a stretch since adults would even let children play on their tablets while not paying attention to the consequences. That brings up the news stories of how kids managed to spend thousands of dollars on Free-to-play games. That money could have been used for needs like clothing, food, supplies, or your needs like better games made from people who actually put their hearts into their games, instead of cloning from others heartlessly just to make a fast buck!

The gaming industry really needs a drastic surgery to clear and remove this cancer part of Free-to-play and burn off the fatty parts of the industry, or an industry crash will occur, as it seems to slowly creep among us. Luckily, I have managed to prepare with used games and food supplies because soon the soul-less casual gamers will roam and eat our brains. Good-luck on your end, because you'll need it.