A Battlefield Heroes "buyer"? What's that? It's someone who not only plays the free-to-play Battlefield Heroes, but also manages to spend real money on microtransactions for the game like a new outfit for their character or an XP widget. Are we clear now? Good!
EA analytics manager Rommy Ghaly has given IGN some very interesting data about how much players are spending on virtual items: of the people who buy something in Battlefield Heroes, the average amount spent is $20. Impressive, I think? I don't know how to properly gauge success for a free-to-play game.
There's more raw data available if you are interested, but this is exactly what I've been dying to hear more about since the game's launch. Assuming that the $20 per buyer figure is a good one, and why would EA be talking about it if it wasn't, I hope other developers become more open to this business model.
The one thing the free-to-play model needs are AAA games that come from established franchises, and even more single-player games in general. You know, give me a free Call of Duty with paid microtransactions, and then we'll talk.
[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
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Contest:
10:20 AM on 08.13.2009
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I can't remember the name of that horrible free to play browser based RPG that kids play in the computer labs in school...ugh it's name escapes me. Anyway those kids drop mad bank on that game.
That name brings shivers down my spine. I remember glancing in my High School computer lab once and seeing like 20 people playing Runescape. 3 hours later, they were still playing it.
I'd be interested to see the percentage of people that play the game that actually buy things, and then what the average spent per person is across all players, not just buyers.
I stopped playing Gunbound when they let the noobs start to buy there perks instead of earning them.
Urrgh, I feel sick!
if i remember correctly those micro transactions were used only for clothes and increased EXP gains. weapons can be bought with metals won from matches and those weapons increase weapon fire rate or fire range - which can be obtain in about an hour or two of gameplay
I'm so general it hurts.