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Free-to-play 'typically lose 70%' of initial users, warns former Total War designer
Posted: 15.08.2012 13:36 by Simon Priest Comments: 5
Jan van der Crabben, former designer for Empire: Total War, has warned his fellows that studios should brace themselves for a 70% drop-off of initial registered users with their free-to-play titles.

Speaking at a GDC Europe keynote, Crabben said whilst the majority play for a little bit and then leave to never return, those who make it a fourth day will generally keep coming back.

It's vital to hook gamers in the opening moments of any F2P, and that 30% retention should be considered a success. Crabben heaped praise on World of Warcraft's F2P.

Blizzard's F2P sampler for World of Warcraft is exactly what's needed to keep attention, said the former Creative Assembly man. A constant reward system like that found in WoW is near perfect to keeping users. Jan van der Crabben currently works at Travian Games as a senior game designer. They focus on browser-based free-to-play titles.
Source: MCV

Comments

By herodotus (SI Herodotus) on Aug 15, 2012
herodotus
What would he know. C'mon, be honest.
By danfreeman (SI Core) on Aug 16, 2012
danfreeman
Okay that number is way too high,70% ? Really?
By lichlord (SI Core) on Aug 17, 2012
lichlord
Total war games aren't F2P mmo to be exact he doesn't prolly know a thing
By SwiftFire87 (SI Veteran Member) on Aug 21, 2012
SwiftFire87
hmm...I have played many free to play MMOs and well this is a true statement I believe. As most free to play games are zapping people away from the core of the franchise. Some games are built around MMO and if they go free to play then well they will be fine, but games that have been around for years and all of a sudden get a free to play title will bomb because they change the game so far away from the core of the original context.
By lichlord (SI Core) on Aug 21, 2012
lichlord
say that to Team fortress 2... they boomed when they went f2p its the way they go f2p that makes a diffrence good ways to go f2p will make games bigger n better others will just go meh...