14 DAY TRIAL // Andrei Yarantsau, a publishing vice president at Wargaming, says that the traditional free-to-play business model for video games cannot sustain a title in the long term because it leads to an inevitable decline in player numbers.
The executive tells Gamasutra that only a limited number of players, referred to as whales, tend to pay to get a competitive edge, which makes the entire community less interested in the experience.
He adds, “Top-payers end up never losing, while those who pay less or don't pay grow dissatisfied with the game. Eventually, many leave entirely and the overall player base shrinks.”
Wargaming announces that it is dropping free-to-play in favor of free-to-win, a new business model that eliminates payments for a number of items and only asks gamers to contribute to get access to customization options and premium vehicles.