Free-to-play

Free-to-play (F2P) refers to video games which give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying. There are several kinds of free-to-play games, but the most common is based on the freemium software model. For freemium games, users are granted access to a fully functional game, but must pay microtransactions to access additional content. Free-to-play can be contrasted with pay-to-play, in which payment is required before using a service for the first time.

The model was first popularly used in early massively multiplayer online games targeted towards casual gamers, before finding wider adoption among games released by major video game publishers to combat video game piracy and high system requirements. Without up front payment, publishers may charge money for in-game items or integrate advertisements into the game.

Categories

There are several kinds of free-to-play games:

Free to Play (film)

Free to Play is a 2014 documentary film by American video game company Valve Corporation. The film takes a critical look at the lives of Benedict "Hyhy" Lim, Danil "Dendi" Ishutin and Clinton "Fear" Loomis, three professional Defense of the Ancients (DotA) players who participated in The International 2011, the most lucrative video game tournament at the time. The central focus of the film is how their commitment to Dota had affected their lives and how this debut tournament for the sequel, Dota 2, would bring more meaning to their struggles. Jeremy Lin, professional basketball player and an avid player of Dota 2, makes a guest appearance in the film.

Synopsis

The documentary focuses on three different players who arrive in Cologne to compete in a gaming tournament for Dota 2, The International, that will net the winning team a $1 million prize.

Singaporean team Scythe Gaming is led by Benedict "Hyhy" Lim. Parts of the film explore his life in Singapore, where he lives with his mother, aunt, and father. His father works long hours for a shipping company at the nearby port to support the family, and his mother and aunt disapprove of the time he spends on video games, which has led his grades to suffer. In order to attend The International, Hyhy must skip his final exams at school, and he feels that only winning the $1 million grand prize will demonstrate to his family that his gaming career is worthy of respect. He also admits that he is still in love with his ex-girlfriend, and hopes that a win at the International will impress her enough for her to give him a second chance.