Do you pay to play?

[Tao]

Well overall, I prefer to pay once and have full access to everything, maybe some meaty DLC months down the line. Games that have an entry fee plus additional unlimited fees can GTFO entirely.

Free to Play I generally don't like since the vast majority of those games lock content behind pay walls. Some games make you pay for gear, others characters, some let invest countless hours without seeing a single pay wall until *bam*, the end game content requires endless amounts of money to enjoy and you'll probably pay it because of the sunk cost fallacy.

Pay to Play on the other hand I prefer. Something like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV I was happy to pay a monthly subscription to play as nothing significant was gated away from me, save for small handfuls of useless cosmetics and user services (though I would prefer they were included with subscriptions...). Those are games that are regularly updated with significant content additions adding more and more to the game, so I don't feel as the subscription is entirely arbitrary for the sake of money (though obviously, to a degree, it is).

 

[Hat']

i’m notorious for paying to play, sadly. it’s only ever happened with mobile games, though; i’ll download a game that’s free, get really into it after playing for a bit, try to progress without spending any money but i always get tempted by the continuous “limited-time offer!” and “value pack!” pop ups and before i know it, i’m spending money on a game that i’ll undoubtedly lose interest in in less than a week.

This hits way too close to home because I'm the exact same way... the amount of money I've wasted for a bunch of pixels...

 

[Romaki]

I only pay for apps with survey money, like from Google Surveys or PollPay.

 

[fairysyndrome]

Games that have tempted me: FEH, Genshin Impact, Flightrising (gems)

as someone who used to play FEH & does play FR, i promise it's not worth the temptation and that knowing that might help you from getting tempted further MGFMGFM FEH rates are too low to be worth the orbs and FR gives you gems pretty consistently from just keeping your dragons fed, so it adds up. don't play it but i've heard genshin also has awful gacha rates so

i'm generally F2P, but on occasion i will spend a dollar or two -- only if what i'm buying has an actual reward to go with it and not just in-game currency (and only if it's a game i'm actively invested in). i buy A3! dollar packages on occasion because they come with items that restore your stamina, which are incredibly valuable in events. and i used to buy item packs in love nikki when i played that if they came with an outfit. otherwise i'm too burned out on gacha to be willing to spend my money on IGC because my luck is pretty bad and i don't wanna waste funds on the chance to Not get what i want

 

[a potato]

I'll only pay for something if I really like it, but I definitely try not to make it a regular thing. I bought a pack of leaf tickets in ACPC once to get a 5 star cookie item, but that's it, really. I hate how a lot of games are turning to subscription models, too. Though I will say the ACPC services seem optional enough so it isn't super annoying or tempting for me. The Mario Kart Tour one, though, is atrocious. At least when the game first started, you pretty much needed it to get gacha spins.

The one model I do like, though, is Mario Run. IIRC, the free version has the first "story" world and the various side modes (Toad Rally and Remix [I think]), but you have to purchase the rest of the main levels. I thought it was nice how it was a pretty fleshed out game and didn't require a gacha.

Post automatically merged: May 19, 2021

I only pay for apps with survey money, like from Google Surveys or PollPay.

This! I love using various rewards services for things like this--apps, games, stuff I don't really need. It doesn't take that much time to do, which is nice.

 

[LuchaSloth]

Very rarely have I paid for content in these types of games. One of the few times I ever did was with the Facebook game Marvel Avengers Alliance. There were so many characters to unlock, and I wanted them all. Usually I could farm enough resources to unlock the ones I wanted just by playing...but there were always some that were out of reach. Admittedly, I did spend real money on a few occasions to buy some of them. Of course, I didn't expect them to just close down that game with zero warning. So...it's kind of annoying that I spent money on something that no longer exists. When they shut down, I think I only had a few characters left to unlock. It really made me quite mad. Lol.

 

[Princess Mipha]

I payed way too much for Skins in League of Legends.. well, often times I got them as birthday presents, so lucky me!
I regret it now though, since I don't play the game anymore, after realising how bad the community really is.
Besides that I paid once a one month subscription to "Tamagotchi Forever" (App for phone), because I really enjoyed it.
Sadly it's way too expensive for what you really get..

 

[Antonio]

i’m notorious for paying to play, sadly. it’s only ever happened with mobile games, though; i’ll download a game that’s free, get really into it after playing for a bit, try to progress without spending any money but i always get tempted by the continuous “limited-time offer!” and “value pack!” pop ups and before i know it, i’m spending money on a game that i’ll undoubtedly lose interest in in less than a week.

This feels like a personal callout more then a relatable post.

 

[mirukushake]

I don't mind supporting developers of F2P games IF the game is enjoyable as a free player and I don't feel constantly pressured to buy premium currency. Usually if the game keeps my attention several months then I'll buy some currency. The only F2P game I've spent a good amount of money in is Love Nikki but I've been playing basically everyday for almost 4 years since the Japanese server started so I'm not too fussed about it.

 

[MiniPocketWorld]

I don't play pay to play games, unless you count buying regular games as that. There is one game I have played that was free to play and it was DMW digimon. Digimon is practically the only game I have put money into that is like that and simply because I just enjoy the game and I feel like they did well in setting the game up and keeping it running.
My preference is to buy a game and everything is there. DLC I will buy if it isn't just skins and actually continues the story. I know physical games are like practically the long past now, but physical games with the whole game actually on it is an amazing plus that just doesn't exist anymore.

 

[Rika092]

as someone who used to play FEH & does play FR, i promise it's not worth the temptation and that knowing that might help you from getting tempted further MGFMGFM FEH rates are too low to be worth the orbs and FR gives you gems pretty consistently from just keeping your dragons fed, so it adds up. don't play it but i've heard genshin also has awful gacha rates so

i'm generally F2P, but on occasion i will spend a dollar or two -- only if what i'm buying has an actual reward to go with it and not just in-game currency (and only if it's a game i'm actively invested in). i buy A3! dollar packages on occasion because they come with items that restore your stamina, which are incredibly valuable in events. and i used to buy item packs in love nikki when i played that if they came with an outfit. otherwise i'm too burned out on gacha to be willing to spend my money on IGC because my luck is pretty bad and i don't wanna waste funds on the chance to Not get what i want

Yeah I'm so glad i resisted the temptation for FEH because the orbs are way too expensive for what you get. Also, you are right, the rates are also incredibly low with very limited pool of characters in the 3-4 stars range... I logged onto the game after 2 years of hiatus the other day, managed to collect 20 orbs for a round of summoning, and only got 5 3-4 star characters that I already have 10 copies of... btwthis is also during one of the fest summoning event

For FR, I really need to control myself. I keep telling myself that I shouldn't spend money to buy GEMs for a game that I only started playing for a few months but i'm CONSTANTLY tempted the pretty user made accents/skins and therefore constantly broke lol. I guess if I can keep playing for over 1 year then I could treat myself to a pack of gems on birthday or something lol

 

[skarmoury]

I haven't paid to play............... yet.
I'm usually one who's good at holding back when it comes to spending (they say "wait for 3 days before buying something" but I take like 1-3 months lol). Somehow I like the certainty that I will get what my money's worth, so I plan to spend on a gacha game (Bandori) when my favorite card pops in the shop approximately 3 years from now. I'd rather patiently wait for the card if it means being certain I'm getting it, rather than whaling early on and not getting what I want. And who knows, I might get sick of the game before then and I get to save my money for other things lol. I've gotten okay cards in Bandori to carry me through decent tiers in events anyway so I'm not fully complaining about what I have and what I don't.
I might spend in Genshin when Venti's banner comes back because right now I really want him, but I'll have to see since I think I'll also be able to save enough for hard pity after Kazuha's banner.

 

[KimiyoCake]

depends on the game. I know i've payed to play on games like Ensemble Stars, Helios, Genshin Impact, etc. But there are also games where I refuse to put money in cuz i know i'd whale xD....

 

[Orius]

I hate F2Ps. They thrive on making as much money off you as possible for as long as possible. There's no end to it.

Now, paying a finite amount of sum to make my gaming experience more enjoyable and relaxing? Maybe. And that's still a big MAYBE, because I hate microtransactions too, along with Day 1 Patches and "DLCs" to slap on unfinished content.

 

[StarlitGlitch]

I have almost never paid in free-to-start games.

One of the only times was in Pokemon Go on one of the first community events I think it was (it was the summer it first came out my memory is fading) I needed just a few more coins to afford one of the limited time perks and since it was a limited event I paid a few bucks to be able to get it and had fun going around town, seeing others playing, and getting more out of it in the process. Other than that I can't think of anything...

But honestly it's up to you in the end. One of my friends had/has issues with paying in gatcha games and that's where I found out the term "whale" from. I think he deleted the games again.

 

[Orius]

Well, I paid for a Zarude just now on Pokemon 4Ever, so that's that.

Acceptable purchase only, you see? That's my preference, When you know what you're gonna get instead of gambling for a possible chance to win at a gatcha game.

Edit:
Okay, so it seems like I'm merely out of touch - seems like there's a whole subreddit dedicated to buying and selling Pokemon... for a higher price, I'd assume, than Pokemon 4Ever, since it's not just some faceless organization that sells cheap but faceless people looking to make a profit.

Jeez, how long has this been going on? Seems like the market of rare Pokémon is worse than I thought.

 

[Dunquixote]

I am mostly free to play, when it comes to gacha games or micro transactions. If asked what gift card i want for a special occasion, if there aren’t any games I want, I’ll ask for an itunes one and spend it on a gacha game. I just recently used some money that was left on my itunes account to buy some gems. I used to spend more than that a bit for OPTC, but now rarely.

 

[b100ming]

Do you pay to play or are you an avid supporter of F2P?

Not sure if I’m posting in the exact right forum...but recently I contemplated about paying to acquire premium currencies for one of the mobile games I’ve been playing. This makes me wonder how people generally feel about whether or not it’s worthwhile pay to play games that are generally free to download but has in-app purchases, and how many people actually end up making these purchases.

This could apply to either mobile games, online games or webpage games

Personally I’m generally F2P, but from time to time gets tempted by in app purchases when I’m too engrossed in a game XD

Games that have tempted me: FEH, Genshin Impact, Flightrising (gems)

I buy the battle pass in fortnite. A steal of a deal where you buy one, and then can buy new ones with the v bucks you get from the previous one. Now THAT is a steal of a deal.

 

[Croconaw]

I prefer not to pay to play. However, if a game is interests me enough, I may consider it. I have never done in-app purchases for a game. I’m not into mobile games that much, but I do play occasionally. They are meant to pass time during my travels and whenever I feel like playing. I’m not engrossed in those games enough to justify spending actual money on them. I will say, though, I highly prefer free to play. I think some games will make it so that you have to pay, or just have you advance real slowly. Games made like that are irritating. Just because you’re not putting any money into the game, that doesn’t mean you have to make it less enjoyable or extremely difficult to advance.

 

[daringred_]

i don't, technically, and never have. i'm the frugal type, so i'm pretty good with money and won't spend it unless i really want something -- and even then i can need convincing. that being said, i have occasionally spent small amounts (i'm talking 99p or £1.99) on pokemon go and ACC, it just hasn't been my money. i have google opinion rewards on my phone which allows me to answer random surveys and get loose change in return. it adds up decently. i don't spend it immediately though, it just collects. i haven't paid to play on pokemon go in years though because i started earning coins through gyms and saving them, negating the need to buy coins with real money. these days it's only the odd microtransaction on pocket camp, usually at the end of the scavenger hunt events. for the last two, i got preoccupied with irl projects and neglected the event, so i would get the 20 tickets from the cheapest event pack and use them to enter the quarry again. nothing major, and i've only done it 2 or 3 times period.