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Free to Play or Buy to Play?

Penguinturtle
Im kind of confused by this since in some threads people are saying its Free to Play but In others it says Buy to Play. Can someone explain this to me?
  • Hayuru
    Hayuru
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    It's buy to play. People who are calling it free to play are wrong.
  • starkerealm
    starkerealm
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    Some people are wrong. Free to Play refers to games with no preliminary buy in. Buy to Play requires buying the game before being able to play.
  • lihentian
    lihentian
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    for people who find 60 bulks worth next to nothing, this game is f2p to them..

    and for the rest of us who think 60$ is money, this is b2p
  • Ley
    Ley
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    It's Buy to Play which basically means, you have to buy the game to be able to play it.

    Free to Play means you don't have to purchase the game to play it and there's no subscription.

    Pay to play refers to a game that requires some sort of subscription.

    and last but not least Pay to Win, which refers to games that offer rewards for players willing to pay for them, that give them an unattainable advantage over players who don't purchase the same advantages.

    Edit: typos
    Edited by Ley on April 1, 2015 9:37PM
    Leylith - MagSorc | Leyloth - StamPlar | Leynerd - MagPlar | Leylit - StamBlade | Ley Eviticus - StamDK | Leydor - MagDen | Leylum - StamSorc | Leylux - MagBlade
  • ZiRM
    ZiRM
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    I call it free to play because I got the game as a gift and I don't have to pay for a subscription.
    Want to become Vampire? 5k @ZiRM in game.
    ESO Server Status. ( ^_^)o自自o(^_^ ) SkåL!!!!!
  • lihentian
    lihentian
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    ZiRM wrote: »
    I call it free to play because I got the game as a gift and I don't have to pay for a subscription.

    someone else did pay for it.. so it is still b2p. unless anything that could potentially be gifted count as free by your standard.. which means almost everything in the world is free..
  • Penguinturtle
    Thanks for the explanation guys :D
  • BBSooner
    BBSooner
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    ZiRM wrote: »
    I call it free to play because I got the game as a gift and I don't have to pay for a subscription.

    Odd distinction, a 13y/o playing WoW using mom and dad's credit card would also make WoW free to play under that definition.

    It's not, thus ESO is B2P
  • ers101284b14_ESO
    ers101284b14_ESO
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    Free to play means no initial investment. Buy to play means initial investment but no sub. FYI they are both crap.
  • Orchish
    Orchish
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    It's buy to play, you have to actually buy the game to play the game. The reason many call it free to play is because the game no longer requires a sub, so basically for those that bought the game on release and paid a sub fee each month now no longer need to pay that fee. So many of them will most likely refer to the game as free to play from now on. Although the correct term is buy to play, but who cares aye? :)
    Edited by Orchish on April 1, 2015 9:47PM
  • BrassRazoo
    BrassRazoo
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    It's free to play .. once you have bought it.
  • JamilaRaj
    JamilaRaj
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    It's pay to win, which itself is just systemic corruption; you pay, you get advantage, and you do it in broad daylight, because after decade or so it's here, it's totally okay, or at least is percieved as such. However, since the thing is fundamentally perverted and toxic, so became the term for it, especially the "free" part of it, and marketing people are seeking replacement. "Buy" is fine choice, because it does not stink yet and they kinda hope that if they repeat buy, buy, buy....enough (watch some more recent ESO lives), somebody will actually...buy something.
  • F7sus4
    F7sus4
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    Hayuru wrote: »
    It's buy to play. People who are calling it free to play are wrong.
    If you're paying for any of those Crown Store consumables and think you're buying any advantage, you perhaps have really little knowledge about the game. And no, having panther pet does not make you OP. :)

    More XP unfair? Well, you can get the same and even more with Cyrodiil Scroll/Enemy keep bonuses. Seen those EP/DC "purple" pact posts all around PvP forums claiming AD should be nerfed ? This topic's statement is as stupid as those posts.

    More XP still unfair? Yeah, after 1 year of gameplay the difference of non-paying and paying characters would effectively be like 2-3% on selected stats. Which is like a small token of appreciation to dedicated members, but for most short-sighted people it will be still OP. Like "so rulez, much broken, very B2P!"
  • Patriick
    Patriick
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    For those of us who played earlier and subscribed it is now free to play. :smile:
  • Danikat
    Danikat
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    I think a lot of people confuse the two because buy-to-play MMOs are relatively rare and free-to-play games are frequently summed up as "they don't charge a subscription". Which is accurate, but overly simplistic.

    But basically buy-to-play games are like single player games: you buy it and then it's yours to play as much, or as little, as you want, without having to pay extra. (All the buy-to-play MMOs I know of do sell additional purchases, but you can continue playing the base game without buying them.)
    PC EU player | She/her/hers | PAWS (Positively Against Wrip-off Stuff) - Say No to Crown Crates!

    "Remember in this game we call life that no one said it's fair"
  • Eliteseraph
    Eliteseraph
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    ESO is currently a B2P game. However, once DLCs start rolling out it's going to be far closer to a traditional F2P model, where people who don't sub or pay a fee fall further and further behind.

    It'll be interesting to see how everything turns out. I don't have a lot of faith in Zenimax right now, since they can't even seem to address the glaring issues with fundamental aspects of the game. Time will tell.
    "What a sad world we live in, where politeness is mistaken for weakness." - Usagi Yojimbo
  • Nivzruo_ESO
    Nivzruo_ESO
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    B2P now, F2P in a few more months.
    Nelgyntc- V14 NB
  • Flynch
    Flynch
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    ESO is currently a B2P game. However, once DLCs start rolling out it's going to be far closer to a traditional F2P model, where people who don't sub or pay a fee fall further and further behind.

    It'll be interesting to see how everything turns out. I don't have a lot of faith in Zenimax right now, since they can't even seem to address the glaring issues with fundamental aspects of the game. Time will tell.

    Not sure what you mean by your first paragraph. The status-quo will remain B2P regardless of DLC as you either pay for it or not, one way or another, just like this relaunch.
  • Sinthrax
    Sinthrax
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    Im kind of confused by this since in some threads people are saying its Free to Play but In others it says Buy to Play. Can someone explain this to me?

    In todays gaming market only 2 kinds of game exist. B2P and F2P. B2P is like all console games. I can't think of a single game in recent memory that has released without DLC that you can pay for on release. That is basically what B2P is. You pay for it and play it but there will be some cost down the road to stay up to date. I don't think to many games exist anymore that you buy and play forever without spending money on them again.

    To me if the game isn't actually F2P then it is B2P...those are the only 2 models anymore.
    Edited by Sinthrax on April 1, 2015 10:47PM
  • Sinthrax
    Sinthrax
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    B2P now, F2P in a few more months.

    Also, this. As soon as the console release is over and sales slump and it benefits them to get it out to more of the masses it will go F2P. That is just my opinion of course.
  • Hayuru
    Hayuru
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    B2P now, F2P in a few more months.

    I wouldn't be surprised.
  • dafox187
    dafox187
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    Im kind of confused by this since in some threads people are saying its Free to Play but In others it says Buy to Play. Can someone explain this to me?

    buy to play means you pay for a game and play it
    free to play means you pay 0 bucks /euros fro a game and play it
    buy to play because you still have to pay for it

    don't get mad at my spelling, autocorrect doesn't cover fantasy.
    Why couldn't the Khajiit go to the party? She had to be Elsweyr.
  • dafox187
    dafox187
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    B2P now, F2P in a few more months.

    you just made anbout 100000 people mad good job m8

    don't get mad at my spelling, autocorrect doesn't cover fantasy.
    Why couldn't the Khajiit go to the party? She had to be Elsweyr.
  • Obscure
    Obscure
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    Buy To Play is a stupid, stating the obvious, term, that only serves to confuse people.

    Did people ever call Dragon Age: Inquisition "Buy To Play"?
    How about EVOLVE? Any "Buy To Play" nonsense being tossed their way?
    Anyone call Super Smash Bros. "Buy To Play"?

    Yeah, no. People only say "Buy To Play" when they're talking about MMOs. ESO is a game that sells at retail just like every other game that sells at retail. No one should feel the need to call it anything else. People who call it "Free To Play" apparently think the price tag on it doesn't exist... or they stole it...

    "Buy to play" is a term that needs to be drug out in the street and gunned down in full view of the public, complete with media coverage and YouTube videos of the event.
  • Hayuru
    Hayuru
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    Obscure wrote: »
    Buy To Play is a stupid, stating the obvious, term, that only serves to confuse people.

    Did people ever call Dragon Age: Inquisition "Buy To Play"?
    How about EVOLVE? Any "Buy To Play" nonsense being tossed their way?
    Anyone call Super Smash Bros. "Buy To Play"?

    Yeah, no. People only say "Buy To Play" when they're talking about MMOs. ESO is a game that sells at retail just like every other game that sells at retail. No one should feel the need to call it anything else. People who call it "Free To Play" apparently think the price tag on it doesn't exist... or they stole it...

    "Buy to play" is a term that needs to be drug out in the street and gunned down in full view of the public, complete with media coverage and YouTube videos of the event.
    ESO is an MMO. Dragon Age: Inqusition and those other games are buy to play, but no one says anything about it because singleplayer games are obviously buy to play. There is no such thing as a pay to play or free to play singleplayer game.
  • Sylveria_Relden
    Sylveria_Relden
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    ESO is "Buy To Play"

    Single-Player Offline Games aren't "Buy To Play" because you aren't restricted to playing it online. You purchase it, and play as many times as you like.

    OTOH, ESO is online-only- which means if they ever shut the game down you wouldn't have access to it anymore.

    Free To Play is when you don't even have an initial purchase amount, but you can play as long as you like, even if the gameplay is "restricted" in some form or fashion. With ESO you have to put money down initially in order to play it- and Store items are completely voluntary to pay for.

    Clarified better for ya?
    Edited by Sylveria_Relden on April 2, 2015 1:22AM
    TL;DR - If you got this far without reading the entire post you're either too lazy or suck at reading comprehension and probably don't belong in a public forum anyway. Just move along, you wouldn't understand.
  • Obscure
    Obscure
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    Hayuru wrote: »
    Obscure wrote: »
    Buy To Play is a stupid, stating the obvious, term, that only serves to confuse people.

    Did people ever call Dragon Age: Inquisition "Buy To Play"?
    How about EVOLVE? Any "Buy To Play" nonsense being tossed their way?
    Anyone call Super Smash Bros. "Buy To Play"?

    Yeah, no. People only say "Buy To Play" when they're talking about MMOs. ESO is a game that sells at retail just like every other game that sells at retail. No one should feel the need to call it anything else. People who call it "Free To Play" apparently think the price tag on it doesn't exist... or they stole it...

    "Buy to play" is a term that needs to be drug out in the street and gunned down in full view of the public, complete with media coverage and YouTube videos of the event.
    ESO is an MMO. Dragon Age: Inqusition and those other games are buy to play, but no one says anything about it because singleplayer games are obviously buy to play. There is no such thing as a pay to play or free to play singleplayer game.
    You do realise my access to this forum is through the same internet that I can find this, right?
    Edited by Obscure on April 2, 2015 2:11AM
  • Hayuru
    Hayuru
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    Obscure wrote: »
    Hayuru wrote: »
    Obscure wrote: »
    Buy To Play is a stupid, stating the obvious, term, that only serves to confuse people.

    Did people ever call Dragon Age: Inquisition "Buy To Play"?
    How about EVOLVE? Any "Buy To Play" nonsense being tossed their way?
    Anyone call Super Smash Bros. "Buy To Play"?

    Yeah, no. People only say "Buy To Play" when they're talking about MMOs. ESO is a game that sells at retail just like every other game that sells at retail. No one should feel the need to call it anything else. People who call it "Free To Play" apparently think the price tag on it doesn't exist... or they stole it...

    "Buy to play" is a term that needs to be drug out in the street and gunned down in full view of the public, complete with media coverage and YouTube videos of the event.
    ESO is an MMO. Dragon Age: Inqusition and those other games are buy to play, but no one says anything about it because singleplayer games are obviously buy to play. There is no such thing as a pay to play or free to play singleplayer game.
    You do realise my access to this forum is through the same internet that I can find this, right?

    What?
  • Eliteseraph
    Eliteseraph
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    Flynch wrote: »
    ESO is currently a B2P game. However, once DLCs start rolling out it's going to be far closer to a traditional F2P model, where people who don't sub or pay a fee fall further and further behind.

    It'll be interesting to see how everything turns out. I don't have a lot of faith in Zenimax right now, since they can't even seem to address the glaring issues with fundamental aspects of the game. Time will tell.

    Not sure what you mean by your first paragraph. The status-quo will remain B2P regardless of DLC as you either pay for it or not, one way or another, just like this relaunch.

    You're naïve if you think DLC won't contain new and powerful items and abilities that make previous areas and items obsolete, or at the very best, containing exp or other buffs putting those without access at a disadvantage.
    The more areas, or other DLC, that get released, the more an account will need to subscribe or buy in order to stay on par. If nothing else, just to be able to play with the majority of other players who are riding the leading edge of new content.
    "What a sad world we live in, where politeness is mistaken for weakness." - Usagi Yojimbo
  • ZiRM
    ZiRM
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    BBSooner wrote: »
    ZiRM wrote: »
    I call it free to play because I got the game as a gift and I don't have to pay for a subscription.

    Odd distinction, a 13y/o playing WoW using mom and dad's credit card would also make WoW free to play under that definition.

    It's not, thus ESO is B2P

    If you didn't pay for the game (gifted) and you have no sub to pay for it's free right? Free To Play for meeeeee!
    Want to become Vampire? 5k @ZiRM in game.
    ESO Server Status. ( ^_^)o自自o(^_^ ) SkåL!!!!!
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