How Free Play Games are Changing the Online Gaming Space

We are spoilt for choice in terms of the number of online games we have available to play today. There is no need to travel to a physical store to purchase a game, most video games are now available to install and play online. Additional types of online game are also available, such as online casino games and these have become extremely popular. Some of the leading online gaming titles are free to play and free games are changing the online gaming space.

The Basis of Free Play Games

Free play games are available to play on desktop computers, consoles, and handheld devices. The beauty of free play games is they are available to anyone, regardless of financial position. With free games being readily available, it also forces paid games companies to step their games up. Anyone who has access to the internet can play a free online game. However, while they are free to play, there is usually an option to make purchases when playing the game. The items available to buy can enhance the quality of the gaming experience, allow you to progress through the game faster, give you a better chance of winning, or be purely cosmetic. Most free play games can be completed without the need to make any additional, purchases and in some cases, choosing to make a payment can remove advertisements that appear regularly when playing games for free. Online sweepstakes casinos are a good example of free play games where you have the option to make payments if you want to continue playing. Having played sweepstakes casino games for free, you can choose to purchase gold coins, and these can be converted to cash if you win. So, despite free games meaning you can play them for free, there are ways game designers can make money through in-game purchases.

Mobile Games

The introduction of free to play online games can be traced back to the rise in popularity of mobile gaming. Mobile phones today are capable of running high quality online games and to capture more gamers, developers release their mobile online games for free and offer additional features that cost money to unlock. The continued increase in the number of people playing games using a mobile phone has changed the online gaming space. There are now more people playing online games using a mobile phone than any other device, which underlines how free to play games have changed the online gaming industry. Rather than creating a video game only for console and PC, gaming companies must now release a mobile version of their online game if they want to attract the largest number of people to play their game. 

Lite Versions

Some online gaming developers spend millions of dollars creating their games and do not want to give them away for free. However, with so many online games available to play for free, it is impossible to ignore the number of people who simply will not purchase an online game. That has led to some online game studios releasing ‘lite’ versions of their game online. The ‘lite’ versions of an online game are playable for free but do not have the full features of the paid game. This allows those who are not really interested in playing the game regularly to dip in and out when they please, which is perfect for casual gamers. However, it also acts a teaser and for those who try the game and really enjoy playing, they may be tempted to purchase the full version. Online casinos often run demos of their games and free spins on slots which work in a similar way to ‘lite’ online games. Demos are free to play but the hope of the online casino is the enjoyment of playing the games will lead to making a deposit to play the game for real.

There is no doubt free play games have had a significant impact on the online gaming industry and have not only changed the way games are released but how gaming studios make money.