Starcraft 2 Multiplayer May Become Free-To-Play

[Timothy Chang]

Starcraft 2 Multiplayer May Become Free-To-Play

Blizzard considers lowering the cost of entry to the eSports scene.

Playing Starcraft 2 competitively comes at a price: the recommended retail price, that is. The eSports scene could do with more aspiring professional gamers these days, and lowering the barriers to entry can help bolster numbers. Blizzard has considered this, and recently revealed there may be a possibility that Starcraft 2's multiplayer component will use the free-to-play model.

Dustin Browder, Blizzard's lead designer for the highly popular RTS, was asked about the company's plans for free-to-play in a panel at the Valencia eSports Congress. In response, he said that the company was "looking at free-to-play as an option for the multiplayer", although he admitted afterwards that there were some concerns regarding the logistics involved in moving from a paid product to a free one.

"We don't know how we would monetize it," he explained. "While it might be good fun for me to play against someone with only half the units available to them, that's not going to be an enjoyable experience for them."

The move to a free-to-play model may not be out of the question, though, since games such as Dota 2 and League of Legends both currently operate on a free-to-play model and also maintain a healthy presence in the eSports scene. At the moment, Starcraft 2 already has a "Starter Edition" that allows people to try out a handful of multiplayer maps for free, but only as a Terran.

Given that Blizzard is still working on the release of the Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void expansions, it's likely that the change won't be happening any time soon.

Source: PCGamesN [http://www.pcgamesn.com/starcraft/blizzard-looking-possibility-starcraft-ii-multiplayer-going-free-play]

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[Clive Howlitzer]

Put advertisements that are unskippable before and after each match.

Instant money with no need to cut units. I suppose custom unit skins could bring in some money too, or maps like CoD does.

Also, drop the single player price down to 30 or 40 dollars, I dont give a shit about multiplayer!

What happens if a free person is playing a person who owns the game? Wouldn't having to wait for them to watch an advertisement slow down your game?

 

[SoulSalmon]

And if it does go f2p cue the "Omg itz ruined 4eva! fuck you blizzard i is never buying anything from you ever again!" morons >.>

Of course if it tried to include things like a levelling system and such to attempt to monetize it that would end badly...
Perhaps something like people with the 'paid' version get unit skins and are prioritized in queues? I reckon that could work.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Yeah... there's a difference between not owning all the champs in league, and not having all of your units in a true RTS.

 

[Joccaren]

What happens if a free person is playing a person who owns the game? Wouldn't having to wait for them to watch an advertisement slow down your game?

What the ad pre connecting to a game. Watch ad, look for games, connect, play, watch ad. Paying customers are uninhibited as they are not paired with anyone watching an ad, the pairing only happens after the ad is watched.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Make all the buyable things cosmetic.

Have different versions of units and buildings, make them look cooler like the preorder thor, do what TF2 did basically.

 

[SoulSalmon]

Do what TF2 did basically.

Next thing you see is a screen full of Zerglings with hats...

 

[Aeshi]

Seems like an odd thing to do, especially for an RTS.

 

[BrotherRool]

Seems like an odd thing to do, especially for an RTS.

But Starcraft is unique. There is not a single other popular e-sports RTS apart from Starcraft 1, and Starcraft 2 also has the distinction of being the biggest e-sport, having the potential domination of an entire country and probably nowdays, more people watching the game than playing the game.


I think in some ways it will have to go free to play, after the last expansion there will be no people playing multiplayer on the lowest level, and whilst lots of people watch SC who don't play it, there are just too many e-sports today to survive unless you've got a strong player base who're naturally going to be interested in watching competitive play 'That guy could be me' is an awfully powerful dream

EDIT: Although by the time they release the Legacy of the Void, the game might be old enough to think to lay to rest pretty soon

 

[Lectori Salutem]

Sooo... I can have a Zerg rush with top hats?
Really, I think this is going to be difficult to monetize for them, even more in a way the players like as well.

 

[Elamdri]

There are two ways to do this, as already been posted.

1: Ad support (With an option to buyout)
2: Cosmetic upgrades

Personally, my vote is for ad support. My problem with Cosmetic options is that they tend to ruin the aesthetic of a game and hurt the need to emphasize a cohesive aesthetic design. But to each their own. Either or both would work.

 

[Korzack]

Well TBH, I'd like to pick up SC2, but I don't have £33 spare to spend on a 2-year-old game. Sort your pricing out, Blizzard, especially through your own site, and then we'll talk about looking after E-sports, okay?
Same time, if they did make it F2P, that'd be cool + while my to-do list would hate me, I can see a lot of time been sunk into this.

 

[Naeras]

Free-to-play and RTS doesn't really mix. If you want an example, see Company of Heroes Online.

 

[Dahaka27]

Isnt there already a bit of F2P in SC2 already? Like some of the maps can be played vs matches with the trial accounts.

 

[SlamDunc]

One easy solution here...

 

[Susurrus]

The problem is pricing. Blizzard are still charging upwards of £30 for Warcraft 3 on their website, for goodness sake. I am NOT paying that for such an old game. I've looked at buying it, but that put me off. Starcraft II is the same. Any other game would have reduced in price by now, but Blizzard just won't.

Fair enough, but if I didn't have enough interest to buy it when it's new for full price, why would I have enough interest several years later?