No, sorry, this post isn't about a free game called "A Year In
Review". It's just me jabbering on about all the free games we got in
2022.

'Cause there were /A LOT/ of free games this year. Over 100, in fact.
Even with my already extensive library, that number made a noticeable
bump. You have to wonder how the industry intends to keep in business
if they just keep giving away their product.

And it's not like all the games they gave away were old games that
weren't making profit anymore, or weird Indie titles nobody would
normally buy; a lot of these games were fairly new (a year or two old)
and well regarded by critics and players. You could easily play only
free games and have just as fulfilling an experience as if you'd stuck
with games you paid for. So why bother buying anything?

Epic, of course, took the lead with the give-aways; once a week at
least one new game ended up in our greedy little hands, and some of
those were quite good. Highlights include the entire "Bioshock"
franchise, "Doom64", both "Total War: Warhammer" games, and "Death
Stranding". Of course, this was often padded out with a lot of
laughable Indie games, but the good easily outweighed the bad.

GOG was pretty prolific too; although in no way competitive to Epic,
it still pumped out 28 freebies. These tended to be older and or of
lower quality, but there were still some notable additions:
"Dishonored 2", "Ghost of a Tale", and "Daymare 1998", amongst others.

There were a handful of freebies on Steam too (although all offered by
the developers directly, because God forbid poor struggling Valve
kicks back any of their cash to their customers ;-). Most of these
were pretty timid offerings though.

Still, if you widen the scope to what I call 'almost free games' -
stuff that was so inexpensive (HumbleChoice) or included as part of a
package deal (Amazon Prime), you're selection more than doubles in
size. Don't get me started on subscription packages (Microsoft, EA,
Playstation) either. You don't need to pay for games anymore, but even
if you do, you don't need to pay very much. Has it ever been a better
time to be a gamer?

Let the publishers increase their prices to $70 USD; I'm fine
languishing here at the $0 end of the pool, and have more than enough
to keep me occupied for years!

And you? Did you stuff your library full of freebies this year? Are
you, like me, becoming increasingly reliant on free games over
actually paying for them anymore? And how many of these free games did
you actually play anyway?

EPIC GAMES
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, Amnesia Rebirth, Ancient Enemy, Bioshock 2
Remastered, Bioshock Infinite Complete Edition, Bioshock Remastered,
Bloons TD6, Borderlands 3, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Captain, Car
Mechanic Simulator 2018, Century: Age of Ashes, Cook Serve Delicious
3, Cris Tales, Daemon Ex Machina, Dark Deity, Darkwood, Death
Stranding Director's Cut, Demon's Tilt, Dishonored: Definitive
Edition, Doom64, Drone Racing League, Encased, Evil Dead: The Game,
Evoland Legendary Edition, Eximius: Sieze the Frontline, F.I.S.T.:
Forged In Shadow Torch, Fallout , Fallout 2, Fallout 3 GOTY, Fallout
Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, Filament, Football Manager 2022, Fort
Triumph, Game of Thrones: The Board Game, Geneforge 1: Mutagen,
Gloomhaven, Gods Will Fall, Hood: Outlaws & Legends, Horizon Chase
Turbo, Hundred Days - Winemaking Simulator, In Sound Mind,
Insurmountable, Iratus: Lord of the Dead, Just Die Already, Lawn
Mowing Simulator, LEGO Builder's Journey, ManEater, Mortal Shell,
Paradigm, Quake , Reborn, Redout Enhanced Edition, Relicta, Ring of
Pain, Rising Hell, Rogue Legacy, RPG in a Box, Runbow, Sable, Saints
Row IV Re-Elected, Saturnalia, Severed Steel, Shop Titan, Slain: Back
From Hell, Spirit of the North, Star Wars: Squadrons, Submerged:
Hidden Depths, Tannenberg, Terraforming Mars, Them's Fighting Herds,
Toejam and Earl Back in the Groove, Total War Warhammer , Total War:
Warhammer II, Unrailed!, Warhammer 40K Mechanicus, Wildcat Gun
Machine, Windbound, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wonder Boy – The
Dragon's Trap, XCOM 2

GOG GAMES
Daggerfall Unity, Daymare: 1998, Destroy All Humans: Clone Carnage,
Dex, Dishonored 2, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GOTY Deluxe, Fallout New
Vegas Ultimate Edition, Genesis Alpha One Deluxe Edition, Ghost of a
Tale, Greak: Memories of Azur, Iratus Lord of the Dead, Iris and the
Giant , King of Seas, Lovecraft's Untold Stories, Middle-earth Shadow
of Mordor GOTY, Narita Boy, Open TTD, Phoning Home, Shantae and the
Pirate's Curse, Stellaris, Terrior, Thea 2: The Shattering, Venetica
(Gold Ed), VirtuaVerse, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Worms Revolution
Gold

I don't even bother buying games anymore these days when there are so
many freebies!

On 1/1/2023 8:23 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
> No, sorry, this post isn't about a free game called "A Year In
> Review". It's just me jabbering on about all the free games we got in
> 2022.
>
> 'Cause there were /A LOT/ of free games this year. Over 100, in fact.
> Even with my already extensive library, that number made a noticeable
> bump. You have to wonder how the industry intends to keep in business
> if they just keep giving away their product.
>
> And it's not like all the games they gave away were old games that
> weren't making profit anymore, or weird Indie titles nobody would
> normally buy; a lot of these games were fairly new (a year or two old)
> and well regarded by critics and players. You could easily play only
> free games and have just as fulfilling an experience as if you'd stuck
> with games you paid for. So why bother buying anything?
>
> Epic, of course, took the lead with the give-aways; once a week at
> least one new game ended up in our greedy little hands, and some of
> those were quite good. Highlights include the entire "Bioshock"
> franchise, "Doom64", both "Total War: Warhammer" games, and "Death
> Stranding". Of course, this was often padded out with a lot of
> laughable Indie games, but the good easily outweighed the bad.
>
> GOG was pretty prolific too; although in no way competitive to Epic,
> it still pumped out 28 freebies. These tended to be older and or of
> lower quality, but there were still some notable additions:
> "Dishonored 2", "Ghost of a Tale", and "Daymare 1998", amongst others.
>
> There were a handful of freebies on Steam too (although all offered by
> the developers directly, because God forbid poor struggling Valve
> kicks back any of their cash to their customers ;-). Most of these
> were pretty timid offerings though.
>
> Still, if you widen the scope to what I call 'almost free games' -
> stuff that was so inexpensive (HumbleChoice) or included as part of a
> package deal (Amazon Prime), you're selection more than doubles in
> size. Don't get me started on subscription packages (Microsoft, EA,
> Playstation) either. You don't need to pay for games anymore, but even
> if you do, you don't need to pay very much. Has it ever been a better
> time to be a gamer?
>
> Let the publishers increase their prices to $70 USD; I'm fine
> languishing here at the $0 end of the pool, and have more than enough
> to keep me occupied for years!
>
> And you? Did you stuff your library full of freebies this year? Are
> you, like me, becoming increasingly reliant on free games over
> actually paying for them anymore? And how many of these free games did
> you actually play anyway?
>
>
>
>
> EPIC GAMES
> Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, Amnesia Rebirth, Ancient Enemy, Bioshock 2
> Remastered, Bioshock Infinite Complete Edition, Bioshock Remastered,
> Bloons TD6, Borderlands 3, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, Captain, Car
> Mechanic Simulator 2018, Century: Age of Ashes, Cook Serve Delicious
> 3, Cris Tales, Daemon Ex Machina, Dark Deity, Darkwood, Death
> Stranding Director's Cut, Demon's Tilt, Dishonored: Definitive
> Edition, Doom64, Drone Racing League, Encased, Evil Dead: The Game,
> Evoland Legendary Edition, Eximius: Sieze the Frontline, F.I.S.T.:
> Forged In Shadow Torch, Fallout , Fallout 2, Fallout 3 GOTY, Fallout
> Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, Filament, Football Manager 2022, Fort
> Triumph, Game of Thrones: The Board Game, Geneforge 1: Mutagen,
> Gloomhaven, Gods Will Fall, Hood: Outlaws & Legends, Horizon Chase
> Turbo, Hundred Days - Winemaking Simulator, In Sound Mind,
> Insurmountable, Iratus: Lord of the Dead, Just Die Already, Lawn
> Mowing Simulator, LEGO Builder's Journey, ManEater, Mortal Shell,
> Paradigm, Quake , Reborn, Redout Enhanced Edition, Relicta, Ring of
> Pain, Rising Hell, Rogue Legacy, RPG in a Box, Runbow, Sable, Saints
> Row IV Re-Elected, Saturnalia, Severed Steel, Shop Titan, Slain: Back
> From Hell, Spirit of the North, Star Wars: Squadrons, Submerged:
> Hidden Depths, Tannenberg, Terraforming Mars, Them's Fighting Herds,
> Toejam and Earl Back in the Groove, Total War Warhammer , Total War:
> Warhammer II, Unrailed!, Warhammer 40K Mechanicus, Wildcat Gun
> Machine, Windbound, Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wonder Boy – The
> Dragon's Trap, XCOM 2
>
> GOG GAMES
> Daggerfall Unity, Daymare: 1998, Destroy All Humans: Clone Carnage,
> Dex, Dishonored 2, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion GOTY Deluxe, Fallout New
> Vegas Ultimate Edition, Genesis Alpha One Deluxe Edition, Ghost of a
> Tale, Greak: Memories of Azur, Iratus Lord of the Dead, Iris and the
> Giant , King of Seas, Lovecraft's Untold Stories, Middle-earth Shadow
> of Mordor GOTY, Narita Boy, Open TTD, Phoning Home, Shantae and the
> Pirate's Curse, Stellaris, Terrior, Thea 2: The Shattering, Venetica
> (Gold Ed), VirtuaVerse, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Worms Revolution
> Gold
>
>

--
:)NY! Let's hope 2023 will B better, but nope it started out bad with
the leaking old nest & old body again. :( "Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" --2
Corinthians 5:17
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see
this below signature correctly.
/\___/\ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org
/ /\ /\ \
| |o o| | Axe ANT from its address if shown & e-mailing privately.
\ _ / Please kindly use Ant nickname & URL/link if crediting.
( )

On Sun, 1 Jan 2023 15:36:53 -0800, Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:

>I don't even bother buying games anymore these days when there are so
>many freebies!

Video Killed the Radio Star
Internet Killed the Video Star
Free Games Killed Gaming
Fast forward, We're All Fucked

My poetic contribution to 2023...

On Sun, 01 Jan 2023 19:49:16 -0500, Rin Stowleigh
<rstowleigh@x-nospam-x.com> wrote:

>On Sun, 1 Jan 2023 15:36:53 -0800, Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:
>
>>I don't even bother buying games anymore these days when there are so
>>many freebies!
>
>Video Killed the Radio Star
>Internet Killed the Video Star
>Free Games Killed Gaming
>Fast forward, We're All Fucked

While I don't think free games will kill gaming, the plethora of
high-quality titles available gratis really does say something about
just how profitable post-purchase montezations must be that publishers
can toss away their products and still not worry about their bottom
lines.

I was trying to explain this to a friend the other day - that with
games like Diablo Immortal, some people were spending money in the
six-digit range to maximize their characters, and she was completely
unable to understand how that could be possible. Both in that anyone
would have that sort of money to throw away on a video game, and that
video games could be so rapacious that sums like that were a
possibility. And while it's true that few gamers ever drop more than
double-digits into DLC, you only need a few 'whales' to turn a
marginally successful game into a financial bonanza.

So I'm sure the video game indusrty will survive quite well. I'm just
not sure I'll have much interest in their newer products...

On 02/01/2023 01:04, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Sun, 01 Jan 2023 19:49:16 -0500, Rin Stowleigh
> <rstowleigh@x-nospam-x.com> wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 1 Jan 2023 15:36:53 -0800, Ant <ant@zimage.comANT> wrote:
>>
>>> I don't even bother buying games anymore these days when there are so
>>> many freebies!
>>
>> Video Killed the Radio Star
>> Internet Killed the Video Star
>> Free Games Killed Gaming
>> Fast forward, We're All Fucked
>
> While I don't think free games will kill gaming, the plethora of
> high-quality titles available gratis really does say something about
> just how profitable post-purchase montezations must be that publishers
> can toss away their products and still not worry about their bottom
> lines.
>
> I was trying to explain this to a friend the other day - that with
> games like Diablo Immortal, some people were spending money in the
> six-digit range to maximize their characters, and she was completely
> unable to understand how that could be possible. Both in that anyone
> would have that sort of money to throw away on a video game, and that
> video games could be so rapacious that sums like that were a
> possibility. And while it's true that few gamers ever drop more than
> double-digits into DLC, you only need a few 'whales' to turn a
> marginally successful game into a financial bonanza.
>
> So I'm sure the video game indusrty will survive quite well. I'm just
> not sure I'll have much interest in their newer products...
>

Firstly it's a bit of a myth that the whales have money to burn and
secondly there is a correlation with certainly personality types of
in-game spending. Once you get over the hurdle of this isn't just like
Kinder Eggs then it becomes a lot easier to understand how this happens.

Blame Farmville I say!

On Mon, 2 Jan 2023 11:44:47 +0000, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

>On 02/01/2023 01:04, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

>Firstly it's a bit of a myth that the whales have money to burn and
>secondly there is a correlation with certainly personality types of
>in-game spending. Once you get over the hurdle of this isn't just like
>Kinder Eggs then it becomes a lot easier to understand how this happens.

I don't know if I would call it a myth. There are certainly a number
of recorded incidents where people have spent six-digit sums on
DLC/MTX. Are they common? Certainly not. Studies show that the vast
bulk of people who buy MTX spend something in the range of $5-50USD,
and even most 'whales' tend to top out in the three-digit range.

Can they afford it? That depends. Very few people can really 'afford'
to toss away even one thousand dollars USD, much less anything in the
five- or six-digit range. Still, it happens, and its often taken in
stride. It's like any hobby. I've no (emotional) understanding of
gambling, but I know a number of people who happily toss money into
any flutter that comes across their desk because they like the thrill.
Can they afford it? Sometimes not (fortunately, the ones I have met
have never gone so deep into debt from their betting habits that it's
caused them serious problems) but that's part of the excitement.

(Anecdotally, I've had a friend who parted with several thousand
dollars in one of EA's sports games (the American football one, I
think). He wasn't entirely happy about it - he admitted going a bit
overboard - but neither did he entirely regret the loss. It was all
part of the game for him (mostly, his regret came from spending all
that money and it not having a major effect on his winning any more
games, I think, but honestly I'm not sure exactly what EA Sports MTX
buys you. It's just an area of PC gaming I've almost entirely
ignored).)

I think most players 'get out' before they get too deep, financially,
into a game. There are always a few who run afoul of their bad habits.
There are some who spend a lot who can afford (within reasonable
expectations of 'afford') because it's the cost of their hobby. And
then there's the bulk who spend miniscule amounts. Not every game
attracts the mega-whales who spend in the six-digit range, and even
those that do only get a tiny handful. Five-digits spends are likely
equally rare. But four-digit spends? While not everyday, there are
probably more than you expect.

On 02/01/2023 19:27, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Jan 2023 11:44:47 +0000, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:
>
>> On 02/01/2023 01:04, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
>
>> Firstly it's a bit of a myth that the whales have money to burn and
>> secondly there is a correlation with certainly personality types of
>> in-game spending. Once you get over the hurdle of this isn't just like
>> Kinder Eggs then it becomes a lot easier to understand how this happens.
>
>
> I don't know if I would call it a myth. There are certainly a number
> of recorded incidents where people have spent six-digit sums on
> DLC/MTX. Are they common? Certainly not. Studies show that the vast
> bulk of people who buy MTX spend something in the range of $5-50USD,
> and even most 'whales' tend to top out in the three-digit range.
>
> Can they afford it? That depends. Very few people can really 'afford'
> to toss away even one thousand dollars USD, much less anything in the
> five- or six-digit range. Still, it happens, and its often taken in
> stride. It's like any hobby. I've no (emotional) understanding of
> gambling, but I know a number of people who happily toss money into
> any flutter that comes across their desk because they like the thrill.
> Can they afford it? Sometimes not (fortunately, the ones I have met
> have never gone so deep into debt from their betting habits that it's
> caused them serious problems) but that's part of the excitement.
>
> (Anecdotally, I've had a friend who parted with several thousand
> dollars in one of EA's sports games (the American football one, I
> think). He wasn't entirely happy about it - he admitted going a bit
> overboard - but neither did he entirely regret the loss. It was all
> part of the game for him (mostly, his regret came from spending all
> that money and it not having a major effect on his winning any more
> games, I think, but honestly I'm not sure exactly what EA Sports MTX
> buys you. It's just an area of PC gaming I've almost entirely
> ignored).)
>
> I think most players 'get out' before they get too deep, financially,
> into a game. There are always a few who run afoul of their bad habits.
> There are some who spend a lot who can afford (within reasonable
> expectations of 'afford') because it's the cost of their hobby. And
> then there's the bulk who spend miniscule amounts. Not every game
> attracts the mega-whales who spend in the six-digit range, and even
> those that do only get a tiny handful. Five-digits spends are likely
> equally rare. But four-digit spends? While not everyday, there are
> probably more than you expect.
>

Sorry I should have made that clearer, the myth is that whales largely
consist of people who can spuff that sort of money up a wall without
batting an eyelid. That doesn't mean that people can't afford it as such
but instead it is a noticeable amount for them. For the gambling part
yes, there have been studies that have looked at the crossover between
in-game MTX and problem gambling with the conclusion that there is a
statistical correlation between the personality types, so this isn't
just a bit of fun like Kinder Eggs.

One thing I would add is I've yet to see any study that links MTX to
problem gambling as a cause so that still seems an open question.

My main experience is with WoT and you do see a noticeable number of
players who have spent several hundred pounds plus. For those that enjoy
the game as their only game (*cough* player engagement tactics) that
spend is spread over several years so I don't see a problem with that.
Where it becomes strange is you also see players who only have a year or
so in the game and they've probably got to four figures already. Then
you get those that really dial up the strangeness. They'll post about
how rubbish the game is and that it's rigged against them but still keep
spending. So an example is a player like that who then spent over £100
on lootboxes during the Xmas event. What drives someone to do that?