What is P2W? What is F2P? How are they different in video games?

If you don't know what they mean and what is the difference between these 2 terms, it's time to dig a little deeper!

What does P2W mean?

When it comes to video games, P2W stands for 'pay-to-win'. Basically, pay-to-win is a term used to describe games that require or involve the payment of real money in order to give players access to a number of significant advantages over other games. other players.

For example, a P2W game may allow the player to heal after killing or power up by paying. In reality, however, things are often a bit more complicated. Typically, P2W games provide equal access to the same content to both players who are willing to pay and those who are not. The advantage for payers is often in the form of time.

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Many P2W games set up long timeouts on many parts of the game. All players must go through these waiting periods, but for players willing to pay, the waiting period can be shortened or omitted altogether. However, whether this gives the player a special advantage over others depends on the game itself.

It should be noted that a game with microtransactions is not necessarily a P2W game. There are many different examples of microtransactions in the game, but if the transaction does not directly affect the chances of winning the game, then it is not a pay-to-win game.

What does F2P mean?

F2P (or sometimes called FtP) is another acronym that comes from the phrase 'free-to-play'. This phrase refers to games that don't cost money to play. They are different from many commercial products and games that you have to pay to play or use.

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F2P games are also different from freeware games. Freeware games do not have any kind of cost at all, while F2P games usually include some kind of cost. For example, with many popular free-to-play games like Fortnite, League of Legends, and CS:GO, these costs take the form of microtransactions in exchange for in-game items.

There are also other F2P games for mobile devices that do not include microtransactions in the game, but instead have ads integrated directly into the game. It's not uncommon for these games to give players the option to view more ads in exchange for in-game rewards.

What is the difference between P2Wand F2P?

Before defining the difference between P2W and F2P, it is important to understand that the two terms do not cancel each other out. F2P games may or may not be P2W, and the same is true for games with commercial purchases.

With that said, there is a correlation between F2P games and P2W factors. This is because F2P games also cost money to develop and, of course, companies want to profit from them. As a result, F2P game developers take various measures to monetize their products.

For some F2P games, these measures take the form of item purchases that don't affect the game itself, while others allow you to skip the game "plow" process by paying for purchases. in the game.

Whether "plowing" a game is good or bad is a difficult debate to arbitrate and can sometimes blur the lines as to whether a game is P2W or not. After all, if all fighting game characters are the same, but you can pay to unlock them instantly, is that pay-for-advantage?

Samuel Daniel

Update 22 February 2023