????電子娛樂展（Electronic Entertainment Expo，簡稱E3）即將來臨，游戲世界將很快把目光對準(zhǔn)索尼PlayStation 4和微軟Xbox One的次時代游戲。今年秋季，這兩款在假日期間發(fā)布的游戲主機于今年秋季上市時肯定將供不應(yīng)求。但相比次時代游戲，硬核游戲同樣激動人心。游戲行業(yè)的一個重要推動力是免費游戲，簡稱F2P。遍及移動設(shè)備、PC、家用游戲機甚至次時代游戲的免費游戲已經(jīng)幫助這個行業(yè)擴大了受眾。最近的一波游戲展示了免費游戲的一次演變。現(xiàn)在，免費游戲提供了AAA級游戲機品質(zhì)的游戲體驗，玩家不必花費60美元購買游戲盤。

????由于盜版猖獗，免費游戲模式在中國應(yīng)運而生。Nexon、NCsoft和騰訊（Tencent）等游戲發(fā)行商有意無意地嘗試了這種模式，結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)它極為成功。他們意識到，雖然無法在中國獲得昂貴的月費，但可以出售虛擬物品。少數(shù)的鐵桿玩家就可以支撐起很多免費玩家。事實證明，非傳統(tǒng)玩家樂于接受這種模式。雖然只有10%的玩家往這些游戲里投入真金白銀，但他們每年的花費輕易就能超過60美元。考慮到某些最熱門游戲吸引了3,500萬玩家，龐大的受眾為游戲開發(fā)商帶來了可觀的收入，同時繞過了零售模式的費用和麻煩。

????這種商業(yè)模式已經(jīng)進入西方國家，成功的例子包括：Riot Games公司的多人在線競技游戲《英雄聯(lián)盟》（League of Legends），Wargaming公司的大型多人在線二戰(zhàn)游戲《坦克世界》（World of Tanks），Meteor Entertainment公司的射擊游戲《機甲世界》（HAWKEN Mech）和Crytek公司的第一人稱射擊游戲《戰(zhàn)爭前線》（Warface）。這類游戲的玩家數(shù)量不斷增長，而傳統(tǒng)的大型多人在線付費游戲的日子已經(jīng)屈指可數(shù)。暴雪娛樂公司（Blizzard Entertainment）就目睹旗下《魔獸世界》（World of Warcraft）的付費玩家數(shù)量從今年2月份的960萬減少到3月份的810萬。發(fā)布之初采取付費模式的很多游戲現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)開始轉(zhuǎn)投免費模式的懷抱，例如索尼在線娛樂公司（Sony Online Entertainment）的《DC Universe Online》，藝電（Electronic Arts）的《星球大戰(zhàn)：舊共和國》（Star Wars: The Old Republic）和Trion Worlds公司的《時空裂痕》（Rift）。其他游戲則在發(fā)布時直接采用免費模式，例如索尼在線娛樂公司的《行星邊際2》（Planetside 2）和Cryptic Studios公司的《無冬之夜》（Neverwinter）。

????2006年，Riot Games公司創(chuàng)始人馬克?美林和布蘭登?貝克進行了一次豪賭，讓他們的主打新游戲《英雄聯(lián)盟》采取免費+增值模式。五位玩家組成一支隊伍，在在線競技地圖上決一勝負(fù)。他們使用的英雄可通過微支付進行購買。“之所以下這個賭注，是因為我們覺得，取消大筆的預(yù)付費會使更多的玩家愿意、而且能夠嘗試這款游戲，”貝克說。“這種模式的效果非常好。更多的玩家能夠嘗試《英雄聯(lián)盟》。他們中很多人都喜歡這款游戲。結(jié)果，許多玩家一玩就是好幾年。”

????如今，這款游戲的活躍玩家超過3,500萬，當(dāng)然，全球游戲受眾喜愛的電子競技比賽也功不可沒。據(jù)報道，Riot Games公司在2011年被中國科技公司騰訊以4億美元收購。韋德布什證券公司（Wedbush Securities）分析師邁克爾?帕切特說，《英雄聯(lián)盟》每年為該發(fā)行商帶來2.5億美元的全球收入。

????With the Electronic Entertainment Expo just around the corner, the gaming world will soon be focusing on the next generation of gaming from Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One consoles. Both of those holiday releases are guaranteed to be in short supply this fall. But as exciting as the promise of next-gen gaming is to the hardcore, one of the key growth drivers for the game industry are free-to-play games, or F2P for short. Available across mobile devices, PCs, consoles, and even coming to next-gen, F2P has helped broaden the demographics of the industry. A recent wave of games shows an evolution of F2P, which is now offering "AAA" console-quality gaming experiences minus the $60 price points of disc-based games.

????F2P is a model that was born out of necessity in China because of piracy. Somewhat unintentionally, the game publishers who tried it -- Nexon, NCsoft and Tencent -- found it was overwhelmingly successful. They realized they couldn't get expensive monthly subscriptions in China, but they could sell virtual items. The few devoted gamers could support the many. It proved out that non-traditional gamers embraced this model. Although only 10% of players actually invest money in these games, they can easily spend over $60 a year. Given that some of the most popular games attract over 35 million players, the huge audience opens up a nice revenue stream for developers while bypassing the expenses and hassles of the retail model.

????This business model has migrated west with successes like Riot Games' League of Legendsmultiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, Wargaming's World of Tanks massively multiplayer online (MMO) WWII game, Meteor Entertainment's HAWKEN Mech shooter game and Crytek'sWarface first-person shooter. While these games are growing their audiences, the days of the traditional paid MMO games could be numbered. Blizzard Entertainment (ATVI) has seen itsWorld of Warcraft game subscribers shrink from 9.6 million to 8.1 million from February to March of this year. Many games that launched as subscription-based titles like Sony Online Entertainment's (SNE) DC Universe Online, Electronic Arts' (EA) Star Wars: The Old Republicand Trion Worlds' Rift have switched to the F2P model. Others simply launched their games as F2P like Sony Online Entertainment's Planetside 2 and Cryptic Studios' Neverwinter.

????Back in 2006, Riot Games founders Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck made a bet that their new hardcore MOBA experience, League of Legends, would work as a free title with optional upgrades. Five gamers join a team and battle it out in online arenas with heroes that can be purchased through micro-transactions. "This bet was based on the hunch that removing the big, up-front pay wall would result in more gamers willing and able to try the game," said Beck. "It worked pretty well. More players were able to try League of Legends. Lots of them liked it, and as a result, many players have been playing the game for years now."

????Over 35 million players are active today with this game, which has also ridden the success of competitive eSports (electronic sports) with a global gaming audience. Riot was purchased in 2011 for a reported $400 million by Chinese technology company Tencent. Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said the publisher makes as much as $250 million a year with League of Legends globally.