Play for free or pay?
Decide for yourself whether you want to spend money on the next level
Today, April 24, 2024 | 00:19
Gaming has now become more than just a pastime and has become one lucrative business developed with billions in sales. While many players enjoy free online games, such as those on the Playground from Focus.de, prefer, are – according to one Survey by the industry association Bitkom from 2023 – 45 percent of Germans ready for Game subscriptions and In-game purchases to pay. Become on average 26 euros per month for online games issued, and the trend is rising. Younger customers between the ages of 16 and 29 pay significantly more money than older ones.
There are different ways to spend money in online games, ranging from one-time purchases to microtransactions to subscriptions and boosters.
- One-time purchases: Here the game is available for purchase as a complete full version or special editions with additional content.
- Microtransactions: Many games offer the option to purchase virtual goods. These can be decorative elements, such as skins or outfits for characters, or tools with practical advantages, e.g. B. Weapons, equipment or your own in-game currency that can be spent on improvements or speedups in the game.
- Subscriptions: Through subscriptions, players can receive benefits such as access to exclusive content, monthly rewards or an ad-free gaming experience – an always bubbling source of income for developers.
- Booster: You can also have “Booster” or “Grinder” play for you for an additional fee in order to improve characters or accounts more quickly. However, these practices are controversial and may be prohibited by the developers in the terms and conditions as they often violate the terms of use. However, these services show how competitively driven and time-consuming some games have become.
Online games – a diverse gaming world
Many passionate gamers are happy to pay cash for online games. Nevertheless, the free versions are still popular. The game Counter Strike, which is available to download for free, was the most played game on Steam in 2023. However, in-game purchases are also possible here, which can add up to a decent amount over time. If you want to play guaranteed for free, you can play the popular casual games Focus.de testing. Also Browser games for multiplayer experiences are available.
Steam and Co. – the gaming platforms
Due to the success of online games, Steam generates one Annual sales between 1 and 4 billion US dollars. How high the profits will be that Steam will make with the new “Game Dragon’s Dogma 2” remains to be seen. Even before its release on March 22, 2024, the role-playing game broke all pre-order records and reached the top of the top seller charts. And this despite the fact that the principle “never pre-order” prevails in the community, as there have been several releases that have disappointed with countless bugs.
In addition to Steam there is also the Apple and Android app stores, who also do a good business with online games. A large part of the offer is free, but payment functions often encourage you to improve your character or purchase decorative items through classic pay-to-win. With such In-game purchases became loud Market data from Games Economy In 2022, total sales of 4.46 billion euros will be achieved in Germany alone.
Sales giants and favorite games: The Steam charts 2023
Steam is a video game platform where users can buy, download and play games. The Steam charts for 2023 show which games are among the top sellers. Based on their sales, they are divided into categories such as Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.
The game “Sea of Thieves” from 2018 remains a Steam box office hit. In the pirate adventure multiplayer game, players can search for treasure together, fight against other pirate ships and explore the open seas. “Sea of Thieves” impresses with its social interaction options and continuous updates.
Also “No Man’s Sky” has enjoyed continued popularity since its launch in 2016. The game, which invites you to explore space and survive on alien planets, has become a success after a difficult start thanks to significant improvements and expansions.
Some games even ended up on the best list immediately after early access. This allows developers to sell their games during development and share them with the community in order to collect feedback and improve the game before the official launch.
“Wartales” for example, went into early access in December 2021 and has quickly become one of gamers’ favorites. The game is an open-world RPG in which the players lead a group of mercenaries in a medieval world.
“Everspace 2”, a space shooter with a deep story and a very committed community, has also been in early access since 2021.
Some games on the Steam platform have even been partially released played by more than 300,000 players simultaneously. This includes:
- “Baldur’s Gate 3”, a role-playing game from the fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons that scores with strategic battles
- “Destiny 2”, a multiplayer online shooter with an ever-evolving game world
- “Cyberpunk 2077”, an open-world RPG set in a dystopian future with a complex storyline
- “Starfield”, an action role-playing game that takes players into a seemingly limitless universe within the Milky Way