Crytek Announces a Bright, Free-to-Play Future For Console Gamers

CEO hoping to bring AAA games to free-to-play console market.

The free-to-play model has been working pretty well for a while now. From Facebook games like Farmville to fully fleshed titles like Tribes: Ascend and Age of Empires Online, free-to-play is pushing its way to a varied forefront in the world of desktop gaming. But why should it be restricted to our desktops? After the announcement that every game they put out following Crysis 3 will be free-to-play, CEO of the technical powerhouse Crytek, Cevat Yerli, stated that he hopes not only to bring the developer€™s huge AAA games to a free-to-play PC market, but also to consoles. There are, however, a few obstacles to overcome. The main issue holding them back, as Cevat sees it, is the relationship between digital and boxed retail. In order for stores to make a decent amount of money out of the industry, they need to sell boxed games €“ something they wouldn€™t be able to do if the future was fully digital and free-to-play. Take away the stores, however, and you can€™t sell the consoles. Cevat, however, feels very strongly that something needs to change. €˜It's an industry problem that needs to be overcome and somebody just has to say, 'I'm going to cannibalise it, I don't care, there's a risk of burning some relationships, but we're changing the world for good.'€™ Is free-to-play console gaming the way forward? What effects would that have on videogame development? Do gamers prefer one-off payments, or a host of micro-transactions? We€™d love to hear your thoughts.
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Obsessive gamer trying to win at Achievements between working in film and new media.