Why Dota 2 is the Only Game that Does Free-To-Play Right

Funko Pop! has made collectible action figures for just about everything in pop culture, and now the company has brought the heroes from Overwatch to life. This Tracer action figure features her classic skin, complete with orange and white sunglasses. The vinyl collectible stands 3.75″ tall and will fit comfortably next to your computer monitor or gaming console. Once you click through to Amazon, scroll down to see the other Overwatch heroes that Funko Pop! has created figures for. “Cute” probably isn’t the first word you’d think of when Reaper or Widowmaker come to mind, and yet, somehow, they pull it

Regardless of what the most hardcore fans thought, the Mists of Pandaria trailer became an incredibly popular TV spot in the month’s leading up to the game’s release. It featured exciting action with its three way battle, but more importantly, showcased Blizzard’s sense of humor. The trailer isn’t full of jokes at all, but a few well-placed visual gags make it impossible not to love the cinematic introduction of the universe’s new r

Another strategy game I played on my list is SteamWorld Heist and it’s a winner for me. Understanding the gameplay is simple and the story jumped right into the action. Exploring randomly generated ships and shooting it out with robots makes every stop along the way a true challenge. The old west aesthetic and steam-powered environment in SteamWorld Heist is pulled off much better than Wild Wild West. It’s almost the complete opposite of SteamWorld Dig but you could say SteamWorld Heist is a more grown-up version in the series. It’s a game to both kill time and robots with.

It’s hard not to get teary-eyed watching Tyrael descend from the sky voluntarily even out of context, but when the trailer arrives just at the right point in the game’s story, there’s no denying its impact. Although Diablo 3 is incredibly replayable, the game’s story does matter and it’s hard not to become attached to its characters in between long sessions of looting. We dare players to make it through the game without getting invested in this st

On an Earth with fewer and fewer old school role-playing games, Citizens of Earth brought back the genre, at least for me. Comparing many of these games to Earthbound is pretty standard and Citizens of Earth compares pretty well. The storyline, cast of characters and writing are all hilarious. Every situation you find yourself in is not only fun but the companions you encounter add to the game’s whacky antics. Attacks and art style also come with a cheesy nature. It’s an all-around fun game to play and enjoyable just to watch.

Now, let’s not get carried away. Making money is a company’s goal, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The issue is, this benefits the company at the expense of the player. Consider this: what’s to stop Plants vs. Zombies 2 from perpetually releasing new plants while balancing the zombies and expansions in a way that necessitates their purchase, as they already have? This turns the game into an infinite cash-cow that will likely make Discover More money than if they charged a $60 flat fee by grinding it out of players who want a full gaming experience.

That would be like the U.S. claiming it isn’t a militarily focused nation, because they spend a relatively small percentage of its GDP on military. This overlooks the fact that the U.S. is perhaps the richest nation in the world, meaning that that small percentage is more than the next 30 or so developed countries combined. So how much money do free-to-play games make off micro-transactions? I don’t know. But I know it’s more than enough to stay in business, it’s more than enough to make PopCap not even consider bringing Plants vs. Zombies 2 to any other platform besides mobile , and it’s more than enough to entice several other games to go free-to-play, or at least to use micro-transactions.

And yeah, I know these $60, AAA titles still have some greed to work through (like $10 DLC for Titanfall that’s just three maps), but it’s all manageable, and Dota 2 is still the only game to do free to play right. Beyond Dota 2, The Last of Us just had a completely free multiplayer map pack released for it. It can be done. All gamers want is a model that fosters mutually and equally beneficial purchasing. Give it to them.

Pokémon is my absolute favorite franchise and it was very unfortunate there was no entry to the series this year. However, Pokémon was wise enough to appease me by releasing something, even if it was a puzzle game. Pokémon Shuffle has been a game I’ve constantly replayed. I’ve been enjoying it for over a year and I show no sign of stopping. New levels are constantly being added and timed challenges keep it interesting. It’s perfect to play on the go and with it now on mobile devices I highly recommend giving it a play.

In addition to its lore significance, the trailer is also incredibly intense and well done. It manages to pack story, action, and flash all into one package. Just like all the best Blizzard products

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