Getting inside the heads of F2P players who pay $50 per month

Some people play free-to-play games and refuse to spend a penny, while others will quite happily dip into their coffers when they feel the need.
However, there are a small minority of players, dubbed 'whales' by free-to-play devs, who consistently spend heaps of cash on their beloved freemium titles.
Speaking at PG Connects 2014, Applifier's Jussi Laakkonen was on a mission to delve into the mind of these so-called whales, finding out what exactly makes them tick so that developers can carry on reeling them in.

[@dannykay4649]

It’s very frustrating you can’t see the slides as he talks.

[@marveldoop]

why the anger this presentations are like the prometeus of gaming now we know the logic schemes of the dishonest monetization practices, now we can identify those frames and call them out, this stuff is pure gold

[@blake614]

AplastaBotones agree

[@Sp33dyJohn]

Why is everyone hating on the video? This is reality, people, we need to make people aware of this video not make it harder to be spotted

[@ryuail]

The beauty of KZbin's system is that thumbs up, thumbs down, and the content of comments do not actually matter. Simply interacting with the video boosts its visibility.

[@iamgroot4080]

Ryuail is right. I doesn't make a difference if You are getting Fkd from the back or the side... The point is, You are getting Fkd

[@errorerror8700]

True. Just because i disike the content it doesnt mean i cant help me progress and understand.

[@GoblinAlchem]

The video itself is filmed badly. It either shows the man or the whole room. In either case it's not possible to read the presentation on his screen. And the presentation contains the most valuable information, sadly not available to us. OK, I'll listen to it as an audio podcast while washing the dishes, probably what he says will be enough...

[@vwnt]

Nice “Let’s go whaling” companion piece

[@atp19xx]

Just rewatched it and alas, this was first in it's end recommendations.. 😂

[@Caio-ow5tm]

9 years ago super whales were the ones who spent 50 dollars a month, now we thinks this is cute

[@blake614]

Yet another great video revealing your tricks. Thank you now i will keeps my eyes out for that so i wont spend.

[@Marinealver]

You won't have to spend, the game is not made for you.

[@blake614]

”You don’t have to spend and if you do the games isn’t for you” Well have you watched the video? Edit: and besides we don’t have to play games do we? That’s just as good as the argument you laid before me.

[@dip9995]

@@blake614 the games they are building are to attract whales, you aren’t a whale. The games aren’t built for you

[@carlrocha5114]

Make an informed decision, and if you exchange your money for something valuable, go to it. Not healthy to be all or nothing.

[@sayamqazi]

I have only ever spent $10 on a free 2 play game that I have played for more than 2k hours.

[@iamgroot4080]

Paying doesn't make the game free anymore... BTW in my opinion, You have payed 20$ too much

[@sayamqazi]

@@iamgroot4080 you mean i should have paid -10 dollars.

[@Bellylover2]

10+ years ago 50$ a month was a super whale? I know of folks who blow hundreds a night these days so I can't even begin to imagine what a super whale looks like now.

[@greasemonk4576]

Inflation plays a part of that.

[@brokengames9020]

alternative title: How to run a scam business and scam people on global scale. or is it alternative title?

[@harrisonfiller841]

How about, "How to bring gamers $50 of value every month." Pay to play/win sucks! We hate it!

[@DeviantDespot]

If people are paying it, then they have already determined that it is worth $50

[@MobileDecay]

@@DeviantDespot Yes praying on addicts is perfectly fine! Gfys!!!

[@DeviantDespot]

@@MobileDecay Addicts lol. It is just people who never learned to budget money and want instant gratification without thinking of consequences. There is no chemical addiction it is their own doing, it is theirs to break. They don't get to use the same excuse for heroin or cocaine. It is purely lack of will and solely in their thought processes.

[@MobileDecay]

@@DeviantDespot Yeah just ignore everything that's being said in these videos. I'd love to knock you the fuck out!!!

[@WookJnr]

@@MobileDecay Well you can't you fucking idiot.

[@TheDogmaister]

any chance you could share a link from where we could download that presentation?

[@TheDogmaister]

***** thank you!

[@SavaSabev]

@@TheDogmaister any chance you could link it here?

[@-Retired-]

Fascinating stuff. Morbidly fascinating.

[@Marinealver]

I would pay $100 or more for a good game that is complete. But apparently games are not made for me because I won't spend $600-$1200 a year. What am I saying these companies want >$1000 a month. Microtransactiosn are affecting the way games are being made. Time to go to Roms, game preservation and board games.

[@timoyr2954]

I know it's more reasonable now with the cost of AAA-games going up (and I still think developers, writers and voice actors aren't paid enough), but personally I'd be really hesitant to pay that much for a standard game. Probably mostly out of habit. I was so mad with the price bumb with the last generation shift (I know it didn't happen in most of the US, but here games went from 59€ to 69€). I'd honestly welcome cosmetic stuff as an extra income (with the caveat that there should still be free alternatives and that it should only be allowed in Mature/18+ games). I'd even be fine with XP boosters for single player RPGs, provided that they aren't made necessary. But I know those are unrealistic expectations. I was going to suggest making the standard price for AAA 100€ and selling a cheaper version with cosmetic DLCs, but then I realized that's already going on with Deluxe-editions and the like.

[@atp19xx]

Three years later, games are hitting seventy currency mark and are even more broken at launch they were ten years ago PLUS the devs, writers, VAs still are not paid enough, and in worst cases, being let go. 💀👌

[@roarsack503]

Goddammit, this guy is Finnish too?? I'm so ashamed. I didn't know my country was a mobile game sleaze cesspool.

[@ttextinction7273]

Yes. This video is on the same league with the other whale fishing vid. Welcome back

[@Seasmus99]

Why the dislikes though, this is unfortunately how most f2p games stay profitable

[@ygomango9263]

wait 50 per month is whale ? wtf dude im fking cathulu

[@rabblerouser5559]

The game is a-whale-able . . . The presentation is a-whale-able . . .

[@fpvx3922]

This is so outdated... in Warpath people pay 600 dollars a day for months :D These are super whales... like most pay-players pay 50 a month...

[@DonGonTheOne]

Discusting, shows me everything thats wrong in our society. Could be a good villan in a superhero movie xD

[@lemonybiscuits4824]

'how the whale became',... Well thank you, Rudyard kipling.

[@StanleyOpar]

Jim fucking Sterling brought me here

[@brokengames9020]

27:30 Hello ubisoft scam business.

[@ginibehpunkt4702]

Nice of him to hold that presentation for everyone to see, but still: this guy has to have a good therapist because doing the things he describes had got to destroy a person's humanity in like no time. Exploiting sick addicts, referring to them by a fucking animals name, maximizing profit with the full knowledge you destroy people's livelyhoods, that leaves its mark I can bet you that

[@BigGuy_Trades]

Is the slide deck available?

[@BigGuy_Trades]

NV, the link is at the end of the video

[@brokengames9020]

00:30 Unity doesn't care about their engine standards. They just want to sell licenses.

[@samuraiblade4389]

KEKW

[@Tchado1000]

DISGUSTING

[@jasonworth6776]

DISGUSTING!!!