http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2012-09-14-wii-u-interview-reggie-explains-why-USD299-is-a-really-strong-value

It's a topic no one has been talking about at all... Even Nintendo gave it a shrug to the side without flaunting it - but it's probably one of the biggest deals in the future of console gaming.

Free-to-play.

Reggie openly, and casually, mentioned that the Wii U will support any and all types of business models, including F2P, and it will be up to the developers to decide what to do. The inclusion of F2P could be *huge*, yet no one is talking about it.

So why is no one, not even the F2P maniacs, talking about this? We're talking about the potential for quality titles like:

MOBA titles (League of Legends, Dota 2, etc.)

Shooter titles (Tribes: Ascend, Team Fortress 2, Warface, etc.)

And no one's whispering a word about it....

Is it because it's Nintendo? Would the industry be all up in arms if Sony or Microsoft announced this? Or is it merely the nonchalant manner in which Nintendo talks about it that doesn't raise more interest? Why do the developers who herald F2P (such as EA, Crytek, and countless others) not mention a single good word about what Nintendo is offering?

EDIT: Forgot about Dust 514; Sony's also making a F2P game for their system. I'm not sure how open Sony is for F2P gaming on their system, but it is also clearly never talked about or taken advantage of. It strikes me as odd considering so many developers are heralding the F2P market and talking about the death of consoles, yet when consoles offer F2P it means absolutely nothing to them.

EDIT2: Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears Sony doesn't support F2P gaming outside of their first party publishing: http://www.freemmostation.com/news/crytek-sony-microsoft-in-for-a-tough-time-unless-they-support-f2p/

EDIT3: Sweet, I've been corrected, Dust 514 is a third party title. Derp. I thought Sony was publishing it. Sony's F2P "support" must be strange then, if certain publishers are having difficulty being supported.

I think it is because nothing has been anounced for it yet ...

The PS3 has free to play too...

A feature is one thing but games utilizing it are another. If Nintendo gets LOL exclusive to the Wii U then yeah, it's important.

F2P isn't necessarely a good thing. Normally, Free 2 Play equals Pay 2 Win. Every mobile game using this system is simply unplayable (or very unfair) if you don't buy items to speed up things or gain advantage.

And this model of bussiness is not new in this industry. MS already confirmed that they wan't to stimulate F2P and Sony is making a F2P game (Dust 514) and pushing it well (the super slim PS3 comes with Uncharted 3 and a US$ 25 voucher for Dust).

I hate Free to Play. Generally sub par crap comes along with it, but there are exceptions sometimes.

Free-to-play exists on Sony systems, too. Dust 514 is a F2P MMO coming to PS3 and Vita, and Phantasy Star Online 2 is also coming to Vita next year.

You're right, I forgot about Dust 514. Are there other examples? (I added it to the OP for clarification)

It just seems odd to me that so many websites, so many developers, so many journalists, so many industry professionals.. etc.. all herald F2P gaming as the biggest future for video games, and they always talk about the death of consoles. Then, when F2P gaming is available on consoles, they act like it means nothing and never comment on it... nor do developers take advantage of it.

Why?

Another odd note: Crytek, the developers behind the stunning "Warface" title coming out soon, have spoken to both Sony and Microsoft about getting their F2P game on the systems; it seems they haven't had much luck yet. Why are these developers not contacting Nintendo too? And why can't these developers get their F2P games on Sony's platforms (PS3)?

Damn, now I feel like this would make a better topic under general gaming to discuss more than just Nintendo. >.<

EDIT: Apparently Sony doesn't "support" F2P games on the PS3. Perhaps they only support F2P titles that are first party?

http://www.freemmostation.com/news/crytek-sony-microsoft-in-for-a-tough-time-unless-they-support-f2p/

lol @fighter

F2P could be good or bad. It will all depend on what games end up coming to Wii U. If all you have to pay (buying something to improve the experience and just that) is something like the equivalent of your usual DLC or the equivalent of a month subscription for online games without changing games, and gamers see it that way, F2P could be a good move to attract new customers.

Has any company ever definitively made money on an F2P game?