THE FREE-TO-PLAY GAME COMMODITY

Abstract

Over the last couple of years the free-to-play digital game has become a real phenomenon in the games industry; game publishers are releasing their games for free, without consumers necessarily paying for it. The concept of a free-to-play game has a different business model than the more traditional digital game, which also results in a different game commodity. This thesis investigates the shift from a traditional flat-fee or monthly subscription game commodity, towards a free-to-play game commodity. By exploring the shift towards a free-to-play game commodity, from a political economy approach, this thesis critically engages with its industry structures, business models, production and game design. This thesis is divided in three levels of analysis, it will start with a macro approach and look at the overarching level of freeconomics in digital culture, thereafter it will zoom into digital game production and free-to-play game production, and finally, it will take a micro approach and investigate free-to-play game design. Taken together, these three levels will critically analyze the free-to-play commodity form a political economy perspective. Compared to the traditional digital game commodity, this thesis will show how the free-to-play commodity uses audience labor to add surplus value and, in some form, control the monetization process through an extensive focus on post-development. It is therefore argued that the free-to-play game commodity embodies new forces of production, design and consumption in the games industry, and is a clear attempt of capital to force itself beyond its limits to commodify digital games with a new scope and intensity.