Game fans are also troubled by the injection of money into an equation that they are used to seeing depend largely on skill, particularly in competitive arenas. This is not a new debate — we have seen it in everything from sleeker swimsuit fabrics for competitive swimmers, to horse breeders with dough getting access to the right bloodlines, to salaries for Major League Baseball teams. It is not a new debate, and it happened just as much with the other business models as well, albeit in a more underground fashion.

People get creeped out by the science behind marketing. It’s a lot more pervasive than people think, and an educated consume should definitely learn about it all and learn to recognize it. But there’s nothing happening here that isn’t already happening at your local market. If anything, expect that over time the science will be applied more and more to games regardless of business model. Social-game-style metrics are increasingly in use in console games, for example.

In the end, my message is this:

Free to play is not evil, it’s just different. If you’re freaked out by seeing business practices nakedly, realize that what’s changed is that you can see them. And to my mind, that’s actually better for you than blissful ignorance.

He doesn't say he likes it, just that it is the way it is.

He can't change it.

Come on. Saying it is evil is just grandstanding and exaggeration. They're not crushing puppies, they're just not giving you the game you want in the way you want.

I hate nuts, but I don't claim Mr. Peanut is evil.

Personally I think almost every mmo that tries f2p is doomed, because the games are designed in such a way that it forces companies to resort to selling power to players.

People get creeped out by the science behind marketing. It’s a lot more pervasive than people think, and an educated consume should definitely learn about it all and learn to recognize it. But there’s nothing happening here that isn’t already happening at your local market.