I wonder how many people fall for an attractive"exotic dancer" at an exotic place such as a strip bar? It's free to watch them perform their dance routine wherever it may be, assuming you didn't have to pay a cover charge to get in. You can typically upgrade to a "private" showing simply by paying a certain amount of money. How is this any different than playing a "free to play" game?Well, there are a lot more similarities than not. I never been to a strip joint so I am basing my analogy on what I have seen on TV:
Cover charge/VIP lounge
Some places my guess on peak nights charge a fee just to enter the door. Perhaps other places just charges a fee to be in a specific area or for parking. On wartune, you can purchase VIP which eliminates cool-down time, bonus exp, and receive some in-game items that you wouldn't get otherwise (perhaps some discounts at the bar if you have a VIP Package). Perhaps VIP people may have exclusive access to areas where non-payers don't or maybe a free private showing by a stripper of your choice!
Food/Drink
Most strip joints I would assume you can buy food and drinks which costs money. You can always spend your money eating or drinking prior to coming into the bar so you don't end up paying for them in the bar. In games like wartune, you can always buy items using real cash to become stronger, or deal with trying to get in-game items with out spending.
Happy hour
Want more value for your buck? Buy drinks during events like "happy hour" to get discounted items. Wartune almost always have recharge events where you get in-game items when you recharge your account with a certain amount.
Private Rooms
Watching strippers perform on stage is usually free, or at a minimum you need to pay a cover charge. If you really want to have a private showing with a stripper, you can always upgrade to a private room. Games like wartune have events where you spend a certain amount of in-game currency you get in-game items. More you spend, the better the rewards. Seeking same stripper
If you fall for a stripper, the stripper will use you for cash until you run out. Then they will simply
ignore you and find another client's money. Similarly like wartune, if you want to remain one of the top players, you must keep spending. Wartune
will always continue to add new items to get you spending.
Closing down
If a strip joint loses clients to the point they are not profitable, they will shut down. Same with free to play games. You need people to keep pumping in money otherwise they will shut down. In both cases, you will never be able to access their services and will need to move on to either a different strip joint or a different game. Remember that there is always a 100% chance that the game you are playing will shut down.
I hope I changed your perspective on paying into a free to play game. Perhaps I convinced you enough that there really isn't much difference in going to a strip joint vs free to play game. Does anyone have any other comparisons?
