Why Dota 2 is the Only Game that Does Free-To-Play Right

No list of Blizzard cinematics would be complete without mention of the original World of Warcraft reveal trailer. In many ways, this is the trailer that kicked off the modern era of Blizzard gaming. The reveal trailer takes players back to Azeroth after Warcraft 3 and offers a brand-new perspective on the Warcraft setting. Aside from Trolls, just about every race and class get some love in this trai

RISK: Starcraft Collector’s Edition Board Game is a uniquely Blizzard take on the classic strategy game. Just like in the video game, players must choose between the Terrans, Protoss or Zerg and then head into battle in an attempt to gain control of the Koprulu Sector. While base-building in Starcraft the video game can get complicated at times, this board game follows traditional RISK rules, meaning anyone ages 10 and up can jump right in. The Starcraft theme touches every part of this game, including the highly-detailed custom playing pie

The same goes for League of Legends, bringing it back into the discussion, and they have shown no sign of ever stopping this practice. They release a new champion every week, some of which cost money to play, and many of which are “worth,” leaving the players who don’t have the money behind. I was this close to trying out Orcs Must Die: Unchained before I found out that it uses the League-of-Legends-style system for hero purchasing. These games are no better than the cable company. In fact, they may be worse. Imagine if every week, Comcast started a new channel with new and amazing shows, but made you pay a new fee if you wanted to experience it.

Dota 2 is free to play with no exceptions. The only items you can purchase are purely cosmetic. This makes it so everyone can have an equal experience with the entire game without paying one dime. If you want, however, you can purchase things such as outfits, environmental effects, announcer packs, HUD skins, loadings screens and couriers (an animal in Dota 2 that will bring you your items after purchasing them). You can purchase a battlepoint booster, which will increase the rate at which you level up for a certain amount of time. However, your level has no effect on the game. Dota 2 isn’t stingy with these either, as it gives you a random cosmetic item every time you level up.

World of Warcraft has been out for 12 years and counting and over that time, Blizzard has produced a massive amount of lore and history to serve as the backstory for player adventures. Trivial Pursuit: World of Warcraft features 600 questions, some of which will put even the most experienced adventurer to the test. The board is a custom Blizzard-approved design and players will take control of adorable Baby Murloc movers as they progress through the MOBA game items. Categories to choose from include Geography, Player Characters, Lore, Loot, Enemies and Encount

“Time is money, friend.” You’ve played Monopoly before but never like this. Monopoly: World of Warcraft Collector’s Edition features a custom game board designed by Blizzard, and all of your favorite zones from Azeroth are here for the taking. Faction capitals Stormwind and Orgrimmar take the traditional spots of Boardwalk and Park Place, and the player tokens were voted on by fans. Try to stay out of jail as you move around the board as the Corehound Pup, Murky, Doomhammer, Hearthstone, Mechagnome, or Flight Path B

In addition to its lore significance, the trailer is also incredibly intense and well done. It manages to pack story, action, and flash all into one package. Just like all the best Blizzard products

Now, let’s not get carried away. Making money is a company’s goal, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The issue is, this benefits the company at the expense of the player. Consider this: what’s to stop Plants vs. Zombies 2 from perpetually releasing new plants while balancing the zombies and expansions in a way that necessitates their purchase, as they already have? This turns the game into an infinite cash-cow that will likely make more money than if they charged a $60 flat fee by grinding it out of players who want a full gaming experience.

And yeah, I know these $60, AAA titles still have some greed to work through (like $10 DLC for Titanfall that’s just three maps), but it’s all manageable, and Dota 2 is still the only game to do free to play right. Beyond Dota 2, The Last of Us just had a completely free multiplayer map pack released for it. It can be done. All gamers want is a model that fosters mutually and equally beneficial purchasing. Give it to them.

Again, Pokémon is my favorite series and without any title in 2015, I found Yo-Kai Watch to be an excellent substitute. Comparing the two is definitely easy but after playing Yo-Kai Watch and watching the cartoon, it’s worth noting Yo-Kai Watch can stand on its own. The mix of kooky characters is great and each one having its own personality makes the game a unique experience. Yo-Kai Watch is a wonderful RPG for those in search of something that’s just plain fun. I would consider this game as my best 3DS title of the year.