F2P, or Free2Play, or Freemium if you wish, has a bad reputation. You can find many articles, blog posts and forum threads bashing this model.

However, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the model itself. In fact, few can argue that this model is what made games part of the mainstream world. It allows you to have a conversation about games with your mother, or grandfather, or whomever.

What I am going to write about is why, philosophically, F2P games are a crucial element in the game industry. And I am going to write why “casual” gamers and “hardcore” gamers should both be happy it exists.