Why is Overwatch free?
Recently, Blizzard Entertainment announced that "Overwatch" will switch to a free-to-play model. This news quickly became a hot topic across the Internet. This article will combine the hot discussions and data of the past 10 days to analyze the reasons and impacts of Overwatch becoming free.
1. The background of “Overwatch” becoming free
Since its release in 2016, Overwatch has been one of the representatives of pay-to-play games. However, as market competition intensified and player demands changed, Blizzard finally decided to turn it into a free-to-play game. The following are the hot topics discussed on the Internet in the past 10 days:
| keywords | Number of discussions (times) | Main point |
|---|---|---|
| Overwatch free | 120,000+ | Players welcomed the freeization, believing it would attract more new players |
| blizzard strategy | 85,000+ | Analysis: Blizzard’s move is in response to competition from free games such as “League of Legends” |
| Game economic system | 60,000+ | Discuss how to monetize skins, battle passes, etc. after becoming free |
2. Main reasons for freeization
According to netizen discussions and industry analysis, the main reasons why Blizzard made Overwatch free include the following points:
1.market competition pressure: In recent years, free games such as "League of Legends" and "Apex Legends" have occupied a large market share, and the appeal of buyout games has declined.
2.Player base growth: The free model can significantly lower the entry barrier and attract more new players to join, especially young people.
3.The monetization model is mature: Through in-app purchases such as skins and battle passes, free games can also achieve high revenue, even exceeding the buyout system.
| Game name | business model | Annual revenue (100 million U.S. dollars) |
|---|---|---|
| Overwatch (original) | buyout system | about 5 |
| League of Legends | Free + in-app purchases | about 18 |
| Apex Legends | Free + in-app purchases | about 12 |
3. Response from players and industry
After the free announcement, players and the industry reacted in polarized ways:
1.Supporter's point of view: I believe that making it free can bring new life to the game and allow more people to experience this excellent team shooting game.
2.Opponents worry: We are worried that the cheating problem will intensify after it becomes free, and that paying players will feel it is unfair.
3.Industry Analyst: It is generally believed that this is an inevitable choice for Blizzard to follow the market trend, but it is also pointed out that more resources need to be invested in anti-cheating and balance.
4. Future Outlook
After Overwatch becomes free, Blizzard needs to solve the following key issues:
1.Anti-cheat system: Free games usually face more serious cheating problems and need to strengthen technical means.
2.Content update: Maintain high-frequency updates of heroes and maps to maintain player activity.
3.community management: After becoming free, the player base will expand, and community atmosphere management will become more challenging.
In general, making "Overwatch" free is an important strategic adjustment for Blizzard in the new era. Although it faces challenges, if related issues can be properly resolved, this change is expected to bring a second spring to the game.
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