Free-to-play 'typically lose 70%' of initial users, warns former Total War designer

Jan van der Crabben, former designer for Empire: Total War, has warned his fellows that studios should brace themselves for a 70% drop-off of initial registered users with their free-to-play titles.

Speaking at a GDC Europe keynote, Crabben said whilst the majority play for a little bit and then leave to never return, those who make it a fourth day will generally keep coming back.

It’s vital to hook gamers in the opening moments of any F2P, and that 30% retention should be considered a success. Crabben heaped praise on World of Warcraft’s F2P.

Blizzard’s F2P sampler for World of Warcraft is exactly what’s needed to keep attention, said the former Creative Assembly man. A constant reward system like that found in WoW is near perfect to keeping users. Jan van der Crabben currently works at Travian Games as a senior game designer. They focus on browser-based free-to-play titles.