It was pointed out that as an aspiring game developer one has to be able to articulate to potential investors how the investment in a game will not be the equivalent of throwing money away. Many people in control of money may not be familiar with the world of video games and the very idea of "free to play" sounds as though a game will not generate income in any way. So I'm going to create an argument for free to play models and why someone should invest in them.
#1 Is audience. If someone has to pay up front for a product, especially an unknown product, they will be reluctant because it creates a commitment to that product. If people are able to try a game for free then that sense of commitment is not there, and so there will be a greater willingness to try it out at the very least. This will mean that the initial audience will be much greater than before, and let's face it without an audience a game will make no money.
#2 Is micro transactions. This means that people can pay real money for items or services in the game that will make the playing experience much more enjoyable. In many games this comes in the form of premium memberships, aesthetic upgrades for ones avatar or in game property, better or unique game items which will give an edge over the competition, etc.... This means that while a game is free to play for everyone, those who pay will progress faster or will spend less time doing menial or boring tasks which is often referred to as "grinding".
#3 Is that a game need not remain free forever. Commonly games will build up a following of players during a free to play time period when the game is stable and playable but not finished, which is often referred to as the beta period. During this time players get used to the game and decide whether or not to buy the game once the "beta" period is over. Often these periods will not include the entire game and often are equated to a demo or a sneak peak of the game. This is most effective with large scale AAA titles, meaning that there has been millions of dollars and hundreds of man hours from a large team of developers invested into the project. This also only works if effective marketing strategies have been put into place. For the sake of my game argument #3 will not really be applicable.
#4 Is that if players truly enjoy a game they will do what they can to ensure it's success. There have been many games that have been started through the gaming community's support effort with tools like kickstarter. Some games have been perpetuated by community support long after the typical shelf life of the game, and with the internet becoming as large as it is specialized communities are popping up all over the place. If one is able to cater to one such community and gain their respect there can be a huge response in the way of financial support.
I'll have to expand on these arguments and think of others as I go along.
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