The way people play games is evolving. We’re not talking about graphical enhancements or new features due to advancements in technology and gaming platforms. No, we’re talking about how games are going free-to-play.
As it stands, many people still pay to purchase or play games, but there is a huge push from developers to launch free online games. It may sound like a strange premise to launch games for free, but there is a reason why developers are keen to introduce more titles of this genre.
Why are developers making free-to-play games?
If we look at one of the most popular free-to-play titles right now, Electronic Arts (EA) and Respawn Entertainment’s Apex Legends, it’s easy to see there are new ways to make money. In this game, in particular, players can purchase and earn in-game currency.
This can be used on skins for characters, which players can select to customise the way they look. It can also be used to unlock a premium version of the game’s battle pass that sees players complete challenges to unlock rewards.
To show how well this has worked, back in May, EA announced that since the game’s launch in 2019, Apex Legends has made over $2 billion. Now, to make that much money selling the game, they would have had to sell 40 million units at $50 a piece.
However, it’s unlikely that the game would still be going so strong three years later. Instead, they would likely have to release new games every couple of years, which is more expensive than just updating an existing title. But how do they promote these games to become so successful?
Free games stream online
One of the most popular ways for developers to promote their free-to-play titles is by looking for professional gamers and influencers and sponsoring them to stream games.
Free games stream online all the time by a number of popular entertainers on platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. And it’s not just video games that do this, there is plenty of casino free games streamed online as well.
Let’s take a look at some of the best free games to stream online:
Cash Live Poker
The Cash Live app is available to download to both Android and iOS devices and offers players the chance to play free live-streamed poker games in return for real cash prizes. The games are fast-paced and can be completed in as little as 15 minutes on some occasions, with no entry fees needed to be paid for games such as All-in or Fold Texas Hold’em tournaments.
Some tournaments have their own prizes, others will have you compete on a leaderboard where you will compete to climb the ranks and win a share of $300 split between the top five players. In addition, if you make it to the final table, free games stream online and can be watched by thousands of other players. If you make it all the way to the top, you could even be interviewed by Cash Live, which will be shared across their social channels.
Slotomania Slots
If poker isn’t quite your cup of tea and you prefer playing slot games, then Slotomania is THE place to go to play free-to-play slots. You can download the Slotomania app for free on iOS and Android devices, as well as play on your browser by connecting your Facebook account.
The way that Slotomania works is that it gives you free coins to use, with one million available on sign-up, and then regular daily bonuses to allow you to keep playing the best slot games online.
This allows you to play a large number of different slots which makes these free games stream well because viewers can watch you play a whole variety of different genre slots, and it’s incredibly easy to jump between different games.
House of Fun Slots
If you’re looking for more free games to stream, House of Fun has over 200 slot games available. They’re owned and operated by Playtika who also happens to own Slotomania, so you know that you’re in for a similarly high-quality experience.
What we particularly like about House of Fun slots, though, is there are missions and challenges you can complete to earn more coins and other bonuses. These can be redeemed for a number of exclusive Playtika rewards and bonuses. If you ever run out of coins to complete these challenges, there is an in-app store where you can purchase more coins in order to help you complete your challenges.
Governor of Poker 3
This one feels less like a casino game and more of a social adventure game that you can play with friends, and that’s what makes Governor of Poker 3 such a popular one in our list of free games to stream online. It allows you to take on players from all over the world to compete to become the number one player in the game.
There are a whole host of free tournaments to play, as well as games you can buy into. But the game’s adventure mode that sees you play games and earn experience points to level up makes this a much more fun way of playing poker compared to traditional poker apps. And viewers can join you on your adventure by streaming this game on channels such as Twitch.