Smedley: Zynga has done a ‘terrible disservice’ to F2P’s reputation

Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley believes the free-to-play model’s reputation has taken a hit because Zynga has ‘monetisation products’ masquerading as games.

Smedley told PC Gamer the social and mobile games company is to blame for "the reputation [the f2p model] got from early in its life, especially in terms of social games,” adding that Zynga’s titles have done a terrible disservice for the model – specifically in the eyes of Western audiences.

I think Zynga has done free-to-play a terrible disservice because many of their releases are monetisation products — not games," Smedley said. "The truth is that now there are loads of really great free-to-play games, including ours, and I think PlanetSide is now a part of the hardcore community’s free-to-play library."

The SOE president is certainly gaining a reputation for brutal honesty, back in September he proclaimedthat those who don’t play games have no business working in the games industry.