Games, we all love them. Facebook members spend hours at a time playing them. Programmers spend lots of time writing new ones. Download sites are loaded with them. Still there are sites that want consumers to pay to play. Why do consumers prefer not to pay?

Out in the big bad world of cyberspace you can find any game you actually have the desire to play, and you can find it for free. Sure it may hide under a different name, but it will be that same old game you grew up with. One example from Facebook is the game they call Wordscraper, which is actually Scrabble. Such games are interactive, challenging, and totally free. If WalMart gave out free games most folks would stick out a hand to receive, and online folks are much the same way.

Many of the free games out there, like poker, offer services just like the pay games do. They offer online play, chatting, tracking of player history, and even more. So here is a question. Why do companies actually do this, offer something for free that could generate income?

Advertising holds the answer. These interactive games require a registration.  Ads may be shown throughout the gaming process. The registration asks for a valid email address, thus allowing email to come to the user’s inbox promoting yet more and more stuff. Games bring in consumers. Advertisers use the games to reach consumers. Once they see the ads they spend dollars. This is how a totally free site can stay thriving. It is all a part of our informational marketplace. Information is money. The registration process gathers the needed customer facts so as to target the advertisements. It makes gaming affordable for everyone and yet it allows the site to make money as well.

However, it is not a good idea to download or use pirated games. While modern technology like Modchips and PS Jailbreak technology can let you play homebrew games, it is not ethical. Worse, if you get caught, it can cause you a world of legal trouble.