Watch Free to Play For Free

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Free to Play is a 2014 documentary film by American video game company Valve Corporation. The film takes a critical look at the lives of Benedict "hyhy" Lim, Danil "Dendi" Ishutin and Clinton "Fear" Loomis, three professional Defense of the Ancients (DotA) players who participated in The International, the most lucrative eSports tournament at the time. The central focus of the film is how their commitment to DotA had affected their lives and how this debut tournament for the sequel, Dota 2, would bring more meaning to their struggles.

Video game producer Valve Corporation's Free To Play is an essential film for documentary lovers and video game enthusiasts. At a light 75 minute running time, it's an accessible pill to swallow, one naturally only brushing the surface, but in an entertaining way. The documentary details the events of The International 2011 based in Germany, the first gaming tournament for the game DOTA 2 with a record-breaking top prize of $1.6 million. Unfortunately as many of its players are teenagers, the tournament was scheduled during exam periods and many potential winners had to sacrifice a lot at home just for the chance at the jackpot.However, the film wisely chooses three competitors from different teams to sum up the ethos of the tournament and its players, dipping into their backstories at will. They include a Singaporean player who's dealing with a broken heart and a disapproving family, an American player who's suffered from a life of financial trouble and a Ukrainian player who's father recently passed away. Their passion for gaming always shines through. Although many times their stories feel like the typical sob stories you find in entertainment shows, they add an essential conflict and internal desire to the story to make it more engaging. Their hardships are quite down to Earth and relatable, if somewhat sentimentally presented. It at least humanizes the players in a way that makes it feel like the tournament have more camaraderie with something at stake.You don't need to know anything about DOTA 2 to enjoy the film as it features entertaining and impressive CGI interpretations of the battle, but still as a non-gamer it is difficult to see why the fuss over the game is warranted. It's the one thing that the documentary is lacking on, but it doesn't hinder it too much. Free To Play's main objective is to legitimize the career of a professional gamer, and it works quite well, making it quite tempting. Lacking a credited director, you can only assume that its lead editor had the biggest influence regarding a consistent style and focus, other than the current heads of Valve. Even so, the style is still quite distinct in its slick intimate look, use of text and contemporary choice of electronic music. It's a film that feels breezy and fresh, just trying to bring attention to the next big thing in popular culture, though it's arguable that it's already here. The e-sport will soon become a plain old sport.8/10Read more @ The Awards Circuit (http://www.awardscircuit.com)

If you are reading this, then chances are you are an enthusiastic person when it comes to gaming and the idea of E-Sports in general. I am a 20 year old guy, who lives in Bangladesh, a country where professional gaming is still in its baby steps. So seeing this documentary fills my heart with hope and joy, first of all let me clear up one thing, this movie is not about Dota 2, League of Legends, Counter Strike or any single competitive game. It's about the idea of competitive gaming and everything that comes with it, like every normal person i am currently studying and am trying to somehow build a successful life for myself. But that is not where my passion lies, i am simply doing it because of the sake of it, i am a decent student and am relatively well rounded in life, but nothing and i mean nothing compares to the thrill and satisfaction i get from competitive gaming. Despite being in a country where competitive gaming feels like a mere dream i have always tried to take a shot at it and like every person who is attempting to do the same i face many criticism from people all around me, but we still hope and we still keep on trying, don't we ? This is exactly what this movie/documentary captures, Gaming is no longer a thing of entertainment only, it has now become a competitive sport at an international level and that gives people like us a lot of hope. This documentary follows the life and struggle of 3 famous players who have fought through all odds, Danil "Dendi" Ishutin from Ukraine, Benedict "HyHy" Lim from Singapore and Clinton "Fear" Loomis from USA. It presents their life style as a gamer beautifully, you feel their pain, their struggles in everyday life and above all you can truly relate to their mentality as a competitive gamer. The movie is also very well produced, the music fits the scenes perfectly and the transition from one story to another feels smooth and never throws you off the hook of excitement. I for one was simply staring at it and seeing parts of my life pop up in front of my eyes, yes i am nowhere near as successful as the players features but i can relate nonetheless, it does not matter what games you play or even if you are into competitive gaming, i request any and every person to watch this so you can get a little insight to a competitive players mind. Especially parents who are struggling to understand their children's obsession with video games would see this so they can learn to understand them better and manage accordingly. All said and done Free to Play is one of Valve's greatest creation and it is something every gamer and the people around them should watch.GG WP VALVE

Amazing production from valve, a great documentary showing how games are changing life's of several people out there.The movies fallow's 3 guys, showing all that games and the E-sports market could do for their life's.A heart touching, beautiful and emotional movie that can be watched by nerds or even the grandpas...At first, me as a gamer was expecting a OK movie, but the value put in the production was so big, that i really got caught unprepared for this.And this movie really show things that the population is'nt ready for it yet the new market of athletes with brains, skills, determination and strategy.Games are there, constructing a new legion of fans that i'll be proud of being part