Term for "Free to play" Videogame that Isn't Free

Solution 1:

As @Theo mentioned, game companies like to refer to a business model built around buying usability extras for a "free" game as "Freemium".

However, in the situation where the game doesn't really allow a player to make a competitive showing without purchasing stuff, we gamers call it Pay-to-Win (sometimes abbreviated as P2W). The name is always used derisively, so I doubt you'll ever hear a company adopt it in their game marketing.

Solution 2:

A Freemium is a general term and a business model that refers to a product that is offered free of charge while a micropayment is charged for users to access premium features and virtual goods. Quoted from Wikipedia:

A freemium is a business model by which a product or service (typically a digital offering such as software, media, games or web services) is provided free of charge, but a premium is charged for advanced features, functionality, or virtual goods. The word "freemium" is a portmanteau combining the two aspects of the business model: "free" and "premium".

Solution 3:

I would propose something along the lines of crippleware, which describes software that is free to use but has some vital features that are disabled as an incentive to get the complete version.

I would propose games that do this could perhaps be cripplegames or grindware since advancement requires excessive grinding for dreadfully tiny game currency rewards in order to upgrade to an implausibly lofty trade-in price.