No, you're just stretching the definition to fit your argument.
This "from the start" point is entirely arbitrary. I've never heard anyone make that stipulation before, in order to classify a game as P2W. It is not part of any generally accepted definition.
Meanwhile, you're missing that given there are different "star" levels of team rating, players can (and do) restrict who they play against to match the strength – so if they don't have a fully star-studded team on day 1 or 2, they play teams of the same strength only and are not at any disadvantage.
There is no such part in what I wrote. I didn't say that nobody spends money; in fact, I outlined some of the common reasons people do spend on the game mode.
Again, this is an entirely arbitrary stipulation you've made, and it's irrelevant anyway given that people can and do restrict their team strength settings on the mode, especially in the early days.
It's a strange argument, this, and we don't need to really be having it. There's clearly a difference between a game that is pay-to-win throughout its lifecycle (or for a large majority of it) and one that "at the start" (for a period of maybe a week) confers advantages on those who spend real money on the game. (Again, though: this doesn't actually apply on myClub given the strength filter.)
If you want to call them both pay-to-win, because that suits your argument, then fine. But then you're still in need of a distinction between monetisation approaches that are considerably more greedy than others, so you've just moved the goalposts a bit but you've got the same work to do. I think we can both agree that the new game mode in eFootball will very likely be as exploitative as possible. It will greatly encourage spending, and it will do so for players to consistently gain an on-pitch advantage. And, in this respect, we can agree it is different from myClub as it stands – without downplaying the fact that myClub is a greedy and exploitative gambling game mode.
The Pay to Win as concept on the internet as a whole, you will find it in many places, not officially as a word definition in dictionary if you alude to that, but as a collection of elements that combined create that p2w state and I quote from one website:
"Pay to Win
PTW is used in gaming with the meaning "Pay to Win" to refer to games that allow players to purchase items or abilities (e.g., more powerful weapons, additional health points) that give them an advantage in the game, either over other players or
NPCs (Non-Player Characters).
P2W is a very controversial aspect of gaming, especially in
MP (Multiplayer) games. Many players strongly object to people being able to pay to trump their own hard-earned experience or superior skills." (source: cyberdefinitions.com)
Comparing it to myClub fits perfectly (it's not about my "narative", It's not about naration, I just explain it objectively) part by part: "allow players to purchase items or abilities" ( in this case spending coins on cards (ITEMS) in gambling methods purchased with real money that if converted into XP can ENHANCE the stats of other players from the team (ABILITIES) and the more players you get more you can convert and buff the stats; can purchase better managers (TEAM STATS BOOSTS) from the getgo, contracts renewal & refresh stamina in game plan, tho i don't remember about those position, skill and xp trainers if they can be purchased with coins). You can have some of those by playing the game after a time sure, but so in FIFA (even if the grinding is way more tedious), so in NBA2K, and mostly in every live service mode. Those things if you have them from the start gives you a strict advantage during the gameplay even if you are good at the game or not, and even if you don't take much time to grind. It's the p2w very shy included and bad implemented by Konami? YES, it is, but that was just to test their own water for what's to come in the new eFootball, a casino royale simulation game with football elements in it.
In other hand, the situation about p2w is arbitrary? Yes, could be, but those nasty things are there implemented even if their "generosity" rewards the user with login bonuses, and btw those rewards are there just to make specific users to enter and continue addicted to that mode during the entire season. About those broken team stars filters that you mention, well most of the live service games have those nowadays, in most of them are working as intended, but not in this particular case...
In the end I guess you are more of an "arbitrary" person enjoying or not myClub and that's fine, but I'll not repeat myself again on things that are obvious about this game, things objectively pointed out during the years also by other people about the fairness, and because of this entire online myClub "generosity" now ironicaly we have the "f2p" eFootball... Every effect has its own cause...
