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The Daily Grind: Has a cash shop ever killed a game for you?
Oh, Allods Online. You could cure cancer, end poverty, and kick off another green revolution, but some people would still hate you. It's not fair, really. You're beautiful. You have neat Russian steampunk elements and elves and gibberlings and bards and really great hair. You have freakin' dirigibles as player housing. But none of that matters because of your cash shop -- specifically, the extremely high prices in your cash shop when you launched compared to the prices charged by the rest of the industry. Players found that cash shop (and the subsequent holy charms bait-and-switch) greedy and unforgivable. We're reminded of this every time we post something innocent about the game and inadvertently cause our commenters to spasm with angry mourning, even when the original complaints have long been addressed. Gamers just don't forget these things. They won't give Allods another chance because of the initial sting of the microtransactions. So when has a cash shop killed a game for you? Is there anything that game could do to win you back, or is your grudge eternal? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Allods Online releases Astral Storm update
Wakey wakey, Allods Online players -- the Astral Storm update is here! Patch 3.0.2 was released to North American and European servers today hosting a wide variety of anticipated additions and changes to the game. These include a mentor system, pets that can loot for you, more PvP content, and an overhaul of alchemy. GPotato also nerfed its own free-to-play penalties in the update, as it removed Tep's Curse and Holy Charms from the game in order to protect players' gear. Dying will no longer cause player items to be cursed, which means that the charms are no longer needed as well. To celebrate the release of Astral Storm, gPotato brought back the tropical Atoll for three weeks. Catch up on all of the 3.0.2 goodness on Allods' special minisite devoted to the patch. [Source: gPotato press release]
GDC 2011: Allods Online orders a mega-patch with a launch on the side
It's utterly bizarre to consider that Allods Online, for as long as it's been out and playable by the masses, has yet to leave the boundaries of open beta. As we mentioned yesterday, this is about to change, as gPotato announced that the next patch would finally bring the title to an official release. And what a patch this is! Allods players will feast upon a gourmet meal with all the fixins, including a rise in the level cap from 42 to 47. This means that the talent grids are getting bigger as a result, so expect new skills and abilities across the board. Players will receive a talent point reset to let them rebuild their characters if so desired. Check out 16 brand-new screenshots of the patch below, and hit the jump for an in-depth look at Allods' growth and illuminating videos! %Gallery-91331%
GDC 2011: Allods Online backs off on death penalties
Big news from our GDC 2011 team! gPotato has confirmed that it is working furiously toward finally launching Allods Online out of the perpetual beta state that so many free-to-play games seem to be stuck in. It's due to fully launch at some point this spring. However, that's not all. Apparently, the devs have been listening to the community's ongoing complaints about the death penalties and are taking a major step: They're making holy charms completely free in the cash shop, as of just a little while ago. Furthermore, the word is that the change is going to be permanent! While this only affects the gPotato version of the game, we're certain the community will find this an incredibly welcome change. The idea of having to purchase items from the cash shop to defray the costs of death has never sat particularly well with Western gamers. Allods Online may be a highly polished and fun free-to-play game, but when any game nudges you to spend money just to remove curses applied as a result of your inevitable in-game death, it quickly loses its charm. Whether or not we'll see any additional items drop in price before launch, we don't know. Still, this is a great day for Allods Online players -- as well as for those who wanted to play the game but left because the "death penalty=cash shop purchase" concept was distasteful. Look for more from our talk with gPotato at GDC 2011 soon!
