payment-model
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Perpetuum is dropping its sub fee on April 2nd
As Perpetuum approaches a rebranding of sorts with a new player experience and a new early access status on Steam after a successful Greenlight, the dev team at Avatar Creations has one more thing it'd like to announce: a payment model change. Starting April 2nd, Perpetuum will be dropping its subscription payment model to move forward with a single-purchase buy-to-play model priced at 28.99 USD/EUR. There will also be in-game item purchases that will include "previously unavailable services and cosmetic upgrades." As a special bonus for anyone who has ever paid for at least three months of the game's subscription, the game will be completely free. Be sure to check out the most recent blog post for more details on this new payment model and changes coming to the game with this Steam launch on April 2nd. [Thanks to Fredrik and Zoltan for the tips!]
ArcheAge to start Russian closed beta in December
Good news for Russian ArcheAge fans eagerly waiting to dive in and experience the upcoming fantasy sandpark: closed beta begins next month. Mail.ru has announced that the closed beta testing for the game is scheduled for the end of December; exact dates, however, will come later, along with more information about the beta. Other news that the publisher did include in the announcement was the implementation of a new payment model. Players will be happy to know that after the successful petition to nix Mail.ru's initial plans and the subsequent player voting, ArcheAge in Russia will be launched with the very same economic model that is used on the Korean servers. [Thanks to James for the tip!]
Black Gold Online changes business model for NA
When Black Gold Online's monetization model was introduced, you could say that it caused a bit of a stir. A very big stir of unhappy once-potential players. Now, Snail Games has attempted to quell the dissatisfaction by clarifying a few points, first and foremost by announcing that the previous model was geared only for China and revealing a different plan for North America. Producer Kee Zhang stated, "We're refining this new system and our top priority is [to] develop a transparent and accepted F2P model for the North American audience." The studio insists that Black Gold's time save system is a completely optional bonus to supplement game progression; players can still acquire all equipment and materials from normal in-game means of questing, drops, and auctions. This system will not affect PvP or PvE rankings. The system appears to work this way: The game will auto-save the player's loot index (which is based on your actions during that saved time) every hour, and players can claim that loot index -- through either the free saves or purchased ones -- in the form of a vial of time that can be traded for credits or opened for the random loot within.
Tamriel Infinium: The one where we talk about the Elder Scrolls Online's payment model
It's difficult to watch another beloved game developer make the same mistakes a previous beloved game developer did. I cannot express the depth of my sincere disappointment in the subscription payment model announcement coming from ZeniMax this week. I'm interested in seeing games succeed, but I'm especially interested in seeing The Elder Scrolls Online succeed, not just because I'm doing a column on the game but because the franchise is wonderful and the fans deserve an amazing online experience in the world of Tamriel. But I was floored when the ESO team announced it will be a subscription-based game.
Black Gold Online's payment model will make your head hurt
Black Gold Online's payment model might well be one of the most convoluted and bizarre plans ever instituted in an MMO -- and it's coming soon to the North American continent. Identical to the model that's being used in China, Black Gold's NA payment plan alleges to bypass subscriptions and cash shops entirely. How? Well, it's not explained very well, but that could just be because this monetization model was obviously crafted by a lawyer who hates gamers. The gist of it is that you won't be getting your good loot when you play; instead, your loot will go into a "save file" for optional cash purchase later on. The system holds back rare materials and premium equipment, giving you the chance to purchase the past one, two, four, or six hours of accumulated goods. You can also gamble to try to lower the cost of the purchased save. Snail Games Founder Shi Hai thinks this plan is just peachy: "We're focusing on giving our players choices when it comes to their gameplay experiences -- they decide what premium items to pay for and whether a play session is worth saving." [Thanks to Paul for the tip!]
Blizzard 'actively working' on All-Stars MOBA
Last spring there was a brouhaha over the name DotA that was ultimately settled with Valve keeping the four-letter moniker and Blizzard changing its upcoming MOBA to Blizzard All-Stars. But after that, the newly rechristened game seemingly fell off the radar. Even the official website only offers the tease "coming soonish." Despite the lack of information, however, the game is still being developed. A recent statement by StarCraft II's production director Chris Sigaty notes that the studio hasn't forgotten about Blizzard All-Stars, but is focusing on its free-to-play business model. "We're actively working on it," Sigaty said. "That I can confirm. A lot of the stuff that's remaining right now that we need to focus on are the systems necessary to pull off a game with a different business model than StarCraft II."
Defiance producer discusses EGO, payment models, and more
Although games have been based on other media such as movies, television shows, and comics, no one has blended an MMO and a media property into one interactive world. No one, that is, until Trion Worlds and Syfy teamed up to create Defiance. In a recent interview, Defiance Producer Robb Hill talked about various aspects of the upcoming game, including content, cross-platform interaction, the payment model, and more. Acknowledging that new content can't be released on a weekly basis, Hill explained the plan for keeping things fresh in-game. He highlights that besides the competitive multiplayer system, players can continually redo encounters and net new rewards. Hill also elaborated on the game's EGO system, describing it as an implanted AI device that grants players the ability to survive the harsh environments and also gives special abilities like cloaking and super speed. The in-game HUD is actually a manifestation of the EGO, giving players information and updating as missions progress. Regarding cross-platform interaction, Hill said that although it is possible (the dev team is currently playing together from different platforms), the public will not be able to in the commercial game. He stated, "Sony and Microsoft aren't too keen on us doing that, so no. We're not allowed to." Although the payment model has not been 100% decided, Hill also noted that the development team is leaning toward players buying the box then choosing if they want to buy piecemeal or subscribe to get the downloadable content free.
The Secret World officially abolishes subscriptions [Updated]
Joel Bylos' first End of Days video log hinted at it (if you call busting into a conference room hinting!), and now it is official: The Secret World is permanently removing subscriptions from the equation. Some of you are undoubtedly exclaiming, "I knew it!" but all of you may be wondering what that means for you. Here's the scoop. Funcom's new payment model for TSW is buy-to-play with three membership tiers: free, member, and grand master. After purchasing the game itself, folks can play indefinitely without any additional fees, or they can opt to purchase monthly memberships that provide special bonuses. Players who already have or purchase the grandmaster package maintain their lifetime membership and receive additional bonuses. Gamers will be glad to know that the conversion will not introduce any restrictions to the game's current content; free players will have full access to every aspect of issues #1 - 4, including weapons, dungeons, and missions. But what of future content? TSW will continue to receive regular patches of free content, just not at the volume of previous issues. More content will be also available periodically through downloadable content packs (DLCs) in the in-game store. Issue #5 DLC, coming soon, will be free to all accounts registered as of the end of December. Players opting to maintain a membership will get an XP bonus item, 1,200 bonus points monthly, a special monthly gift, and a 10% discount in the in-game store. Grand masters will receive all that plus another 10% off store purchases. Both members and grand masters can use their free monthly bonus points to purchase DLC. Folks who purchased the initiate pack previously will be reimbursed 1800 bonus points, and all remaining subscription time will be converted to membership time. For more information, you can check out the official FAQ. And catch the new trailer after the break! [Updated with Pay Once, Play Forever trailer] [Source: Funcom press release]
The Daily Grind: What payment model should mobile MMOs adopt?
Right now, two of the biggest mobile MMOs cling to radically different payment plans. Pocket Legends offers up the core gameplay for free with a heavy reliance on microtransactions, while Order & Chaos Online charges a (small) monthly fee to play. The problem is that gamers who might be OK with either subscriptions or microtransactions when it comes to MMOs on the big screen balk at treating these little screen versions the same way. The question is whether gamers will be more comfortable getting the first taste for free and paying small charges on top of that or signing up for a monthly fee and expecting subscription-level service thereafter. What do you think? If MMO studios are to make any money off the mobile market, how should they go about doing it? What would you be comfortable paying for a reasonably good game, assuming that you'd play a mobile title? 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!
