Ten Ton Hammer's Danny "Ralsu" Gourley seems to think it's a good time for free-to-play gamers. He is getting very excited about Runes of Magic, and his love affair with Atlantica Online continues:
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Atlantica Online starts and ends the month in the top slot because the game flat out rocks. It may not suit everyone, but it caters to its audience extremely well.
I check out this list every week Ralsu. Keep up the good work.
A while ago I commented that I started playing Magic World Online. I'm still enjoying it. Though at higher levels it almost feels that to get anywhere one has to run the bot almost permanently to get anywhere. However at higher levels new things open up so I'll continue playing it and hope it still keeps my attention. At higher levels the community become friendly and the guild system works quite well. The main reason I am staying for now though is to get my mount to adult level. After that... well I'll see if I'll stay.
You asked why we prefer playing free-to-play games. Well for a couple of reasons. The free-to-play games are often run by small indie companies and I like to give them my support. I also don't play often enough to make it worth paying a large amount of cash per month. I still like the idea of micro-transactions. Especially ones that are only cosmetic.
Sorry this is gonna be kinda long since I just found out about your monthly list and like it alot so I wanted to comment.
First to answer your question, I like to play micro transaction games cause I've played mmo's for like 6 years now and I find I don't play as much as I used to. I could poop sock it out for hours after work until the morning but now I can't put in more then a couple of hours unless the game is insanely good and even then. I just can't justify to myself paying a sub if I im hardly gonna play, though I know alot of people do. I did pay for subs to WoW and Ragnarok Online for years but have stopped both over the past couple of years though I may come back to WoW to try out WtLK.
About Wizard101, from a interview I read of one of the creators on another site, they stated they are heavily leaning towards it being micro transaction based with a subscription option for extra options/content. I've been in the beta for a some months now and can't wait for launch the that will happen soon to see the new stuff they are adding. I may even sign up for a sub if the perks over free is worth it.
Also, I tried out Cabal but I couldn't get into it. It just felt really... unpolished. Even for a free game. I do agree that the music is nice though.
Runes of Magic has me excited as well and I signed up for the beta. I am getting kinda scared now though cause I just got done trying out 4Story and I'm worried it may be a similar type free "WoW clone" . It does look alot more polished though from the vidoe's I've seen so lets hope for the best.
Anyways thats it. Nice feature, keep up the good work! I will be checking it out from now on.
Per this interview with IGN, Wizard101 Project Leader Todd Coleman says:
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Jonric: When is your launch target for North America? At that time, what type of revenue model will we see in place?
Todd Coleman: The North American launch will hit in Q3. Beta is going extremely well, and we'll be adding a lot more players over the next few weeks... a huge ramp-up. The game is extremely polished, and we're now making the adjustments to our operational environment and the support systems (like customer support and billing) so we'll be ready for launch.
We plan on free to play for a certain portion of the content, and subscriptions for advanced play. We also have a pretty cool micro-payment plan in place, which is probably not altogether surprising, given our strong similarities to a CCG.
I've suggested some sort of family subscription model in my posts on the official boards. If I had to pay $10/month for each of the 5 members of my family who want to play it, I wouldn't. As it is, I already have a couple of Dungeon Runners accounts (and a WAR subscription starting soon, too) and I'm not willing to stop taking my family to the movies once a month. If I was offered a discount for all accounts under my master account, I would definitely consider paying (assuming that I felt the subscription benefits were substantial enough to justify the expense).
Update on the Wizard101 revenue model. Per a developer:
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Aug/29/2008
2:51:47 pm
Subject: Wizard101 Pricing Model
Up
Watson
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Developer
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4:39:39 pm
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Hey folks, I wanted to drop a quick note about the pricing model before the game goes live. We’re going to be using a “hybrid model” for Wizard101, which means that the game will be available with limited content for Free (roughly half of Wizard City, and the PvP system which will be coming online shortly after launch.) Players can purchase unlimited access to all of Wizard101’s content in a couple of ways:
- Monthly Subscription. You can buy a recurring subscription for $9.95 per month that gives you full access to the game content, chat systems and other great benefits.
- Pre-paid subscription. You can buy a recurring subscription for 6 months or 12 months at a discounted price.
In addition, we are looking to bring other pricing options online shortly after launch:
- Time for Crowns. In addition, we’re going to allow you to buy pre-paid months using crowns. Initially crowns will be available online, and eventually (through some really cool programs that we haven’t talked about yet) we’ll provide other ways for players to get crowns, as well.
- Other pricing options that will be announced at a later date
We have a lot of exciting stuff coming down the pipe, but the first step is to get the game launched successfully … so to make that happen, we’re going to start with the traditional online game model of subscriptions and a cash shop. Stay tuned as we bring you more options post launch and, as always, enjoy the game!
Watson
Fred Howard
I check out this list every week Ralsu. Keep up the good work.
Thanks. There is no greater compliment than the fact that you read every week.
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Originally Posted by Solitude
A while ago I commented that I started playing Magic World Online. I'm still enjoying it. Though at higher levels it almost feels that to get anywhere one has to run the bot almost permanently to get anywhere.
Yeah, the bot thing is still weird to me. I get it but don't. In the end, MWO just keeps impressing me because there is a reason for my actions other than trying to level up most of the time.
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Originally Posted by Solitude
You asked why we prefer playing free-to-play games. Well for a couple of reasons. The free-to-play games are often run by small indie companies and I like to give them my support. I also don't play often enough to make it worth paying a large amount of cash per month.
Yeah, I don't really have any financial constraints preventing me from subscribing to a game. I mean, I subscribed to EQOA from 2002 until 2005. DDO from 2006-2007. Vanguard from 2007-2008. EQ2 for about 5 or 6 months. I've played DAoC, EQ, PotBS, and others. In the end, I just don't have enough time to sink into a subscriber game. It's not a matter of not having the money but not being able to justify the expenditure. Sounds a bit like you.
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Originally Posted by Birinus
Sorry this is gonna be kinda long since I just found out about your monthly list and like it alot so I wanted to comment.
Welcome to Ten Ton Hammer!
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Originally Posted by Birinus
First to answer your question, I like to play micro transaction games cause I've played mmo's for like 6 years now and I find I don't play as much as I used to. I could poop sock it out for hours after work until the morning but now I can't put in more then a couple of hours unless the game is insanely good and even then. I just can't justify to myself paying a sub if I im hardly gonna play
I'm right there with you. I am very passionate about gaming--if I werent, Boomjack would not tolerate my presence here--but I can't play more than 10 hours per week on my current schedule. That's hardly enough to get into the meat of a game. F2P titles work well for me because I can log in for an hour on a random Tuesday and then again maybe during the weekend.
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Originally Posted by Birinus
About Wizard101, from a interview I read of one of the creators on another site, they stated they are heavily leaning towards it being micro transaction based with a subscription option for extra options/content. I've been in the beta for a some months now and can't wait for launch the that will happen soon to see the new stuff they are adding. I may even sign up for a sub if the perks over free is worth it.
Early on, I had heard they were looking at subs but had not settled on things. I really think this is a fun game--just wish they'd speed up the battle animations a little bit.
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Originally Posted by Birinus
Also, I tried out Cabal but I couldn't get into it. It just felt really... unpolished. Even for a free game. I do agree that the music is nice though.
I think Cabal is better than a lot of other things I have tried. That said, I doubt I'll ever really get into it much. I just have too much fun with the games in the top 5 to dive into the bottom 5 no matter how good they are.
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Originally Posted by Birinus
Runes of Magic has me excited as well and I signed up for the beta.
Keep your eyes here for a beta key soon. I have faith in Garrett, our Industry Relations Specialist. He's gonna score us some keys.
Top Ten Free-to-Play Games August 2008
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