It was announced this week by Perfect World Entertainment (who is now the game's publisher) will be pushing Star Trek Online into the Free-2-Play realm later this year. And it couldn't be happening under a better publishing company. Perfect World Entertainment is known for it's high quality, free to play MMO titles. This is great news for people who like to game on a budget. Let's be honest, MMO games are a lot of fun (or at least they can be). But who really likes throwing down around $15 dollars a month just to play a game that we have already bought?
This is why I have previously left games like WoW. So if you have been looking to try out Star Trek Online but were put off by the monthly subscription rates, then your wait is soon to be over.
And before someone starts screaming, I know WoW now offers a F2P offer as well. But honestly it's nothing more than an 'unlimited trial' of the game up to Level 20 (and they are still experiencing record numbers of people leaving the game since Cataclysm was released). But that is for another story altogether.
There has been a lot of news, rumors, and buzz flying around this week in the Tech/Game world. First up:
-We have 2 returns to look forward to in the near future. The first is Jax. That's right, the guy with metal arms from the Mortal Kombat series. It has been confirmed that we will see him in the next incarnation of Mortal Kombat video game. So look forward to brute-martial arts-goodness. source
The second is Tribes. Remember, that was the awesome FPS that gave us jetpacks to zip around the level on. Well, looks as though Hi-Rez Studios is looking to make a MMOFPS. And you guessed it, Hi-Rez is the same studio that brought the world 'Global Agenda'. So, it is indeed a small world after all. source: Tribes Universe
-Over at Massively.com there is a good article highlighting which F2P (free-to-play) MMO games have unique in-game events running this weekend for Halloween. Games in the list include 'Flyff', 'Alganon', 'Zentia', 'Freejack', and 'Wizard 101' to name a few. So if you're looking for a different, cheap, and fun way to spend some time this Halloween weekend; checkout their list. source
-Another big headline this week in the gaming world is a move to the free 2 play model by Cryptic. Looks as though next year their title 'Champions Online' will be making the jump from subscription only to F2P. With the move to a new business model for the game, Cryptic is also making it a little easier for newbies to pickout a character spec via their 'Archetype' systems. Personally, that was one of my favorite parts of the game was picking abilities during character creation. It will be interesting to see what changes will be made in-game once it goes F2P.
The MMO scene has been very volatile as of late. With well-known games going F2P (free 2 play), the upcoming WoW expansion (Cataclysm), and even more news about Guild Wars 2. Anyone who has ever played an MMO (or any MMO's for that matter) can identify with the current environment we are seeing amongst the games we play. And it is exciting.
A couple of years ago I started checking out F2P MMO's. I was interested in getting into an MMO with a good community and have some fun. This of course led me through the ranks of most of the popular free MMO's. Started with 'Last Chaos' and kept trucking through a little bit of Dungeons and Dragons Online, Rappelz, Atlantica Online and every other one in between. Recently found a hidden gem in Allods Online, which even though I have had limited time in game; what I have played has been pretty fun.
Turbine had converted Dungeons & Dragons Online to F2P, many people thought this was a brave move, and it could have went either way for the company. How did they do it: the gave the game away as a free download. Implemented a cash shop where gamers could purchase items, character slots, new playable races, and mission packs that would unlock other parts of the game. There is still a subscriber version that includes the mission packs and some other perks. But for people starting out in the game and maybe limiting their cash spending for games. This was a great solution. And it worked for Turbine.
Worked so well for them that now they are taking 'Lord of The Rings Online' free to play as well. Personally, I'm excited about this one. I've wanted to play LOTRO for a little while now, and I just couldn't bring myself to another monthly subscription. Subscription based games are fun, but they come with a sense of obligation. Either I play a lot and get my monies worth, or I don't play and I lose the money. That being said, I have spent extensive time in game in Warhammer Online, World of Warcraft, and Champions Online. And each of these games are fun in their own rite. However, after playing through the handful of starter levels I tend to find myself not having as much fun. Because I know that to keep playing (usually past my first 30 days), it will cost me. Maybe I'm cheap. But I tend to think my gaming habits aren't constant. I have several games that I like to play. And don't like to dedicate any certain amount of time to any one certain game. I play what I want to play, when I want to play it. That's it.
LOTRO isn't the only title going to F2P either. Also recently announced was Everquest 2 (which will have some hyrbid F2P stuff going on) and Alganon are among the latest. Which titles are going to be the next to conform to F2P? Who knows. But evidence shows, F2P isn't going anywhere, anytime soon.
The other hot topic right now is ArenaNet. These guys have been pretty quiet about the upcoming sequel to Guild Wars until a few months ago. They've been teasing us with concept art and concept visuals. Then they released info on the playable races (which include the Charr this time around), and then they started teasing us with playable classes that are available. Most recently they have released the 'ArenaNet MMO Manifesto'; which shows off all kinds of gameplay goodness. From Charr's with guns, to Asuran's piloting Golems, to underwater gameplay footage. On top of crazy combat visuals, and gorgeous environments, better graphics and the introduction of a persistant world (whereas the original Guild Wars was instanced outside of towns and outposts). I know one thing for sure...When Guild Wars 2 finally hits the streets, I'll be in line to get my hands on it.
But until Guild Wars 2 hits, you can find me back in the original Guild Wars. Until next time! Happy surfing!
I just wanted to through something out there. This morning I decided to take the plunge and purchase a license for 'Champions Online'. After playing the unlimited demo and really liking my character and the initial gameplay was pretty fun for me. And from what I hear the game 'post-starting area' is pretty good too. I figured if I could pick it up for a decent price with the additional 30-Days free after purchase, if I didn't end up liking the game I could drop it.
So I compared prices between Best Buy, Walmart, Steam, and Direct2Drive. I found a forum post on the Champions forum mentioning Atari running a special on the game for 50% off the retail ($29.99). So I went over to Atari's website and proceeded to purchase the game. All seemed well.
After waiting several hours with no email for further information on my purchase I decided to do some digging around. I found that others had encountered the same issue. Turns out, the company that handles Atari's digital downloads is called Digital River. According to several other forum posts others had experienced a similar issue in which they put the order in a 'Review' status which often takes up to 24 hours to clear the order. This is not what I expected it to be.
My previous experience with Digital Download services has been great. It's easy, quick, and convenient. Why? Simple, you click 'Purchase' (assuming you have an account already setup), and the game is unlocked for you. If not instantly, then within a few minutes. With the Atari/Digital River setup, not so much.
A little agitated, I decided to call the Atari's Online Store Customer Support and just inquire as to why my order was in a 'Review' status for a couple hours. *Note: I used the correct info for my billing, this was confirmed by me.* After speaking with a lady from their customer service, she verified the info I found on the forums (probably was reading the forum back to me, that's how close it was to what I read), she said if my info was correct than I should get an email with further details within 24 hours.
I asked her whether or not this service was considered a 'digital download service' and she confirmed that my purchase was in fact considered this type of service (they also sell hard copy games as well). I ended up requesting her to cancel my account because I can purchase it through their competitors with less hassle, get the product faster, and be playing in a fraction of the time as opposed to using their service. I am now eagerly awaiting my cancellation email (which she said will arrive shortly). That was 2 hours ago. I only assume it will arrive within 24 hours. :)
I thought I would inform someone who may decide to use this service. Personally, I feel that they have overlooked a sale. And if that is how they conduct business, I will not be one of their customers (directly). I will not let this experience cloud my opinion of the great game that Cryptic has put together. But if Digital River is associated with an online store, I will not use the services. Buyer Beware.
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