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WoW to become free-to-play in a few years

Humodour

By Humodour
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Humodour

Humodour

Posted
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With 'a few' meaning more like 3 to 5 rather than 1 to 2 years, but still, it's a very smart business move, and certainly good for us consumers/customers/gamers!

 

It'll be after Cataclysm (the final WoW expansion), and probably after or just before their next MMO comes out, which they are currently working on.

 

While Diablo II officially turns 10, Blizzard admits that World of Warcraft could possibly go free-to-play when the next MMO goes live.

 

One of the biggest trends we're seeing with MMOGs is that they're beginning to offer free-to-play models. Two big-name titles already come to mind: Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online, both of which were developed by Turbine and have switched (or are switching in regards to LOTRO) over to the new scheme within the last year.

 

Free-to-play offers a way for casual gamers--those who don't have three to four hours a pop to spend on a game per day--to enjoy the same realms and experiences as paid subscribers. Rather than forcing players to dump money into time that may never get used, the free-to-play scheme draws revenue from microtransactions and item purchases.

 

Apparently Blizzard has taken notice and believes that this system will eventually make its way into World of Warcraft. Why? Because eventually a game will launch and pull subscribers away from Blizzard's reigning MMORPG king. According to World of Warcraft

Mamoulian War

Mamoulian War

Posted
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Hmm but i still do not believe that Cataclysm will be the final expansion :p

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5) Final Fantasy XIII-2 - PS3 - 200+ hours

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Malcador

Malcador

Posted
Posted

Talent Trees are going to be so bloated.

Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

Mamoulian War

Mamoulian War

Posted
Posted
Talent Trees are going to be so bloated.

 

In cataclysm, you'll not get any new talents

Sent from my Stone Tablet, using Chisel-a-Talk 2000BC.

My youtube channel: MamoulianFH
Latest Let's Play Tales of Arise (completed)
Latest Bossfight Compilation Dark Souls Remastered - New Game (completed)

Let's Play/AAR Europa Universalis 1: Austria Grand Campaign (completed)
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My PS Platinums and 100% - 29 games so far (my PSN profile)

 

 

1) God of War III - PS3 - 24+ hours

2) Final Fantasy XIII - PS3 - 130+ hours

3) White Knight Chronicles International Edition - PS3 - 525+ hours

4) Hyperdimension Neptunia - PS3 - 80+ hours

5) Final Fantasy XIII-2 - PS3 - 200+ hours

6) Tales of Xillia - PS3 - 135+ hours

7) Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 - PS3 - 152+ hours

8.) Grand Turismo 6 - PS3 - 81+ hours (including Senna Master DLC)

9) Demon's Souls - PS3 - 197+ hours

10) Tales of Graces f - PS3 - 337+ hours

11) Star Ocean: The Last Hope International - PS3 - 750+ hours

12) Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII - PS3 - 127+ hours

13) Soulcalibur V - PS3 - 73+ hours

14) Gran Turismo 5 - PS3 - 600+ hours

15) Tales of Xillia 2 - PS3 - 302+ hours

16) Mortal Kombat XL - PS4 - 95+ hours

17) Project CARS Game of the Year Edition - PS4 - 120+ hours

18) Dark Souls - PS3 - 197+ hours

19) Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory - PS3 - 238+ hours

20) Final Fantasy Type-0 - PS4 - 58+ hours

21) Journey - PS4 - 9+ hours

22) Dark Souls II - PS3 - 210+ hours

23) Fairy Fencer F - PS3 - 215+ hours

24) Megadimension Neptunia VII - PS4 - 160 hours

25) Super Neptunia RPG - PS4 - 44+ hours

26) Journey - PS3 - 22+ hours

27) Final Fantasy XV - PS4 - 263+ hours (including all DLCs)

28) Tales of Arise - PS4 - 111+ hours

29) Dark Souls: Remastered - PS4 - 121+ hours

Calax

Calax

Posted
Posted
I thought there were two more after Cataclysm, eventually topping out at level 100?

Heck, I doubt they'll let themselves get to 100. If they did I can see how they'd let the 1-60 game become free, but once you hit expansion territory you're starting to pay a fee.

Victor of the 5 year fan fic competition!

 

Kevin Butler will awesome your face off.

Purkake

Purkake

Posted
Posted (edited)
I don't think Bobby Kotick will like this.

 

But can he stop Blizzard?

Blizzard will have a new subscription-based MMO, enthusiasts will move over, free WoW brings over the free MMO crowd, Blizzard will rake in revenue on microtransactions from WoW while also raking in subscription fees from new MMO.

 

Best way to minimize the cannibalization of the userbase.

Edited by Purkake
entrerix

entrerix

Posted
Posted (edited)

i would probably try wow if it was free, just to see what all the fuss was about

 

but i'm really looking forward to diablo 3, starcraft 2, and guild wars 2 more than a free WoW

Edited by entrerix


Killing is kind of like playin' a basketball game. I am there. and the other player is there. and it's just the two of us. and I put the other player's body in my van. and I am the winner. - Nice Pete.

Calax

Calax

Posted
Posted
There was a 7-day free trial for WoW a while back...

 

I tried it and didn't like it.

you can get those like rain. I can toss people 7 days and if they buy it I get a bonus.

Victor of the 5 year fan fic competition!

 

Kevin Butler will awesome your face off.

WILL THE ALMIGHTY

WILL THE ALMIGHTY

Posted
Posted

Something like League of Legends would be fantastic.

"Alright, I've been thinking. When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade - make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons, what am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager. Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons. Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons. I'm going to to get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!"

Calax

Calax

Posted
Posted
Even for free I still wouldn't be interested in Playing WoW again. Boring grind/get loot game is boring.

It should be significantly better. Admittedly end game is REALLY grindy, but with the rebuild of the "old world" you should be able to walk around MUCH less grindy than if you'd started now, or during either Burning Crusade and Vanilla. Admittedly PvP servers will be significantly more dangerous (flying level capped characters parachuting onto you and one shotting you), but overall the game should be much more varied due to updated mechanics.

Victor of the 5 year fan fic competition!

 

Kevin Butler will awesome your face off.

Hurlshort

Hurlshort

Posted
Posted

Very interesting. Lord of the Rings Online is going free to play this fall as well. Apparently the model was successful enough for DDO.

 

The whole idea of microtransactions seems to be catching on. I still don't think you will see many MMO's going f2p in the initial release window, but I can see how as a game ages, it becomes a better financial model for a company. Basically you are running off a smaller subscriber base, but you have a chunk of them willing to spend a bit more coin to get extra stuff.

Deadly_Nightshade

Deadly_Nightshade

Posted
Posted
Lord of the Rings Online is going free to play this fall as well.

 

Once I get my beta key, or the free version launches -whatever comes first-, I'll give that a go. Any advice? :thumbsup:

"Geez. It's like we lost some sort of bet and ended up saddled with a bunch of terrible new posters on this forum."

-Hurlshot

 

 

Hurlshort

Hurlshort

Posted
Posted
Lord of the Rings Online is going free to play this fall as well.

 

Once I get my beta key, or the free version launches -whatever comes first-, I'll give that a go. Any advice? :thumbsup:

 

Give the book quests your fair share of attention, they are probably my favorite part of the game.

 

Also, don't rush or grind through the levels, there is a ton to explore at every level and you might miss out on some good stuff.

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