Feldon On Friday June 4th, 2010, Lord of the Rings Online (LotRO) made news by announcing that the entire game was going to a Free-to-Play (F2P) model. Players can maintain a subscription, and receive most of the game and game items, but they’ll need to spend real money to get access to new items which appear on their marketplace.
This begged the question of whether other games such as EverQuest, EverQuest II, or World of Warcraft would move to a F2P model, and if they did so, whether it would be gamewide or if we would see the addition of new isolated F2P servers.
F2P Goldmine?
Thus far, it remains unclear if F2P has been the financial goldmine that SOE expected when they spent millions developing and marketing their kid-friendly FreeRealms. The game is popular, but it’s unknown outside SOE if enough people are buying items in the Marketplace to continue the experiment. Already, there has been one major revamp to FreeRealms, shifting the target audience from 10-15 downwards by making gameplay, combat, and quest completion easier.
Thus far, every addition of RMT elements to EQ2 has been extremely unpopular with players, at least in discussion forums. Applying a F2P model to established Subscription-based MMOs seems to be the “third rail” in MMO discussions. LotRO has jumped into F2P headfirst, marking some classes as premium, reducing character slots for non-paying customers, and putting powerful items in the marketplace.
During the Stratics interview at E3, the Free-to-Play question was raised, and Dave Georgeson (EQ2 Senior Producer) took a swing:
The current subscription model isn’t going to change. The people that are playing the game as it stands right now really like the way it is. They don’t want us to sell items for power in the marketplace. They want to be able to earn their way through and achieve things on their own. They don’t really want people to be able to get ahead with their wallet. So the existing business that we have right now is not going to change. If we were to do something outside of it, it would be completely separate.
Georgeson had a followup clarification on the EQ2 Forums:
We will not be changing your subscription model. We’ve heard you folks loud and clear that you do not want items with stats introduced, you don’t want players buying their way to power, etc. Your world will stay the way it has been and we will continue to support it with new content, items, etc.
Commentary
At first glance, this would seem to shut the door on F2P in EverQuest and EverQuest II’s future. However careful consideration of the interview and reading of these comments would seem to leave a crack open for the possibility of Free-to-Play appearing on isolated servers, much as the Bazaar and Vox servers allow isolated RMT in EQ2. Clearly we’re in the realm of speculation here.
By the way, some are using the acronym FTP to describe Free-to-Play, however FTP is so widely used for File Transfer Protocol, we will be using F2P.
Expansion Date Guesstimations
We have been guesstimating that the 6th expansion for EverQuest II: Destiny of Velious would make an appearance this November. However based on Georgeson’s comments in this most recent interview, we’re now estimating that the expansion will not hit until early 2011. We’re a little over 1 month away from Fan Faire (August 5-8) so no doubt this date will be locked down before then.
FYI, LOTRO’s “premium” classes are the two that were added in a previous paid expansion, and will be permanently unlocked for anyone who paid for that expansion. Former subscribers who own the previous expansions will have permanent free access to all but two of their current slots (where they can currently access zero of their slots with a lapsed sub).
In fact, in general Turbine has actually gone out of their way not to charge players again for anything that was in a previously paid expansion box, arguably to their longterm detriment. Former subscribers with both LOTRO expansions will have permanent free access to all of the leveling and dungeon content from level 50 to the current cap of 65, including endgame dungeons). Because each EQ2 expansion has been billed as an “all-in-one” box, applying the same model to EQ2 would require making basically the entire game free, which would be unlikely to result in increased revenue.
I think we could see EQ2 moving in the direction that Warhammer did, with the removal of the time-limit on the free trial. I.e. actual new players – such as the ones the new skill changes and the Halas content are aimed at – would be allowed as much time as they needed to try out the game, re-roll classes, etc. Once you pay, your account becomes just like anyone else’s with access shut off when your subscription lapses.
As to new and more powerful gear in the item shop, well, SOE appears to be perfectly content to slowly push the envelope in that department without removing the subscription from the game.
I personally don’t mind if they added in stat item be it weak or powerful to EQ2. As I see it, it would open up new options for the very casual player to gain to gear from their wallet in pass of their little amount of time. There for adding more people that have some quality gear to group with that can get the job done.
Also it could make some extra money for EQ2 to help pay for all the costs they can add to better the game. Like more game testers for new content….
That’s some serious speculation, er, imagination. What part of “your world will stay the way it has been” and “if we were to do [F2P], it would be completely separate” is so ambiguous that these comments “leave a crack open”?
Well I’ve got a good imagination.
Again, everything he said could describe current servers, and still add F2P on new servers.
It was not a flat denial. I think he gave the best possible answer he could give, considering this team’s elastic relationship with RMT.
regarding the xpac dropping in 2011… smokejumper said this to Ten Ton Hammer at E3…. We have made our own predictions regarding the next expansions but Dave drops some really telling hints mentioning “the expansion that no one knows the name of at the end of the year” pointing to a 2010 release”
New XPac November? Hm maybe Rift Beta starts end of 2010… give it a try and welcome back Scott Hartsmann 😉
Anarchy Online is alive today due to F2P, it brings people in for FREE! Then if they like it they sub or can continue to play for free.
F2P feels like the way of the future tbh, once allot of mmo’s start going F2P, EQ2 will have to have some sort of F2P option. I’m already looking at LOTRO as an alternative, my 6 month subs for my 3 active accounts is coming up (6 altogether) rough math i think its about $77 per account x 3 = $230/$240 bucks. Bottom line its over 200 dollars, plus expansions 40 x 3 = 120.
Per year this is costing about $600 a year to play a video game, plus anything i already spend on their market, i use potions here and there. Really why am i buying items in a monthly sub’d game???
LOTRO = No money, unless one gets roped into market items.
Am i switching, i don’t know and only using the above as an example of the way peeps will start to look at their options.
I know this as I’m actually thinking about it. $600+ a year or Free.
But that wouldn’t be “completely separate.” Completely separate means “not EQ2,” especially in the context of Georgeson’s nevers and nots, which are very absolute terms.
Well i pay for station access which is a solid fee of $30 a month so even if EQ2 went F2P i would still be paying the same ammount.
To me it looks as if EQ is trying to be F2P and P2P at the same time. You have to pay a monthly fee but also have an in game item store…the Sony Station cash store. The game is using a totally outdated gaming engine yet it seems to be doing all it can to milk as much money as possible from its subcribers.
Very shameless, they should just drop the monthly fee and go full F2P!