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August 04, 2006
More on Archlord
We've begun a "grand experiment" in pricing for MMOs with Archlord, which is sure to set off some controversy as people try to absorb the implications.
The system is called "PlayPLUS" (thanks marketing!) which is a hybrid scheme combining the typical subscription model with item selling.
The basic idea is that for a low subscription of $9.99, which is less than your average MMO subscription (around $14.99), the player is also granted a monthly allowance of credits to spend on in-game items.
For the average gamer, this presents the opportunity to play Archlord for less than they would pay for another top-tier MMO.
A detailed chart of the various subscription levels and their corresponding credit allowance can be found here.
Obviously, the trick to making this all work is that the items for sale must be balanced carefully so as not to create too much of a difference. The kinds of items available are consumable benefits that give temporary improvments such as stat buffs, increased XP, and other benefits. They do NOT allow you to buy the "uber sword of doom" or "elite armor." For those who have lots of time to play and are powergamers at heart, item selling won't allow the casual player to keep up. But it will let them stay closer.
I expect a lot of feedback on this system. It's basically the first of its kind in a major MMO title in the West. Feel free to leave a comment, or bounce over to the Archlord Forums and join the discussion.
The Beta Test is scheduled to begin soon, and we expect to figure out how well this system will work in practice rather quickly.
Posted by SunSword at August 4, 2006 01:00 PM
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