Carbine Studios has announced that WildStar's business model will be a hybrid one that offers a subscription alongside a "play-to-pay" option.
The developer has revealed two key options will be available to anyone wanting to play the sci-fi MMO after the month of free game time included in the box expires: a standard monthly subscription, or the use of an in-game item called "C.R.E.D.D." to gain a month of game time.
When redeemed, C.R.E.E.D. will add an extra month of game time to your account. There are two ways to obtain it: you can either buy it from other players using in-game gold at the Commodities Exchange (CX), or buy it directly from Carbine at the WildStar website where it will cost $19.99 / €16.99 / £11.99 - slightly more than a month's subscription, which costs $14.99 / €12.99 / £8.99 (though discounts exist if you lock yourself in for longer periods). It can be stockpiled, and you can chain redemptions so you never have to pay a penny to play the game beyond buying the box.
A standard monthly subscription, or the use of an in-game item called "C.R.E.D.D." to gain a month of game time.
At first glance, this seems incongruous. Why would you buy a month's worth of game time for more than a month of game time is worth? The answer is because Carbine is trying to get a handle on one of the most persistent problems to blight MMOs: gold-selling.
In most MMOs, third party gold-sellers offer illegal gold to players for real-world money. Through C.R.E.D.D. Carbine hopes to offer you the same option, but via a more secure, approved channel. You spend your real-world money on C.R.E.D.D. and then convert it to in-game gold through selling it to other players in the Commodities Exchange. The hope is that this will cut down on illegal purchases of gold and encourage gold-sellers not to bother with hacking or farming.
When a player goes to buy C.R.E.D.D. in-game, they'll only be able to buy it at the lowest currently offered price, and they won't be told who the seller is. Once the stock of C.R.E.D.D. at that price has been depleted, players will then be able to buy stock from the next lowest price available, and so on.
In terms of why C.R.E.D.D. was chosen for the game, Carbine has explained it's trying to appeal to two key types of player: The first is the individual who has a lot of time, but little money (think students, or teenagers). These guys will probably be wanting to buy C.R.E.D.D. on the CX as they'll have the time to acquire in-game gold, so won't have to spend any real money. The second type is the person with little time, but more disposable income (think people with jobs and/or families). They won't have time to grind in-game gold, but they're probably not going to miss the dime a day they're spending on the game via subscription.
When it comes to the subscriptions on offer, it's pretty familiar territory for anyone who's played an MMO before. If you want one month, it'll cost $14.99 / €12.99 / £8.99. Signing up for three months brings this down to $13.99 / €11.99 / £8.49 a month, while locking yourself in for six months takes it to $12.99 / €10.99 / £7.99 a month. The best deal is a year-long subscription, with each month costing $10.99 / €9.99 / £6.99.
What do you reckon? It's similar to the system used in EVE in that there are various opportunities to pay for the game the way that works for you. Are you happy with the news, or would you have preferred something else? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Luke Karmali is IGN's UK Junior Editor and has played more MMOs than you can cripple a social life with. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on IGN and on Twitter.
Source : ign[dot]com
No comments:
Post a Comment