When talking about MMOs in the US, free has become a dirty word. Despite the fact that microtransaction driven business models have achieved a large degree of success in Korea and other Asian markets, the “F” word here continues to denote a failed game in the eyes of many. This is not a fickle perception — for most western MMOs in recent years, the conversion to free-to-play has been a signpost clearly indicating that the end is near.
However, the fine folks over at Turbine feel that withDungeons & Dragons OnlineandLord of the Rings Online, they’ve found a way to break the cycle. What’s been under-publicized here is that the evidence so far bears them out.DDOhas not only increased the number of active players since adopting a modified free-to-play model, but has also generated much more revenue in the process. They’ve got great hopes thatLOTRO(which adopted the same model effective yesterday) will see similar success.
I talked to a few members of the Turbine team during PAX and got some solid insight into what it takes to make the “F” word attractive to western gamers, along with a few glimpses at what’s in store for LOTRO.
In terms of a business model, Turbine recognizes that “free” often translates to “bad” in many gamers’ eyes. So they were quick to state that the point of their model is not to make the game free, but to offer players more choice in how they invest in their games. If someone wants to play through either game without paying a dime, they can, but microtransactions or subscriptions are also available for those who want to accelerate parts of the process.
Aside from lack of flexibility in the payment model, Turbine determined that another one of the big turn-offs for potential players is the inclusion of artificial gates. When players are forced to pay to access an area or advance past a level cap, they’re much more likely to rage-quit. No one likes being treated like the Balrog (i.e. “You shall not pass!”). As such,LOTROandDDOboth remove all of these barriers, and new players are responding very favorably.
