Wow...

I'm not really surprised that it happened. I just thought that it wouldn't happen yet for a while.

Another game where I bought a lifetime sub which went F2P. :)

I wonder when STO will go F2P. That will be fun since I basically only liked half of that game, the space part.
 

I understand your cynicism, but isn't this GOOD news? The merits of f2p have been discussed before, so you'de think this would be good, albeit predicted, news.
 

All MMOs that are not good enough to sustain a sub try free2play. Why shouldn't they?

Of course, that makes free2play have some informational value for the consumer, too.
 

Reading through the F2P restrictions, it seems like many of the things that the players of super hero games want in character customization (including choice of powers) is cut out of the F2P version. This seems more like an attempt to create an long-term free trial coupled with an effort to put more players on the field so the servers don't feel so empty.

Though after the truly awful customer service I received from Cryptic after they refused to honor the free time that came with my copy of the game, I don't think I'd trust anything they do.

I am just sad that an IP that I've played for many years, the HERO system Champions RPG game world, has been so badly bungled that Cryptic already cannot support themselves on subscriptions.
 

I broke down the advantages/disadvantages a bit in a post on my blog.

http://goo.gl/QVG4
 

sigh, hate f2p.
 

I agree with Magroth..when will STO go f2p? Champions and STO are games I always wanted to try but I didn't want to spend money extra money on. I can't afford multiple $15/month accounts.
 

I agree with Magroth..when will STO go f2p? Champions and STO are games I always wanted to try but I didn't want to spend money extra money on. I can't afford multiple $15/month accounts.
 

This news is relevant to my interests.

I played a little pen & paper Champions back in my youth, and was always interested in the MMO, just never heard enough genuinely good things about it to persuade me to buy. And also I somehow missed the couple of free weekends they emailed me about (always seemed to land when I was really busy and had no time to check out a new game).
 

I also broke down the changes myself at http://mmomisanthrope.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/champions-online-and-f2p/

I don't think this was a surprise, but yeah. Film at 11. So we taking bets which one is the next to go? I'm betting Darkfall.
 

Darkfall as a f2p would be absolutely entertaining. Not only for the drama it would create with the in game veterans, but the never ending blogs streaming out of certain bloggers would be better than playing the game.

Even if I wasn't paying a monthly fee I doubt that would really be enough to go back to that game. And with the slow response time to cheats and hacks that exist at times already. A f2p model would just bring a large influx of cheaters(afkers-etc) now with nothing at all to loose. AV might be slow but they're not likely to do something that unwise.
 

Why is f2p always considered a failed option for a sub game?

f2p and subscription based games are two very different and valid mechanics for maintaing a game.

Games like this are not competing with WoW first and foremost.... But other games in the f2p market. Now so many top class games are f2p they are competing with them for a share of the market.


Nils


I think you are wrong in assuming that all games that are not good enough to support a subscription model are inherently poor.
 

I'm excited about this one. I haven't decided if I want to download the trial and get a head start or just wait until it goes Free 2 Play.