Ad: Manage updates with the Download App
ie8 fix

free-to-play

DC Universe Online soon to be free for PC, PS3

DC Universe Online is destined to be free to play for PC and PS3 starting in late October, Sony Online Entertainment announced today. An FAQ is available for those curious about the change.

Three tiers of gameplay are coming to the MMORPG--free, premium, and legendary. Existing subscribers will automatically become premium users, and a special $9.99 per month for three months of legendary access is available (have a look at the graphic to the right for more details on access and features in each level).

Reaction to the announcement is a mixed bag on the official DCUO Facebook page, where some are a bit upset about the shift.

"What a joke. No voice chat for F2P, a mere $1,500-$2,000 cash limit for anyone not on the Legendary plan, can't form leagues if you aren't on the Legendary plan, can't even send items or cash in mail if you are F2P! Can't even TRADE items with other players! Come on, SOE, just let this game die if you are going to do this," Caio Rodrigues said.

Others more optimistic. "I'm pleased with you guys for making efforts to keep the game alive, please update the level cap and keep good content coming," Ajay Pollarine wrote in response to the announcement. … Read more

Making money with "free-to-play" games

Free-to-play games are looking more and more like open source products as commercial entities behind the development and operations figure out ways in which to add value and monetize their user base.

In the open source world this typically consists of a split between "Community" and "Enterprise" versions of the products. For casual and free-to-play games, the split tends to be associated with some kind of premium offering or a payment mechanism like micro-transactions.

David Chang, Executive VP of Business Development and Marketing at online game publisher Gamescampus discusses the challenges of "free-to-play" in … Read more