Oh snAp, DDO goes Free To Play!

mindspat

http://www.ddo.com/news/547-turbiner-announces-dungeons-a-dragons-onliner-eberron-unlimited

 

Turbine Announces DDO Unlimited!

June 09, 2009

TURBINE® ANNOUNCES DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE®: EBERRON UNLIMITED™

Free Digital Upgrade Introduces Unlimited Free Play and Raises Level Cap; Beta Begins Today

WESTWOOD, MA – June 9, 2009 – Turbine, Inc. announced today the start of the Beta program for Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Eberron Unlimited™ (DDO Unlimited), a free digital upgrade for Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Stormreach™. DDO Unlimited will raise the level cap and add major new content, as well as make the game free to play for everyone. The new DDO Unlimited delivers heart-pounding game play featuring the industry’s best combat system, a massive world with state-of-the-art graphics and gameplay, and a rich set of features that until now could only be found only in premium subscription-based MMOs. Launching later this summer, DDO Unlimited will introduce an innovative new pricing model that allows players to download and play for free, purchasing adventure packs, items, and account services a la carte from the new DDO Store, or to subscribe to get unlimited access to all of the game’s content. Players interested in getting a sneak peak of the new DDO Unlimited can sign up for a chance to participate in the Beta program at http://www.ddo.com.



“Our team has spent years crafting DDO Unlimited into a powerhouse experience featuring cutting-edge graphics, a kick-ass combat system, high level content, and cutting-edge social tools. Today marks a major milestone as we prepare to launch the world’s most exciting free MMO,” said Kate Paiz, Senior Producer.



“Turbine is blazing a new trail with an innovative new pricing structure that will deliver a new era of choice for the growing market of online gamers, and we are very excited to invite players to work with us in the DDO Unlimited Beta program as we redefine how people play and pay for MMOs,” added Fernando Paiz, Executive Producer.



DDO Unlimited delivers the best combat of any MMO and the most heart-pounding action this side of a keyboard, plus a lot more!

Brand New Content & Features – DDO Unlimited will deliver a new class, increase the level cap, introduce new adventure packs including a new 12-player raid, major combat improvements and more!

The Fiercest Combat – DDO Unlimited features an extraordinary and heart stopping combat experience that requires players to fully engage in the battle by relying on their wits and reflexes in real time. No more clicking skills and watching the action from the sideline.

Mind-blowing Visuals – Explore a vast and dangerous online world that features the most advanced graphics in the industry and is stuffed with the legendary monsters, glorious treasures, devious traps, mind-bending puzzles and endless adventures from the world’s best known RPG.

Full-featured MMO – Experience sophisticated systems found only in the best games including auctions, arena death matches (Player versus Player), NPC hirelings, gambling, crafting, and powerful social tools for finding a group, forming a guild or planning an epic raid!

Easier Than Ever! – DDO Unlimited gets you playing in minutes instead of hours, using new proprietary Turbine technology. Creating a new character is incredibly simple with guides and templates that speed you through the process. Features an all-new new player experience that gives gamers their first taste of excitement quickly while teaching them how to play solo or with a group of fellow adventurers.



DDO Unlimited is based on the world-renowned DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® franchise of Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc.® (NYSE: HAS), under license to Infogrames Entertainment S.A.® Published by Atari, Inc.®, DDO has been enthusiastically received by many gaming critics, including The New York Times, PC Gamer, Game Informer and many more. For the latest information, please visit www.ddo.com.

 

 

 

Aganazer

I am surprisingly okay with this. I have too many MMOG's that I like to play and I can't subscribe to all of them. I had a hunch that this might happen when I tried the streaming downloader on the test server.

I wonder what will happen to my current Drow characters? Will I need to buy the race before I can play them again now? Hopefully they will use this as an opportunity to do away with 32pt versus 28pt characters and some of the other nonsense.

 

EDIT: I wonder what the new class is? Please be Druids. This game needs another healing class really badly.

docminus

WoW!

Nice! I will definetly be into that! I always wished the monthly fee was a bit cheaper at least, so that I could play this as a "secondary" MMO, but this is even better.

I had to check the link just to make sure you didn't make a late april fools here

tarkin1980

The preview at IGN says the new class is monk... I was under the impression that monk has been in game for a good while now?

fldash

How are they going to make money? F2P and no item shop?

rmk70

Definitely a smart and innovative move. This is a move that's been coming for quite some time now: a P2P quality F2P game. My first impression will be that it'll be fairly successful.

Locklain

Originally posted by fldash


How are they going to make money? F2P and no item shop?

This part says it all:

"Launching later this summer, DDO Unlimited will introduce an innovative new pricing model that allows players to download and play for free, purchasing adventure packs, items, and account services a la carte from the new DDO Store, or to subscribe to get unlimited access to all of the game’s content."

 

rmk70

Originally posted by fldash


How are they going to make money? F2P and no item shop?

 

Eh? There is an item shop (I'm assuming you only read a few sentances).

You can buy items and access to more content from the onlien shop. You get a base amount of content for free and then pay for access to more.

Aganazer

Originally posted by fldash


How are they going to make money? F2P and no item shop?

 

There is an item shop. You'll also need to buy instances, races, and most likely the new class as well. There will also be convenience items for sale, but its not clear what those will be.

alakram

Oh god, and it's not coming to europe, at least for now.

www.ddo-europe.com/index.php

Jun 9th 2009, 17:08 GMT

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE(r): EBERRON UNLIMITED(tm)

Today Turbine announced the start of its Beta program for a new digital upgrade for DDO called Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, (DDO Unlimited).

As in the past, Turbine will be running this Beta program on its servers

in North America to get the game ready for launch. This is a very exciting time for DDO and in the coming months, Turbine will unveil their plans to roll out DDO Unlimited to players around the world.

To clarify, for the time being, DDO Europe will not be assuming this new business model and the European DDO game service will remain a monthly subscription-based game with all new content created available to all subscribers, as has been the model up until now. As the Beta progresses we will release more information regarding the future plans for EU players.

As soon as we have more news from Turbine on what happens next we will share it.

 

fldash

Sorry for not reading the full article... I jumped to conclusions. I've posted a topic in The Pub about F2P MMOs, item shops, and business models. I'm curious about them mainly, and also about other F2P MMOs without item shops. Does this business model work, if so how?

Dr.Rock

Originally posted by Aganazer


EDIT: I wonder what the new class is? Please be Druids. This game needs another healing class really badly.

They said an all-new never before announced class, so I would imagine that rules out Druid. I would make a wild guess at something Eberron based, Artificer?

Generally dozen quests + new class is good news, wait for a beta is not great, free to play option bit of an unknown, but I will stay VIP anyway.

At least it explains why they have been busy.

 

Mrbloodworth

Its monk.

Dr.Rock

Originally posted by fldash


Sorry for not reading the full article... I jumped to conclusions. I've posted a topic in The Pub about F2P MMOs, item shops, and business models. I'm curious about them mainly, and also about other F2P MMOs without item shops. Does this business model work, if so how?

It appears to be a mixed model, F2P with limited access and VIP subscription with full access. You pay real money for credits in the store to buy items, some classes, some races, extra slots and more importantly access to various parts of the game. So yes it could work if they get enough people and can persuade them to buy the bits they don't have access to.

The real risk is what they sell in the store and whether this annoys people that are grinding for the items, especially those paying a subscription. The fact that subscription people also get free credits to buy stuff may ease this problem.

 

mindspat

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth


Its monk.

 

IGN's article was written by someone completely unfamilar with DDO. 

the basic FREE version will consist of "Basic" classes and supposedly require the user to unlock Monk and a new one.  Races are also to be limited - Drow and Warforged are going to be Unlocks.  (rightfuly so, both are pretty tough and superior races in their own right)

I wonder if older players will have their accounts and character grandfathered.  Just think, if you're playing right now there could be a chance you'll have ALL the races and classes and could potentially pay for free.  Then again, they could do it like Funcom's Anarchy Online and make it so that once you've unlocked/purchased X Content that your account then requires a monthly sub...

I think it's going to be an overall success even though the current subscriber base deserves Something for their continued support and dedication to the game - the delays of content have been brutal and Turbine needs to respect their game's subscribers.

Aganazer

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth


Its monk.

 

Tell that to my level 10 Monk. I think he'll be very depressed about having not existed for the last 6 months.

SgtFrog

http://www.ddo.com/vip

game is limited to F2P though, compred to the VIP account.

Still id like to try this out

Dr.Rock

Originally posted by Aganazer

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth


Its monk.

 

Tell that to my level 10 Monk. I think he'll be very depressed about having not existed for the last 6 months.

 

Yep I think we can be pretty certain that existing classes can not be considered new.

Sarr

Originally posted by Aganazer

Originally posted by Mrbloodworth


Its monk.

 

Tell that to my level 10 Monk. I think he'll be very depressed about having not existed for the last 6 months.

 

I'm more than 100% sure now, after much reading, that your EXISTING characters will still be yours and not restricted. But if you want a new Monk - then yes.

dhayes68

Ok, so when this rolls out,  if I have the box but inactive account, will I be able to install, update and play for free?

Aganazer

Their FAQ is weak. I have so many questions.

What happens to the favor system? Are the perks going to be bought now?

What happens to my current characters if I choose to use the Free to Play option?

What's the new class?

What's going to happen to Mod 9?

How much will a dungeon cost?

Will any of the currently dropped gear be removed to encourage people to buy from the cash shop?

Dr.Rock

Originally posted by dhayes68


Ok, so when this rolls out,  if I have the box but inactive account, will I be able to install, update and play for free?

Yes but I would imagine with unlimited access, but limited content. It would appear you either need a subscription for the full content or to buy it in bits.

Sarr

Originally posted by Aganazer


Their FAQ is weak. I have so many questions.
What happens to the favor system? Are the perks going to be bought now?
What happens to my current characters if I choose to use the Free to Play option?
What's the new class?
What's going to happen to Mod 9?
How much will a dungeon cost?
Will any of the currently dropped gear be removed to encourage people to buy from the cash shop?

 

You'll gain instant access to this "new DDO" when it enters beta . If you're subcribed in DDO US, you're already VIP and will see for yourself. But that's not all, you'll work on this game and flesh out the details.

PS to 2 posts above - yes, F2P and level up to 20 -> to the cap - without paying.

Sarr

Originally posted by Dr.Rock

Originally posted by dhayes68


Ok, so when this rolls out,  if I have the box but inactive account, will I be able to install, update and play for free?

Yes but I would imagine with unlimited access, but limited content. It would appear you either need a subscription for the full content or to buy it in bits.

 

Yes, and all this will be able to buy through "points". Additionally, you'll be rewarded with those points by playing game - completing some "achievements", etc. I don't think you'd spend it on inv boosting your XP, while you could spend it on more dungeons... pretty smart.

No details to date, and beta will be under NDA. I think I'll subscribe to DDO US to be granted full beta acces, and to play new DDO just like I play old.

Nedax

I was expecting this to happen eventually. It basically feels like Guild Wars but having to pay for it.

Sarr

Originally posted by Nedax


I was expecting this to happen eventually. It basically feels like Guild Wars but having to pay for it.

 

And what about those 3 paid expansions and other "in game" items or slots you could buy in this game? 

Without it, you can't experience "full" GW. It's pretty fair though.