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The Secret World: Pay Once, Play Forever - TSW Going Buy-to-Play

BillMurphyBillMurphy Former Managing EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 4,565
in News & Features Discussion

Today Funcom announced that their Real-World MMORPG, The Secret World is shifting from a subscription model to a Buy-to-Play model. You can buy the client once, and get access the entire game as it stands now, with optional DLC and free content updates coming down the pipe. Let'sjust paste the whole announcement below so no details are missed:

Funcom is excited to announce that subscription is no longer required to play the company’s modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’. The game is now available online and in retail and starting today no subscription fee is required to enjoy any of the game’s content, features or storylines. There are no complicated rules or restrictions, no complex matrixes telling you what you can and cannot access. Pay Once, Play Forever – it’s that simple. 

“With this recent change there is no reason to not join and take part in ‘The Secret World’,” says Game Director Joel Bylos. “Most players end up having a ton of fun once they submerge themselves in myths and legends of ‘The Secret World’, and we believe the game has the potential to be even more successful without the subscription entry barrier. It is an ambitious and very exciting move for all of us!”

Besides working tirelessly to expand ‘The Secret World’ through new content and features, Joel Bylos is also currently preparing for the end of the world, expected to come on December 21 st 2012. Recently, Bylos released the first in a series of videos chronicling his final days on earth. Meanwhile, in the realm of the sane, Funcom is also currently running a special end-of-the-world alternate reality game. 

‘The Secret World’ is one of the most unique massively multiplayer games ever released, breaking the  mold on everything from its modern-day setting to its freeform progression system that is neither built on classes or levels. The game received several glowing reviews after launch earlier this year, with magazines such as PC Powerplay saying “The Secret World is a breath of fresh air in a stale genre” andTenTonHammer reporting that “Funcom has colored outside the tried and true lines of the MMO genre”.As of now, ‘The Secret World’ has a user rating of 8.2 on MetaCritic and 8.50 on MMORPG.com.

Since launch, the talented and dedicated live team working on ‘The Secret World’ has pushed out four major content updates, adding everything from new weapons to an entire raid to the game. This post-launch update plan is among some of the most ambitious in the MMO industry, and the team will continue to create free updates – also called Issues – as well as offering optional paid content packs.

Even though the subscription requirement for ‘The Secret World’ has been removed, there is still a Membership option available which provide exciting bonuses such as 10 USD/EUR per month which can be spent in the in-game store, the ‘Time Accelerator’ item that grants double experience gain for one hour each day, a fixed 10% discount to everything in the in-game store, and more.

The official FAQ on all the changes can be found on the game's forums here.

Are you excited about the change? Is it the right move for Funcom? Let us know in the comments!

 

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Comments

  • KilsinKilsin Member RarePosts: 515
    Nice, i will give it another go then :)
  • DerrosDerros Member UncommonPosts: 1,216
    Whelp, I gotta go redownload this.  Between this, GW2, PS2, and my renewed interest in STO, I have a heck of alot to do recently.  I need more free time =(
  • Methos12Methos12 Member UncommonPosts: 1,244
    Great news. I wish more F2P converts actually opted for B2P option instead.
    Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.
  • ZzadZzad Member UncommonPosts: 1,401

    Good news!

    I´ll give it another go!

    Tried the beta but didn´t get hooked on it....now without subscription it´s perfect^^

     

  • ragz45ragz45 Member UncommonPosts: 810

    Sounds like they are trying to get people to try out a game a lot of people have been hesitant to play.  Admittedly some of the quests in TSW were the best I have ever enjoyed in an MMO.  The combat animations are pretty boring but if you can get over that little fact, the game has a lot to offer.

    Mostly TSW just sufferes from one of the poorest launch windows ever.  Launching 2 months before GW2, MoP, CoD, & a host of other single players and FPS titles.

  • ShakyMoShakyMo Member CommonPosts: 7,207
    I never liked f2p before - except for gw1, but I thought they could do that due to it being a cooprpg

    But with gw2 and ps2 I've seen some good f2p models this year. Funcom should look at those 2 for how to do it right.
  • Agent_JosephAgent_Joseph Member UncommonPosts: 1,361
    great news ,game as sub was too much expensive for eu players
  • ShakyMoShakyMo Member CommonPosts: 7,207
    Ragz think its more a once bitten twice shy thing, people either played the terribly buggy and bad performing Aoc and formed an opinion on funcoms quality or they played the highly single player orientated swtor and formed an opinion on story driven mmos.

    Which is a shame as its a much better game than both of those. However it wasnt for me once leveled as I'm not really into dungeons and the pvp was your wow / rift / swtor borefest.
  • kevjardskevjards Member UncommonPosts: 1,452
    this is great news for people..hopefully we will see an influx of players which is what the game deserves.i,m a lifer and i,m extremely happy.not bothered if i come off a little worse off,which i dont think i do.this is great for the game imo.
  • nattiusnattius Member Posts: 22
    Awesome, i always felt it was over reaching with such a high sub, ill be back on a F2P model though.
  • CypeqCypeq Member Posts: 66

    This game is great and B2P it's probably what I was waiting for. It's how it should have been since the start.F2P can sometimes ruin your experiance like SW:TOR did to me.

  • RawizRawiz Member UncommonPosts: 584
    Good model for new people to pick it up. Lifers get shafted a bit, but overall I like it.
  • Crazy_StickCrazy_Stick Member Posts: 1,059
    Okay. This is awesome! I am going to go download it again and play. I mean its better than watching paint dry while training some EVE O skills, ya know? ;)
  • vanitycorpsevanitycorpse Member UncommonPosts: 22
    well your not alone there :P to many of my games that i really enjoy but couldnt afford subs on all goes either b2p or f2p so i got to many games to play now :P
  • KenzeKenze Member UncommonPosts: 1,217

    Originally posted by Rawiz
    Good model for new people to pick it up. Lifers get shafted a bit, but overall I like it.

    everyone shouldve seen this coming.. b2p/f2p.. lifers have noone to blame but themselves

    Watch your thoughts; they become words.
    Watch your words; they become actions.
    Watch your actions; they become habits.
    Watch your habits; they become character.
    Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
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  • NitthNitth Member UncommonPosts: 3,904

    Originally posted by Kenze
    Originally posted by Rawiz
    Good model for new people to pick it up. Lifers get shafted a bit, but overall I like it.

    everyone shouldve seen this coming.. b2p/f2p.. lifers have noone to blae but themselves

    I went life. I get everything "for free" still and multiple perks and discounts.


    "fee players" are still going to have to buy their "dlc" and other assorted merch which was free under p2p, so you gota ask yourself is the f2p+box really worth it?

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  • RemyVorenderRemyVorender Member RarePosts: 4,006
    Nice! I very much enjoy this game but felt it was too small for a sub. Very good backup MMO, and due to my personal tastes...a better one that GW2 at that.

    Joined 2004 - I can't believe I've been a MMORPG.com member for 20 years! Get off my lawn!

  • CoolitCoolit Member UncommonPosts: 661

    Going B2P is beyond epic, respect to Funcom in not just doing the standard restricted f2p route, this actually has a very good chance of brining a lot of people in and keeping them playing.

    I agree with the above also, the game launched well but launched at the wrong time, terrible launch window.

  • ElsaboltsElsabolts Member RarePosts: 3,476
    Originally posted by Nitth

     

    Originally posted by Kenze
    Originally posted by Rawiz
    Good model for new people to pick it up. Lifers get shafted a bit, but overall I like it.

     

    everyone shouldve seen this coming.. b2p/f2p.. lifers have noone to blae but themselves

     

     

    I went life. I get everything "for free" still and multiple perks and discounts.


    "fee players" are still going to have to buy their "dlc" and other assorted merch which was free under p2p, so you gota ask yourself is the f2p+box really worth it?

    Looks like EA has made an offer to buy Funcom. Could be more changes to come ?

    image

    " Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Those Who  Would Threaten It "
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  • BlueLanternBlueLantern Member Posts: 96
    freemium / B2P in less than 6 months.[mod edit]

    image
    image

  • AwDiddumsAwDiddums Member UncommonPosts: 416

    I will be re-downloading this game, only reason I really stopped playing was because my PC just couldn't handle it, however since upgrading I've been looking for a good enough reason to get back into TSW, and this is it.

     

    They should make all MMO's B2P.

     

     

  • Crazy_StickCrazy_Stick Member Posts: 1,059
    I just wanted to say... It's awesome, one more time. lol
  • OrtwigOrtwig Member UncommonPosts: 1,163

    Here's the FAQ on all the changes:

    http://forums.thesecretworld.com/showthread.php?t=62789

  • fascismfascism Member UncommonPosts: 428
    Originally posted by BlueLantern
    freemium / B2P in less than 6 months. lol @ the lifetime reassurance topics.

    LOL Those idiots spent money on something they enjoy

  • MouthMouth Member Posts: 113
    and they are stil getting incredible value. in addition to the XP boost item lifetimers also get 20% discount to in game store and $10 EVERY month (for life) to use in the in-game store. win-win. and they also for life get the item-of-the-month.
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