Title: The Rise of Free-to-Play - Industry Insiders on the Future of MMOGs
URL: http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/79840
Forum URL: http://forums.tentonhammer.com/showthread.php?t=49151

With the help of two industry insiders that have given a lot of thought to the free-to-play market in North America, Ten Ton Hammer investigates what's stifled the evolution of free-to-play MMO gaming in North America long after the concept had taken hold around the world. We'll also examine why many hail DDO Unlimited as a turning point, and trace the increasing quality of free-to-play MMOGs even as subscription MMOGs turn in disappointing numbers.

Bjorn noted that the unfinished nature of most MMORPGs at launch, typically viewed in the Western market as a irreconcilable weakness, is viewed elsewhere as fundamental part of the experience. In other words, for gamers and developers of a certain mindset, polish may limit potential. “Putting the gamers first, and letting them dictate their experience – that feedback loop is really important to us… You can’t shove your ideas down the throat of the user.”

Could free-to-play may ultimately make the subscription-driven MMORPG obsolete, or is this just another increasingly popular way to game? Find out in next week's feature article: The Rise of Free-to-Play.