DDO online removes monthly fee...and sees increase in profit

[Zeus]

Maybe these guys will finally prove that the Korean model will work well in America if the game is good enough?

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3176509

The most amazing thing is they not only saw an increase in revenue per person (the cap of $15 a month was removed) they actually saw an increase in the monthly subscription fee revenue when they made it optional. Huge increase in subscribers and I guess a bunch didn't mind supporting them

This is how you "get the most" out of your fanbase, not forcing them to pay for something. Give them the option and give them a good product and they will pay you for it. Force them and all you do is cause resentment *stares at Microshaft*

[Shellie]

Nice move Turbine..that's why I <3 you!

[kali o.]

Turbine had no choice - it's a group-based game that steadily declined in population (thus making it harder to group).

DDO isn't a bad game, but it lives and dies by a healthy revolving playerbase. F2P model matches up nicely for that game...but it's worth noting that it was do or die for DDO anyway...this isn't developer charity.

Also, the model is basically nothing more than an unlimited trial or demo. Ya, you can theoritically never pay a cent and see the whole game...but the amount of grinding required to unlock everything via the ingame system for non-VIPS would make hardcore Korean players blanche.

[Shrinweck]

Turbine probably has the most of my money out of any companies running any MMOs. Good stuff. Never tried DDO, though and with the onslaught of gaming coming in the next month it's not on my to do list.

[Zeus]

Turbine probably has the most of my money out of any companies running any MMOs. Good stuff. Never tried DDO, though and with the onslaught of gaming coming in the next month it's not on my to do list.

Month? Hell, from Nov 3 to Nov 17 you have Dragon's Age (looks awesome), CoD6, Assassin's Creed 2, and L4D2. That's nuts. Not to mention all the stuff already out (Demon's Souls is a lot of time) and coming afterwards (like New Super Mario Bros Wii). And we're not even talking about the handheld games yet.

I thought this was going to be a slower Xmas but it's not at all

[Don]

FreeRealms seems to be making a lot of money despite being free to play.

I read an article that says people who spend money on F2P games end up spending a lot more money than they'd have on a subscription-based game, and it's like the 5% that pays that covers for the 95% that doesn't.

[bovine]

May I please reiterate that the beta was awful. This game is awful. Is it okay that I reiterated that?

[Shrinweck]

Turbine probably has the most of my money out of any companies running any MMOs. Good stuff. Never tried DDO, though and with the onslaught of gaming coming in the next month it's not on my to do list.

Month? Hell, from Nov 3 to Nov 17 you have Dragon's Age (looks awesome), CoD6, Assassin's Creed 2, and L4D2. That's nuts. Not to mention all the stuff already out (Demon's Souls is a lot of time) and coming afterwards (like New Super Mario Bros Wii). And we're not even talking about the handheld games yet.

I thought this was going to be a slower Xmas but it's not at all

By month I meant in the next 28-31 day period. You don't need to tell me about Dragon's Age. I already have it ordered on Steam and I've been waiting for Bioware to make another game with a scope of content like BG2 since I finished BG2 for the fourth time.

[Tessian]

Shrinweck keeps the cloth map from BG2 folded inside his pillow case and often dreams about dating Dr. Ray Muzyka who loves him so much he gives him an early copy of Dragon Age

[Shrinweck]

Please, if I was gay and going to whore myself out to a game designer it would be Chris Avellone.

[SineSwiper]

May I please reiterate that the beta was awful. This game is awful. Is it okay that I reiterated that?

This is why betas are no longer betas anymore.