'WoW' will cause more free-to-play MMOs

'WoW' will cause more free-to-play MMOs

"World of Warcraft," the game that we all play or love to hate, has dominated the massively multiplayer gaming space since its launch over five years ago. With its active player community of over eleven million people, it can affect the overall industry with its expansion packs and updates. These come in spurts with at least one major retail release, which tops the PC sales charts, once a year. To compete with this juggernaut, companies are coming up with more creative ways to grow their own community for their own games. The most popular tactic that developers are using is the free to play business model. This model has become the hottest way of building new MMOs because of the super popular (and lasting) appeal of "World of Warcraft."


That's not to say releasing free MMOs is a big gamble. The free-to-play model has seen a great amount of success in markets other than the United States. For example, Japan, China and Korea are the new hot beds for these MMOs because there are a greater number of people and even more developers concentrating on the MMO space. These hubs of MMO games have also turned to the free-to-play model because players are less apt to pay for a game before trying it, and the simple nature of them. That price barrier to entry can be eliminated in the free-to play-model, and if the player likes the game, they can purchase the "premium" content. Along with the premium content, developers can make money through other means which could include micro-transactions. Due to "WoW's" immense popularity and recognition, many players are hesitant to put money down on a non-"WoW" MMORPG, so these free-to-play games with optional paid content are enticing, as players can experience them, compared them to "WoW," and then decide if they want to drop any money.

Where does the MMO space go from here? I am not sure. I hope we see even more experimentation with business models. One of these examples would definitely be the highly anticipated free to play FPS/MMO "Battlefield Heroes" from EA and DICE. They can't charge for weapons, so they are only charging for apparel that makes your character unique (micro-transactions). Is this the answer? Charging for purely optional content that doesn't even help you in the game? I don't think so, but what I can say is that the traditional fifteen dollar a month pricing strategy is being destroyed by the popularity of "World of Warcaft."

What options are there other than micro-transactions? I believe that the newest way to help decrease the operating costs in the MMO space is in-game advertising.

I am not oblivious to the inappropriate nature of ads in some MMOs, but for games like "Anarchy Online" and other futuristic games, these ads could add to the immersion. Many companies have invested in this new source of revenue (Sony Online Entertainment, ID Software and others) because it can bring further life to growing games or help a dying game survive a new "World of Warcraft" expansion. According to MarketingVOX, in-game ads will bring almost a billion dollars to the gaming industry by 2011. Almost a billion dollars is a lot of money for these small games, but a small amount compared to the revenue generated by "World of Warcraft." Like I said before, some games should not have in-game ads, but it won't stop developers and publishers from putting them in their games somehow.

As "World of Warcraft" continues to grow, developers besides Blizzard Entertainment are going to experiment in strange and surprising ways (to them) to obtain new revenue streams. Free-to-play is the standard for those games trying to jockey for the over saturated MMO market for now, but will it stay that way in the coming years? Will the next generation of consoles try to steal away the PC MMO players? All of these answers will come soon, but no one truly knows what they will be until they arrive; we can only predict. I for one hope that we can download games that are 100% free-to-play and are supported by in-game advertising, because both sides win. This scenario is way too Utopian, but one can hope that it will become the standard for at least a few titles over the course of the next five years.

Posted by Geoff Hathaway

The original report is here from http://www.hotfrog.nl/

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The Continuum

The Continuum combines classic turn-based wargaming, collectibilty and RPG character development into one multi-player adventure that will change the way you game. Characters, abilities and equipment combine with in-game artifacts, epic battlefields, and changing scenarios to provide an experience that is at once familiar and all-new.

Play The Continuum Now

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Star Trek Online MMORPG Game Ties into New Movie and Countdown

Star Trek Online MMORPG Game Ties into New Movie and Countdown


The upcoming Star Trek Online MMORPG game updated its timeline. The storyline continues to introduce the post-Nemesis elements from the Star Trek Countdown comic book mini series and the new movie. Here is the update :

The Daystrom Institute has announced the successful launch of the "Jellyfish," an experimental spacecraft equipped with trans-metaphasic shielding designed to withstand conditions that would destroy most other ships.


Designed by famed engineer Geordi La Forge, the ship is slated for extensive testing before it can be used for scientific and exploration missions. Starfleet is working with La Forge and the institute to determine which of the ship's systems can be adapted for Federation use.


Starfleet Intelligence recommends that the Federation keep a close eye on activities of the Orion Syndicate. A multi-year crackdown on criminal activity in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants has been successful in curbing the threat of the Syndicate for Federation citizens, but on Stardate 64163.8 Hassan the Undying assassinates top Syndicate boss Raimus on Farius Prime.


Raimus's death opens the door for Hassan's employer, Melani D'ian, to take over Raimus's Syndicate operations. Starfleet Intelligence estimates that Melani D'ian now controls as much as 30 percent of the Syndicate's operations, and that other Syndicate bosses may seek to topple her before she seeks to expand her powerbase even more. Analysts note that Melani D'ian is the first Orion to rise to a top spot in Syndicate leadership in more than 20 years, and speculate that this could mark the return of the Orions as an interstellar power.


On Ferenginar, social and economic reforms pushed by Grand Nagus Rom are a topic almost as important as the stock market. The Nagus presents a bill to the Economic Congress of Ferengi Advisers that would formally ally the Ferengi with the Federation. Opponents of the bill launch a campaign of advertisements that argue that a formal alliance with the Federation is an attack on traditional Ferengi values, and that the Federation would force the Ferengi to turn their backs on profit and the Great Material Continuum. The bill fails to pass the Congress after several lawmakers are paid to vote against it.


On Stardate 64317.6, Klingon long range sensors pick up a small Romulan fleet led by Sela. The fleet passes the Beta Stromgrem supernova remnant and continues into unexplored space.


Starfleet sends a fleet to Cardassia Prime to assist the Cardassians with the dismantling of their military, a process which is expected to take several years. The Cardassians plan to use a much smaller self defense force to patrol their space, and coordinate with Starfleet for issues outside of their borders.


This arrangement is soon tested when Alpha Jem'Hadar take control of Devos II, which has been mostly unpopulated since the Dominion War. The Jem'Hadar establish a base of operations near a former Dominion ketracel-white storage facility, and then expand the facility so they can manufacture their own supplies of the substance. Starfleet sends the USS Stargazer-A to the Devos system as a precautionary measure, but chooses to take no additional action as long as the Alpha Jem'Hadar make no further aggressive moves.


On Stardate 64333.4, a Romulan Mining Guild ship observes the start of a chain of events that will forever change the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The star in the Hobus system, in the far reaches of Romulan space, begins to exhibit massive fluxuations of radiation. Days later, Ambassador Spock of the Federation appears before the Romulan Senate to warn them about the dangers of this star.


Spock believes that if the Hobus star goes supernova, it could create a reaction that would threaten much of the Romulan Empire, and he asks the Senate to coordinate with Vulcan to find a solution. After a lengthy debate, the Senate rejects Spock's plan.


After the close of the Senate's session, Donatra accepts an invitation from Colonel Xiomek to visit Crateris and inspect the construction of the new Reman colony. Their path allows them to perform a sensor sweep of the Hobus system.


After arriving on Crateris, Donatra and Xiomek spend several hours in a private meeting, where it is believed that Xiomek gives Donatra information about possible rogue elements within the Romulan military and government. Donatra decides to return to Romulus earlier than planned, and invites Xiomek to take passage on her ship, the IRW Valdore, so he can be in Ki Baratan for the next meeting of the Romulan Senate.


On the way back to Romulus, Donatra contacts Admiral Taris, who is in the Levaeri system, and orders her to return to Romulus. The message is recorded by Romulan military communications relay stations, but Taris does not change course. A later review finds that there is no evidence of the message in the computer banks of Taris's ship, and that the communications officer who would have been on duty during that time cannot be found.


Ambassador Spock returns to Vulcan, where he meets with Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard. The two appeal to the Vulcan Science Academy to assist the Romulans with the crisis in the Hobus system, but the academy declines their request without comment. The two former Starfleet officers decide that they will make their own plans to deal with the situation.


On Stardate 64444.5, the IRW Valdore reports unusual stellar activity, including a disturbance equivalent to a force seven ion storm. Romulus loses contact with Donatra's ship, and dispatches four D'deridex class warbirds to search for the Valdore.


The Romulan Senate finally authorizes an evacuation order, and ships are recalled to help ferry Romulus residents off-world. Military estimates are that it will take a minimum of six weeks to evacuate the homeworld.


Twenty-seven hours later, the Hobus star goes supernova. The resulting chain reaction destroys Romulus and Remus. Billions of Romulans are killed.


Starfleet immediately orders all available ships to cross the Neutral Zone and assist the Romulans with any possible relief and recovery efforts. Several of these ships are attacked by Nero, who is captaining the Narada, a heavily modified Romulan vessel. Additional cruisers are diverted to escort relief vessels to Romulan space.


Intercepted Romulan transmissions indicate that Praetor Chulan and the leaders of the Senate escaped Romulus before the planet's destruction. But the USS Nobel, en route to Romulus, find the bodies of Chulan and the Senate's ruling council floating in space near their derelict shuttle.


After Nero expands his attacks to Klingon ships, Chancellor Martok orders a fleet to enter Romulan space. He appoints his friend Worf as one of the mission's commanders, giving him the rank of General for the mission.


Meanwhile, Geordi La Forge brings the Jellyfish to Vulcan and agrees to allow Spock to pilot it to the Hobus system.


According to sensor reports recorded on Stardate 64471.6 by the USS Enterprise-E, the Hobus supernova was contained by a limited singularity, ending the threat to the quadrant. Starfleet believes that both the Jellyfish and the Narada were lost.


"He sacrificed himself to save us all," Ambassador Picard says of his friend Spock. "May his soul live long and prosper."

The original report is here from http://trekweb.com/

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The Dog-Sledding MMORPG

The Dog-Sledding MMORPG

Forget Night Elves and Orks! Korean developer DevCat Studios has something different in store with its latest MMORPG Husky Express: dog-sledding.

And not just dog-sledding, but puppies. Players raise their dog-sledding team and make deliveries to snowy outputs. Higher level dogs bring different skills like smelling goods to determine their quality or leadership abilities that help the pack jump crevices. There are traditional MMORPG elements like story quests and equipment upgrades.

But most importantly — puppies! Check out the game’s trailer.

The original report is here http://www.kotaku.com.au

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All-New Trade System in Free-to-Play MMORPG Florensia

Burda:ic Launches All-New Trade System in Free-to-Play MMORPG Florensia

Munich, Germany - Burda:ic, a publisher of online games worldwide, has announced the launch of the Trade System for free-to-play maritime MMORPG Florensia. Players looking to make a profit on the high seas can now try their hand at the mercantile arts by visiting one of the Trading Posts, which have popped up on every major island. In addition, eight brand-new islands have been discovered along the trade routes: Aria, Celestyn, Clouds, Ease, Eva, Gem, Misty, and Selina.


The owner of each Trading Post carries a variety of items, including olive oil, rum, spice, and millet. Up to three kinds of goods can be carried at a time, and prices vary according to supply and demand across the market. Stingy players will have to risk taking a loss as they transport wares, but savvy traders can pay a small fee to get insider info. If you make good time sailing to an island where rum and spices are being sold at a premium, you’re sure to make a killing in the marketplace.

Of course, with all this potential profit comes significant risk. The soon-to-be-busy trade routes of Florensia are an open invitation to pirates, and players may no longer respawn at sea, so every trip is sure to be fraught with danger. This is also just the first stage of the Trade System, and the plethora of updates to come is guaranteed to raise the stakes! For more information about the Trade System, visit http://www.florensia-online.com/.

About Florensia
Florensia is a free-to-play, maritime MMORPG that blends vibrant, colorful graphics with classically accessible gameplay. Choosing one of four starting classes, from the sword-wielding Mercenary to the spell casting Noble, players will do battle with a huge variety of weapons and magical abilities as they explore expansive, underground dungeons and sail uncharted seas. Thousands of players have already signed up and headed out in search of adventure, and there has never a better time to join them in the wild and wonderful world of Florensia.

About Burda:ic
Burda:ic GmbH is an online games publisher that markets and distributes massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) such as Ragnarok Online, Florensia, and Hello Kitty Online. Furthermore, Burda:ic has established interactive gamer communities like alaplaya.eu or sanriotown.com. More information about Burda:ic is available at http://www.burda-ic.com.

The original report is here from http://www.mpogd.com/

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