It seems that the free-to-play model is rapidly becoming the norm for online MMOs and MMORPGs. Less than two weeks ago, Star Trek Online announced that it would be going free-to-play. World of Warcraft, which has long offered 10 day free trials, now allows players to play for much longer for free. Now DC Universe Online is about to jump on the free-to-play train.
DC Universe Online is an MMO game that allows players to create their own hero or villain and jump into the world with Superman, Batman, The Joker, and more. When DC Universe Online was first released to PC and Playstation 3, it was met with great excitement from comic book fans. Now Sony Online Entertainment, publisher of DCU Online, is hoping to attract even more fans that might have been turned off by the game’s original pay-to-play model. According to Sony Online President John Smedley:
“When we launched DC Universe Online, we introduced a very different brand of massive online game driven by fast action combat to PC and PS3 gamers and with that, we discovered a new type of online gamer. We’ve listened to our community, and we’ve determined that the free-to-play model is the best fit for DC Universe Online.”
There’s no release date yet and the DCU Online website simply says that free-play is “coming soon”. However, once everything is available, players will be able to download and play DCU Online 100% free. Of course, as with other pay-to-play gaming models, players will be able to upgrade to higher levels of gameplay. For an additional $5-per-month for “premium” or $15-per-month for “legendary”, players can unlock additional character slots, larger inventories, more chat options, and more.
For full details on the free-to-play service, check out the DC Universe Online website.
Do you play DC Universe Online? If so what do you think of the game so far? If you don’t play, will the new free-to-play service make it more open for you to give it a chance? Comment below and let us know!
