Blizzard Discuss Making World of Warcraft Free

• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2010-06-30 18:23

  The rise of the free-to-play western MMO hasn’t gone unnoticed at Blizzard, developers of World of Warcraft, the dominant western subscription MMO. Speaking to PC Gamer at their studios in Irvine, California, World of Warcraft’s lead designer, Tom Chilton, explained that “at some point, it may not make sense for us to have a subscription fee.”

  
  

  [Image: http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2010/06/ss37_hires-590x360.jpg]

  
  

  Tom was speaking about the rapid expansion of free-to-play games in the west, and the terms under which Blizzard would consider a similar model for World of Warcraft. In the last year, classic western hardcore online games such as Lord of the Rings Online, Company of Heroes and Dungeons and Dragons Online have all embraced a free-to-play model, where microtransactions and item purchases are a substitute for a traditional subscription fee.
  
  Yet Tom doesn’t think those games have gone free just to compete with World of Warcraft. “I feel like they’re doing that to compete with other games that are on a similar subscriber level to what they were at. I imagine that when one of them went free to play it cannibalized some of the other subscribers. I can definitely imagine that being the case with World of Warcraft. If another game comes along and blows us away it may not make sense for us to have a subscription fee. Or even further down the line, when we have another MMO out.”
  
  While the western view of World of Warcraft is that it’s a subscription-only MMO, the Blizzard team have long experimented with alternates to a traditional subscription to remain competitive in different markets. Multiple micro-transaction items are available to buy for the most committed World of Warcraft players – including shiny star horses, and warrior panda pets. In Korea, the game is sold purely via subscription fee, with no boxed product available. And Korean World of Warcraft subscribers will get to play StarCraft II for free, too. In Russia, StarCraft II is sold in small monthly instalments – a salve to a market where piracy is rampant.
  
  Don’t cancel your subscription just yet though: WoW isn’t going free-to-play in the near term. When asked if Blizzard were actively considering the implications of a free-to-play model, Tom played down the idea of the game switching over right away. “We’re not spending a lot of time thinking about it. It’s not something that’s a reality for us in the near future.”
  
  We’ve got much, much more on World of Warcraft: Cataclysm in the new issue of PC Gamer, on-sale tomorrow. We’ll be posting more Cataclysm news, impressions, and interviews over the coming week.

  
  
  Blizzard discuss making World of Warcraft free : PC Gamer
  
  They managed to have sold hundreds of thousands of pets which were 2-3 times more expensive than a mount in Mabinogi ON THE DAY THEY CAME OUT
  Wouldn't surprise the cat if this game goes free to play.
• MikeHo wrote on 2010-06-30 18:25
  I don't know for some reason i'm very against WoW. So i probably would not play it if it goes F2P.
• Tedio wrote on 2010-06-30 18:29
  The whole cash shop thing is beating P2P? I wouldn't be surprised since alot of the time people hear P2P they just walk away or look for a private server.
• Lan wrote on 2010-06-30 18:32
  Don't people spend more money on F2P games cash shops than a P2P game's subscription?
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2010-06-30 18:33

  Quote from Lan;79674:

  Don't people spend more money on F2P games cash shops than a P2P game's subscription?

  
  
  The cat remembers there being a $50 cash shop motorcycle for Flyff or something
  Too expensive to remember what it was about anyway.
• Hiccup wrote on 2010-06-30 19:04
  PWE games has $50+ cash shop items .___.
  
  I know that the people who subscribe to WoW and stick with it is to be away from the "12 year old brats". So if WoW does go F2P I see a lot of players rage quitting.
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2010-06-30 19:08

  Quote from bradstrt;79716:

  PWE games has $50+ cash shop items .___.
  
  I know that the people who subscribe to WoW and stick with it is to be away from the "12 year old brats". So if WoW does go F2P I see a lot of players rage quitting.

  
  
  12 year brats do play WoW
  there are prepaid cards for WoW
  Don't have to ask parents for their credit cards anymore
• Cucurbita wrote on 2010-06-30 19:09
  Would've played if they did this a year ago.
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2010-06-30 19:11

  Quote from Margatroid;79719:

  Would've played if they did this a year ago.

  
  
  The cat wouldn't
  disliked this game a lot
  the box collected like 3-4 years of dust
  
  The cat prefers a Warcraft 4
• Lan wrote on 2010-06-30 19:20
  Wants to play FFXI, had game for like 5 years and haven't played :<
  
  Boo WoW
• Moppy wrote on 2010-06-30 19:32
  I never liked WoW but I understand why people like it. Low max levels suck IMO. As for F2P WoW, I think I'd give it more of a chance but I doubt it would get me anymore interested than before.
• Hiccup wrote on 2010-06-30 19:39

  Quote from BobYoMeowMeow;79718:

  12 year brats do play WoW
  there are prepaid cards for WoW
  Don't have to ask parents for their credit cards anymore

  
  
  I know they do. But they still believe a P2P community is better then a F2P one.
• Chockeh wrote on 2010-06-30 21:35
  Eh, they should have done it a long time ago.
  They would have made more money that way, and new their going to have to compete with the new games coming out (Vindictus, Dragon Nest, ETC.).
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2010-06-30 22:30
  why make it free?
  a consistent amount of people still play WoW annually and they earn more profits than ever.
• Moppy wrote on 2010-06-30 22:31

  Quote from BobYoMeowMeow;79894:

  why make it free?
  a consistent amount of people still play WoW annually and they earn more profits than ever.

  
  
  Exactly. They won't be going F2P anytime soon. I bet a year or two after they release their rumored new MMO.