DC Universe going free

Posted September 19, 2011 by Richard Plant in Editorial

Sony Online Entertainment has announced that its MMORPG set in the world of Batman and Superman, DC Universe Online, will be going free to play this October.

Spandex tights? Check. Gadget belt? Check. Paid subscription? Not any more.

SOE is getting in on the great F2P scramble, throwing the cities of Gotham and Metropolis open to players too poor or cheap to shell out for a full month’s subs. Free players will have access to all the currently existing game content, two open character slots and the ability to join a league, the game’s equivalent of guilds. Additional addon packs will offer powers, character slots and new content through a ‘micro-transaction’ store.

According to SOE’s president John Smedley, the decision stems from player requests.

“We’ve listened to our community, and we’ve determined that the free-to-play model is the best fit for DC Universe Online,” Smedley claims. “We believe this new model will expand the DCUO experience and offer more options that cater to every type of player so they can play the game in a way that fits them.”

To be exact, there will be three levels of player involvement: Free, Premium and Legendary. Premium players, which includes anyone who has spent more than $5 in-game, will have access to more character and inventory slots than free players, as well as a higher money limit. Legendary access will still charge a subscription, and will offer access to all DLC as well as numerous other benefits.

It seems inevitable that most online-only games will adopt the free-to-play model. In effect, by offering a free but limited experience to more casual players, SOE are gambling that they can convert a sizeable fraction to full-fat subscription-paying fans. Rewarding a level of engagement beyond the minimum with Premium access is a smart move, creating the kind of gateway to further investment that tabloid newspapers are always complaining about.

Banking on the compulsive nature of online gaming has seen Activision Blizzard alright, so who can blame Sony for looking in the same direction.