United Gamer Online (UGO)

by Mike Smith
Giving your product away for free may not seem the most promising of business plans, but it’s an option that’s proving increasingly attractive to publishers of massively multiplayer online games. The latest online world to ditch fees, once-proud Everquest II, bears one of the most famous names in the genre, but it’s far from the only game to go free in the last year.

It’s easy to see why. Monthly fees (typically around $12-15) add up: a World of Warcraft fan who’s been playing the game since its 2004 launch will likely have sunk around a thousand dollars into their habit. While that’s probably good value in sheer bucks-per-hour terms, some players are seeking lower-cost alternatives as their wallets feel the squeeze, and the market is answering.
Everquest II joins a slate of recent MMOs to cast off its subscription fees. Lord of the Rings Online, a resounding hit with critics, plans to go free later in the year. Dungeons & Dragons: Online, after a disappointing debut, switched to a free model last September. And a growing number of recent and upcoming MMOs -- like Sony’s kid-friendly Free Realms -- are free from day one.

It’s also a trail that’s been amply blazed in the past: take Guild Wars, the first “major” online world to be released without subscription fees, and a massive success with critics and players. But even here, its publisher NCSoft had a plan to keep money rolling in: a series of regular expansion packs, priced around $30, added much new content to the game. Fans bought over six million copies of Guild Wars and its various expansions, and a sequel is expected sometime before the end of next year. Even rudimentary-looking, indie-developed Runescape hauled in enough cash to propel its creators onto the London Times Rich List.
But just how free are free MMOs? In Everquest 2’s case -- as with most MMOs that adopt a free model -- there’s a not inconsiderable list of ifs and buts. Free players won’t get access to newer game areas, for example, and they’ll only have access to a subset of the game’s races and classes. There’s a complex set of limitations that will likely leave committed players with no real option but to keep on paying.

Others do better, like D&D: Online, which charges small, optional “microtransactions” to let players buy premium items or unlock quests early. Players can never pay a dime and still get access to the same content: it’ll just take them longer. But even D&D Online still offers a subscription plan, and paying customers can expect priority logins, better customer service, and a host of other bundled fringe benefits. It’s still the same story: if you want the best out of the game, you’re going to end up paying for it.

Which, of course, isn’t much of a shock. The expensive server farms that are the throbbing heart of online worlds don’t run on sunshine and rainbows, and customer support reps don’t work for free. (Just ask Electronic Arts, which was sued in 2000 over its use of unpaid support staff in its pioneering MMO Ultima Online.)

Go in with appropriate expectations, though, and you’ll likely find good deals. Use free versions of MMOs to get your feet wet in the game’s world (and get to know its players) before you decide to lay down money on a subscription plan. Or use pre-paid cards (available at everywhere from game stores to gas stations) to manage your microtransaction spending. And if you’re really looking for World of Warcraft levels of polish and finesse, expect to wind up paying World of Warcraft-level prices.