Thanks to long time industry player Atari, and Cryptic Studios, we can now add another pin on the “switching to free-to-play” pin board. Announced yesterday from Los Angeles, Atari Inc. and MMO developer Cryptic Studios are bringing their superhero MMORPG Champions Online over to the free-to-play side.
Slated to officially open in Q1 2011, players will be able to engage in Champions Online in all it’s free-to-play glory. However, fans of epic heroism won’t have to wait until next year to dig in, as a closed beta is set to commence on November 9, 2010.
Billed as an MMO that brings challenges to the table that even the most experienced online gamer will delight in, Champions Online is a fast-pace action title that allows players to take on their own superhero persona. Based on a classic, but never aging, theme of good vs. bad, players can join with Defender and other Champions to slay the evil forces of Dr. Destroyer.
The Champions Online free-to-play version will feature a wide array of premium features that are aimed at entertaining players, as well as cashing in on virtual goods purchases. Adventure packs, items, powers and costumes are all on tap via Cryptic’s C-Store. Borrowing a page from Turbine’s flip-it-to-free-to-play-and-employ-a-hybrid-model, Atari and Cryptic will offer a Gold member subscription service. Current Gold members may continue subscribing (or not), and new comers may play and pay-as-they-go, or buy in to the optional $14.99 per month fee. Obtaining the Gold member status allows players to unlock most of the games’ content, and includes extra features unavailable to free-to-play players.
“Transitioning Champions Online to the free-to-play model is a great opportunity to reach a whole new audience of PC gamers that view subscription fees as a barrier to entry,” said John Needham, CEO of Cryptic Studios. “By taking care of our current subscription-based community and welcoming the addition of new players through free-to-play, Champions Online is poised to build upon its success and to establish a new leadership position as the first free-to-play superhero MMO.”
Tags: atari, cryptic studios, Turbine
