Well here we have it, Turbine’s first foray into the world of free-to-play, microtransaction and/or subscription supported gaming.  They announced yesterday the opening of the Beta program for what will be now known as Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, or DDO Unlimited for short.

Since it’s 2006 launch, DDO has been a $14.95/month subscription only MMORPG.  Scheduled to launch later this summer, the free digital upgrade to the existing title, Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach not only takes the game over to the free-to-play side, but also includes a number of new features, sure to make existing players happy, as well as entice newcomers in the front door.  DDO Unlimited will raise the level cap to 20, add major new content, a new class, and features a new 12 player raid.

The new DDO Store, aka where the microtransactions occur, will be instantly accessible from anywhere in the game (no running home to make a purchase), and will sell equipment, new adventures, additional character content (including the new monk character class), NPC hirelings, and a wide variety of assorted useful items.  Players wishing to utilize the store may purchase Turbine credits with RMT’s.  The E3 demo showed just how easy the process is.  If a player arrives at a premium content destination, a locked door, or locked dungeon, for example, the DDO store function kicks in with a handy link directly to the purchase point.  In other words, Turbine has made the process as friction-less as possible, and with a minimum number of clicks, players can have instant access to the locked content.

Is this going to ruin the game?  Not the way I see it.  Turbine was quick to stress that free players are not restricted in their progress, will have constant access to the games’ servers, and may progress all the way through to the game’s level cap (20).  Pushing this point one step further, there are some high-level items that one simply may not purchase via the DDO store, and must be acquired from actual play.  As players quest, battle, and raid their way through Eberron, they earn Turbine points which they may then spend at the aforementioned DDO store, therefore, explaining the above, it is theoretically possible to play the entire game and equip items from the store without ever spending a dime.  Provided you’ve to the time on your hands to accomplish this.

And while the new game will go the free-to-play, microtransactions route, Turbine is also offering a VIP level of enjoyment.  The VIP program is an alternative to the microtransaction route, in which players receive some in-game money, access to all classes, races, in-game lands, and extended character slots.  Existing DDO subscribers will automatically be upgraded to this VIP status, and newcomers will have the option to lay down the $14.95 to become a VIP.

Turbine director of communications says in a report by masshightech.com, “This is very much in line with the way D&D sold itself back in the day. You are paying for content when you want it, as opposed to this all-you can eat buffet.”

Mersky also notes that Turbine began preparations for the new DDO pricing structure and business model more than a year ago.  Since announcing the beta sign up early in the day on Tuesday, Turbine has “already had tens of thousands of sign-ups in the past few hours,” Mersky said.

Suddenly, Turbine’s job announcement for an e-commerce/microtransactions manager, as well as the recent appointment of M. Beau Paradowski as CFO is all becoming very clear.  As Turbine is a highly respected and trusted name in the world of MMORPG gaming, it should be very interesting to see both how the company fares with this new offering, as well as how players receive it.  Welcome to the free-to-play realm folks, we’ve been waiting.