A couple of months ago, Funcom attempted to assure players of its newest MMO, The Secret World, that the game would not be going free to play. Today, they're pretending that they've never said that and have simply gone ahead and dropped the game's subscription amid dropping player numbers.
Instead of a mandatory subscription system, the game will attempt to make its profit by selling booster packs next year. The first of these optional content packs is expected to come out in January next year, and is free for anyone who registers for the game before the end of December. You still need to buy the game to play it, so there's that.
Players who choose to remain subscribers can continue to pay $15 a month for the game. Those who do will gain access to what Funcom calls a "Time Accelerator" that doubles the experience you gain for an hour, every 16 hours. You'll also get $10 worth of Bonus Points to spend at the in-game item store every month. Additionally, you'll receive a 10 percent discount on all items in the in-game store and a free gift every month.
If you're confident that the game isn't going to go the way of the dodo by this time next year, you can opt in for a Grand Master Lifetime subscription that earns you a 20 percent discount in the item store.
Current subscribers will be credited today with 1200 bonus points and claim the Time Accelerator and free gift.
This development is a sure sign that it's only a matter of time before every MMORPG on the market follows the Guild Wars 2 model and drops subscriptions.
Thanks Eurogamer.
