Sony Online Entertainment has announced that their superhero-themed MMO DC Universe Online will be going free-to-play this October, on both the PC and PS3.
Under the new model, the game's playerbase will now be organized into three tiers.
The first tier, Free, costs exactly as much as you'd guess. Without paying a cent, players will be able to access all the gameplay currently available in DCUO, right down to every last raid and alert. They'll be limited to two character slots, though, and they'll have to shell out additional money for any future content additions. Free players will also be able to purchase additional character slots, powers, and more through a microtransaction system.
The next tier, Premium, is automatically awarded to anyone who's spent more than $5 on the game. By default, this includes anyone who's paid the monthly subscription fee in the past. While Premium players will still have to pay for future content updates, they do get a few bonuses, like a larger inventory, more character slots, and higher cash limits.
Finally, there's the Legendary tier, which is essentially a continuation of the current model. Legendary players will need to pay a $15 per month subscription, but they'll be rewarded with more than 15 chracter slots, an 80-plus item inventory, and free access to all future DLC packs.
Producer Lorin Jacobsen told IGN that the move was not made in response to a dwindling playerbase, but was instead what SOE intended to do with the title all along. Jacobsen was also careful to assure fans that more powerful items and experience points won't be for sale in the in-game shop, for fear of unbalancing the game.
