LOTRO's Move to Free-to-Play

[ariesel]

www.lotro.com/news/709

[Morreion]

My initial gut reaction is disappointment.

It may turn out alright, but as a lifetime subscriber (though I figure I got my money's worth out of the game) I'm not looking forward to a cash shop in LOTRO. Sure, Turbine handled DDO well for a F2P title, but I retain my suspicion of the F2P model (I want to know up front what I will pay and not sink weeks or months into something that may very well eventually cost me more than I want to pay).

I just don't like the model much.

F2P games aren't known for their mature communities from what I've seen.

I'm pretty much an MMO traditionalist and so hence my reaction To me, UO 2 would be a fantastic game!

F2P and browser games are the future apparently

Be prepared to be spammed with 'cash shop sale!' messages. A lot. How will they keep the LOTR environment when they are pestering you to buy things all the time? Bah...

We will see how it turns out...

Here's the LOTRO Free To Play Discussion Forum:

forums.lotro.com/forumdisplay.php?f=459

Here's a big worry:

The real danger is that this gravely threatens the very thing that attracted and kept the current players - THE COMMUNITY.

We have been blessed with a very mature group of players, I would easily guess the majority of the players are adults. With the opening of free play I have no doubt we will get a swarm of annoying young players - ruining the environment for those older players who actually fork over the money to pay the bills.

Welcome to Runescape 3.0!

Another view:

Short answer -- the idea of microtransactions is fine, the implementation is totally immersion breaking. Imagine if Glorfindel solemnly directed you (in the quest text!) to visit the LOTRO Store before you continued on the search for the Nazgul.

That's how it is done in DDO, and if it has done that way here I think that my time here also will be done.

And this:

To sharpen you car metaphore: You have worked hard for Years to get your BMW that cannot be bought with money but with time... You have spent endless hours learning how to use it to get the most out of it, and you have paid through the nose in effort and patience. One day you get honked by the same BMW but driven by a youngling swerving and obviously not knowing how to handle, boasting he earned it but all he had to do was to spend daddy's money to have it.

To me this is the issue with the availability of paying for gear and stuff. I may be rambling about it because I hate the thought of people's insane wish for immediate gratification and cheapening everyone else's efforts in the process.

OK, enough gloom for now I'm hoping for the best but not expecting it.

[Morreion]

Lord of the Rings Online: Free to Play Interview
MMORPG.com's Michael Bitton got a chance to catch up with Turbine's Executive Director of Communications Adam Mersky and LOTRO Executive Producer Kate Paiz to discuss today's big announcement that The Lord of the Rings Online would be re-launching as a hybrid Free-to-Play game.

[Morreion]

LotRO going Free-to-Play: Turbine should be ashamed! (Keen and Graev's Gaming Blog)

Keen has a very strong negative reaction to this. The decisive majority of those posting comments disagree with him. My comment is #106.

I wonder if the MMO industry has less to offer to old-school players than ever.

As I said on my comment, I'd be happy to be wrong!

[Morreion]

More on LOTRO's F2P move:

The List: 5 Reasons to be Excited About F2P LotRO (MMORPG.com)

#5 Now Everyone is Lifetime

Now one thing that I’ll be sure to say before anyone who hasn’t read the FAQ gets upset: all existing Lifetime members of LotRO will never have to pay the optional “VIP” subscription that comes with the conversion to F2P. They’ll automatically get VIP status from day one and never have to pay a cent for those VIP privileges. But the one of the best things about this conversion is that now everyone will have constant access to Middle-earth without the need of a monthly subscription. I’ve always had an on and off love affair with LotRO.

I’ve been playing since launch on and off again, but I never seem to last more than three months at a time because of some other game grabbing my attention. So I was always constantly subscribing and unsubscribing, and wrestling with the torment (hyperbole I know) that I should have bought the lifetime subscription from the start because LotRO is one of those games that is always deserving of visitation even if you never stay all that long. Now, with the conversion to F2P, that agonizing and self-derision over subscribing and unsubscribing can finally be put to rest. Whenever I feel like visiting Hobbiton, I’ll be able to without whipping out the credit card. I can finally stop beating myself up over not buying the Lifetime membership.

5 Reason why LOTRO going f2p should scare gamers (MMORPG.com Forums)

5) No longer with getting that rare horse drop be so presitgious. Everybody will have one. Only 8.99 this week!!! Limited supplies get one now!! Or worse, you can only obtain an item through the shop. Are we grocery shopping here, or playing a game trying to build a legacy? Its a total sham that you can't obtain items through the game you are playing. Instead you have to buy it through an item shop. Is that what we all envisioned this genre to be? Paying for items from outside sources instead of playing the game to get ingame rewards?

4) No more economy from things like healing potions, or any other potion these shops deem non-essential to crafters. Would WoW even have an economy if you could just buy enchants and potions from the online store? No, it wouldn't. Buying goods in EC tunnels in EQ was a unique experience that I loved. Why is that devs thinks it OK to leave out the economy? In DDO, the only way to get powerful potions is through the online store.

3) Our games will become less about accomplishments. Hard to believe, but yes after all those 100% XP pots, and 100% increased loot potions what will anything mean? It used to be prestigious. Now, its a sellout.

2) Our MMORPGs are quickly turning into a quick-serve chain. Need a healer? Buy one for 1 hour for only 2 dollars!! Need a quick heal? Buy it!! Need that extra XP? Buy it!! Need a boost in stats? Buy it!! Need help taking down Da Crusher? Buy your help!!

1) Content being adjusted to shop items. This will happen. XP will be reduced to a crawl to entice people to buy. Loot will be rare, unless you buy a potion. That mob will need everyone in the raid to buy that special potion that reduces damage, or increases damage, or gives more HP.

Richard Aihoshi's Free Zone: I've A Feeling We're Not In Kansas Any More
A long-time observer of the F2P sector, columnist Richard Aihoshi comments on the news that LOTRO will change its business model.

It's pretty difficult to deny that LOTRO is a major title in the subscription category. Although I don't recall any official count ever being released, people who track such statistics tend to put it the 250,000 to 300,000 range. If this is in or near the ballpark, the game probably ranks somewhere in the second part of the top 10. It's also bringing in a considerable amount of revenue each month, even after we factor in that those people who took the $199 lifetime offer aren't paying anything.

Which brings up the big question: Why the decision to switch business models? Since it doesn't appear broke, why fix it?

Since I don't have a private line to Turbine's executive offices, I don't know the actual answer. However, the most obvious and straightforward possibility that pops to mind is to make more money. Yes, it's possible to come up with scenarios in which the company opted to change for purely strategic reasons that made it willing to accept an expectation of lower profitability. But do you truly think that's what happened? If so, can I interest you in some nice property in Florida? When the tide goes out, it can even resemble land for a few hours.