Turbine Enters F2P Market with DDO Eberron Unlimited

Turbine has made a major announcement and website redesign about its foray into the 'free to play' market with Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited. DDO Eberron Unlimited is a content upgrade that raises the level cap and introduces the premium marketplace and free gameplay.

Turbine ENTERS FREE-TO-PLAY MARKET

Dungeons and Dragons Online® Eberron Unlimited™ to Launch With Unlimited Free Play and In-Game Store

WESTWOOD, MA - June 9, 2009 - Turbine, Inc., the premier creator and operator of massive, persistent online worlds that foster powerful social gaming communities, today unveiled Dungeons & Dragons Online®: Eberron Unlimited™ (DDO Unlimited), a free digital upgrade that makes DDO Unlimited the world's first free-to-play massively multiplayer online game (MMO) to offer the quality graphics and robust features previously only available in premium subscription based-games. Launching this summer, DDO Unlimited will introduce an innovative new business model that is designed to provide an extraordinary experience to players who want a choice in how they pay and play online games. Players can download and play DDO Unlimited for free with the ability to purchase additional content and items in the new DDO Store to enhance their experience. Alternatively, players can choose to join the new DDO VIP program and gain unlimited access to all premium content plus a number of exclusive benefits for a single low monthly price. Turbine has launched a new website at http://www.ddo.com where players can learn more about DDO Unlimited and signup for the Beta program which launches today.

"Historically, players of free online games were forced to sacrifice the quality of their experience," said Jim Crowley, President and CEO. "Those days are over. The new DDO Unlimited is the most innovative, exciting and graphically rich MMO to ever hit the free-to-play market and it changes the very nature of what it means to be free-to-play."

Turbine's New Game Offers Players Unlimited Choice!

• Free means Free! - Players download and play DDO Unlimited for free by visiting www.ddo.com and within minutes can be exploring a rich, beautiful and dangerous online world crawling with legendary monsters, glorious treasures, devious traps, mind-bending puzzles and endless adventures from the world's best known RPG. There is no time limit or level cap on free play.
• Visit the new DDO Store! -- The DDO Store is loaded with hundreds of convenience items as well as premium dungeon packs, additional character slots, hirelings (hired muscle), potions, character customization and more! The DDO Store is seamlessly integrated into the game play and lets the player identify new and exciting ways to enhance and customize their experience.
• Be a DDO VIP! - Players who elect to subscribe to DDO Unlimited will have unlimited access to every premium adventure pack, receive priority server access, 10 character slots, a shared bank slot, and a monthly allotment of 500 Turbine Points to spend in the new DDO Store.

DDO Unlimited is the award-winning massively multiplayer game with the best combat of any MMO. Entering DDO Unlimited is a snap using Turbine's new proprietary delivery technology. Now players can download DDO Unlimited in minutes and immediately begin creating their own character to battle through one of gaming's most immersive online worlds. Featuring the industry's most visceral combat system, DDO Unlimited puts players into the heat of battle with full, real-time control over their character's movement and special attacks. Only DDO Unlimited delivers premium experience for free with many innovative features, including DirectX 10 graphics, action-based PvE and PvP combat, quests that provide a unique, immersive experience whether you play solo or with a group of friends, and advanced social networking tools that let you participate in a large and vibrant online community.

DDO Unlimited is based on the world-renowned DUNGEONS & DRAGONS franchise of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS), under license to Infogrames Entertainment S.A. Published by Atari, Inc., DDO has been enthusiastically received by many gaming critics, including The New York Times, PC Gamer, Game Informer and many more. For the latest information, please visit http://www.ddo.com

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Signed up.

Dumb move in my opinion. I'll probably stop playing.

I wouldn't give it up just yet. Current players will get beta invites. See what you think then. :)

It's the RMT model that bugs me more than anything.

Yeah understood. However, most of what is in the shops is stuff for convenience. All quest-based and high level stuff can still only be earned the old-fashioned way. Also, high level gear cannot be purchased. Basic gear is included so, for instance, if your +5 Sword O'Doom gets eaten by a rust monster (WAAAH!), you can buy a groovy +1 Sword of Nothing at the shop and at least finish the instance without penalty. LOL! Also, no money actually has to exchange hands: Players can earn Turbine Points by adventuring and trying out harder modes. Each 100 Favor earns points that can be spent in the shop if so desired.

*shrugs* It's unusual and there's no question in my mind that the player base will increase. It's fascinating, though, to see this happen to an established game with faithful subscribers.

Oh, I have no doubts the player base will increase. What types of players? That's another question.

If they're anything like me, they'll start out in the F2P mode and will move on to a subscription mode at some point. I've held off playing DDO because I wasn't sure I wanted to get hooked on another subscription (my only one, thusfar, is LOTRO). This will give me a chance to try it out in all its glory and then decide whether or not to subscribe.

I like the fact that players are given the option of exactly how they want to pay for their game. Just like we can TiVo shows/movies and buy songs one at a time, this model gives people the chance to buy only what they want. It caters, IMO, to both the casual and hardcore players much better than most games.