Archlord Dismisses $10 PLAYplus Pricing Scheme
Release dates are being slightly pushed back
Publisher Codemasters confirmed Archlord MMORPG will experience a
slight delay than previously anticipated, with an October 2nd US
release date followed by an October 6th launch in Europe.
Unfortunately, Codemasters gave up the greatly hyped PLAYplus system in
favor of a unique subscription package, the standard monthly MMO
payment model. The publisher is currently evaluating a series of
in-game rewards for the game’s most loyal players, to compensate for
the loss in an attempt to build up the community needed for such a
socially inclined title.
“We have listened to our community and delivered. From the start of the
test of the PLAYplus system, we had an open dialogue with players to
monitor reactions to
the system. Thanks to their feedback and continued support, we are
pleased to confirm that ArchLord will now launch with a single standard
subscription package,” said Codemasters Online Gaming director of
marketing Ed Reef.
The PLAYplus payment scheme presented players with a wide array of
monthly subscription packages, providing choices that better suited
each individual’s play style. Since progress in the world of Archlord
is fairly dependant on paid- for buffs, this could have appealed to
casual players and gamers that do not have nearly enough time to spend
in an MMO. Following the beta experience where players tested the
system firsthand, Codemasters felt the project would not meet its
desired effect, thus renouncing a rather intriguing option which many
players invoked as a particular Archlord advantage.
The title will now launch with the standard monthly subscription of UK
£8.99, US $14.99, Europe €12.99, not counting taxes. Within this
pricing scheme, Codemasters include a number of credits for players to
exchange for buffs and items within the game universe. Since all
players receive the same amount of credits, this will provide a level
playing field for all subscribers, as opposed to the PLAYplus concept.
I find it deeply disturbing for Codemasters to change such an important
aspect of the game’s mechanics just weeks before launch.
Source: softpedia.com
