NCsoft begins selling 14-day MMO trials at retail
Filed under: City of Heroes, City of Villains, Guild Wars, Lineage 2, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Tabula Rasa
This is essentially your standard 14-day trial -- a staple in the industry -- made available through retail for would-be subscribers who might not come across such opportunities on the web. NCsoft hopes that this move will net some new customers -- especially for its struggling properties.
"In an ever increasingly digitally orientated retail environment, encouraging players to return to retail is a win-win for both outlet and publisher," said an NCsoft rep. We had heard that the whole digital download thing could be the saving grace of the PC platform, but whatever!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Green Armadillo said on 10:30AM 5-15-2008
This is a good idea... provided you can FIND a trial disc when you want a trial. I was hunting for a Guild Wars trial disc and couldn't find one. Then I remembered that I'm not a starving college student anymore, and that a one-time $25 fee (prices at your local/online retailer may vary) for a full copy of a game that has no monthly fees isn't a prohibitive expense in the way that a game which goes away if you stop paying can be.
The irony? Inside the game box was a set of trial codes.
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mirilene said on 8:35PM 5-15-2008
So....not only do i have to go track down a disk and pay money for a "free trial" but then i have to go back and buy a box to keep playing??
NCSoft is completely out of touch with reality on this. There are several people i know who would love to give TR a shot, but there is no demo and they sure as hell arent buying the game without trying it.
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