DDO adds free-to-play with Eberron Unlimited [Updated]
by Kyle Horner 
Jun 9th 2009 at 12:53PM
Filed under: Dungeons and Dragons Online, Business models, News items
Turbine is pioneering something very interesting and exciting here, as the hybrid model isn't widely used at this point, with Free Realms being the closest comparison we can think of off the top of our collective heads. Allowing players the choice of free-to-play or subscription seems like a perfect fit for Dungeons and Dragons Online. Plus, the announcement comes with new content, including a brand new class! There appears to be no confirmation on what class it is, but our guess would be the Druid.
Check out the details after the break!
- Brand New Content & Features - DDO Unlimited will deliver a new class, increase the level cap, introduce new adventure packs including a new 12 player raid, major combat improvements and more!
- The Fiercest Combat - DDO Unlimited features an extraordinary and heart stopping combat experience that requires players to fully engage in the battle by relying on their wits and reflexes in real time. No more clicking skills and watching the action from the sideline.
- Mind-blowing Visuals - Explore a vast and dangerous online world, featuring the most advanced graphics in the industry, that is stuffed with the legendary monsters, glorious treasures, devious traps, mind-bending puzzles and endless adventures from the world's best known RPG.
- Full-featured MMO - Experience sophisticated systems found only in the best games including auctions, arena death matches (Player versus Player), NPC hirelings, gambling, crafting, and powerful social tools for finding a group, forming a guild or planning an epic raid!
- Easier Than Ever! - DDO Unlimited gets you playing in minutes instead of hours, using new proprietary Turbine technology. Creating a new character is incredibly simple with guides and templates that speed you through the process. Features an all-new new player experience that gives gamers their first taste of excitement quickly while teaching them how to play solo or with a group of fellow adventurers.
 |
Turbine has just announced that Dungeons and Dragons Online will be moving to a free-to-play business model, and we have the inside scoop. Be sure to read our complete coverage of the changeover, and look for more info as DDO Unlimited approaches launch. |
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
THAC0 said on 1:03PM 6-09-2009
Well on one hand it might get people try the game but on another they are restricting a lot of basic stuff you will even have limited use of chat if you arent a subscriber. I cant see playing this game as free for long with the restrictions they added.
Reply
Vulturion said on 1:20PM 6-09-2009
Well ain't that something?
It will definitely get me to finally have a try.
Reply
Bam! said on 1:22PM 6-09-2009
This is absolutely excellent. As a past DDO player I can always futz around with my characters even without a description?
Reply
Rambie said on 1:55PM 6-09-2009
Nice, I too will give DDO a shot.
Blizz should do this with WOW 1-60 aka "old world" it would be good to actually see people in the old old content instead of just power leveling alts.
Reply
Dethgar said on 1:39PM 6-09-2009
They should do this with LoTRO(minus Moria), maybe more people would be willing to subscribe to it if given a look at the things later on in the game without paying. That's my biggest gripe about LoTRO, paying to spend hours to get to the interesting zones from the boring and mundane beginning areas(before 25).
Reply
Tom said on 1:40PM 6-09-2009
Well, this is interesting. I am awfully curious at what "limited" Auction House, Mail, Chat, and Storage actually means.
The advantage to this plan is that it gives players the opportunity to try DDO out and then subscribe if they like it and want the full features. I imagine that's the general idea of the offer.
I am curious as to the soloability of this game. I am loathe to start any more games of the WoW/LotRO "you must find 5/6 more players, including a healer and tank, to complete this dungeon/quest" garden-variety MMO.
Seriously, game developers need to think outside of that well-worn, tired box. :(
Reply
mechanicalturk said on 2:23PM 6-09-2009
Soloing is definitely a viable option in DDO. I strictly play solo, or duo with a buddy. Many dungeons have a "Solo" difficulty setting, in addition to "Normal", "Hard", and "Elite". The hirelings make also difficult content more accessible.
The new release of DDO at the end of the Summer should also include dungeon difficulty scaling for all but the high-end raids. I believe it means that the mobs in the dungeon will have their hp scaled to the size of the party. Rewards and xp will probably be scaled accordingly.
Havok said on 3:30PM 6-13-2009
I went from 1 to 70 in WoW without EVER needing a party, and you want MORE solo-ability?
I feel like smacking you really really hard.
Tom said on 3:58PM 6-13-2009
Havok, just being able to get to the maximum character level is NOT "soloability", imo. As long as the best (i.e., the most rewarding and interesting) content in a given game (this is usually the [instanced] dungeons) is reserved for player groups only, I do not consider a game to be really soloable.
If your goal is to just level, yes, you can solo your way on up the ladder in most MMOs. If your goal is to experience the best content, then, no, WoW and LotRO and many others are not soloable.
Manic Soul said on 8:59AM 6-16-2009
@Havok
Tom obviously was talking about dungeons when he said that, seeing as how he said "dungeon/group quest"...maybe you should be smacked really hard, seeing as how you fail at basic reading comprehension.
I agree with Tom, though - I got totally sick of trying to find a group of people to play heroic dungeons with in WoW and cancelled my subscription recently. I don't like my game experience having to rely on finding 4 or 5 other people to play with, on top of not even knowing if the people that finally group with me are obnoxious, or going to quit after 15 minutes because their mom is calling them for dinner (c'mon, really??) or if they're bad players altogether. With that said I'd much rather solo them or group with 1 other person that I know.
Matt Mihaly said on 2:11PM 6-09-2009
Puzzle Pirates has offered both subscription and free-to-play options for years.
Reply
Bam! said on 2:02PM 6-09-2009
Maybe the influx of people will greatly increase the excellent CTF games that I spent far too long organizing.
Reply
Mr. Smite said on 5:26AM 6-10-2009
Fantastic news! I tried DnD Online when it first came out and as much as I enjoyed the gameplay, there was nothing very 'massive' about the game and thus I refused to pay monthly for it. But now!
Even though I don't like the idea of these 'limited' features (isn't a cash shop enough?) I trust Turbine to deliver. Looking forward ^^
Reply
tanek said on 2:29PM 6-09-2009
I like the idea and will certainly be checking it out. (I played DDO in the past, but do not have an active subscription at the moment.)
The one thing that worries me is the "Geography: Stormreach & vicinity". Limiting areas like that tends to make me think of this less as a free-to-play model with an optional subscription and more as a trial that does not end where you can pay for some additional access.
I'll reserve final judgment until I see how it is handled, though.
Reply
devilsei said on 3:14PM 6-09-2009
I have to agree, it just sounds like they took the trial version of the game (if they had that), and removed the time limit, and are now telling you that to play any other class you'll have to spend money on a game you might not even like. Why not just give you all the classes, but for non-basics, only let you hit lvl 5 or something so you can at least get a taste of it, same with the races.
Bah, maybe there's a private server somewhere where i could at least try all the classes and such out...
Chris said on 2:32PM 6-09-2009
DDO was a fun game, but it definitely seems to be the kind of game which would be more fun if you had friends playing it with ya.
Reply
Suze said on 3:05PM 6-09-2009
Suddenly, I am very keen to try out DDO
Reply
starzzareblind said on 5:49PM 6-09-2009
Excellent idea, this is the model direction this genre should go in.
Reply
Jmet said on 6:21PM 6-09-2009
Do we get e-mailed a link to download the client?
Reply
SingJai said on 7:23PM 6-09-2009
This MMO model is based off Korean MMO style. A lot of their Free MMO games are based on Item Malls. Game/Quest and everything in the world is free, but if you want specific perks that improves certain game play, you can purchase the item or purchase "Game pts" to pay for those specific items.
i.e
There are pets that pick up items for you, and give you extra slots for storage. It cost 80pts. 5 dollars = 100 pts. Pets expire after 30 days, and to revive them, you must buy a potion for 25pts.
The Item Mall offers pts in 50s, 100s, and discounts for a bulk amount of pts.
Game examples:
http://silkroadcp.joymax.com/ or joymax games
Think gunbound.
Reply