In this week's Free Zone, we're taking a look at something we've not seen before... a F2P game trying out a subscription model. Wait, is that right? Yep, Allods Online is adding a subscription model in Russia. And we're figuring out what that means.

As usual, quite a few interesting things came across my desktop during the past couple of weeks - news stories, other pieces of information, rumors, etc. The one that grabbed the largest share of my attention was from the Russian-speaking market, which I try to keep an eye on because it's both one of the largest in the world and also among the most rapidly growing. Since the free to play business model is predominant there, it came as a surprise to learn that publisher Mail.Ru has opened a subscription server for Allods Online, the well-known offering developed by a studio it now owns. In order to satisfy my curiosity, I checked to find out more about this situation.

Read the rest of Richard Aihoshi's The Free Zone: Allods Tries Subscriptions in Russia.

Yeah its very WoWish, but of lower quality (lower polygons etc.).

The game is fun, sadly it is Gala for EU again, that ruined the f2p totally, same desaster like with Age of WushuWulin.

A subscription model would for sure be attraktive if the fee fits the games quality and opens up a complete playable experience without the need to buy this or that for extra chash.

Would be nice to know, if it has pay2win mechanix in the shop/subbed game.

Well, ill never again touch a game where Gala is involved.

Originally posted by DSWBeef
It always amazed me with allods. If you showed me those screenshots without the logo id say it was wow lol.

Ironic, because WoW reminds me of 1st edtion PnP D&D.

Could be interesting if the game was anything more than a decent WoW clone with a pay to win cash shop system in place.

Really though, if you're going to pay a sub, why wouldn't you just sub to one of the many better wow clones (or WoW itself)

Allods ain't that bad. The game just revolves around P2W. Will be interesting to see how it turns out. If Atlantica Online opened a P2P server without cash shop, I'd be there in a flash.

The worste of the pay to plays are forced to go free to play... 

Meanwhile... 

The best free to plays get to go pay to play... 

Nothing unexpected here, they have been trying to make extra money on several different ideas, since the game was created!

At one time it was trying to sell item through the cahs shop, that you needed to actually play the game, but thiese were made free due to player reaction.

I don't play it anymore!!!

Their greed has no boundaries, and i am pretty sure they will fail again and again and again. Maybe in 10 years from now they will finally understand, that we are not their money milking cows, we want to play, not to pay TO win.