| ESRB:Wizard101 News - New Payment Models
Posted by Keith Cross on Nov 03, 2008 | 3 comments in our forums
KingsIsle Entertainment has announced that they are offering several different payment models for Wizard101, including free-to-play, micro payment, and subscription.
Plano, Texas -- Nov 03, 2008 -- Online entertainment company KingsIsle Entertainment today launched a new payment option that essentially lets players of the company's new virtual world, Wizard101 (www.wizard101.com) decide for themselves which game payment plan suits them best, whether it's via monthly subscription or micropayment. Each of the four imaginative 3D worlds currently in Wizard101 contains zones that are now individually unlockable through micropayment. A considerable amount of game content remains free to play.
"A parent can reward a child with days of entertainment content for the price of a pack of gum... and at the same time someone who regularly meets up with their friends in Wizard101 may elect to get full access up front, and save by subscribing," said KingsIsle Entertainment CEO Elie Akilian.
Designed to fill the void between online play sites for the very young and MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) games with mature adult interaction, Wizard101 puts players in the fantasy role of a wizard apprentice at the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts. The game's colorful creative look, family-friendly features and immersive game play have made the site a popular online destination since launch in September. Players can choose to play in three economic formats:
1. At the basic level, Wizard101 is free-to-play for as long as players choose.
2. Subscriptions provide advanced gameplay access for a monthly fee. Prices start at $6.95 per account per month for multiple accounts on the family plan, or $9.95 per month for the regular subscription. All items will be available to subscribers via in-game gold or item drops.
3. The micropayment system now allows individual streets or "zones" to be unlocked for as little as $1.00. Players purchase packages of in-game currency called Crowns to buy zones or items in the game. A volume discount is available based on the number of Crowns purchased.
Read more here.
Please link to the sorce of the press release, and not just the games website. Thanks.
I enjoyed the free trial areas, even though I'm a bit older than the target audience, but didn't really feel there was enough in the game for me to suscribe. Micropayments for zones may get me to try the game out some more. Their website had $5 for 2500 crowns as their least expensive option but I couldn't find the prices in crowns for zone unlocks so I'm not sure what kind of deal they're offering.
Here's the link, Mrbloodworth:
October 31st, 2008 Patch Notes
Personally, I think this is a great move. I had two main concerns about their revenue model at start:
This change to the revenue model ensures that paying members can now buy the best quality items from regular gold vendors that were previously only available to players who bought crowns. Adding the ability to unlock specific streets for a microtransaction fee is icing on the cake and makes for a very flexible revenue model overall.
At this point, I'd like to see them accept gametime cards and paypal, which would help them to acquire more international customers, younger customers, etc...
~Ripper