I’m going to keep this week’s Archeage column relatively short for you folks. This is, in part, due to a lack of new information coming in. Speculation on a game’s future without confirmation or comment on a circulating rumor is also really mentally draining.
Two things up for people to view this week: one is a video showing off some new mounts for the game. The second one is my quick way of addressing a rumor that has popped up regarding a potential revenue model shift for the Korean version of the game.
Ready to Ride
First up on the agenda for this week’s Archeage column is a nifty video from a little over a week ago. In it, we get a glimpse of three new modes of transportation within Archeage’s world.
As you can see from the video, the first new mounted offering looks to be a some kind of panther that emanates shadows. The second mode of transportation appears to be some kind of demonic horse with flaming eyes, which people can apparently joust on. The last vehicle, which was hinted at before, is an old-school race car.
Now, my lack of understanding with regard to Korean is a bit of a problem, but I’d love to know if these mounts have been implemented already. If you’re playing the game and you have these mounts, let me know!
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The Rumor
For those of you who haven’t heard the rumor yet, it’s actually pretty simple. Based off a Korean fansite report, the rumor that’s going around is that the Korean version of Archeage is shifting its revenue model to follow the free-to-play style of gaming.
Now, free-to-play rumors for ArcheAge aren’t new. In April, Jake Song reportedly hinted that the Chinese version of ArcheAge may follow that revenue model. Again, a hint or a rumor is not confirmation either way, and while setting a precedent of this sort for ArcheAge may point to the game’s English localization following that same route, it’s not set in stone.
That said, Trion Worlds’ current games are either using a buy-to-play sort of revenue generation (Defiance) or are being overhauled to adopt more microtransactions (RIFT).
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Stopping Before Starting
Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with shifting a game’s revenue model to increase its reach. As I explained back in March, Trion World and XLGames will likely want to open up this title to as many people as possible, and a change of revenue model can help there if the game is good.
With all that laid out, it has to be said though: if a cash shop in a game can be used or ignored at one’s gaming leisure, then I doubt there will be problems for a game.
In the meantime, let’s not stop playing ArcheAge before the game even starts. Here’s to hoping Trion Worlds and XLGames can say something more substantial soon.
Victor Barreiro Jr. / Victor Barreiro Jr. maintains The Devil’s Advocate and ArcheAge columns for MMORPG.com. He also writes for news website Rappler as a technology reporter. You can find more of his writings on Games and Geekery and on Twitter at @vbarreirojr.
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