The MMORPG Tarisland, originally advertised as the pinnacle of a “No Pay-to-Win MMO” has recently been embroiled in a controversy regarding its monetization model which includes accusations of it being pay-to-win (P2W). The uproar from the gaming community has been significant, with complaints appearing across Reddit threads, Discord, and YouTube, highlighting the multitude of issues.
Players have been giving the side-eye to Tarisland after the closed beta allowed thousands of play testers to join in and not only test the game itself, but its monetization model too. During the closed beta, players were allowed to spend real money for in-game items, and as the game was touted as not being pay to win, the developers probably thought that opening up their shop during testing was going to be inconsequential and an easy way to earn some funds ahead of time.
However, after players were able to see what the shop stocked, things took a turn with complaints that this no P2W (Pay-to-Win) game was actually quite pay to win. Furthermore, players questioned why Tencent was starting to remove the “No P2W” branding from their socials. Players pointed out that the current monetization during closed beta allowed for a Closed Beta Benefits Card which granted players in game gold immediately for real money, and an Elf Messenger Bag, that allowed for large in-game fund transfers that could be used by gold sellers in the future to transfer in-game funds that could then be used on the Auction House to buy the most powerful items.
As one could also imagine, other items such as crafting materials or anything on the auction house that could be bought with gold, would also be easily accessible to those that buy and transfer gold from other characters that purchase the benefits card and use the messenger bag. While Tarisland isn’t offering stat-boosting items in their cash shop that would be considered P2W, the problem stands that the ability to buy gold, then use it on the auction house to buy stat-boosting items is a workaround that seemed to players like Tencent was trying to hide P2W in a muddle of technicalities.
In response to this backlash, the developers of Tarisland released a statement addressing the concerns. They acknowledged the feedback from the second Closed Beta Test (CBT) and apologized for any confusion caused. The developers emphasized their intention to create a fair MMORPG, avoiding the sale of items that could impact game balance. They noted that all items in the Auction house are player-priced and circulated, aiming to benefit players through transactions. However, they restricted player-to-player trading to combat gold farming and ensure a secure trading environment.
The developers admitted that the community feedback highlighted several shortcomings in their approach. They committed to not selling character-enhancing items in the official store and to continuously optimize their monetization model to ensure a fair gaming environment and a positive gaming experience.
However, the developers fall far short of stating that they will change the current monetization models in any way that will restrict purchasing of gold. They stated that they will take players’ opinions into account, but instead of fixing the issue, the “no pay to win” game seems to prefer reclassifying their game.
As Tarisland moves towards its official launch, the developers that initially stated they wanted to strive to create a stable, fair, and classic MMORPG experience seem to be shifting their focus. While this controversy underscores the delicate balance game developers must maintain in monetization strategies, it’s even more important that developers understand their players and consider how they advertise their games. Despite Tarisland being in a precarious spot at the moment, we look forward to the upcoming changes to the game as they barrel towards launch.
