TERA

En Masse has set a date for TERA's free-to-play conversion, and that date is February 5th. The company will also add new content to the fantasy title including a three-on-three PvP battleground and the Crucible of Flame dungeon.

TERA's F2P offerings include three player tiers (standard, founder, and elite), all of which feature full access to the game's content. Founders receive additional character slots, bank tabs, and a special mount, while elite players get dungeon bonuses, additional quests, daily items, mounts, and store discounts.

[Source: En Masse press release]

Reader John's going to get me to actually say something nice about TERA. Are you ready for it? Because this doesn't happen often. Here's my compliment: It's a beautiful-looking game. Really. I can't deny that there's a special level of polish and eye when it comes to its visuals.

Anyway, John sent us in this captivating picture of a place that might look pretty in the daylight, but you probably don't want to be loitering after nightfall. "I just started playing TERA upon hearing about the F2P conversion. This is my Amani Berserker traveling through the low-level Valley of Titans and stopping behind a pair of rock giants. These rock giants are all over the place here -- I wonder what will happen if they ever wake up?"

Dance party? That's my guess. See John's full-color photo in all its glory after the break in addition to other terrifying vistas.

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By this point, we're all familiar with how transitions happen from subscription games to subscription-optional games. There are usually three tiers of membership; subscribers get the most stuff, and former subscribers get a few extra perks. In TERA's case, however, the restrictions outlined in a handy new chart suggest that it's not just subscribers getting a lot of extra benefit out of the change, as anyone who purchased the game in the past will get hefty rewards.

Founders (that is, players who had purchased a boxed or digital copy of the game) will have access to eight character slots, a special title, and a special mount. Subscribers who had not previously purchased the game will be limited to two slots with more purchasable. Of course, subscribers also get shortened dungeon cooldowns, more auction house listings, and several bonus daily items. Looking to get in on the Founder benefits? You'll have to move quickly; digital sales of the game will be discontinued upon free-to-play launch, and no further boxes will be produced, so you'll want to buy soon to secure your benefits.

[Thanks to Justin for the tip!]

I am beautiful. Seriously, I'm the best-looking game character that has ever pretended to live. Not only am I gorgeous, I'm lethal. With my massive lance, heavy shield, and ridiculously tight dress, I can make short work of pretty much any foe with the stones to come at me. I am as dangerous as I am attractive, and that is saying quite a bit.

This is TERA. Launched in the west by En Masse Entertainment back in May, the fantasy MMO promised gorgeous graphics, fast-paced action combat and a different way to experience a now-familiar formula. Lured in by pretty trailers and compelling class descriptions, I picked up the collector's edition of the game just before release. I played for a few weeks, streamed it a couple of times, and promptly forgot it existed. When my initial 30 days expired, I never subscribed for more.

But now TERA is going free-to-play. And since En Masse was kind enough to give me (and everyone else) a couple of free weeks of playtime before the F2P transition, I figured now was as good a time as any to revisit the title and see if removing my wallet from the equation would be enough to keep me engaged.

The answer? Perhaps.

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I took only a single marketing class in college, so by no means am I an instant expert in anything but being on the receiving end of marketers' nefarious experiments to manipulate me so that I buy their stuff. I did take away the lesson that all marketers are professional liars who have no shame or dignity. Pretty much the same as a blogger, so I guess I have a backup career.

Believe it or not, MMOs get off easy when it comes to notorious marketing campaigns. Anything on the following list, good or bad, is a pale shadow of what we've seen in the larger video game industry. Still, there have been plenty of attempts to promote MMOs in ways that make us either applaud or laugh at the studio (and sometimes both at once, which takes coordination).

After doing some staff polling and internal polling, here are 10 memorable marketing campaigns from the era of MMORPGs. Maybe they're all winners in that they got noticed by at least one person, even if they're the most foolish notions in history. Here we go!

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If you're a former TERA player thinking of coming back to the game after it goes free-to-play next month, you'll be pleased to know that you can log in right now without paying a dime. En Masse originally reactivated the accounts of all past subscribers for seven days, but there were some technical difficulties that made it, well, difficult for some folks to get in game.

To compensate, the firm has added additional game time to everyone's acccount, so all you need to do is patch up and remember your password. Full details are viewable on the official TERA website.

I'm a big fan of Korean MMOs. I don't know why, exactly, other than I'm partial to the unquantifiable exoticness on display in games like ArcheAge, Aion, TERA, Lineage II, and others.

Unfortunately from my perspective, the powers-that-be in the MMO industry usually decide that Korean MMOs must be "westernized" before they debut in America, and while the term means different things to different games, it usually involves monkeying with the progression curve, rewriting quests that depend on cultural context, etc.

I'd just as soon play Korean MMOs exactly as they were originally designed (albeit with a quality English text translation). How about you, Massively folk? Assuming you like eastern MMOs, would you prefer a straight-up language translation or do you support "westernizing" a game to make it more palatable to American or European audiences?

[Note: Something is wonky with the comments on this post today. Sorry for the weirdness!]

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

TERA and I have a strange relationship. During the buildup to En Masse's fantasy game I wrote dozens of articles about it, spent considerable amounts of time studying up on it via fansites and foreign news reports, and generally got pretty excited by it all the way around.

At launch, I enjoyed it to a degree, but for whatever reason it didn't sustain my interest past the free month that came with my collector's edition. I'm tempted to pick it up again now, though, but my flirtation has less to do with the business model and more to do with being re-exposed to the game's gorgeous visuals via the new trailer.

What about you, Massively readers? Will you play TERA next month after the F2P conversion, and if so, is the business model the main reason why?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

Beyond amazing character design, compelling narratives, and the presence of dragons, there is one thing that all MMOs depend upon for success: player loyalty. Without returning subscribers, a loving community, or folks dropping a few dimes in the cash shop now and again, MMOs simply wouldn't be a feasible way for a games studio to do business. Smart development teams have player retention departments tasked specifically with tracking and analyzing the rise and fall of player allegiances and finding ways to leverage loyalty is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the creation process.

Even the non-gaming world is getting in on the fray. Back in November, researchers at the University at Buffalo School of Management published a study tracing the roots of player loyalties in a variety of MMO environments. The study outlined the mentalities of MMO gamers and the things that successfully encouraged them to keep coming back for more looting, more grinding, and more /hugging. Most importantly, the study declared that an MMO that increases loyalty by just 5% can increase profits by 25-95%.

We sat down with Dr. Lawrence Sanders, co-author of the study, to dive a little deeper into the researchers' methods, results, and plans for future MMO investigation.

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TERA is officially going free-to-play this February. The exact date has yet to be released, but En Masse Entertainment has collected all of the other pertinent details in a lengthy F2P FAQ that you can find on the official website.

The new game service will feature three tiers: Founder, Elite, and Standard. Standard is TERA's free offering, while Elite is the usual $14.99 per month subscription option. Founder status is acquired by purchasing and redeeming a copy of the game and is good for life. Some of the free-to-play limitations include character slots (two per server with the option to purchase more), bank slots (72 with the option to purchase more), and various brokerage fees and taxes. There are no race, class, or content limitations, although Elite players do get dungeon cooldown bonuses.

A full list of account tier differences may be found in the official FAQ. You can also check out the F2P announcement trailer after the cut.

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The holiday season is over. You've gotten games for the holidays, in all likelihood, and you probably also picked up a new game or a dozen over on Steam. But you're still looking to pad out your game library just a wee bit, maybe with something a bit more MMO-related. What can you do? Well, you could pick up TERA for $5 at Amazon right now. Yes, less than the price of subscribing for a month.

Too good to be true? Well, there are limitations. The only version thusly on sale is the digital download, meaning that if you'd rather have a physical copy, you'll have to pay a bit more. It's also only the standard digital edition with no extra bells or whistles. Still, it's the game and a month of subscription time for less than a fast food lunch, so if you still haven't tried the game and have a desire to do so, your time is now.

[Thanks to Segun for the tip!]

En Masse Entertainment may not be switching TERA to a free-to-play model in America just yet, but the firm has hired an executive from F2P giant Nexon. A new press release details the appointment of Soo Min Park, a 12-year Nexon veteran who will serve as En Masse's COO.

The company has also announced that former VP of Publishing Chris Lee will take over as CEO, while Brian Knox will move into an executive producer role.

"The additions to our management team are all about building the foundation for a strong future in 2013 and beyond," said Lee. "Publishing games in today's marketplace requires a group of leaders with diverse backgrounds in order to succeed. Now, En Masse is in an even better position to bring fun and innovative games to players."

[Source: En Masse press release]

NHN is reportedly taking steps to convert the Korean and Japanese versions of TERA to a free-to-play business model. MMO Culture says that TERA Korea will be F2P as of January 10th, while TERA Japan will finish its changeover in mid-February.

Free accounts will be restricted to three or four character slots depending on the region as well as longer dungeon cool-down times. Characters will be allowed 72 storage slots.

TERA is also getting a major content update in the near future. The patch includes a revamped political system, "content centered around guilds and the community," large-scale PvP events, sieges and airships, and new dungeons. NHN has released a story-focused teaser video for the update which you can view after the cut (there are no subtitles). Thus far En Masse has not commented on any business model changes for the American client.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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Ancient civilizations always seem to have the flair for the dramatic, especially if they were sitting on suspiciously advanced technology. We begin our trip through One Shots today with a look at Star Wars: The Old Republic's newest PvP warzone and its so-called "ancient" artifacts.

Reader John was captivated by the look of this machine: "It would be fair to say that much of SWTOR looks like either the traditional fantasy MMOs we've all played before or a series of corridors. With Ancient Hypergates, however, BioWare has delivered an incredible-looking area that feels perhaps like a cross between Mass Effect and Halo, though of course the lightsaber battles that take place across this arena add the necessary 'Star Wars' touch."

Carry on, my wayward sons and daughters, and join us as we dive further into the visuals of MMOs than any who have come before.

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En Masse community manager Catherine "Minea" Park has published a new post on TERA's official website. The letter serves as a recap for the game's 2012 updates as well as a brief preview of what to expect from the world of Arborea in 2013.

First up is the new Crucible of Flame dungeon, followed by Champions' Skyring which is a three-on-three battleground that restricts the use of consumable items. En Masse will also be implementing two new reputation factions, and crafting and gathering will be "streamlined and simplified a bit by decreasing the amount and number of different ingredients needed to craft among other changes."

Full details are yours via the links below.