Goblinworks CEO: 'There's a whole new way to make MMOs affordably'

Jef Reahard — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Miscellaneous, Dungeons, Crafting

Pull up a chair, sandpark fans, and while you're at it you might want to grab a large cup of your favorite caffeinated beverage. Goblinworks has published the first in a series of dev blogs designed to give starving sandbox fans a peek into the world of Pathfinder Online, and it's quite a lengthy read.

Goblinworks CEO Ryan Dancey introduces key members of the Pathfinder team (including industry veterans who have worked on titles including City of Heroes and World of Darkness) before moving on to a high-level view of Pathfinder's business plan. Three main strategies emerge from the wall o' text, and Dancey cites the use of field-tested middleware, sandbox design elements, and most interestingly, a hard cap on the number of new players allowed into the game each month as the factors that will make Pathfinder stand apart from the gaggle of themepark clones currently blotting out the sun.

"Making a game that starts with 4,500 players and grows to 16,500 players [after seven months] is much, much easier and vastly less expensive than making a game designed to accommodate a million players on day one," Dancey explains. He goes on to say that Pathfinder aims to emulate EVE Online's model of starting small and gradually building a larger playerbase over time while avoiding "a huge themepark mortgage" in terms of development and infrastructure costs.

Goblinworks CEO: 'There's a whole new way to make MMOs affordably' originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hi-Rez announces pricing structure for Global Agenda

Shawn Schuster — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Business models, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Free-to-play, Spy, Global Agenda

Good news for you Global Agenda fans out there, as Hi-Rez Studios announced their pricing structure today for the upcoming spy-fi MMO. In a phone call this morning to Executive Producer Todd Harris, we learned that the game will have a few options, depending on your playing style. If you'd like to play Global Agenda as a multi-player, hub-based shooter, all you need to do is buy the box. There will be no subscription fees at all.

If you'd like to take part in large-scale Alliance vs. Alliance battles throughout a persistent world, then the subscription model would be for you. This sub model also opens up other features, like the Auction House, mail system and more. This is what any MMO player would want, while the subscription-free option would cater more towards your average Call of Duty fan. Keep reading after the jump for complete details on Global Agenda's payment model, feature comparison and details and their newest projected launch window.

Continue reading Hi-Rez announces pricing structure for Global Agenda

Hi-Rez announces pricing structure for Global Agenda originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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