Funcom’s The Secret World Drops Subscription Fee
In a surprising but necessary move, Funcom’s newest MMO The Secret World announced that it will be dropping the necessity of a subscription fee to play its game, allowing players access to all basic content after the one-time purchase of the game itself. Some are speculating that this change is due to the less than stellar sales performance of The Secret World, no doubt caused by a tough, oversaturated MMO market littered with hundreds of other FtP games. That sort of landscape can make a classic subscription-based game a hard sell.
The change to a free monthly experience will hopefully improve their chances. Funcom will start releasing optional “paid content” packs in January, but these packs will be available for free to anyone who registers in December. Funcom is also offering premium subscription options as well, for those who really want to spend money, starting at $15 a month. Paying these fees will allow the player access to a “Time Accelerator”, which doubles experience earned for an hour (an item which can be used every 16 hours). Players also get $10 worth of points to spend in the in-game item store every month, as well as a 10% discount on said purchases. Subscribed players will also get a free gift on patch day each month.
Gamers interested in purchasing The Secret World from Funcom can do so on their website. The game is priced at $29.99–and remember, if you buy it before January you get access to the paid optional content for free!
