<em>MechWarrior Online</em> announced as free-to-play game for 2012

After over two years of radio silence, the makers of the next <em>MechWarrior</em> game have finally announced <em>MechWarrior Online</em> as a free-to-play PC game for release next year.

<a href='http://meincmagazine.com/gaming/news/2011/11/mechwarrior-online-announced-as-free-to-play-game-for-2012.ars'>Read the whole story</a>

 

[Kani]

Awesome

 

[Johnsnow]

Sweet! I'm super psyched

 

[RyGuy]

Could you tell us more about the legal issues, perhaps?

 

[ChloroFiend]

Maybe I'm just cynical or jaded, but free to play seems to be a nicer way of saying "will be shuttering in six months" or "no matter what else we say, you're going to pay microtransactions out the ass in order to have any fun".

 

[jonnybond]

sounds cool I remember when I played the original thinking one day we could play against friends online was just a pipe dream.

 

[caseyjohnston]

Could you tell us more about the legal issues, perhaps?

It's kind of complicated, but Piranha games' president describes it in an interview here:
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/10/31/exclu ... chwarrior/

 

[Doggus]

Maybe I'm just cynical or jaded, but free to play seems to be a nicer way of saying "will be shuttering in six months" or "no matter what else we say, you're going to pay microtransactions out the ass in order to have any fun".

I think you are both, in this case. Free to play micro transaction games can be done quite well, be kept fair and stay very fun. See League of Legends for a good example of "doing it right".

Worst case scenario - the game is bad and you are out $0.

 

[ilovedawkins]

you're going to pay microtransactions out the ass in order to have any fun".

I am fine with the TF2 model where I do pay microtransactions for fun but non-essential 'could find anyway' stuff.

Damn I widh I could buy a Saxton Hale mask of someone.

 

[Mannymal]

If they follow the example of World of Tanks this could be a huge success. Cautiously optimistic.

 

[VentcoreFrog]

When I first heard that it had changed to a F2P online game, I was a little wary, but after reading the PC Gamer article and the MWO FAQ, I'm super excited. These guys clearly care a lot about Battletech, and will be putting their all into the gameplay.

 

[Dark Side Cookies]

Maybe I'm just cynical or jaded, but free to play seems to be a nicer way of saying "will be shuttering in six months" or "no matter what else we say, you're going to pay microtransactions out the ass in order to have any fun".

If it's done terribly, then yes the "free to play + microtrans" model is horribly anti consumer, and creates a culture of haves and have-nots. A great example of this is the Call of Duty: Elite subscription. Those willing and able to shell out an additional $50 per year get access to more advanced items and maps before everyone else does. http://meincmagazine.com/gaming/news/2011 ... o-play.ars However, if done properly, the games can be radically fun and enjoyable for all.

Take Team Fortress 2 for example. While you can purchase different weapons and items to enhance your character, generally each item has some sort of drawback that requires a certain level of skill to account for. A rocket launcher for a Soldier could have +50% damage, but is -50% accurate. The most finely tuned gaming mouse and super fast Internet connection still couldn't give someone perfect results. It's all about balance.

Guild Wars is another great example. Free to play, and while it's nowhere near as popular as WoW, it's been around for over, what? Five years?

If there's one thing I hate, it's adding another subscription cost to my bills. Hopefully we can add MWO to the list of fair and successful free-to-play multiplayer games.

 

[Mortus]

I has an excite.

Maybe I'm just cynical or jaded, but free to play seems to be a nicer way of saying "will be shuttering in six months" or "no matter what else we say, you're going to pay microtransactions out the ass in order to have any fun".

Ask League of Legends/World of Tanks/LotrO/etc how F2P is working for them.

And they're of course saying that this will not be a Pay2Win game. We'll see how their model pans out.

 

[dom9360]

Not a big fan of free-to-play really. I'd rather pay up front one-time, or perhaps a flat monthly fee, but this model is dangerous for consumers. It gives publishers almost an "unlimited" amount of $$$ potentional. My 2 cents.

 

[skreba]

Finally a reason to dust off an old joystick.

 

[steelghost]

Problem I have with this kind of game is that I don't have much time to play, so I almost invariably get my arse handed to me in a sling on a regular basis. It ends up being no fun at all. So a bit of a shame, but I won't be bothering with this, no matter how much I loved my VooDoo Graphics accelerated MW2 Special Edition back in the day.

 

[Bill M NY]

Maybe I'm just cynical or jaded, but free to play seems to be a nicer way of saying "will be shuttering in six months" or "no matter what else we say, you're going to pay microtransactions out the ass in order to have any fun".

Been playing Global Agenda for a while now, and I bought one booster pack from them after 3 months of play to power level an class. Really fun 3rd person shooter, PVP, Solo, and just recently released another sandbox area with MMORPG qualities.

There are really good F2P games out there, the bad ones just seem to get all the attention.

On the same line though, how is this different from the major titles? I need to pre-order the 'deluxe' version and then get half a dozen DLC packs just to get the full experience that was available when the game shipped (Dragon Age II comes to mind). These guys are giving you the base game and you can get your DLC the same way every other developer seems to be selling these days.

 

[akgoel]

Maybe I'm just cynical or jaded, but free to play seems to be a nicer way of saying "will be shuttering in six months" or "no matter what else we say, you're going to pay microtransactions out the ass in order to have any fun".

"Free to Play" is a natural response to piracy, and an alternative to DRM. I think it's a great model for above-average games, and I'll pay the money if I can get an actual advantage in the game. Otherwise, it's as good as demo-ware, and I'm out no money if the game isn't worth my time.

Good to see it working out for publishers.

 

[Devin]

Problem I have with this kind of game is that I don't have much time to play, so I almost invariably get my arse handed to me in a sling on a regular basis. It ends up being no fun at all. So a bit of a shame, but I won't be bothering with this, no matter how much I loved my VooDoo Graphics accelerated MW2 Special Edition back in the day.

Same. I'll be waiting for a SP.

 

[Vorsos]

A new Mac MMO?

Nope, Chuck Testa.

 

[Mortus]

Time to dust off the old SideWinder Force Feedback Pro for nostalgia?

 

[fadedtimes]

I actually liked the single player games and multiplayer was just 'ok'. I also like 3rd person view, but if they can do a decent job of allowing head turn, torso twist, and turning the mech all at the same time, I guess it could be again 'ok'.
Multiplayer only makes me think of no story, no escort missions, no covert mission objectives, no decision making, just FPS kill/die/respawn endless loops.

 

[Oskiee]

Ok lets see... Ive been playing Battletech (the tabletop mini's game that Mechwarrior comes from) for almost 14 years now, and i played MW 2,3,4 and mercs. I might be just a little excited about this.

One of the greatest things so far that this article doesnt mention is that in game time, 2011 is 3048, when the game releases it will be 3049. I believe it was 3050 that the clans begin their invasion of the innersphere. Which is awesome, cant wait to blast me some Kitfoxes from my Hunchback.

Not a big fan of free-to-play really. I'd rather pay up front one-time, or perhaps a flat monthly fee, but this model is dangerous for consumers. It gives publishers almost an "unlimited" amount of $$$ potentional. My 2 cents.

While I'd normally agree with you, I too would rather buy once and play. But the way the devs have been describing it is similar model to League of Legends. In LoL you play the game, and have the ability of getting everything you want, minus skins, with out paying a dime. You only have to pay money for skins and boosts, both of which are completely optional.

It looks like the same deal will happen with MWO.

 

[azazel1024]

Well, not to steal ideas from others, but I hope the F2P model is modeled on what World of Tanks does.

For that matter I hope there is "progression" and similar that is like World of Tanks as well. Just in Mechs. I like the idea of some persistance as well. Maybe Inner Sphere versus Clan or various factions against each other with persistance related to who controls what spheres and maybe what worlds are being fought over or something similar.

I just really hope a good F2P model, which it sounds like, as well as mech RPG like progression (no hints on that).

 

[rolphus]

Time to dust off the old SideWinder Force Feedback Pro for nostalgia?

Mine broke.

A friend of mine tripped over it and snapped the entire shaft of the thing.

 

[szlevi]

Could you tell us more about the legal issues, perhaps?

It's kind of complicated, but Piranha games' president describes it in an interview here:
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/10/31/exclu ... chwarrior/

Let's hope it NEVER gets into the hands of Microsoft Game Studios like FASA etc - Microsoft's sheer lack of creativity and killer, uber-bureaucratic, shitty, crooked corporate stink is the deadliest kiss of the death for every creative game developer.
IIRC MS killed more studios and games than any other publisher - fortunately ex-FASA Weisman knows this pretty well: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/m ... re-weisman

Anyhow, this is awesome news - MW is coming back!

 

[Anita Man]

Time to dust off the old SideWinder Force Feedback Pro for nostalgia?

Mine broke.

A friend of mine tripped over it and snapped the entire shaft of the thing.

Wait you guys still have a gameport? I remember buying the sidewinder for just this game. It was because it had the twist motion for the turret.

Oh so good!

 

[szlevi]

I has an excite.

Maybe I'm just cynical or jaded, but free to play seems to be a nicer way of saying "will be shuttering in six months" or "no matter what else we say, you're going to pay microtransactions out the ass in order to have any fun".

Ask League of Legends/World of Tanks/LotrO/etc how F2P is working for them.

And they're of course saying that this will not be a Pay2Win game. We'll see how their model pans out.

I surely hope it is NOT like WoT....

 

[szlevi]

...

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

This makes me a bit nervous - no single player? At all? I realize it's an online multiplayer game, but still there are times when there's not much going on or maybe I don't feel like getting into a multiplayer match. And since I've never really been a fan of PvP in games, I really don't see the point to it when all most people want is to brandish their epeen, and it's not generally related to the story the game is trying to tell.

As for f2p when it's done well (DDO, LotRO, LoL, et.al.) it can be very beneficial for the developers and the player base. Too often though f2p becomes pay2win which ruins the whole experience for everybody imo.

Other than that the game looks pretty good so far, and I'll give it a try when it's released since I've been clamoring for another mech game for a quite some time now. Maybe I'll check GOG to see if they have anything.

 

[Dan Homerick]

Not a big fan of free-to-play really. I'd rather pay up front one-time, or perhaps a flat monthly fee, but this model is dangerous for consumers. It gives publishers almost an "unlimited" amount of $$$ potentional. My 2 cents.

I'd say that this model is dangerous for a certain subset of consumers -- mainly those who have an obsession about collecting things. I suspect that the bulk of a F2P game's revenue comes from a quite small percentage of their users, and that those users end up spending a LOT of money. I don't have any particular inside information about this, I'm just basing my thoughts on how things worked out with MUDs back in the day, and on interviews with MUD designers/maintainers.

It might be an interesting psychology thesis to try to find out what percentage of a F2P game's revenue comes from people who could be genuinely classified as having a disorder and from people who are at struggling with one or more addictions.

Not to say that I think that everyone who buys something in a F2P game is a bit wrong in the head -- far from it -- just those who end up spending more than they can comfortably afford on TF2 hats.

In "real life" I'm sure that certain industries profit quite nicely from those who have collection obsessions (stamps, clothes and shoes, etc.) but that it's not as noticeable since those items have broader utility than "virtual" items, and so are bought by a broader swath of the population.

That said, I don't have any obsession with collecting, and so I don't mind this model. Whoo hoo! Free game!

 

[VentcoreFrog]

I actually liked the single player games and multiplayer was just 'ok'. I also like 3rd person view, but if they can do a decent job of allowing head turn, torso twist, and turning the mech all at the same time, I guess it could be again 'ok'.
Multiplayer only makes me think of no story, no escort missions, no covert mission objectives, no decision making, just FPS kill/die/respawn endless loops.

MWO is going to have progression to keep people hooked. You earn new weapons and mechs and all that, and your Merc Group helps fight for territory (presumably working for the Houses). As for the actual gameplay, it looks like they're emphasizing teamwork and more than just "the team with the most assault mechs wins." If they're able to make a scout Raven just as viable as an Atlas, MWO could be really a really dynamic game.

 

[NinjaNerd56]

Just last night, I saw > 50 Tribes / Tribes2 servers online. I played on an OGL team back in 2000. I'd say that if a game is good, people will continue to play it.

With Tribes, Sierra and Vivendi killed all of their servers so the community took over. I had a Tribes server of my own until I moved 3 years ago.

 

[jeeplaw]

Just give me my Rifleman variants please..gunboat ftw!

 

[deas187]

$50 for the ER-PPC!? ULTRA AUTO CANNON 5 GUN BOAT TIME~!~

 

[TheMan876]

This sounds pretty similar to a Beta I played that never made it to market. Super fun game called Multiplayer Battletech: 3025. More info --> http://www.localditch.com/mechwarrior/mpbt/index.html

Did anyone else ever play in that Beta?

 

[jandrese]

I'm guessing the noobs will have a choice of like three starting mechs (Locust, Stinger, and Wasp if there is a merciful god), and you will be able to do missions to get C-Bills to buy new machines or to modify the current ones. I'm guessing there will be gameplay unlockable chassis at each weight level, but other chassis will be for-pay only. So you might be able to get in a Shadowhawk by simply saving your C-bills from missions, but getting a Wolverine would cost $5 or something. If you can customize your mechs it may not matter too much which chassis you are in, which would make it more of a cosmetic thing.

Or they could be dicks, and the only non-pay mechs are Urbanmechs and Chargers.

 

[Nisuo]

Usually (and I mean almost 100% of the time) when people say that item shop items will not give a tactical advantage or something along those lines, respecs/restats will be paid for. And in some cases, this price is astronomical. Hellgate costs $30 for a complete respec. Dragon Nest (another game who claimed cash shop will not give an advantage) costs $20-$25 per respec. And to make matters worse, they were even charging this during "Beta" when most abilities didn't even work properly.


Don't give a sigh of relief when you see that cash shop items will not give an advantage. They will get your money somehow. So unless you like losing a lot of progress or forking out half the price of a game simply because an ability that SOUNDED awesome turned out to be bugged or gimp... oh well.

Dragon Nest and Hellgate have killed F2P for me. And I don't like the "You're not out any money" argument either. Would you eat a shit sandwich if it was free? No. You'd be glad to fork out cash for a Chick-Fil-A Sandwich, because it's enjoyable.

 

[szlevi]

This sounds pretty similar to a Beta I played that never made it to market. Super fun game called Multiplayer Battletech: 3025. More info --> http://www.localditch.com/mechwarrior/mpbt/index.html

Did anyone else ever play in that Beta?

I did play some MW-like beta like a year or two ago... was it in a kinda dark, Moon-like setting?

 

[Oskiee]

This sounds pretty similar to a Beta I played that never made it to market. Super fun game called Multiplayer Battletech: 3025. More info --> http://www.localditch.com/mechwarrior/mpbt/index.html

Did anyone else ever play in that Beta?

I heard of this, never played it. My Btech buddy never shuts up about it. Now hes not going to shut up about MWO, which is a good thing, were excited.