Can Subscription-Based MMO’s Survive In Today’s Market?

When they read that Bioware’s Triple-A MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic was converting to a free-to-play model this Fall, I doubt many gamers were surprised. The Old Republic is just one of many MMO’s that have made the switch from a sub-based business model to a F2P one over the past few years, other notable examples being Turbine’s Lord of the Rings Online and SOE’s Everquest II. The question is, was the plan to make it a sub-based MMO doomed from the start?

Renaissance Heroes Beta Impressions

ChangYou's ambitious new F2P title is aiming to break new ground in the FPS genre. Check out my impressions from my time spent in the closed beta. 

 Read the full story over at explosion.com

Steam And The F2P Shooter: Now Is The Time

The F2P Shooter is on the rise and Valve's Steam service is aiming to capitalize on the genre's popularity.

Read the full story over at explosion.com 

Gaming on a Budget; 3 ways to become a more thrifty gamer

These days, considering the economy, the rapid pace at which new video games and video game systems are being released, and the overall cost of keeping up with the latest games, it goes without saying that trying to stay at the forefront of such development can be taxing on your wallet.  Throwing down $60 for a new 360 title, upgrading your PC with various parts to run the latest computer games, even playing a few months of a pay-to-play MMO are just a few of the large costs that can become part of an average gamer’s life.  Today I want to share a few ways in which we gamers can alleviate the financial pain of being modern gamers and hopefully steer the industry in a more economically viable direction.