Another subscription-based MMO has made the switch to free-to-play. This time it's last year's TERA -- although subscriptions will still be offered to those players who want to pay monthly.
Developed by South Korean company Bluehole Studio, the game launched in Korea at the start of 2011, and found its way to the U.S. and Europe in May last year, thanks to publishing deals from En Masse Entertainment and Gameforge.
However, from February TERA players will be able to choose whether the subscription solution suits their needs or not, as a free-to-play alternative called TERA: Rising will launch.
Rising provides an in-game store and options for customizing play characters, and there's no level cap or content restrictions.
Those players who choose to pay $14.99 a month for "elite status" will receive extra dungeon rewards, 10 bonus quests every day, extra items and boosts, store discounts and numerous other additions.
TERA isn't the first subscription MMO to go free-to-play, and it doesn't look like it'll be the last either. Most recently, Electronic Arts' Star Wars: The Old Republic fell on hard times, and was forced to go free-to-play.
I hope this isn't a sign of the game having issues. From what i remember from the beta, the game was polished and tons of fun. From the interviews and the lack of any real limitation to the players that aren't paying, it seems that they just want to populate the world more, which is definitively what every MMO should strive for.
This was a pretty decent MMO. The problem most people fell out of was the grinding which is a common problem for most MMO's as they lose many players for the lack of interest and flow. I think it will do better as players will have less pressure to not waste time and a more of a pop in and out kind of thing.
Honestly I think it works better as F2P then Sub so maybe I'll dust off my Tera boots. :)