What’s that? IGN is claiming that TERA, the action-oriented MMORPG from En Masse Entertainment, has seen its playerbase drastically increase since introducing a free-to-play option? No, really?! Color me shocked!

After making the move to the increasingly popular freemium model in early February, TERA has gathered quite a following. It shouldn’t come as a shock to many, as the game featured incredibly enjoyable boss battles, computer-crushing graphics, a healthy amount of new content and all the features and gameplay elements gamers have come to expect from a AAA MMORPG. However, the subscription model just didn’t sit with so many gamers, especially with the consistent complaint of being a grindfest in today’s age of casual-friendly titles.

With the paywall removed and no monthly subscription required everyone interested was free to dabble in the world of Arborea. This caused an influx of over 500,000 accounts, bringing the total to over 1 million registered users and the addition of six new servers by publisher Gameforge.

The Elder Scrolls Online is the only major release coming out not firmly in bed with F2P, while Square Enix believes the relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV can demand a subscription in today’s crowded and F2P friendly market.

Granted, there was no mention of revenue increase or increased profit margins, so time will tell if TERA’s change is another feather in the F2P cap or a sign of its decline.

Many years ago, I had a friend who rarely actually bought anything he wanted. We would go out shopping, and he’d just peer in the shop windows and heave sighs heavy with yearning. At one point, I asked him why he never bought anything. He said he was enjoying the wanting. He said that few things ever actually measured up once he actually had them, so he was just enjoying the wanting of them. I think of that line a lot when it comes to betas.  Betas are my favorite time during any game’s lifespan. In a beta, everything is mysterious and shiny, and there’s that new game smell. I’m still fresh on the trail of anticipation, and there’s possibility. Every game can be great, right up until I’ve actually played it and it’s set in stone.

And this week there’s been a lot of beta news from several games. I keep thinking about that friend of mine every time I find myself becoming gleefully excited about the upcoming Neverwinter betas, trying to slow myself down, because I know that no game can possibly live up to the magic that decades of playing pen and paper D&D have wrought. I’m thinking about all the amazing games I’ve played in, and though the Foundry is more limited than any tabletop DM’s creations, the possibility of playing through people’s content is just giddifying.

I could keep going on that topic, but I believe I’ll stop there for now and actually write a full on article about the Foundry. So click the little button below for the week’s news!

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The photo to the right pretty much explains my Saturdays.

The conundrum is very akin to the one most people spout when talking about fast food jobs:

Either you work at a place you hate, and hate your life and the place you’re working at 10x more, or you work at a place you love and hate it after you leave.

I find myself game after game – starting with Dragon Age II last year – analyzing every single aspect of a game. From the amount of control I have to customize my character, to the very story.

Every gamer does it, it’s part of the experience of gaming – the reflection on the experience. Designers do it as well – right in the middle of it, though. I literally spend 15 minutes to sit back and discuss something like this with my wife: “Now that’s stupid. It feels [blank] and if they had done [blank] it would’ve been better,” to a 1 minute cutscene. Continue Reading

Yesterday’s surprise International Talk Like a Pirate Day celebration inside TERA was just to be the first of many ‘Flash events’, according to producer Chris Hager. The man with the plan starts off the discussion by reveling in the success of the Argon Queen update, which marked the start of this new direction; more events with more variety.

Over the next three months, En Masse will be running new events that fall into three categories, personal, TERA-wide and seasonal events. Seasonal events are the most obvious, as canonized Halloween celebrations in MMOGs have become a staple to most players. TERA-wide events will focus on particular groups of players, likely large groups like casual or hardcore players and allow En Masse to play with drop rates, battleground points and other enticing offers.

The final offering is perhaps the most interesting, small-scale ‘personal’ events. Exemplified by yesterday’s event, these events will largely be organized by GMs on the spot and include more trivia, scavenger hunts, triathlon races and other short and sweet activities.

Of course, all of these event will offer prizes for the winners, if not outright incentives to participate. As for content, Hager didn’t detail much new material. Instead falling back on the promised berserker patch, general needed and requested tweaks, upcoming additions to the achievement system and another Argon Queen-sized content patch.