I’ve been clambering for subscription-based MMOG publishers to investigate alternative subscription rates for years. Not just because of the recent “external” pressure from the popularity of the free-to-play model. That’s a more recent occurrence. Even before the new (and exciting) business model began encroaching on the juvenile market, I was suggesting that smaller developers experiment with price points lower than the norm.
The Fallen Earth and Champions Online pedigree, for all their collective innovations, simply could not compete with World of Warcraft or even Warhammer Online on the AAA front. However, I felt, and still do feel, that these titles would act as a fantastic second-in-command at a lower monthly price point. Trion Worlds isn’t going that far with its latest RIFT promotion, but it’s awfully close.
For the next few days, those looking to ascend can do so at amazing rates. As low as $8.25 per month, or a slim $99.00 per year. That’s a lock in rate, not a super special, born on this day die on this, ping-pong ball bingo drop rate. That $99.00 rate will be “billed every year” and entitle purchasers to the “Veteran Rewards” program; a great promotion on its own. Other packages, for three and six months at $12.29/month and $10.29/month, are also available at 18% and 31% discounts compared to the 45% savings from above.
Launched just over a year ago, Trion Worlds has delivered seven large updates, with the title seeing its eighth, v1.8, coming just around the corner.
For more information, head to your Account Management page. Get it while it’s hot. The deal ends when March does.
Oh. It has to related to that Knicks player to make terrible puns. I see.
To celebrate the March 1 launch of Rift last year, Trion Worlds is kicking off a one-year anniversary extravaganza. Seriously, what else did you expect the company would do? From February 29 until March 31, all players, Lite or subscribers, can experience everything that Patch 1.7 Carnival of the Ascended has to offer, from carnival games, additional raids and a special tabard.
Returning subscribers get their cake and eat it too. As if a party wasn’t enough, paying customers will have special reasons to login during the weekends. Every kind of XP will be increased at some point during the month, PvP perks will jump, dungeon loot will fill your digital coffers and rift rewards will reign from the sky.
I’m tempted to call it a publisher-promoted exploit.
Furthermore, all players that previously subscribed – yours included – are invited back from March 8-14 for a free week. This coincides with the PvP perks weekend. Character level doesn’t matter, all toons will be unlocked in hopes of sucking us back in. Conveniently, that coincides perfectly with my Spring Break.
Finally, Solidkieron will be able to show her true stripes.
Trion Worlds and Rifthave been rolling lately, with one community win after another. Just days ago we found out that Rift will be permanently free for the first 20 levels, with all of the content available to players for as long as they want to stay in the range; Trion is backing up that wave of positive momentum with an extension of Telara. Players can now communicate, and even secure loot, while miles away from a computer.
Available for iOS and Android now, the Rift Mobile: Free app enables a gateway to Telara that’s more than a simple distraction.
Earn in-game loot – Win real loot on-the-go with Lootables. Artifacts, crafting items, and planar treasure shoot straight to your character’s mailbox!
Chat with friends and guildmates – Send messages from your phone into the game, or plan your adventures mobile-to-mobile. Push notifications help your friends call you back to Telara.
Guild chat support – Guild and officer chat run smoothly on your mobile device, so you never miss a big decision.
Guild MOTD and Guild Wall – View your Guild Wall and Message of the Day at home, on the bus, or (stealthily) at school or work.
Zone Event notification – Hear the call when Zone Events erupt on your shard, and pick your battles with flexible alert settings.
Now it’s going to be even more difficult to step away from the game and ignore your guild master! The “battery died” will be the new “Internet died.”.
Today’s episode of Lore Cast is a mild spoiler kind. Mordil and Beararms are accompanied today by none other than Mrs. Mordil herself, as Sephalon. The majority of the conversation is of Star Wars: The Old Republic and what we’ve been doing, so it counts for today and Wednesday’s episode.
Note: Mordil was getting ahead of himself and spoke incorrectly during the video. It IS indeed, episode 5, and not 6.
Enjoy! As always, the agenda of the conversation is down below the jump.
Trion Worlds, maker of Rift, has announced that its MMORTS End of Nations will be free-to-play at launch. Under development at Petroglyph, which is staffed by numerous Westwood (Command and Conquer) luminaries, the game will deliver large-scale battles of up to 50 players, customizable units – all of them – and a massive, persistent world full of valuable resources with which to do battle on.
At launch, players will be able to access the entire game for free for an unlimited amount of time. Your typical freemium setup.
Check out the free-to-play announcement video here and stay tuned to LoreHound.com for additional coverage of End of Nations from PAX 2011! End of Nations is scheduled for release in late 2011.
Well, it’s not nearly as much information as we expected, but Trion Worlds released the above teaser trailer.
In case your mouse finger is broken, CEO of Trion Worlds Lars Buttler describes the project as the “convergence of the television and gaming industry into one fully-developed cohesive property. Syfy is creating a television show that takes place in the fictional universe that the game is set in. The game and the show will constantly [influence] each other from the moment they simultaneously launch.”
Now that E3 2011 has officially started, companies high and low have begun the crush of digital delights. Trion Worlds announced “Waves of Madness” for the company’s fantasy MMORPG Rift, which is on the cusp of breaking one million players.
The second major content patch will introduce our avatars to the Abyssal Cult (detailed a few weeks ago on Massively), a faction bent on freeing Akylios, the cult’s master. The latest patch is to introduce players to Hammerknell, an abandoned dwarven city and prison to Akylios. Did I mention that Akylios is the dragon of the water plane. Yeah, he won’t be squishy.
Scotty Malm, an inept dwarf that refused to stand up to himself, forcing low-level Guardian players to do so will return. Scotty’s specific role (and maturity level) in the upcoming events remain unclear. Hopefully, the memorable quest humor makes a return.
Spoiler Alert: Morpheus is dead. Not dead in an alternate universe or timeline. Just dead. Warner Brothers allowed the face of the the free human city of Zion to be killed as part of an in-game event during The Matrix Online’s short run. The event was scripted and pre-determined, but players we later given the reins, allowed to decide the fate of important events later in the title’s life.
This interactivity was The Matrix Online’s defining and long-lasting feature. Trion Worlds, makers of a little game called Rift, and SyFy Games are set to unveil Defiance, the partnership’s attempt to take persistent interactive worlds to the next level, during E3 2011.
Defiance is not only an upcoming 360, PS3 and PC MMO, but also an upcoming TV series. The game will take place around San Francisco, while the live-action show will be set in the same universe, but in St. Louis.
CEO of Trion Worlds Lars Buttler describes the three-years-in-the-making project as the convergence of games and TV. A true tie-in. “This is essentially the convergence of the television and gaming industry into one fully-developed cohesive property. Syfy is creating a television show that takes place in the fictional universe that the game is set in. The game and the show will constantly [influence] each other from the moment they simultaneously launch.”
Multiplatform MMOGs are difficult enough to launch. Trion and SyFy are looking to not only do that, but make the most interactive persistent world ever. Ambitious much?
Lore Hound will bring more coverage on this and everything MMOG as E3 2011 rages on.
For the next few days, those looking to ascend can do so at amazing rates. As low as $8.25 per month, or a slim $99.00 per year. That’s a lock in rate, not a super special, born on this day die on this, ping-pong ball bingo drop rate. That $99.00 rate will be “billed every year” and entitle purchasers to the “Veteran Rewards” program; a great promotion on its own. Other packages, for three and six months at $12.29/month and $10.29/month, are also available at 18% and 31% discounts compared to the 45% savings from above.
