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Sunday Comics: Dead Island Free-to-play games are all the rage here in 2012. With MMOs, social games and mobile games leading the way, some analysts see the model as the inevitable wave of the future across genres. And given how very well freemium games seem to be doing, they might just be right.
Today NCsoft launches Aion: Ascension, the free-to-play rebirth of its faltering MMO, complete with eagerly anticipated update 3.0 content like player housing, mounts, new zones and a raised level cap. To celebrate the impeding influx of freeloaders, producer Adam Christensen has written up a tips and tricks guide to surviving and thriving in Aion: Ascension.
Ben Cousins, formerly of Lionhead, Sony and EA/DICE, among others, is currently head of a mobile game development team for ngmoco, based out of Sweden. Several weeks ago, at the 2012 Game Developers Conference, he made a provocative and persuasive presentation to the effect that dedicated game consoles were on their way out.
There’s an air of scepticism that surrounds free-to-play games — can they possibly be any good if they’re offered for free? Surely there must be a soulless, money-grabbing hook embedded into the game somewhere, right? According to PopCap’s Giodano Contestabile, players need to dispel these preconceptions.
According to Develop, Blizzard may be experimenting with Free-to-play for an upcoming game.
Closed beta testing for Ghost Recon Online (PC) begins on March 5. Those looking to enlist in Tom Clancy’s near-future military warfare can sign up for the beta at the game’s official website.
