SEPT. 20, 2011 • Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) announced it was taking its DC Universe MMO free-to-play mode in October. At that time, players can download and play the game for free on both the PlayStation 3 and PC. DC Universe will have three new access levels Free, Premium and Legendary. Free includes access to all existing content. Premium is for anyone that spends more than $5 in previous subscriptions or microtransactions, and opens up including additional character slots, additional inventory slots, and higher cash limits. The Legendary level costs $14.99 and offers all DLC packs at no cost, more than 15 character slots, more than 80 inventory slots, and the ability to form unrestricted-sized leagues.
Impact: It is no surprise that the mandatory monthly subscription is going the way of the dinosaurs. Essentially allowing consumers to try the game and then upgrade them to a subscription once they get hooked seems more natural. When a consumer must pay $40 or more to buy a game knowing they must commit to a monthly subscription to actually play it the barriers to entry are just too high. World of Warcraft is the only game to be able to do this on a mass scale.
