Another MMORPG’s subscription fee bites the dust. The latest casualty is The Secret World, which was released this past summer. For the record, we liked it . So did over 200,000 people. But 200,000 subscribers is, well, pretty small compared to the millions that still play World of Warcraft.
And so comes the decision from Funcom to cut the subscription fee and make the game free to play. Sort of. There’s no longer a monthly fee for the game, but it still requires a purchase, just like Guild Wars. Most importantly, there will be no restrictions if you’re a “free” player. You can enjoy the game and all of its content worry free. If you still feel like paying $15 a month, you’ll be a member, and gain the following perks:
- ‘The Time Accelerator’. This clickable item increases experience gain for defeating monsters by 100% for 1 hour and has a 16 hour cool-down. This item can only be used by Members and Grand Masters.
- $10 worth of Bonus Points given out every month which can be used towards any product in the Item Store of The Secret World (bonus points are valid for 6 months).
- Membership Item-of-the-month gift (given out every month).
- 10% discount to everything in the Item Store except Content Packs or other Packs (discounts to the Item Store do not stack with other offers).
But maybe $15 a month isn’t enough for you. What if you want to give more? Then you can become a Grand Master. This subscription gives you a lifetime membership and 20% off items in the store, minus content packs.
As for those content packs, they’ll be free of charge for all players, but come at a less frequent rate than many other MMOs. The latest pack, Issue 5, is due out in January and will be free if you’ve registered by December.
For more details, visit the FAQ on the Funcom forums, or check out the game’s newest trailer .
Now if only TERA would ditch it’s subscription fee…