Dungeons & Dragons Online goes free and rumours abound of a new MMO.
Sometimes, franchises just don’t make the transition to the massively multiplayer online game (MMO) space well. Oftentimes, sure bets have failed, despite the odds. Despite stumbling along for a few years, Sony Online Entertainment is soon to pull the plug on The Matrix Online. Another failed MMO, Dungeons & Dragons Online has a different fate, however, with developer Turbine to soon repurpose the game as a free-to-play title.
A revamp of the game will see it relaunching as Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited. Players will still have a subscription option, that gives them ten character slots, a shared bank, priority access to servers, and 500 ‘Turbine Points’ to spend on in-game goodies every month.
As for those wishing to play for free, the FAQ explains just what players can obtain with real-world cash.
While the best gear can still only be found by adventuring in-game, the store offers a bevy of convenience items, in addition to premium adventure packs, extra character slots, hirelings, potions, unique character customization, and much more than this page will allow us to list! Items in the DDO Store are purchased with Turbine Points.
Turbine Points can be purchased with the real-world money and then used in the DDO Store. One assumes that the use of a company-wide currency will flow into future offerings, perhaps the upcoming console-based MMOs being worked on at Turbine.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the only Dungeons & Dragons-related MMO news today. Rumours are flying that Cryptic Studios is working on a Neverwinter Nights MMO. This seems strange, considering the recent wielding of the franchise by BioWare and BioWare Jr., Obsidian Entertainment. However, Cryptic is owned by Atari, long-term Dungeons & Dragons license holder.
If true, this would put a third major MMO in Cryptic’s hands. With Champions Online delayed until later this year, and Star Trek Online looking like launching early next year, this could mean big things ahead for Atari and Cryptic.
After the commercial failure of Dungeons & Dragons Online, a Neverwinter Nights MMO doesn’t look the sure bet that it once was. With BioWare also entering the MMO fray with Star Wars: The Old Republic, it seems that loyalties could well be divided between the developer and the franchise. Considering there is yet no official word about the game, it will probably be some time before it becomes a problem.
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