PAX East 2010: Turbine on renting vs. owning in the MMO market

by Michael Sacco https://www.mmogah.combloggers/michael-sacco/rss.xml”>Mar 30th 2010 at 9:00PM

While Blizzard maintained a minimal footprint at http://www,mmogah.com/tags/pax-east/”>PAX East 2010, primarily focused on overseeing StarCraft II tournaments, Boston-based developer http://www.turbine.com/”>Turbine commanded significant attention with an expansive demo area. Throughout the three-day convention, attendees flocked to experience http://www.massively.com/category/lord-of-the-rings-online”>Lord of the Rings Online alongside http://www.massively.com/category/dungeons-and-dragons-online”>Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, engaging directly with community representatives and development team members.

With WoW-related announcements virtually nonexistent at the event, I redirected my attention to Turbine’s booth for insights into their MMO offerings. My conversation with Design Director Ian Currie began with an admission of limited familiarity with their games.

“As a mmogah.com correspondent,” I explained, “my coverage typically centers on different titles. Honestly, I’ve never experienced DDO firsthand and have only briefly sampled LotRO.”

Currie, positioned centrally in the accompanying photograph, responded with enthusiasm: “Then you’re truly unaware of what you’ve been missing!”

“That appears accurate,” I conceded, “but perhaps you can provide the essential context I’m lacking.”

My inquiry focused on how DDO and LotRO diverge from WoW‘s foundational design principles, though our discussion quickly narrowed to the more distinctive title.

“DDO establishes separation from WoW at core mechanical levels more significantly than LotRO,” Currie clarified, “so I’ll concentrate specifically on DDO for this comparison.”

He highlighted several distinguishing characteristics that differentiate DDO from WoW — the combat system emphasizes action-oriented, skill-dependent mechanics permitting tactical movement to evade incoming attacks and projectile spells, creating a distinctly different engagement experience compared to WoW‘s more methodical, quasi-turn-based approach. While acknowledging WoW‘s substantial content volume, he observed that many early quests fell into the “Fedex” category — missions dispatching players to remote locations carrying parcels, messages, or specific objects. “Our development philosophy intentionally avoided such design patterns from inception, crafting missions with substantial variety to maintain consistent freshness throughout the player journey.”

Anticipating potential discussion of Cataclysm‘s upcoming overhaul of WoW‘s early content, including quests Blizzard identified as cumbersome, outdated, or simply unenjoyable, Currie promptly noted that DDO didn’t execute everything perfectly at launch either and that, similar to Blizzard, they’ve accumulated significant knowledge since their respective game launches. However, the most transformative change since the 2006 release involved business model rather than gameplay systems.

“DDO transitioned to free-to-play late last year,” I noted. “Could you elaborate on how this shift has progressed, both for your organization and the player community?”

Currie’s evident enthusiasm about the topic surprised me. When learning about subscription-based MMOs converting to free-to-play models, I typically interpret this as distress signaling. For Turbine, however, DDO‘s revised monetization approach has delivered exceptional results across both subscriber acquisition and financial performance metrics. Currie confirmed they attracted over one million new subscribers (effectively doubling their active player population), with game revenues surging by a remarkable 500% following the free-to-play implementation.

“Please excuse my skepticism,” I responded, “but those figures seem almost counterintuitive.”

He chuckled. “I understand — it appears illogical. How can profitability exist with free gameplay? We questioned this ourselves. Our team engaged in extensive deliberation regarding the payment model transition, but the returns have been substantial for our company. And equally beneficial for our dedicated player base.” He then provided a comprehensive overview of the system mechanics: any user can download and experience the game completely free. All players receive access to foundational content, while monthly subscribers obtain additional privileges including VIP designation. The game’s economic foundation relies on the DDO Store, enabling purchases of content expansions, cosmetic items, consumables, and other non-essential products.

Currie emphasized the store’s primary purpose as convenience-oriented. The free-to-play category carries notoriety for titles becoming virtually unenjoyable without continuous financial investment — numerous Korean import games exemplify this problematic pattern. While technically accessible without payment, these games often prevent meaningful enjoyment or competitive participation. “We prioritized ensuring the core gameplay experience remained uncompromised by the store’s presence. No purchasable items provide definitive progression advantages over other participants.” I observed that few free-to-play titles adopt this approach, and he concurred that Turbine occupies a relatively distinctive position within the genre.

“Every player can complete all available content without store purchases and still enjoy a satisfying experience. What distinguishes our system particularly is that players maintain permanent ownership of any content they acquire.”

I requested additional clarification. He elaborated by comparing most subscription-based games, including WoW, to temporary leasing arrangements. When acquiring expansion content for WoW, access remains conditional upon active subscription status. Subscription termination prevents continued engagement with previously purchased materials. “Conversely, purchasing content packages from the DDO store guarantees perpetual ownership, independent of current subscription standing. Regular VIP subscribers experiencing financial constraints can revert to free-play mode while retaining access to store-acquired content,” Currie explained.

Blizzard seems unlikely to adopt free-to-play monetization for WoW — they generate billions through subscription revenue — but Turbine’s transition outcomes remain indisputable, and the leasing-versus-ownership parallel captured my attention. Beyond social connections, participants retain minimal tangible assets from WoW following subscription expiration. They establish no enduring presence within Azeroth, possess no complimentary re-entry privileges when returning, and their content investments become meaningless during financially challenging periods. I contemplated whether Blizzard might implement free-to-play for levels 1-60, restricting Outland and Northrend to subscribers, but with Cataclysm‘s imminent release, this scenario appears increasingly improbable.

I’ve long recognized — predating my tenure at Blizzard explaining these concepts routinely — that WoW operates under conditional licensing (contingent upon fee payment and rule compliance). This framework applies to numerous MMOs naturally, but Turbine seems determined to challenge this convention by ensuring players maintain permanent accessibility within Eberron’s realm. Regardless of economic circumstances, you’ll always possess an established presence there. Similar assurances don’t apply to Azeroth. Perhaps Turbine has identified a significant innovation.

The success of Turbine’s free-to-play model demonstrates that player-centric business approaches can drive both engagement and revenue. Unlike many free-to-play implementations that create pay-to-win environments, DDO’s approach prioritizes sustainable player relationships over short-term monetization. This philosophy represents a significant departure from traditional subscription models that treat content access as temporary privileges rather than permanent acquisitions.

For players considering MMO investments, understanding the distinction between temporary access and permanent ownership becomes crucial. The ability to maintain access to purchased content during subscription pauses provides financial flexibility that subscription-only models cannot match. This player-first approach may influence future MMO development, particularly as gamers become more conscious of long-term value retention.

Practical recommendation: When evaluating MMOs, assess not just current content but long-term accessibility and ownership structures. Games following Turbine’s model offer greater security for your gaming investments.

No reproduction without permission：GameCDjnh » PAX East 2010: Turbine on renting vs. owning in the MMO market Exploring DDO's successful free-to-play transition and how its content ownership model differs from subscription MMOs