Written by MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing games) are making the headlines as the new format for software publishers. The idea of billing your gamers an ongoing monthly fee, to let them play online in a large shared world, is a tempting one to software publishers. Titles like World of Warcraft from Blizzard have shown how popular – and lucrative – this genre can be.
However, Guild Wars, a popular game from small development house ArenaNet, has broken this mould of constant ongoing charges. Popular in South Korea, where broadband connections are cheap and easy to install, free to play MMORPGs have proved immensely popular. Few have made a successful transition to the global games market, however, which is why the success of Guild Wars is all the more noteworthy.
With over 6 million copies sold of the three Guild Wars titles, ArenaNet have shown that the free to play genre can work, if you have a compelling game with a deep story that challenges all types of players. With the sequel, Guild Wars 2, in development and soon to be released, we will see if this free to play genre will continue to be so popular.
