Good news from developer Turbine, as they’ve reported some huge success with their switch to a free-to-play model for Lord of the Rings: Online. Revenue on the title has tripled thanks to the change, bringing in a more active community and more new players.
Executive Producer Kate Paiz puts it best in a quote Gamasutra pulled from an interview in the TenTonHammer podcast: “This really echoes a lot of what we’ve seen throughout the entertainment industry in general. It’s really about letting players make their choices about how they play. People are like ‘I own my choices. You give me the power and I’ll decide if you’re cool enough for me.”
Lord of the Rings: Online has been free-to-play since last September, with quest packs and other content optionally purchased by players, or available in unlimited fashion via a monthly subscription.
The success is great news for MMOs in general, as it shows change, growth, and success without the words “WoW” and “Blizzard” in the same breath.
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