Last month, the Sci-Fi MMO, WildStar announced that it was converting to a free-to-play business model. With most MMO's being free to play these days, it's not hard to see why, even though the game is little more than a year old. This new business model is a part of a new multi-step direction with a focus on "quality of life", to make the game more appealing to potential new players.
Apart from removing subscription fees, WildStar will feature an overhauled Tutorial Mode, designed to be more customizable for the player. Players will be able to pick tutorials best suited to them, based upon prior knowledge from playing other MMO's. Additionally, items and statistics are being completely reworked to be more intuitive, particularly in naming conventions. Improved customization is also a focus through a redesign of secondary statistics and gear.
Dungeons are also being reworked to provide a more consistent challenge and will be re-scaled to be "suitable for players in five level increments." Two new areas were also teased, the narratively driven, Alpha Sanctum, that will bring players into the Nexus world story earlier in the game, and the PVP Arena, Cryo-Plex, a winter-focused, multi-layered battlefield.
NCSOFT and Carbine Studios haven't forgotten about players who have already invested money in the game over the last year either. Anybody who has committed financially to the game in the past, can expect "a number of very cool rewards waiting for them." No specifics on what exactly those rewards will be, but WildStar players can stay tuned for more details.
WildStar will officially transition to the Free-to-Play model this fall, though no concrete date has been given. The game scored a solid 82 overall rating on Metacritic, so if you have been hesitant to get into it for financial reasons, that barrier will soon be gone.
