News
2Tribes: Ascend dev shifts focus to PC
Hi-Rez Studios has put the Xbox 360 version of its upcoming Tribes reboot on the back burner following its decision to switch to the free-to-play model. Microsoft's hitherto reticence to allow microtransactions on Xbox Live has prompted Hi-Rez to focus its attention on the PC version of the game, but it is not cancelling the Xbox 360 release entirely, explaining to Gamespot: "An eventual XBLA version - and even PSN version - is not out of the question but neither will be this year."
Source: Gamespot
Comments
2I can't readily see how a Tribes game and free-to-play would mix. That is more of a concern than console viability to me. It would definitely inhibit community mods, which was a huge draw to Tribes. It's easy to see how this could go horribly wrong, and with little detail on how free-to-play will be implemented, it will be difficult to inspire anticipation from Tribes fans.
It will all depend on how they set up their free to play model. Most F2P games are stifling in the amount of content free players are allowed to access. The developers are afraid to give too much away for free because they think their game isn't good enough to entice the community to pay for upgrades. People play the free version and it is basically a slightly enhanced demo and have to start shelling out if they want to do anything meaningful.
Games like Team Fortress 2 are the best way to set up the F2P model in that 95% of the game is accessible and then you just pay money for cool stuff that is awesome. It is not a most fair comparison becuase TF2 made its money before going F2P but it is still the best way to set it up.
As soon as you start denying actual game content to free players you split the playerbase and split the community.