While MMO gamers eagerly await the launch of Carbine’s Wildstar, today they revealed how the game will be funded.
Wildstar will be released as a boxed game which can be picked up at your local gaming emporium or through digital download, this also comes with 30 days free. Once the 30 days runs out a monthly subscription option will be available but there is also the C.R.E.D.D system to fund game time.
C.R.E.D.D., or Certificate of Research, Exploration, Destruction and Development if you prefer the longer title, is an in-game item can be sold between players for gold. Accumulate enough gold and you can purchase C.R.E.D.D through the game’s Commodities Exchange which is driven by the players. Pricing of C.R.E.D.D is obviously going to fluctuate based in market trends so it’s up to players whether they want to take their chances redeeming purchased C.R.E.D.D for game time. C.R.E.D.D can will also be available via the game’s real money store.
“Gamers have strong opinions when it comes to business models and monetisation in MMO games”, said Jeremy Gaffney, executive producer at Carbine Studios. ”In combining a classic subscription model with C.R.E.D.D. we think we’ve struck a good balance. We definitely want to support players who appreciate the value of high-quality subscription-style game. Meanwhile, C.R.E.D.D. gives gamers who don’t like monthly subs the option to just play to pay and enjoy the same content”.
If the game is worth playing for more than 30 days then using C.R.E.D.D could be a riskier way to fund game time and it will probably involved some element of grinding for gold. Still, it’s good to see different options available to players, especially those who don’t like parting with their real cash.
Wildstar will be released at some point early 2014 and there’s a new FAQ page just gone live.
