The response from players to DDO Unlimited has been nothing short of phenomenal. We’ve known all along how great this game is and by implementing an innovative new model that put the players in charge of how they pay and play DDO Unlimited, we’ve successfully expanded our reach and injected new energy into the game.  Without a doubt, DDO Unlimited is a hit!

Equally important, of course, is the five-fold increase in revenue. Mild critical acclaim doesn’t hurt, but the bottom line drives development for Turbine as much as any other company. From what I hear, the newfold success has allowed for a mild increase in support and in future plans for the franchise.

It’s worth wondering why the free play structure appears to have worked so well with this product. I considered in my last post how both D&D players and MMO players include a great deal of highly price sensitive players. I still think that’s true. Giving those players a chance to try something new– without the $50 buy-in, even without the $15 monthly fee–is a good idea. I wish I had managed to convince the former regime in Westwood that DDO needed a different business model back in 2005. Because there are millions of lapsed D&D players out there, created by more than thirty years of the property. And now there are also millions of lapsed Warcraft players, and MMO players generally willing to consider something new. Give those people an easy opportunity, and some of the will stick around and put money in your pocket.

If you’re making a new MMO these days (even if you have a killer IP and a killer reputation like our corporate friends down in Austin), I encourage giving extra consideration to support a get-in-the-action experience. Include a demo or sample that can lead to subscription or other investment.

Dungeons & Now What?

It was worth commenting on before, but time flies and here we are. DDO freeplay has gone live. Someday I should compose something of a personal postmortem on the game, but until then, we can talk about this development.

Of course, by “free” it’s “freemium,” not absolutely free. There are ways – subscriptions and microtransactions – for players to put money into Turbine’s pocket (and no doubt Atari and Hasbro take a cut, or else they wouldn’t have agreed to the new business model). On balance, though, it does seem that Turbine has made it possible for the absolutely free player to earn access to all of the game’s content. The guy dropping the nickel just makes it easier. Not entirely unlike the latest social network games.  But with better graphics.

So what do I think ? It’s a savvy move, even if it’s widely regarded as a Hail Mary pass born of desperation. DDO was never designed (or marketed) to compete with games at the now-traditional $15 subscription. A smaller scope resulted in something between Diablo and a full MMO in terms of content, scope, and investment. We should expect the audience to be able to discriminate value when it doesn’t work in their favor, and Tubine failed that test. D&D players most everywhere prove highly sensitive to price; many believe a $30 Player’s Handbook is overpriced, when the cost per hour of entertainment quickly approaches zero. Finding ways to reduce, hide, or make costs incremental to the audience are all good ideas in this internet age.

Check back in a few months to see if Turbine announces additional content or an expansion (new business model success!) or cuts bait (patience was never their strong suit).