The Secret World to follow subs model

By Fred Dutton Published 26 August, 2011

But expect an in-game store too.

Promising MMO The Secret World will follow a traditional subscription model, publisher Funcom has announced.

However, the title will also have an in-game store from launch, where, according to the game's community manager, players will be able to purchase "convenience items and character customization items such as clothing".

Funcom stressed that microtransactions will be largely cosmetic and not make characters more powerful..

"As developers we are being very careful in making sure that items purchased through the store does not give players any unfair advantage against those who do not use the in-game store.

"Character power in The Secret World will be determined by how well you play the game, not how much money you are willing to put into it."

Funcom's first new project since Age of Conan is due to launch next April, though beta sign-up starts today. For more on the game, give Eurogamer's The Secret World preview a read.

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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 9 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Zyklonbzombie #1 9 months ago

    Please! Think of more ways you can charge us for a single game!

  • Phoenisis #2 9 months ago

    As if they needed further encouragement.

  • Apaar #3 9 months ago

    From the bottom of my heart I wish they figure out some way to include an extensive paid-DLC-program, and some sort of Elite membership fee - preferably a substantial one. And please make the game cost 70€ on store shelves.

  • Xardan #4 9 months ago

    This game and Guild Wars 2 will be competing. And unfortunately i dont see this game being the winner.

  • iokthemonkey #5 9 months ago

    Expect subs for the first year - including some special pre-purchase bulk discounts - so they can recoup some of their losses and then a shift to freemium.

  • uknortherner2000 #6 9 months ago

    @iokthemonkey

    Guild Wars 2 will have already buried it by then.

  • BloodSaint #7 9 months ago

    The game has an interesting concept and gameplay. Hope they execute it well and many people support them :)

  • beatwolf #8 9 months ago

    loking forward to this, hopefully it wil be good. It's different, not the same fantasy crap we se over and over and over and over again.

  • gmmonkey #9 9 months ago

    I hate all this double dipping bullshit!! Either make it freemium, or charge a subscription. Don't do both! I don't give a fuck if it's just vanity items. Just stick them in the bloody game, that's why a subscription is payed. I hate all this microtransaction/dlc bullshit. It really puts me off games. I can see this getting worse and worse as the years go on. I remember when the 'horse armor' DLC came out for oblivion 5 years ago. I lol'd hard and thought, 'this'll never catch on. No one is stupid enough to buy shit that should of already been in the game.' But no! Idiots are buying this shit and encouraging publishers to do this. Seriously, stop it, Idiots.

  • maktah #10 9 months ago

    @uknorth: how exactly is GW2 going to bury this game? Completely different genres, completely different style of games. The only connecting factor is that both are online games. You might as well say CoD 7 is going to bury GW2.
    Also, all MMO's don't need 12 million subscribers to be successful.

    I'll probably try out GW2 when it's in the discount bin. Another boring generic fantasy world just does not appeal to me.

    Different strokes and all that. TSW caters to a completely different type of player than GW2 or any other upcoming MMO. No levels, no classes, "the whole game is end game" and a contemporary real world setting.

    About MT's, I sorta agree with Gmmonkey. People, stop buying them.

  • addugg #11 9 months ago

    Go Funcom! They should bring back cartridges and wired pads while they're at it.

  • ConnMacart #12 9 months ago

    People that are or are planning to spend money on any Funcom title are clinically insane in my book. The company has done nothing but lie to their customer base since I started playing AoC. The only reason I played for so long was because I had a great guild, because the game itself could never have sustained my interest. Anyone that thinks TSW is going to be any different from a management point of view are extremely naive.

  • tap #13 9 months ago

    @gmmonkey

    You don't know the difference between 'of' and 'have' and you're calling people idiots?

  • WinterSnowblind #14 9 months ago

    That's my interest killed. Subscriptions are bad enough, but do one or the other. You can't expect us to pay monthly for content updates and then ask us to pay for cosmetic items too, that's completely unreasonable.

    And sorry, but this is competing with GW2. They're both MMO's, and both have many similar elements. The fact this is asking for a subscription, automatically puts it right up against any other game that's doing so as well. People have to ask themselves why they should pay for this, when they could be paying for something else (or in GW2's case, playing without paying at all).

    This pricing structure alone has put them at a major disadvantage and has pretty much doomed the game.

  • tenebrae #15 9 months ago

    I'll give this one four months before they switch to F2P model.

  • Seoh #16 9 months ago

    Strange this since they have just converted age of conan to F2P. The game sounds interesting but i think funcom don't know what they are doing when it come to business strategy

  • Inmediasress #17 9 months ago

    This is a game that would be successful as an SP rpg, as an MMO I just can't seem to get interested in it.
    Everything I have seen from this game screams SP and a bloody good one at that.
    The universe is interesting and some Lovcraftian references could make it an excelent game but as an MMO it just isn't fun for me.
    I personally don't have anything against MMOs, but when they mention rich world and immersion and whatnot just like Bioware do with TOR, it's just not working because the other idiots (mostly) will ruin any kind of immersion and rich world for me by simply being in my game world and being 12 year old twats to be precise.
    Edited by Inmediasress at 28/08/11 @ 11:26

  • uknortherner2000 #18 9 months ago

    @maktah: "@uknorth: how exactly is GW2 going to bury this game? Completely different genres, completely different style of games. The only connecting factor is that both are online games. You might as well say CoD 7 is going to bury GW2."

    Because a lot more people will be willing to take a gamble with GW2 because it's just £30 and that's it. If TSW is going to adopt the traditional subs model, then that means it will be a full-priced boxed product with a ~£15/mo sub that doesn't even give you access to everything in the game. Yes, GW2 will also have a cash shop, but it will be vanity items only (not convenience items like TSW), and many of these vanity items will apparently be dropped by mobs in-game anyway.

    The advantage of GW2's B2P model is that you buy the game and that's it. You are not compelled to play it because you're paying a monthly sub. Instead, you should be compelled to play it because it's an enjoyable game. Also, the lack of a monthly sub would also mean there's no artificial grind mechanism in place to keep you paying every month.

  • KanePaws #19 9 months ago

    "Character power in The Secret World will be determined by how well you play the game, not how much money you are willing to put into it."

    It's a shame that character aesthetics can't follow this as well; it would be nice if everything that makes you better in game was earned in game. >_>

  • TheApologist #20 9 months ago

    @maktah I agree that there is little to connect this game and GuildWars2, and I'm sure both can (and probably will) succeed. Personally, I am glad it is a subscription game. It is good to know that you pay the sub and you get the game (other than some cosmetic frippery), and it isn't some pay to win model.
    Edited by TheApologist at 29/08/11 @ 09:46

  • TheApologist #21 9 months ago

    @gmmonkey

    If it's cosmetic and doesn't affect your character's options for play, why do you care so much if someone buys a natty jacket / hat / armour for their horse? Personally, I think if a game I like can make money the money it needs to keep going in that way, then great!
    Edited by TheApologist at 29/08/11 @ 09:45

  • uknortherner2000 #22 9 months ago

    @TheApologist:

    I refer you to the quote below from the above article:
    "However, the title will also have an in-game store from launch, where, according to the game's community manager, players will be able to purchase "convenience items and character customization items such as clothing". "

    "Convenience items" to me sound like XP pots, weapon mods, armour mods and other items that allow for rapid levelling. In other words, we have a two-tier subscription service - the standard one that everyone pays which merely gets you access to the game, and microtransactions designed to propel you straight through the game content without any effort at all.
    Edited by uknortherner2000 at 29/08/11 @ 10:50

  • Noctilucent #23 9 months ago

    Will the in-game store sell a sequel to TLJ and Dreamfall, too? 'cause that's what I'd like to buy.

  • TheApologist #24 9 months ago

    @UKNortherner

    I must admit I had missed that phrase when I read it, and it might be significant, but it's still an assumption that the standard sub experience will be harmed in any major way.