Turbine looks to micro-transactions News

MMO developer Turbine is to move from its traditional subscriptions to a micro-transaction-based business model on a future game.

The news came in the form of a job advertisement for a micro-transaction and e-commerce manager, as spotted by Massively last week.

Players feared this might mean the introduction of item shops to Turbine's subscription games Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online and Asheron's Call. Sony Online Entertainment recently made this move with EverQuest and EverQuest II, much to the consternation of fans.

But a Turbine representative reassured the public that this wouldn't be the case. "We know the recent job listing has caused a bit of a stir, but please be aware that this posting is for an unannounced future project," the rep said in a forum post.

The new recruit "will be responsible for delivering and maximizing the revenue derived from Turbine's micro-transaction-based in-game store", according to the ad.

Perhaps Turbine is looking to use micro-transactions rather than subs to support its forthcoming console game.