14 DAY TRIAL // Cryptic Studios, as the developer, and Atari, as the publisher, have announced that, after morphing into a free-to-play game, their MMO Champions Online has managed to see an increase in user activity of more than 1,000 percent, with hundreds of thousands of gamers creating superhero avatars in order to see what the game has to offer.
The switch to free to play and micro transactions was made on January 25 and the two companies say that the effects were visible immediately, with the increase in interested players affecting both unique log-ins and the revenue that is generated by Champions Online.
Cryptic Studios is thanking all the players that generated the huge amount of activity by offering a free Experience Points bonus to all those involved, available in the C-Store Bonus tab, allowing them to level up quicker by defeating enemies and by completing quests.
The Chief Executive Officer of Cryptic Studios, John Needham, has said, “We're extremely proud of what the Champions team has accomplished with the Free for All launch. It's a pleasure to thank our fans and welcome new ones with this gift.”
The free version of Champions Online allows players to get to level 40 and experience pretty much the entire world of game without paying anything.
All those who want access to more adventure packs, items to use, special powers and costume pieces for character customization can then head to the C-Store and buy them using real money.
Long-time players who have a Gold account can get all the above for free.
The free-to-play model is increasingly being seen as one of the best long-term plans for those MMOs that fail to reach the number of subscribers they need to sustain themselves through monthly payments.
Another good example is The Lord of the Rings Online from Turbine, which also managed impressive increases in revenue and player numbers after going free to play.