World War II Online HQ (thanks Wheaty) quotes a post to the WWII Online Forums with word of an increase in the fee for the massively-multiplayer combat game from $9.99 to $12.99 a month. The reason cited is the increased cost of running the service, though they are offering an offer to lock in the current price by ordering six months service in advance. They offer a new pricing FAQ addressing questions this may raise.
Somebody blow up their building and put them out of their self-deluded misery.
Of course the real reason is probably the mass exodus of players (assuming any are really left) for Battlefield 1942. Perhaps they can address that in their FAQ:
Q: Where can I download the Battlefield 1942 multiplayer demo?
No comment, other than to say it’s kind of shocking, given how we heavily resisted any kind of price hike in the first place. Times change, I guess.
I’m sure that over a thousand still play every night (can’t say for sure since I left), though. WW2OL still has quite a few advantages over BF1942. I think a price hike may be the breaking point, however.
I mean, really–say what you want about WW2O (and I could say a lot–I hated it), there’s no question that it’s already struggling and probably should be put down. And the game is going to face a massive increase in competition from:
A) BF 1942, which offers exactly what most people (like me) were looking for when they bought WW2O;
B) The next generation of massively multiplayer online games (I realize it’s not directly competitive but most people will only pay for 1 or maybe 2 montly-fee games); and
C) Potentially, new MM shooter Planetside.
This is the worst possible time to decide that you’re hiking your price by 30%. And then to top it all off with the intelligence-insulting claim that it’s because of “increased costs,” that’s just the icing. What, is there some world shortage on choppy frame rates? Did the puzzle-designers who came up with the interface and vehicle controls suddenly double their fees?
Who’s still playing this, just out of curiosity? Anyone around here?
The last things I heard were generally positive: That the game was really shaping up, pretty stable, and nearly “as promised” in terms of features. Sure, all these things should have been there out-of-the-box, but it sounded like it was getting closer to what it was supposed to be.
Was I wrong?
Who’s still playing it, or has played it within the last couple of months?
