Trion Worlds Goes Free-To-Play With Command & Conquer Vets' MMORTS

Rift publisher Trion Worlds will try its hand at the free-to-play model with its upcoming Petroglyph-developed End of Nations, the companies announced on Thursday. The previously-announced game is a massively-multiplayer real-time strategy game developed by former Westwood (Command & Conquer) veterans at Las Vegas' Petroglyph, which has launched games including Star Wars: Empire at War and Universe at War. Trion Worlds' previous game, Rift, is a fantasy-themed MMORPG that operates on subscription revenue, like Blizzard's World of Warcraft. According to Trion, the free-to-play decision for its next game follows the company's strategy of matching the right revenue model to the right game. "Being able to offer a premium game such as End of Nations for free sets us apart in this industry," said Trion executive producer and third party development VP Dave Luehmann, who came on board just this month. "At Trion, we strive to innovate online gaming while emphasizing the delivery of the best core gameplay experience available. Our decision to release End of Nations as a AAA free–to-play title is guided by these principles." According to the game's official website, free players will get access to "the entire game." The company will offer an optional subscription that provides "a significant amount of value and convenience," while microtransactions will offer players customization and "convenience items." Trion Worlds recently confirmed to Gamasutra that Rift passed 1 million units sold to players. For an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the game, refer to our postmortem.