Rift Reaches Over 1 Million Registered Accounts

As it kicks off the subscription-based MMORPG's "Head Start" period, developer and publisher Trion Worlds revealed that Rift now has more than one million registered accounts. While that number doesn't necessarily represent how many paid susbcribers the online game will have out of the gate, Trion says it signals "a high level of interest" for Rift before the MMORPG launches across North America and Europe next week. The company also announced that its 33 Head Start servers, which allow users who've preordered Rift to play the game before it officially launches, are now live. The different servers are separated into player-versus-player, player-versus-environment, and role-playing realms. Rift foregoes the free-to-play business model that many other MMOs have adopted recently, instead requiring consumers to purchase the game online or at retail stores, which will cost them $49.99 to $79.99, depending on which edition they buy. Each copy of the game includes a month of complimentary game time -- after that, users will need to pay a standard monthly subscription rate of $14.99. Those who choose a plan before March 15th, though, can pay a reduced monthly subscription of $9.99. Rift will be Trion's first shipped MMORPG since the company opened in 2006. The Redwood Shores-headquartered publisher has two other projects currently in the works: MMORTS End of Nations and an unnamed online game co-produced with cable TV channel SyFy.