PlanetSide MMO Offers Year-Long Free Play

Sony Online Entertainment’s massively multiplayer online (MMO) game PlanetSide has become the latest MMO title to drop monthly subscriptions, with a new year long free-to-play advertising campaign. Until March 2007, users will be able to sign-up in the “PlanetSide Reserves” for free, and without supplying any credit card details. More action-based than more traditional MMO role-playing games, PlanetSide was first launched in 2003. The change to free play is presumably to encourage interest in the aging title, which has never gained the larger user numbers of other MMOs such as EverQuest and World of WarCraft, and is part of Sony Online's recently promoted Station Access Pass retail pack and monthly subscription deal. The freeplay option limits players to a “battle rank” of six, with higher ranks only available to those with a paying account. PlanetSide is already part of the Massive in-game advertising network, and has been running billboard and other adverts since August 2005, presumably helping to fund the game's continued operation via this alternative model.