‘Buy-to-play’ is a term that refers to games that have box or download fees associated with them but do not incur a mandatory subscription. Some have optional subscriptions and are more properly referred to as hybrid B2P. Most have cash shops and microtransactions.
buy to play
Global Chat: Do SWTOR’s companions carry the player?
Due to issues of pride and fear of snarky comments, most of us might not admit to ever being carried through MMO content. But...
The Daily Grind: What’s the least appealing weapon in MMOs?
A few weeks ago, MOP reader Bruno was joking with me about how crap it was that Hobbit Champions in Lord of the Rings...
Massively Overthinking: Changing ‘mains’ in MMOs
When I first started MMOs, the idea of mains and alts was bizarre to me. Why would I spend time on a second character...
Elder Scrolls Online begins its Dark Heart of Skyrim Celebration event today
The dark delves of Skyrim await in The Elder Scrolls Online, and it's up to brave adventurers like you to face off aga--oh, wait,...
WoW, Overwatch, Diablo, and more to sunset in China following failed Blizzard-Netease licensing deal
Last week, as part of its Q3 2022 investor report, Activision-Blizzard included what we described as an ominous note about its apparent difficulties negotiating...
PSA: Guild Wars 2 will host a week of boosts to XP and earnings starting November 22
Are you doing anything major between Tuesday, November 22nd, and Tuesday, November 29th? We're asking for a Guild Wars 2, as it's hosting a...
Elder Scrolls Online’s Firesong DLC sears its way onto consoles
After watching the mini-debacle that was Elder Scrolls Online's rollout of Firesong DLC to the PC crowd earlier this month, the console crowd may...
The Stream Team: Preparing to move onward to Orr in Guild Wars 2’s personal story
After a wee break, Guild Wars 2-sdays are back! And Massively OP's MJ is ready to jump right back into her Norn's personal story....
Massively OP Podcast Episode 396: Crowfalling
Justin and Bree discuss Crowfall, Blue Protocol, SWTOR, New World, Q3 2022 financials (for Blizzard, Pearl Abyss, Square Enix, NCsoft), and new patches (for DDO, Neverwinter, Blade and Soul, EVE Online, Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online), with a mailbag topic covering Shadowbane, Second Live, Secret World, and Ultima Online.
Choose My Adventure: Broken Ranks is a grim and fascinating bit of RPG gaming
Most of the time when you hear something call itself "grim," "dark," or "grimdark," it often translates into being some 17 year-old's idea of...
The Daily Grind: Should the MMO genre take another stab at esports?
A few years ago, there was a concerted push in the MMO genre to design, amplify, and boost esports, and I don't just mean...
Riot MMO lead still cagey about game details as he talks about career and online RPG design
While it is not the detail-laden treasure chest of information that fans of Riot's upcoming Runeterra MMORPG were hoping to hear, a recent interview...
Guild Wars 2 previews the buffs and nerfs of its upcoming balance update
Big changes are coming to pretty much every class in Guild Wars 2 on November 29th, which may strike anxiety, excitement, or curiosity in...
Elder Scrolls Online’s creative director admits to ‘rougher than normal’ launch for Firesong
Apparently, Elder Scrolls Online's last big content drop of the year -- and its Legacy of the Bretons cycle -- kind of stumbled, tripped,...
NCsoft Q3 2022: Lineage W drives QoQ revenues, Guild Wars 2 had a great year
NCsoft's Q3 2022 financials are another tale of ups and downs. While the South Korean MMO company's revenues have declined for the last few...
Elder Scrolls Online’s latest region-centric event invites players back to western Skyrim and the Reach
One of the many events that Elder Scrolls Online likes to do is the kind that offers up rewards for players who visit specific...
Flameseeker Chronicles: How the Elementalist saved Guild Wars 2 for me
First off, I know I'm not the usual writer for Flameseeker Chronicles, and I'm not ousting Colin or Tina from their spot; in fact,...
Bungie will donate sales of its Destiny 2 pride pin to benefit a transgender charity all month
Bungie has declared the month of November the time to raise awareness of transgender issues and equality. The Destiny 2 developer is forwarding all...
Flameseeker Chronicles: Wrapping up Guild Wars 2’s S1 reboot with episode 5, The Battle for Lion’s Arch
It's finally here! The most memorable, most important part of Guild Wars 2's Living World Season 1 story. The moment we've all been waiting...
Guild Wars 2 recaps WvW restructuring test plans, one more test expected in 2022
Guild Wars 2 has a big patch coming today as the final episode of the season one rerelease is out, plus we're already looking...
