Karlsruhe, 09.01.2013 – Gameforge AG, one of the world’s largest providers of online games is announcing today that in February 2013, the much-loved fantasy MMO TERA will be switching from the former subscription model to free-to-play. Korean developer Bluehole Studio already announced this switch in December. Now Gameforge follows suit as publisher of the European game version.
“We are very pleased to be able to in future offer the game content of TERA to its fans for free and in addition, to offer all who are interested the opportunity to see the quality of the game for themselves”, said Eva Schmitt, Product Director of TERA.
TERA goes free-to-play
The free-to-play model of TERA will have two base account types: the free user and the veteran.
The free user will be able to charge into adventure for free and will receive complete access to the entirety of TERA’s game content. This includes the races, classes, instances, equipment items and player versus player content for example, but also unique features such as the political system. Limitations exist for free users merely in the form of functional option restrictions, such as the number of character slots or the number of safe deposits available.
Players that acquired TERA by purchase will be ranked as veterans and will enjoy free and complete access to all game functions – no matter whether they have a subscription at the time of the switch or not. This will mean more comfort over the free users, for example, with 8 character slots, the complete amount of safe deposits or even a special in-game title, that will help them to stand out as a veteran in the world of Arborea.
TERA Club & new content
Both account types will in addition offer the opportunity to become a member of the TERA Club, which is comparable to the current subscription. Players that currently have a subscription running will receive automatic club membership. Additionally to the content of both account types, members receive further advantages with regard to game comfort: shorter cooldown times for instances, increased experience point yields or an epic mount.
For the start of the free-to-play version of TERA, players can also look forward to a brand new dungeon as well as a new arena for exciting 3 versus 3 battles.
<p>TERA is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) set in a graphically stunning fantasy universe. TERA’s uniqueness revolves around its groundbreaking True Action Combat. This system allows the players to truly master their characters and to aim with no automatic targeting system, thus pushing the boundaries of the MMO genre. Players and press both warmly received TERA, praising its state of the art visuals and notable innovations such as its political system. TERA has been playable free of charge since February 2013 and is available for download at tera.gameforge.com.</p>
Founded in 2003, Gameforge is a leading Western publisher and operator of widely acclaimed Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) and Browser-based game titles. Gameforge builds highly active and enduring global communities by supporting players through the greatest quality LiveOps, provision of localized content, engaging community management, and frequent delivery of meaningful updates.
Gameforge’s diverse portfolio of highly successful gaming brands provides different worlds with engaging experiences for players from all walks of life: core MMORPG titles Swords of Legends Online, AION, Runes of Magic, and Metin2, beloved anime MMOs Elsword and NosTale, strategy-focused browser games like OGame and Ikariam, along with indie titles such as Trigon: Space Story.
More information is available on gameforge.com.
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