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    World of Warcraft Now Free Until Level 20

    By Paul Tassi | Forbes – Wed, Jun 29, 2011

    As title after title moves to a free-to-play model, the latest big game to make the switch being Team Fortress 2, the pressure is mounting for an old gaming giant to change up their business model a bit.

    No, World of Warcraft is not going free-to-play and probably never will, but is making it easier for new players to get hooked on the title, as they've now made the game free until level 20. Here's the breakdown of their new plan:

    "We've removed the previous 10- and 14-day trial time restrictions, and players who are interested in trying outWorld of Warcraft can now play the base game for free up to a maximum character level of 20, including draenei and blood elf characters—all they need is a Battle.net account and an Internet connection," Blizzard explained in a statement. If you ran through a previous 14-day trial, you can go back to your character and continue to play from the point you left the game if you'd like, but the level cap will be set at 20."

    It's a fairly big change, since players can now take as long as they want to reach the level cap of 20. This could take far longer than the 10 and 14 days previously offered, although if the player is inspired to play a large amount, they could reach that goal quickly and be desperate for more, which is what Blizzard is hoping for.

    Normal pricing for the game ranges from $15 to $13 a month depending how much you prepay for, and it's notoriously one of the most addictive online games on the market. Increasing the free level cap will probably draw in many new players, though Blizzard does have to be careful about this free-to-play trend that could cause time with other less expensive titles to cut into their fanbase's WoWing.

    As tempted as I personally am to check it out now, I'm still going to restrain myself. I wouldn't want a repeat of the Diablo II addiction social life blackout that consumed a few months of my sophomore year.

     

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    3 comments

    • Lauren
      Lauren  •  11 mths ago
      I love playing with the horde, the players I play with give a crap, are respectful and experienced.I joined Warcraft almost 6 years ago to get away from the kids in runescape. ( a free game btw) Now it looks like I might be seeing them again soon.
    • leighton v
      leighton v  •  11 mths ago
      with the EVE online meltdown happening, i think i might take another shot at WoW
    • Bill
      Bill  •  11 mths ago
      Blizz, STOP making the game more accessible to casual players.
     Post a comment
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