How do you feel about an MMORPG with no subscription and no cash shop? Pretty good, right? So what if that is balanced out by charging you to unlock high level equipment and rare materials? That is where it gets a bit tricky, but Snail Games is willing to take that gamble with Black Gold Online in China and North America.
We got a look at the system in action in Chinese last month, but Snail Games has given a rundown on the game’s official North American site. It’s a bit of a doozy, utilizing a loot save file system that requires players to pay for locked loot within a save period. Check out the link above for a full rundown.
It’s true that this new system is innovative, but the question is whether players will be willing to spend their hard-earned money on in-game loot. People pay for cosmetics and in-game boosts in MMOs using the standard cash shop monetization system, so it’s not unthinkable that the save file loot system seen in Black Gold Online will fare well in the North American market.
You can’t expect to play an MMO entirely free forever, but that looming inevitability that you will have to pay real money eventually irks some MMO fans. What say you? How do you feel about Black Gold Online‘s monetization system, and does it change the likelihood you will play the game? Let us know in the comments below.
