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Going free-to-play is paying off for Turbine, which claims one million new players for Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited since September -- and a 500 percent revenue growth.

Leigh Alexander, Contributor

February 26, 2010

1 Min Read

Going free-to-play is paying off for Turbine, which says its Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited has gained over one million new players since its September 2009 launch -- as the game's paid subscriber base has more than doubled. Turbine took formerly subscription-based DDO to a primarily free-to-play model last year with the Eberron upgrade, unveiling a microtransactions-driven store for in-game content. The company says that its players transact in the new store at three times the industry average, and that the franchise's revenue has grown 500 percent since the change-over. Turbine did not attach a dollar value to its revenue claims. Users can still pay a monthly subscription for unlimited access to DDO's content. On the free model, they buy adventure packs, items and account-related services on an individual basis. "The response from players to DDO Unlimited has been nothing short of phenomenal," said Jim Crowley, president and CEO of Turbine, Inc. "We’ve known all along how great this game is and by implementing an innovative new model that put the players in charge of how they pay and play DDO Unlimited, we’ve successfully expanded our reach and injected new energy into the game," he continues. "Without a doubt, DDO Unlimited is a hit!"

About the Author(s)

Leigh Alexander

Contributor

Leigh Alexander is Editor At Large for Gamasutra and the site's former News Director. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Variety, Slate, Paste, Kill Screen, GamePro and numerous other publications. She also blogs regularly about gaming and internet culture at her Sexy Videogameland site. [NOTE: Edited 10/02/2014, this feature-linked bio was outdated.]

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