Warhammer Online Introduces "Endless Free Trial"

[pwnophobia]

http://evavhost.com/i/news/warhammer.jpg

Mythic Entertainment announced today that Warhammer Online will be ditching its 10-Day free trial accounts in order to offer users a endless free trial. The endless free trial offers the opportunity to create and play any of the 24 different careers and progress to level 10. You'll also be able to explore the tier one Empire vs. Chaos zone, head into the newly added Hunter's Vale dungeon or even PVP in Nordenwatch, Khaine's Embrace and Gates of Ekrund. You can download the 1 GB client at Warhammer's website (http://www.warhammeronline.com/trial).

Available now, the new streaming endless trial client is a seamless way for new users to get into the game. After an initial download of just over 1GB, additional content streams in the background as required while playing. All closed 10-day free trial accounts have been converted to open endless free trial accounts and are ready for returning players to resume their journeys across the frontlines of WAR.

Full Press Release after the jump.

[pwnophobia]

Warhammer Online Further Enhances Accessibility with New Streaming Free Trial Client and Introduction of New User Journey Features
FAIRFAX, Virginia – November 6, 2009 – Mythic Entertainment™, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that the critically-acclaimed MMORPG, Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning® (WAR), has replaced its 10-day time-limited free trial with a new, endless free* trial program which is now available for download. The new streaming client for the endless free trial enhances the game’s accessibility and greatly decreases the download time, making it easier than ever for new players to experience the never-ending battles of WAR for themselves.

The new WAR endless free trial replaces the original 10-day time-limited trial program, and gives new and returning players the opportunity to create and play any of the 24 different careers to find their perfect character match for use during extended gameplay if they purchase the game and/or subscribe. The endless free trial limits players to progress through character level 10 as they explore the tier one Empire vs. Chaos zones of Nordland and Norsca. In addition, players can explore the newly added tier one dungeon, Hunter’s Vale, or battle other players in the instanced scenarios Nordenwatch, Khaine’s Embrace and Gates of Ekrund.

Endless free trial players will embark on the recently introduced New User Journey, which features enhanced tutorials and new community elements, such as a “new player” guild, to streamline the transition of new players into WAR and its vibrant community of players.

“With the introduction of the endless free trial and streaming client, we are making it easier than ever for a new player to join the WAR,” said Jeff Hickman, executive producer, Mythic Entertainment. “We’ve worked hard to create a more informative and community driven new user experience, and now we are giving players an unlimited amount of time to explore the early parts of the game at their own pace. We are confident that players new and old will find all the enhancements we’ve made to WAR over the past year worthy of their time and commitment.”

Available now, the new streaming endless trial client is a seamless way for new users to get into the game. After an initial download of just over 1GB, additional content streams in the background as required while playing. All closed 10-day free trial accounts have been converted to open endless free trial accounts and are ready for returning players to resume their journeys across the frontlines of WAR.

New users and returning players can download the Warhammer Online endless free trial by visiting http://www.warhammeronline.com/trial.

Based on the popular tabletop war game from Games Workshop, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm™ conflict that will provide players with an engaging battleground for years to come. Available now for PC and Mac®, WAR is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. For more information about Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning or to download the endless free trial, visit http://www.warhammeronline.com/.

[Demo_Boy]

Its a good decision to open up the duration on the trial, its a model for other developers to follow.

[randir14]

First step towards F2P. It's already F2P in Korea.

[Larnek]

That's a pretty great marketing idea. In normal 5-10 day trials I hardly have any time to play much. But if I had the time to come back and pick at it until I was lvl 10 I'd be somewhat invested in it and more likely to pay.

[Undertakr]

I really, really like this game, but as soon as the popluation would move out of 'newbie' it was completely unplayable. There were never any people to do any of the level 30 or below public quests at all. No one to group with, nothing. Even the RVR became more a quest to avoid the other side, rather than fight them. At least on my server.

Great game, but another one that was really hampered by that constant need for a group to do anything cool.

[lockwoodx]

Only 1 T1 zone available? That will just hurt the greenskin and dwarf T1 zone populations.

[MasterEvilAce]

This game was kind of enjoyable, but it didn't have the 'addiction' factor for me. I played a chaos marauder. Level 10 doesn't really allow you to get a taste for... really ANY mmo at all. I am glad to see that it is endless, though. It's stupid that you have to start your trial, download the entire MMO which can take a day or two (or more, really).

My friends made me play warhammer, and not even a month into it, they all abandoned ship. I played for a bit more than just quit. Supposedly end-game city raiding is really, really broken. And considering that's what the game is actually about.....

[Primus]

Game rocks, but needs more people playing it.

[Shela Monster]

Game rocks, but needs more people playing it.You lie.

~Shela Monster

[Primus]

You lie.

~Shela Monster

The PvP slays everything currently out there. The PQs were very fun... at launch :(

[Gusj]

I really enjoyed tier 1 PvP, but when I hit tier 2 I just couldn't find any motivation to go further. The battlegrounds seemed boring to me, and also had a lot more lagg going on than the tier 1s. This was back in the early months after launch though, so it's probably better now.

I heard that all ne players will start in Nordland and Norsca now, which will completely destroy the other starting areas. I doubt many players will go there unless they have to.

[Shela Monster]

The PvP slays everything currently out there. The PQs were very fun... at launch :(
I honestly feel like they need to add more content to it.
For whatever reason, maybe just looking at it from the side, it seems it really doesn't have *that* much to offer.
Maybe because it hasn't been out long enough to have and Expansion Pack, but as a player of the original Warhammer TT, I feel there is alot more they can do with it...

~Shela Monster

[Zeal]

this game completely bombed.

[saulob]

And WOW is still going, amazing :o

[Hapless]

Only 1 T1 zone available? That will just hurt the greenskin and dwarf T1 zone populations.

You can still do the Greenskin/Dwarf and Darkelf/Highelf starting zones, they just start everyone out in the Empire/Choas zone. Anyway, as for the game, definitely worth a go again if you are a pvp fan. The game was all sorts terrible at launch but i picked it up again a few weeks ago and so far (up to tier 3) i've done nothing but level through open pvp. A few of the servers are still fully kicking with pvp battles nightly.

[MrE]

Wouldn't this open up the ability for more gold farming accounts? I mean, they now can activate a free toon up to level 10 and farm all day.

[WpnX]

Whatever. Just please release Star Trek.

[MasterEvilAce]

Wouldn't this open up the ability for more gold farming accounts? I mean, they now can activate a free toon up to level 10 and farm all day.

Wouldn't you go where the money is?
WAR is not where the money is

[thatlukeguy]

They're going the way of DDO (which I'm enjoying with my wife and friends very much ty). F2P for the win! :)

[OakTr33]

was hyped for this game before release, loved it upon release, but couldn't really run it on my lappy here at college. I specifically didn't build a desktop so that this game wouldn't consume my soul like WOW ate my 2 brothers

[Kragg]

I honestly feel like they need to add more content to it.
For whatever reason, maybe just looking at it from the side, it seems it really doesn't have *that* much to offer.
Maybe because it hasn't been out long enough to have and Expansion Pack, but as a player of the original Warhammer TT, I feel there is alot more they can do with it...

~Shela Monster

The game is going through some massive changes right now to rectify the mistakes that their previous management directions created.
I'll be headed back there after the next patch settles, and I'm going to start a group on here for anyone else who wants to play.
There are a lot of great features and potential, and at least IMO it's the best MMO PVP out there, alongside Guild Wars.

[Herald42]

As a word of caution for anyone looking at it for PvP -- it and Guild Wars have very different PvP. This has semi-organized siege warfare with a touch of mob riots and battlefield command and control. It can be quite fun and sometimes very frustrating. Guild Wars has a much better small combat arena-type scene.

[bean19]

This will keep T1 fun to play, but it already is fun to play. People who get frustrated waiting in long queues for matches in T3 (or who are tired of playing Tor Anroc over and over) love to reroll. I know many of them personally.

Hopefully this will give Warhammer Online some much needed love from gamers. This is a game that suffers if the servers aren't packed. They honestly need to close off to 3 or 4 and then only open them back up as needed (because if the game was tight and populated, the game would probably THEN grow).