There"s apparently a lot of money to be made for a game that"s technically "free to play". Just ask the development team and publisher of the upcoming multiplayer action game MechWarrior Online. Last summer, Piranha Games and Infinite Games Publishing announced that players could go ahead and purchase "Founders Packages" that offers them a lot of extra content and bonuses for the game.
Today, a press release (via Gamasutra) reveals that the Founders Packages program for MechWarrior Online has already generated over $5 million in revenue. That"s before it enters into its open beta phase, where everyone will be able to access the game.
Russ Bullock, the president of Piranha Games, stated, "Working together with IGP, we maximized the value for fans participating in the MechWarrior Online Founder’s Program by offering three tiers to suit different player’s needs. Ultimately the program was a categorical success and we couldn’t be happier with the sales and important player feedback we’ve received."
The open beta for MechWarrior Online was supposed to start last week, but the development team decided to delay its launch in order to fix some stability issues. There"s no word on exactly when the open beta phase will begin.
Source: Gamasutra | Image via Infinite Games Publishing