With a free trial underway in China, the marketers of Guild Wars 2 (creator NCSoft and Chinese partner Kongzhong) are trying a very different path to profit for a Chinese MMORPG. Most MMORPG’s in China are free-to-play, but Guild Wars 2 will have an upfront price to pay –and it’s set to sell for a bargain basement price upon its release.
When the game goes on sale later this spring, it’ll retail for 88 RMB, or around $14.50 in American dollars. Pre-orders will kick off starting on April 2nd, while the trial is in full effect. That marks the lowest price point for the game to date, as it sells in other markets (including the US) for as high as $50.
Those in China that are interested in the trial have until today at 5 PM to check it out. Otherwise, at least it won’t cost very much. It will be interesting to see how this pricing experiment in China performs, and whether it might change the way MMORPGs are priced in China.
Source: Games In Asia
