Guild Wars 2 is one of the most hotly-anticipated games coming to China this year. In fact, it’s actually number two on the list of the most-anticipated games in China right now, behind only Bless. But unlike Bless, Guild Wars 2 is coming to China very soon. A free trial event kicks off next Tuesday (March 11), and China publisher Kongzhong has revealed the game will officially go on sale in the second quarter of this year.
The company also revealed a bit more detail about the purchase options that will be available to players. Once the game launches officially, players will be able to choose between a standard digital package, a physical package, or a collectors edition that will include some China-exclusive content. Unfortunately, there’s still no word on what the pricing will be for any of those packages.
Of course, the fact that it will be going on sale at all is interesting. Despite the prevalence of free-to-play games in China, Guild Wars 2 will operate there the same way it does everywhere else: gamers buy a copy of the came, which they can they play forever without paying additional fees.
Can such a model work in China? We’ll have to see, but the free-to-play model is being eschewed by Final Fantasy XIV, another hotly-anticipated MMORPG headed for China soon, as well. Could this be the start of a shift back towards a pay-up-front model for China’s hardcore gaming market?
(via 17173)
Maybe!
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