

Many gamers are now yearning for the simplicity of a monthly subscription game where you can grind for anything entirely in-game, and I think EVE has managed to strike a pretty good balance here. There definitely seems to be growing support for a return to subscriptions this year in light of many free to play games evolving abusive business models based on gambling and selling power. Combined with the ability to upgrade a free account to a subscription using in-game ISK by buying a PLEX on the open market, this has left EVE in a really good position for people with a wide range of gaming budgets and levels of interest.

The free account limitations seem to have adequately prevented the wide-scale abuse of farming and spam bots seen in full free-to-play conversions, and it’s kept the value of the standard subscription option high. The limited free option gives veteran players the ability to stay connected to the game’s social world when they aren’t subscribing and functions as an endless trial for new players to let them take their time getting into the game. With the recent addition of its free to play alpha clone option, I think EVE Online is now the MMO with the best business model in 2016. Maybe Chronicles of Elyria’s proposed model will be here next year.īrendan Drain nyphur): EVE Online. I dislike the cash shop that often comes with games using this model, but as long as it sticks to cosmetics over lockboxes, I’m fine with it. Andrew Ross dengarsw): Guild Wars 2’s buy-to-play model especially stands out, as when old content’s cycled out, it’s free to help get new players into the gameworld.
