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38 Studios is pretty much dead in the water, but had Schilling and his crew managed to keep them afloat, their upcoming MMO, codenamed "Project Copernicus," would have launched as a free-to-play straight from day one.

"We were going to be the first triple-A, hundred-million-dollar-plus, free-to-play, micro-transaction based MMO." Schilling said in an interview with Boston Magazine. "I think when we eventually showed off the game for the first time, the atom bomb was that it was going to be free-to-play. When we announced that at the end, that was gonna be the thing that, I think, shocked the world."

As an aside, statements like that are just another reminder of why 38 Studios failed; Schilling simply didn't understand enough about games development or the gaming industry. That he thought a free-to-play title would be such a shock, and that he thought the idea was one that had never been attempted before, is downright baffling. 

Of course, Schilling wasn't always in favor of the free-to-play business model. During development of the game, he noticed that investors were shying away from the subscription model. This was what caused him to change his mind.  

"Most investors want nothing to do with subscription-based products. They were all on the social media, and free-to-play games as a source of revenue."

Source: Boston Magazine

Via: GamesIndustry International

Nicholas Greene   FollowTech_Light A gamer at heart, Nick started writing when he was a child. He holds a BA in English, works as a freelancer, and loves every minute of it. One day, he hopes to net himself a career in game design - but that's something for the future.

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