DRM News

Direct2Drive has begun offering paid ’starter packs’ of free to play games, including a lot of the paid virtual items for those games at a discounted rate.

While some games have a single purchase option selectable (Dungeons & Dragons Online Starter Pack & Battleforge), others offer a multitude of possibilities. Ace Online for instance offers 6 different possible versions for 6 different prices.

While Direct2Drive does make royalties from the actual purchase made through their service, anything paid for in that game after that point goes 100% to the developer (according to Gamasutra).

Outspark CEO Susan Choe says the Direct2Drive initiative could make her company’s game palatable to core gamers who are traditionally suspicious of games offered for free.

"When consumers are used to paying for games, you can tell them they can play a free game that’s just as high or higher quality than a lot of subscription games, then pay for the content you want later, but the gamer doesn’t believe it," Choe told Gamasutra.

"It’s hard to convince gamers — who after all are consumers — that just because something is free, it’s not crap," she said. "This is just another way of explaining to gamers that if they take the time to download the game, it’s actually going to fun and great."

Direct2Drive content VP Sutton Trout says that they see moves like this as a way to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

"We feel this is something really unique and new," he said. "Quite honestly, we’re the first to market with it. What does that mean? Will the rest of the market follow? I hope if they do, they take a long time."

Meanwhile, as Direct2Drive offers something new to the digital retail world, Gamersgate is copying part of Steam’s new functionality.

Gamersgate now offers a section in their store where one purchase gains you access to both the PC and Mac installers for said game. Some of the titles available with dual versions are Spore, The Sims 3, World War 2 : Time of Wrath and Sam & Max.