EA has been trying some new tactics with their PC game Battleforge. Seems that not enough people were buying the (apparently good) game so the dropped it down to 30 bucks earlier this month. Today they just announced that they’re releasing a free version online at battleforge.com. It’s not a full featured version, of course, but it gives you all of the community features and scenarios (including the recent “Renegade campaign”) along with 32 cards from the 200 available.
It won’t come with any Battleforge points, as the retail box still will. What are the points used for? Well more cards can be purchased in booster packs online. Therin lies the rub, and why the game actually will probably work better as completely free.
I tried the game out briefly at the NYCC this year and it seems fun enough- it’s basically a real time strategy game mixed with Magic: The Gathering. You lay down cards to summon units and effects and such. The one thing that kept people from buying it was the microtransactions, and now that it’s free I can see people much more willing to lay down 2 bucks a pop for booster packs.