Catch 22: Homeworld: Shipbreakers no longer Free-to-Play
When Gearbox granted the Homeworld IP to developer Blackbird Interactive they apparently did more than just update the titles name, they fundamentally altered how the game itself would be released. With the added funding for Shipbreakers, Blackbird is heading for a full commercial release of the game and will no longer be Free-to-Play. The news came via a response from Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox, to a fan on Twitter saying:
"With our investment, Homeworld Shipbreakers can be a proper commercial release. No need for F2P.”
No news on what effect this will have on players who opted to purchase the fairly expensive pre-release packs which contained many items geared towards the Free-to-Play model. An unfortunate turn of events for free-to-play fans awaiting such a promising new title. Would you still be willing to purchase Homeworld: Shipbreakers?
About the Author
Michael Dunaway has been part of the MMOBomb team for years and has covered practically every major Free-to-Play MMO title since 2009.
More Stories by Michael DunawayDiscussion (12)
Read Next
Like a tidal wave, Riot Games has been known to swallow up new developers left and right.
You May Enjoy
Now we have to see what fruits contract negotiations bear.
The mode is still in the works, but it is coming.
The Xbox version is still outstanding, though.
Yeah, sure, you can buy some. I'm talking about what you get for just playing.
They have more money now, so shouldn't it be the other way around if anything? Maybe it's just me but I fail to see how a buy 2 own or subscription payment model would cost more to operate than a F2P model since the F2P requires the publisher to invest alot more in the beginning until people start buying stuff from cash shops.
Seems like a lie to me.
Now that Blackbird got some better funding and with Gearbox backing them up it might be easier for them to go with the more familiar route of a traditionally released title. The F2P market may be lucrative but it's still developing and I think many game designers are still not very used to it, especially when it comes to the monetization model.
Personally I'm still very interested in the game though, I loved the Homeworld games.