Throne and Liberty Monetization — TL

NCSOFT promises fair monetization and no Pay to Win for Throne and Liberty.

Determining regionally friendly monetization models Amazon

Some monetization models that are well established, accepted and even expected in some countries are received differently in others. We work directly with our developer partners to modify their approach so the games can be monetized in ways that players are more comfortable with on a regional basis. For us, once again, it’s a matter of doing our best to satisfy the needs and desires of our customers while maintaining the spirit of what the developers intended and ensuring that players feel like they’re getting the appropriate amount of value from their purchases.

Monetization

Throne and Liberty developer NCSoft has already shown off amazing gameplay and graphics. But players are still worried that Throne and Liberty will be paid to win. NCSoft is aware that the success or failure of TL is depending on its “business model”. NCSoft is aware that monetization techniques that work for the eastern part of the world might not work for the western population.

To explain this a bit better, pay to win is often accepted in Korea/Japan/China while Europe/North America players detest it. Therefore it is likely that NCSoft plans to have different monetization models. NCSoft’s Guild Wars series which is also popular in the west has a business model that minimizes probability-type items. Western players do dislike RNG-based systems, especially when they are very unfair and amount to a huge grind.

NCSoft is also still looking for a publisher in the western region. That means they do think that another publisher is better suited on how to set up the business model than NCSoft themselves. Of course, the first publisher that comes into mind is Amazon, which recently handled games like Lost Ark and New World.

It is likely that Throne and Liberty will launch with the following business model in the west:

1. F2P with Cosmetics Shop and Pay to Convenience
2. Paid Game with Subscription and Cosmetics Shop

This is all speculation. Hopefully, we will get an idea about the business model sooner or later. It is clear that NCSoft doesn’t want to butcher the launch of Throne and Liberty. If they manage to find a publisher for the western region it is likely that the game will adapt a business model not based on P2W.

Buy Throne and Liberty Lucent

• Cheap Throne and Liberty Lucent (6% off coupon: vhpg). Awesome prices, and instant delivery.

Monetization is Being Tackled Before the Launch

The monetization and marketing of the game will be two key factors that NCSoft needs to focus on. 

Recently, we have seen some games released with questionable monetization practices. Overwatch 2 in particular is facing a lot of heat due to its pricing of cosmetics and at the end of the day, the in-game microtransactions are cosmetics only. When it comes to free-to-play MMOs, things get way murkier, especially in player-run economies.

NCSoft officially stated in its earnings report that the game is being designed in a way that it prevents any kind of pay-to-win elements. Battle passes are being considered for the North American and European markets as the monetization model has proven to be highly successful. Battle passes often end up being like optional subscriptions but you also get a bunch of rewards along the way.

The developers are looking to make the monetization as fair as possible. It is an extremely difficult challenge for free-to-play MMOs often end up creating a disparity between the free and paying customers. Anyone who chooses to play the game for free should not feel coerced into making purchases to make their gameplay experiences enjoyable while paying customers should feel like their investment is sufficiently rewarded. It is a fine line between both sides and the ball is in NCSoft’s court to perfectly balance things with regard to its monetization.