EVE Online Becomes Free to Play. Kind of…

During these tough economic times some people might not wish to spend as much on computer games as they did in the past years and EVE Online seems to be the first MMO game that start to listen to that. How come? Well, by turning EVE Online into a game that offers its subscription for in-game cash, too! Now that’s something that will certainly become a hit!

How will things work, then? Well, players will be allowed to purchase PLEX (Pilot License Extension) from the in-game market using the in-game currency. This PLEX, as you probably know, adds 30 days of game time to your accounts. I have no idea what is the price of such a license in the marketplace but I do believe that it is a bit more expensive than what your average gamer could earn on a monthly basis. Still, it is very nice to hear that there are some options for the players to save some money every now and then (and still be able to play their favorite title – in this case EVE Online).

Here is what the developers’ take on the situation is: “One of the greatest thing about PLEXes is that they offer a way to stamp out unauthorized RMT elements trying to infiltrate the EVE community and hacking players accounts. Buying ISK from unauthorized ISK sellers has serious consequences, as many players have discovered recently when they’ve had the ISK they bought removed as it had come from hacked accounts. It hurts, but not as much as having your account(s) hacked and cleaned out of ISK and assets.”

So, what do you think? Really great news or just good news?