In ArcheAge , Trion Worlds is said to have prevailed against the developer from Korea.
The partnership of the western publisher Trion Worlds with the Korean studio XL Games, the developers of ArcheAge, managed to become our “MMO Fail” of the year in 2014. There were severe communication problems between both parties that led to technical issues. Moreover, it seemed that Trion Worlds blamed the Korean partners for the “Pay2Win” elements found in ArcheAge, which ultimately prevented the game from becoming a real success.
At least, that could be read between the lines. Trion Worlds frequently gave interviews and hinted: We have contracts with Korea. They have their ideas about how the game and the payment model should work.
ArcheAge: The partnership between XL Games and Trion Worlds
Now there is interesting information. Bill Murray, the editor-in-chief of a US MMO site, shares some insider information in a comment under an ArcheAge article. When asked whether Trion Worlds had really “changed” and would rely less on the cash shop with 3.0, Murray said: Yes, they assured him so. The Koreans from XL Games, for example, wanted the purchasable skill point potions to remain. Trion Worlds fought hard to get them removed from the game.
Now there is a compromise: Players can buy 30 skill point potions, but they cannot be used all at once; instead, there is “only” one per day over 30 days. So while there is still a bonus for paying, it’s not as significant as it was before.
The “Thunder Trees” – another sensitive element that has been sharply criticized: They would be gone forever, Trion Worlds assured him, Murray continued.
ArcheAge is currently making a fresh start with 3.0. Especially on the “Fresh Start” servers, it was promised to fans on Facebook that ArcheAge would run without any Pay2Win elements.
The MMO fails of 2014:
MMO Fails: The five biggest disappointments in MMORPGs in 2014
