After the outcry from the community about the in-game shop in the MMO New World, the team is now speaking plainly. They address fans’ questions, explain what can be bought in the shop, and that they are considering a Battle Pass.
What’s going on with New World? A few days ago, a screenshot from the alpha forum was shared on Reddit despite the NDA. It shows how Amazon introduces the in-game shop of their MMO New World for the first time. Items like boosters for crafting and experience points quickly raised concerns among fans that it could be pay-to-win.
Shortly afterward, Amazon alleviated concerns regarding pay-to-win allegations. A few hours later, they wrote a text that addresses further open questions from fans and reveals the planned future of the shop model for New World.
Only cosmetics in the shop at launch, but more later
The team writes: On Twitter, the New World account published a message to the community, signed by Studio Director Rich Lawrence (via twitter.com). Initially, they clarify: The store of New World will offer players items that they consider fair and for which they would like to spend money.
At the same time, the team emphasizes that the items in the store should “never” feel like they are necessary for enjoying the game. “All players will have the opportunity to experience the full game without having to make purchases in the shop.”
Furthermore, they state:
- At launch, the items in the shop will be exclusively cosmetic
- In the alpha, the items in the shop and their value will be tested
- The costs for shop items in the alpha are not final
- Testers can provide feedback on each offered item in the alpha
What will the shop offer after launch?
This is still being tested: In the future, they want to offer “Quality of Life” items for mechanics like “Rested XP” and “Fast Travel”. These are planned to be available in the game and also purchasable in the store. When these items will be released depends on how players progress in the months following the launch, the team writes.
Our goal with all types of items is that they do not provide advantages that cause poor balance in the game. We understand that this is a matter of player interpretation. Therefore, we ask for your patience as we test in the alpha and listen to your feedback.
Source: New World (via twitter.com)
“We are also considering a ‘Battle Pass’ program
This is currently known: At the end of the letter to the community, it discusses a feature that is still being discussed. A Battle Pass. This should be valuable to players but not disrupt others who do not use it.
“To make plans for the future transparent, we are also considering a ‘Battle Pass’-like program that would periodically combine items from the shop. This will also be tested in advance to ensure it provides high value without disrupting gameplay for those who do not participate. There is also the possibility of optional expansions that would have a separate price.”
Why is Amazon now presenting the shop system so openly?
This is the story behind it: After a leak of the alpha shop reached the community on May 13 and players read about “boosters”, concerns about pay-to-win arose. Because Amazon’s New World is a buy-to-play MMO that had not yet commented on its shop.
After the first glimpse of the shop, players feared that such crafting boosters could be purchased right at launch. Which would allow players who invest more money to progress faster in crafting professions and sell crafted armor at high levels for high prices. The Pay2Win allegations were quickly denied by the developers of New World.
In response to these fears, New World emphasized in their new statement on Twitter that the purchasable items that players find in the shop at the start of the game are only cosmetic. So, boosters are not.
How do you like the insight into the plans of the New World shop? Would you like a Battle Pass system in the game, and if so, what should it look like? Please share your opinion here in the comments on MeinMMO.
