New World will be a Buy2Play MMO, with Amazon having said little about the shop so far. However, some initial details have been leaked in the alpha forum, which have surfaced despite the NDA. But the announced content is not well-received by every player. In the meantime, Amazon has also commented and given initial reassurance.
What exactly happened? A screenshot from the alpha forum was leaked on reddit about New World. In it, Amazon presents the shop system of the MMO for the first time:
- There is talk of cosmetic content in the form of skins, colors, special emblems for guilds, and emotes
- Additionally, there “could” be quality of life content like boosts for XP and experience in crafting
During the tests in May, the shop is supposed to be activated. Players can still shop with in-game currency. Then in June and July, tests with “premium currencies” are planned.
What is the problem? Some players now fear Pay2Win in the shop. With boosters for experience points and in crafting, players could have a significant advantage right from the start.
A higher crafting level would, for example, lead to better equipment that could then be sold for a high price at the auction house. Thus, it would be possible at least at the beginning for players to have a lead in in-game currency, which would be seen as indirect Pay2Win by players.
The content became known mainly through the YouTuber KiraTV, who also raised concerns about in-game advantages (via YouTube). His video garnered over 35,000 views within 24 hours.
In the meantime, Amazon’s developers have also reacted and announced that there will be no boosters at launch.
Amazon gives reassurance, wants to explain details later
What does Amazon say about the allegations? On Twitter, the developers addressed the accusation regarding Pay2Win. It states:
We are aware that there are concerns regarding the shop test that is currently in the alpha phase. To clarify, at launch, all items in the shop will be focused on cosmetics. There will be no boosts of any kind available for purchase at launch.
We will share more about our vision for MTX [Microtransactions] soon.
Despite this statement, some players remain concerned. After all, quality of life items and boosters are at least planned for the future.
Are boosters so unusual? Not really. Almost every MMORPG either possesses XP boosts or even directly an item that raises characters to a high level:
- Guild Wars 2 offers XP boosts and direct Level 80 boosts
- ESO offers XP boosts in the shop and bonus XP for a subscription to ESO+
- WoW has level boosts and even gets one for WoW Burning Crusade Classic
- SWTOR offers the option to start a character immediately at Level 70
- FFXIV offers Jump Potions, which immediately raise a job to Level 60
The idea behind this is that players who join later can catch up to veterans faster. Veterans, in turn, can play additional classes without having to level them again.
Why is the outcry about New World so large then? New World is a completely new MMO. All players start at zero. However, those who purchase a boost at launch will have advantages over other players who level up without spending real money.
They can reach new content faster, fight for fortresses earlier, and craft the best equipment sooner to earn money from it.
Additionally, some players fear that the developers’ threshold for introducing boosters might lower if boosters were already present at launch.
Does the announcement also have any positives? Yes, because some players see the announcement about the shop as confirmation that New World is indeed supposed to release in August. Because that is precisely what Amazon has remained silent about, even though the start of the beta or even the planned release is only a few weeks away.
What comes next? An official announcement regarding the shop and microtransactions is expected in the coming weeks. After that, it will be clearer where Amazon wants to go with New World. We at MeinMMO will report on the information then.
What do you think about the content? Do you see boosts as Pay2Win? Or do you approach the planned shop of New World more relaxed? Feel free to write it in the comments.
How things will look in New World will mainly be seen from July 20 onwards. The official beta for the game starts then: New World: Release date postponed – Beta comes in July.
