The free-to-play model has been making a big impact in MMOs in recent years, but now Sony and Guerrilla Games have plans to extend that effort into the first-person shooter realm.
According to the most recent PlayStation Blogcast, a standalone version of Killzone 3‘s multiplayer will be released on the PlayStation Network for free next week. The move is being made in order to “keep that multiplayer mode out there and active.”
Players will have access to all of the game’s multiplayer modes and maps, but a level cap restriction is being put in place. Once the rank of Sergeant I is reached, prospective buyers will be required to purchase the full multiplayer offering for $15. At that point the ability to set up clans, create custom games, and access the Botzone mode will be unlocked as well.
In addition to being one of the PlayStation 3’s flagship titles, Killzone 3 is known for its great online play. Keeping those two things in mind, it would seem that the odds of this free-to-play experiment being a success are rather high. Time will tell whether that turns out to be true.