Blame it on World of WarCraft. Blame it on the price of oil. Blame it on your momma. Whatever the cause, one clear trend is emerging in the early 21st century, at least as far as PC gaming goes: "Free" is the new $60. Free-to-play games are nothing new, of course, but what is new is that some of the biggest game companies on Earth, who got big precisely because of the money they charged, are now experimenting with the model.
Exhibits A and B: Electronic Arts with Battlefield Heroes and Sony Online with the kid-oriented Free Realms. Exhibit C, now, is Square Enix, which is jumping into the free-to-play pool with Concerto Gate, an MMO that has nothing to do with its Final Fantasy games but stands a good chance of appealing to its legions of fans anyway, especially because, yeah, did 1UP mention it's free?
It was announced earlier today that Perfect World will be releasing a mobile game based on Concerto Gate later this year. Officially licensed from Square Enix, the turn-based combat of this classic JRPG seems to be the perfect fit for mobile. There is currently no word on an English release.
Square Enix fans and MMORPG players alike have long waited to play this title in America and will soon have a chance to participate in the closed beta test to be held from July 1 to 14.
Brand new screenshots for Square Enix's upcoming PC game, Concerto Gate.
