Have fun with our MMORPG or else!!!...we will pay you.

[Tyjenks]

A wacky new anime MMORPG called Asda Story. As quoted at Bluesnews:

"We chose to bring this game to the west because we believe in its potential. The Guaranteed Fun Promotion is our way of showing our belief in the game and is even better than a money-back guarantee because you don't have to spend a penny to play Asda Story," said David Chang, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Gamescampus.com. "We are just asking you to invest your time in playing our game, and if after playing for 30 days you don't feel it has been the great game experience we feel it to be, we want to hear your feedback and we'll give you $30.00. It is as simple as that."

Evidently they are so sure you are going to have fun grinding your way through exactly 40 levels in 30 days that if you do not, you get 30 bucks. There are certain restrictions and a maximum number of 1,500 can claim it.

While it does seem kind of gimmicky, it looks like you will be required to give feedback to recive the money. That is about a dollar a day for testers that will then have to detail their problems with the game. That is a pretty good bargain.

All that aside, will there ever be a micro-transaction game made in this avalanche of such games you see in banner ads that will deliver on any sort of fun equal to that of subscription-based MMORPGs. As far as I can tell, each one seems to be carbon copy of the last.

[Marcus]

Carne?

[Tim Partlett]

Asda is a supermarket chain in the UK. For me this is like a game called "Wal-mart Story".

[Tyjenks]

Asda is a supermarket chain in the UK. For me this is like a game called "Wal-mart Story".

Hmm, that would be fitting for the micro-transaction/item mall games these are.

[Harkonis]

In general I'm extremely pessimistic and cynical, but I do think someone at some point will make a micro-trans mmorpg that will work. They just need to find the perfect combination of key points.

[Tyjenks]

You and me both on the cynicism front. I mean, surely someone can properly balance the good parts of a subscription-based model with the ugly step-brother of the micro-transaction model. Or maybe not. :)