You shall not pay: “Lord of the Rings Online” officially goes free-to-play

The latest update to Lord of the Rings Online adds content and also makes the game officially free-to-play. To download the game, go to www.lotro.com and create an account to join in on the fun, up to level 50. (Of course, a lot of content is locked for subscribers only, and some of it can be purchased a la carte instead of getting the whole subscription VIP package.) The update also expands the game’s story and world by adding the new region of Enedwaith. This is Turbine’s second free-to-play pricing model. The first, found last year in Dungeons & Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, was successful to the tune of two million new registrations. With at least some of those people buying content, that probably adds up to a lot of cashflow for them. Here are the highlights for the latest update, followed by a commercial that will debut this Sunday

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Divine Souls Beta Code Giveaway

Divine Souls is a free-to-play action MMO from Outspark. It entered its beta period two days ago, and it goes until Wednesday, July 21. The basic story is this: Divine Matter was going to be the best thing ever, but then it got a little bit evil. People started using it the wrong way…the Dark way. You’re tasked with investigating the Dark magic, fighting mutants and find the scientist responsible for Divine Matter. You can play as a Fighter, a Slasher or a Mage, each with different weapons. Partner up with friends to take down Cursed Souls, or engage in PvP combat. Sounds interesting, right? The best part, though? We’ve literally got hundreds of exclusive beta codes to give away. So, become a registered user of GamingAngels and comment on this entry before Wednesday (when the beta is over) and we’ll give you a code. No registration, no code –

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“Lord of the Rings Online” Goes Free this Fall

Warner Bros. Interactive and Turbine’s “Lord of the Rings Online” (LOTRO) will be updated this fall to make the game free-to-play for everyone. (Codemasters will operate the free European version.) Turbine’s pricing model will allow players to download and play the game for free, but expansions, quest packs, items and account services will all be provided à la carte. If you want all of that content included in your game, you can join the VIP program for unlimited access to all of the game’s content for one price. This new model directly mimics the one used by popular Facebook games, which allow players to buy items they think they need. No word yet on whether or not players who have already pre-paid a few months in advance will be automatically enrolled in the VIP program, but one would definitely hope so. If you want a sneak peek of the new

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