Blizzard's "Overwatch" surely is one of the most anticipated games to be released, and probably one contributing factor to this is that people think it would be for free.
The game recently received some news update which includes a new launch window, new heroes and, lastly, a price tag.
Yes, Blizzard is not making "Overwatch" free-to-play but that doesn't mean it will not be a great game right? As reported by PC World, during this year's BlizzCon, these exact words were spoken: "When you buy Overwatch..." Yes, it would cost money to play, $40 to be exact when it launches in Spring of 2016.
But hey, if you pre-order now, you'll get an exclusive "Noir" skin for the hero Widowmaker, so that kind of evens it out.
In a related report by Venture Beat, Blizzard has a lot of reason why it is not going to the free-to-play scheme route. Among those reasons include consoles, money, and the slowing down of the influx of players and money.
According to SuperData chief executive and top analyst Joost Van Dreunen, Blizzard is still travelling something of a new path by releasing a game like "Overwatch" on consoles.
Van Dreunen said, "Free-to-play titles on console are still in an early stage." He added, "There are, in fact, few comparable titles available to inform the business case for Activision Blizzard. That, in combination with the production costs for a well-produced title like "Overwatch," leads to the decision to charge $40 for the game from the go, and then offer additional content via micro-transactions."
So, instead of doing something rather risky, Blizzard opted to release "Overwatch" into something that it saw work TWICE. Two high-profile releases like "Call of Duty" and "Destiny" have both started offering micro transactions for items and cosmetics, and both of those games padded their sales revenue through that particular business model.
That similar scheme have also proven itself on the PC, though Valve's "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive." What the Warcraft-maker wants is to amp that model in "Overwatch" and launch it with micro transactions.
However, even you need to cough up 40 bucks to start playing Blizzard's new shooter upon release. It's still a possibility that the game could one day become into a free-to-play game, which is not unheard of in the video game industry.
According to Engadget, "Overwatch" is now up for pre-order at BuyOverwatch.com. The $40 standard edition is still only available for the PC. The Origins Edition costs $60 and is confirmed for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and also the PC.
The Collector's Edition will also be available on those three platforms and will clock in at $130.
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