Virtual Goods News

tains sixteen cards. In addition, players get 3000 complimentary BattleForge Points. Booster packs cost 250 BattleForge Points each, and additional BattleForge Points can be purchased as part of a virtual goods package called the BattleForge Point Box.

Point Boxes can be purchased directly from BattleForge online or from traditional retailers. Each Point Box costs $19.99 and contains 2000 BattleForge Points. So, BattleForge's booster packs cost roughly $2.50 US if viewed in real money terms, a price point comparable to the card costs associated with Sony Online Entertainment's online virtual CCGs. Players may also pay for Point Boxes in Euro, in which case the cost is still €19.99.

BattleForge's developer, EA Phenomic, is a German company acquired by Electronic Arts in 2006. BattleForge is the developer's first foray into the MMO or virtual goods spaces. The developer is otherwise known for developing the PC RPG/RTS fusion SpellForce as well as the early RTS PC title The Settlers.

Even more than Battlefield Heroes, BattleForge represents a tremendous commitment to the virtual goods model by the second-largest console and PC game published in North America. That the game accepts payments in Euros and is also available in three languages (English, German, and Russian) represents a tacit acknowledgment of the international nature of business in the virtual goods space.

What is curious about BattleForge is that the game is not free-to-play but is instead a box copy purchase. It will be interesting to see in future months if this higher entrance cost drives players awayor makes the game seem more attractive to traditional PC gamers who might otherwise not express interest in a microtransaction t