Earlier this week console and PC publishing giant Activision launched its first entry into the free-to-play genre with Legends of Zork, a text-based MMORPG comparable to Mob Wars or the indy game Kingdom of Loathing. The game is based on the setting and IP seen in the classic text adventure Zork, which has lead to Activision trying to pass the game off as a "casual adventure game." That said, it still works exactly like your typical text-based RPG, right down to only monetizing primarily through sales of virtual goods and currency.
The Legends of Zork site displays banner ads and usually gameplay is concerned with acquiring in-game currency called zorkmids used to obtain in-game items. The RMT item shop uses a different currency called Coconuts which can be used to purchase "Perks" that change the game by granting characters more action points, removing ads, or increasing your inventory capacity. You can gain Coconuts by either completing Offerpal ad offers or spending money via PayPal or debit/credit, with an SMS purchasing option selectable but currently disabled.
The site states that two Coconuts is equivalent to $1, but you have the option of buying 3, 10, 25, or 60 Coconuts for prices ranging from $2 to $20. The bonus for purchasing larger amounts of coconuts is so high that it's difficult to work out any consistent value for them relative to USD. Prices on perks range from 2 at the low end to 20 for the most powerful perks, so someone who buys the 60 Coconut package can purchase a lot of additional power in the game.
Activision's entry into the free-to-play space is highly significant, as Activision is currently one of the largest traditional console and PC game publishers. The company owns Blizzard, creators of World of Warcraft, and also owns the rights to the highly successful Guitar Hero franchise. That said, Legends of Zork feels like a very different kind of project than Sony Online Entertainment's Free Realms or Electronic Arts's Battefield Heroes.
While both of those companies are bringing very high production values to the free-to-play genre, Legends of Zork isn't really any different than your average Facebook or iPhone text-based RPG. The only thing to really distinguish it as the product of a company with Activision's long publishing history and deep pockets is the use of the Zork IP. It gives the impression that Legends of Zork simply be an experiment for Activision, similar to SOE's early microtransaction days with Legends of Norrath or EA's free-to-play titles in Southeast Asia. If so, then it will be interesting to see if Legends of Zork performs well enough for Activision to want to return to virtual goods-driven games in the future.
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