June 26, 2012 by Paul Curtin
The old saying “You get what you pay for” is quickly losing its meaning in the gaming industry. While most AAA titles are still coming with a $60 price tag, a lot of big name developers are switching to free-to-play models for their older games, and some are now even launching with the F2P format and making back their money through microtransactions. Case in point: the newly announced and visually stunning next shooter from the same developers who were behind The Darkness II.
Like Crytek, who will only be releasing F2P games after the release of Crysis 3 with their next game being a free-to-play FPS called Warface, Darkness II developer Digital Extremes will be venturing into the F2P realm and releasing their own sci-fi shooter entitled Warframe.
Details are still slim with Warframe just being announced, but unlike other upcoming F2P shooters like Dust 514, PlanetSide 2, and Warface, Warframe has been explained as more of a “PvE shooter” with “MMO-Lite” features, all built around four-player squads working together.
There’s no official release date yet, but the game’s release is planned for sometime after the beta this winter. Check out the game’s pre-alpha trailer that shows off some cyborgs-with-guns vs. futuristic-ninjas-with-swords action. If you like what you see, make sure to go to the official site right now to sign up for the beta.
