NCSoft Dishes On Blade & Soul Business Model

Blade & Soul will be coming to North American shores later this year or early next, and NCSoft is saying all the right things when it comes to its monetization.

Blade & Soul's free-to-play model will allow players unrestricted access to all content, charging real money only for convenience and cosmetic items. Players will also be able to earn currency in game to buy many of these items. In addition, there will be an subscription option that provides quality-of-life benefits and, in the example described in the press release, "cool special effects for their Windwalk skill and boosts to XP and currency drop rates." The membership system will be tiered, increasing in tier with purchases made both with real money and in-game, and offering greater rewards as the tier increases.

You won't have to wait long to start spending money on Blade & Soul; digital pre-purchase packs will be available sometime this summer. You can find the full details of the business model here.