Fury PvPMMO now free

Australian developer Auran today announced that its recently launched player-versus-player massively multiplayer online game (PvPMMO) FURY will have its subscription business model overhauled to make the game free to download and play.

The news coincides with the introduction of the game's first free content update, "Age of the Chosen," due to be released on December 14, 2007. The patch will add a new "Carnage" game type, a one-on-one elimination mode, bug fixes, and seven new maps amongst other features. Most importantly, the content patch will include a new player category called "Chosen" alongside the existing "Hero" and "Immortal" subscription types. The new "Chosen" player type will be free to download from the developer's Web site and play, and gives access to all game modes and weapons as well as 400 abilities that can be unlocked by playing. Gamers will be able to upgrade their account status to one of the higher levels by purchasing a box copy of the game from Australian retailers, which increases the speed at which in-game currency and items accrue, as well as alters the player matchmaking tool to find competitors with similar ranks and skill levels.

"FURY was built around giving players options that suit their play style and their wallets," said Tony Hilliam, Auran's CEO, in a media statement.

The move comes less than two months after the game's October 2007 launch and a US$2 million dollar tournament to promote the title with sponsorship from PC hardware manufacturers Dell and Nvidia.