Global Agenda: Pricing Details Announced

Global Agenda is a bit under the radar still, but everyone I know that has played the game at conventions has come away awestruck and itching to play more.  It's a persistent online MMORPG in shooter form.  The marketing department has been keen enough to advertise this as simply, "There are no elves."  There's a wealth of PvE gameplay, and a purportedly very strong PvP system that involves players fighting for control over territory and resources. 

Global Agenda is due for release in early 2010 and today Hi-Rez Studios announced the pricing model for the game.  Showing their intelligence, players will not be forced to pay a subscription to enjoy the game.  You can play as much as you want just by buying the box, but in order to participate in the PvP and have access to all the game's content, you'll want to pay the $12.99 for a monthly subscription:

Global Agenda (one time purchase - $49.99 MSRP) includes:

• Creation of up to eight different agent characters
• Character visual customization
• Access to all combat weapons and devices
• Cooperative Player vs. Environment missions against the Commonwealth NPC faction, AI-controlled enemies, and Boss Fights
• Matchmade Player vs. Player missions with five different game types and over 20 unique maps
• Character progression through 30 levels
• Achievement and unlocks system for individual characters
• Player Inventory for suits, flair, dyes, upgrades, and loot
• Virtual Reality practice fighting area
• Vendors and accumulation of in-game currency
• Text chat with multiple channels
• Built in voice chat during missions
• Ability to join an established player-created agency
• All play is on our single-shard, hosted server environment to ensure convenient and consistent gaming experience.
• Ability to sign up for one free month of subscription at registration (credit card required, can be cancelled at any time)

Global Agenda: Conquest ($12.99 per month, $11.49/mo for 3 month, $9.99/mo for 6 month) includes:

• Access to Alliance vs. Alliance (AvA) World Domination gameplay
• A massive scale campaign between player created agencies and alliances over scarce territory and resources on a persistent world map.
• Attack and Defend Territories in zones that match your agency's schedule
• Agency and Alliance Management – Create and maintain persistent player groups and officer ranks
• Creation and Upgrading of Facilities - Control production and output
• Base Raids – involving up to 60 players per side; coordinated between 6 different strike teams within linked territory instances
• Agency Achievement System, Leveling, and Recognition
• Auction House with bidding and buyouts
• Mail System
• Upgrade Text and Voice chat to support multiple channels and strike teams
• Player Crafting with blueprints
• Additional character customization options including elite character suits, dye colors, and seasonal flair
• Ongoing Co-Op content at max character level
• Ongoing AvA content, multiplayer PvP content, and new social areas

The coolest thing about this setup is that even if you cancel your subscription, you'll still be able to play the game.  Don't have much time to game?  Cancel the sub, keep playing when you can in the free mode, and then resub when you want later.  Sure you won't have access to the crafting and auction and mail, and you'll be missing out on the PvP, but at least you can still get your PvE fix with up to 8 characters.  There are a handful of games I'd love to see some sort of model like this for.  I don't have the money or the desire to play them a lot, but sometimes I wish I could without shelling out $15.  Not only that, but Global Agenda is breaking from the norm with a $13 subscription model.

If this little gem plays as well as my TTH brethren are saying, they just earned my $50 and then some.  Hopefully one of these days I'll get into the beta and give it a whirl, if not... at least I know my $50 won't be wasted should I decide the game's not quite worth subscribing too.