We really have been thinking about a hybrid business model for some time now. I do find it interesting that our competition did make those moves before we did. RPS: Do you find it funny that the comic book MMOs that have come out since City of Heroes all seem to have gone free before you did? To have admitted defeat on a paying model?Ĭlayton: There's a good point to that question going free to play isn't admitting defeat, but it's certainly a way to make the experience accessible. That's the beauty of City of Heroes, you don't have to be the sidekick to the heroes you've grown up with you can be that hero. We do have a nice mix of comedy and satire we're always looking for ways, not only to forward the story but also for the player to be the featured star of our story. I would say that the comic genre as a whole presents us with a lot of opportunities and the developers are not only looking at current threads, but past threads over the decades, that really inspired them. RPS: How far do your stories these days satirise the DC and Marvel themes of the moment or is that something you don't do following that early legal kerfuffle you had with Marvel?Ĭlayton: That's a great question. There's just an endless amount of canvas to work with, in the superhero genre and with City of Heroes, being our own IP, we can take it anywhere we want. We've followed pop culture at times, how Hollywood is taking things, we still have great storylines to tell, like the Signature series we're doing. Have you ever felt the desire to move on, do something else?Ĭlayton: First and foremost, I love Superheroes. City of Heroes went free recently in the Freedom update. We're kicking off with an interview with City of Heroes' Brian Clayton, Studio Director and Executive Producer.

The MMOnitor is a new series in which we ask the developers of various MMOs to explain what is going on with their game, and what that means within the wider context of the MMO.

How to play city of heroes free