Ever since Bungie held its big gameplay reveal of Marathon over the weekend, much of the conversation about the game has been about, well, not the game.
First, Bungie addressed the pricing strategy behind Marathon, calling it a «Premium Title,» while also saying it won’t be a full-priced ($69.99) game. Then, the studio outlined why the game, a PvP extraction shooter, won’t have proximity chat, despite its prominence in other games in its genre. Beyond that, Bungie also discussed who exactly Marathon is being made for.
In other words, it’s been a lot. And now the team is back discussing why Marathon won’t be a free-to-play shooter.
Everyone Has A Price, So What's Bungie's?
As first spotted by Video Games Chronicle, director Joe Ziegler has provided more insight on why his studio’s latest project will not be free-to-play.
Speaking on the Friends Per Second Podcast, Ziegler said, «We’re hoping that what we’re showing is exciting enough that someone is going to take the leap with us, but we are also committed to delivering on seasons past this that will continuously offer to evolve the game without an increase to the box price.»
To this point, Bungie hasn’t shown too much of Marathon, though it’s worth noting that its Closed Alpha will begin next week on April 23. By then, players should have a better idea of the game, and maybe will be excited enough to jump in at its September 23 launch.
«What we’re hoping everyone understands about the game is that we’re focused on committing to making this a game that’s really awesome, and we think that starting point is really strong at this current time,» Ziegler added.
«Everyone’s got their own definition of what is the right price.»
Historically speaking, multiplayer-only titles have varied in price, with some (Helldivers 2) launching at a modest $39.99, and others (Battlefield 2042) launching at full price ($59.99). Where Marathon lands will be of the utmost interest and will no doubt impact whether curious players jump in at launch. It’s been rumored that the game will launch at $40, though only time will tell if that’s true.
