Stargate Worlds bonus content will be free

Stargate Worlds publisher FireSky will give away much of the game’s ongoing expansion content for free to the massively multi-player online role-playing game’s subscribers, the studio told VideoGamer.com.

“We’re actually adding post-live content. We’re actually developing some of that post-live content before we launch,” FireSky studio head Dan Elggren told the site. “That’s going to consist of new story lines, new worlds, new creatures to fight, as well as we’re looking at adding two more levels, so going from 51, 52 and then so on and so forth. So that’s new abilities, new armour sets and new ways of exploring the universe, as well.”

This sort of additional content to the ever-growing game will be classified as “mini-episodes” or “seasons.” Only full expansion packs — such as the addition of Atlantis and its characters, locations, and gear — would be sold in a box. But FireSky wants players to get new content for their monthly subscription, and not just patches and fixes.

“If we move to Atlantis or another universe, then we’ll have a boxed Atlantis expansion,” Elggren said. “But mini episodes and seasons, that’s going to be free content that we’re just going to hand out.”

In related news, FireSky is planning for an open beta test early next year, shortly before the game’s official launch in the first quarter of 2009. Closed beta testing will begin this fall with private keys, given to select players who agree to help test the game and not disclose details about it. But the later open beta should be available to the general public.

Check out the complete story now at VideoGamer.com. In the site’s full interview, Elggren also talks in more detail about the game mechanics, character archetypes, and story line. Stargate Worlds is expected to be released for the PC (and PC only) in early 2009.