Rumor: Xbox 360 To Offer Support For Free-To-Play Games

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Hot on the heels of the announcement that Team Fortress 2 will henceforth be a free-to-play title comes a rumor that Microsoft is about to open up Xbox Live to free-to-play developers. This is pretty big deal if it’s true, because Microsoft is notorious for driving away MMO developers – for example, Dust 514 is only a PS3-exclusive because getting an MMO on Xbox Live is such a pain.

The rumor comes from Develop, which says that Microsoft is currently in talks with free-to-play devs in an effort to get some games on their platform. According to Develop’s sources, developers will be able to monetize their games through micro-transactions or premium subscriptions, with Microsoft points being used to purchase any in-game items that might catch your eye.

We’ve had a lot of free-to-play announcements in the news lately, from Valve offering free-to-play games through Steam, to free-to-play versions of both City of Heroes and Lego Universe. Free-to-play is definitely an MMO model that’s become extremely popular, so loosening up restrictions on Xbox Live and getting in on the action should be a no-brainer on Microsoft’s part.

There’s been no official confirmation of these rumors, so don’t go getting your hopes up just yet. If Microsoft makes any announcement concerning free-to-play games on Xbox Live, we’ll be sure to let you know, so keep it tuned here to TFTS.

In the meantime, what’s your take? Would Microsoft be smart to jump on the free-to-play bandwagon, or will Xbox Live be just fine without any substantial MMO offerings? Let us know what you think in the comments section!