What is that strange blip marring our skyline? Why yes, it looks like Wizard 101 has gone to a subscription service with a first-world is free paradigm.
It appears in order to access much of the last levels of Wizard City and any world beyond—and all of this happening before we voces were able to reveal our innermost darkest thoughts about the game’s largest failing.
Examining the pay structure it looks like it will cost about $10 a month to access everything except the most basic parts of the game.
Those basic parts appear to be an abbreviated version of Wizard City and, dare we say it, non-subscribers are relegated to using the cumbersome menu chat and cannot use the filtered chat mechanism at all. See the pay schedule here.
Having played the game, the abbreviation happens half-way through the experience that is the first world itself, at about Cyclops Lane. Which means that players really can only get through one street total (think of this as the first campaign) before running into the subscription wall.
We suppose that the game might be fun to play a few times through that area, but it’s basically the semi-newbie training campaign and everyone knows those quests quickly become quotidian for anyone with a severe case of altitis.
It is interesting to see that the True Friend chat ameliorates the filtered chat to another level (although we have never seen this in action.) It is a chat that is activated when two players exchange a pair of multibit random keys to prove that they know each other outside of the game.
Unfortunately, from a security point of view, it is actually possible to transfer knowledge of these keys in the game itself via filtered chat using simple first-letter-gaming ciphers.
C’est la vie, Wizard 101. Unless this game receives further fanfare in the media or we receive more money to review further this will be our last series on the game.
If you play Wizard 101, you can get $10,000 worth of game coin and a free pet with this Amazon.com prepaid card.
A new slogan:
Wizard101: Almost Worth the Money
If monthly cost was $5.00 bucks i’d subscribe,
I’ve been playing this Since Sept.02 for like 6 hours straight soooo addiciting, One of the reasons i gave up my 4 year marathon with WoW.
Monthly is $10 bucks a year is $60 but i cant seem to pay that much not with so many other mmo’s out there. My 10 year old sis asked me to DL this game for her but then i like it ><
Bottom Line: Very Fun Addiciting Game, wish text chat was enabled, not worth the $10 bucks a month make it $5.00 Plzz
We certainly agreeJen and Curious George. The game is fascinating, simple, and fun. However, with much more compelling, complex, and engaging MMOs swimming out there in the MMO ocean, we are less inclined to pay $10 a month to essentially access the entire game.
The abbreviated experience is laughable and a poor example of what the game itself is like. Unicorn Way to us now feels like an extended tutorial—and being unable to communicate would be frustrating to a first-time-user (although it would burn free-account spam.)
After hitting lvl 9 i didnt think it was possible but i couldnt help myself and subscribed for a month’s worth of service. =)
Name
Chris Soulblood (Necromancer)
Throw us an image (if this blog thing will let ya) at some point, Curious George. We… unfortunately may have to give up on our Death School article due to no longer being in the game (and our necromancer is awol.)
Never did get a chance to play with the Death school peeps, spent to much time slicking it with Ice. But, the ghoul (aka Baron Samedi) certainly caught our attention.
how do you get free subscriber in wizard101
wizard101 is the best game I’ve ever played.
wizard101 is more excited.
cool,really really cool
i really love wizard 101 I will keep playing it untill I die
i dont think i can pay please please do something im on level 8 and i am not able to access the location firecat alley because i only have 75 crowns not 750 and now i can never gain a level i also have to talk to private quinn i think thats the right name in firecat alley
please please help
i have the same problem as the one above and i can never ever gain a level ever again and i love this game and never want to stop playin it please comment as soon as possible
many people have this same problem i even do one question does this mean its like a demo and it stops here i needed the gold that’s why i did this quest to talk to private quin in firecat alley i never knew you couldn’t enter that location without being a member or buying crowns does this mean its the end of this demo is there anything and i mean anything to do about it i really really love this game
wizard 101 is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo aswome
I have that proplem and i have tow misions in firecat ally
this game is the best
also it has dome graphics but the worst is better.nah keep doing cool games
i think i already upgraded becuase i dont have the upgrade now button
but if i dont i realy realy realy realy realy realy want it!
i wish that to level up it was easier im stuck on level ten of being a necromanser
i love the game lol i want to be a subscriber ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!
I think that wizard101 is one of the best websites that I have every went on it is fun it is challenging it is truly amazing !!!!!!!!!!
i like wizard 101 but i would like to get to go to all of the world without trying to get crowns for free
soooooooooooooooooooooooo FUN and ADDICTIVE but can’t get past lvl 34 (necromancer) and i need to unlock most areas to complete all of my quests and i dont have crowns or membership.