Microsoft’s first free-to-play game coming in Spring

As the free-to-play business model is adopted by more and more developers, so we see Microsoft releasing their very first free-to-play title.

The software giant has announced that its upcoming downloadable action title Happy Wars will make use of microtransactions for monetization. The game is a product of Japanese studio Toylogic, and will be available for free to all players with an Xbox Live Gold account. Players will then be able to customize their in-game character with virtual items purchased with real money.

Microsoft promises to further support the game post-release, adding more items and customization options over time.

This will be the first Microsoft free-to-play title, but certainly not the last – Microsoft announced at E3 2012 that Signal Studios’ 2013 action game Ascend: New Gods will also be using this model.

While this isn’t the first free downloadable game to hit XBLA, it will be the first one to make use of in-game transactions.

Source: Gamasutra

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Tags: active, ascend: new gods, free to play, Happy Wars, Microsoft, microtransactions, signal studios, XBLA, xbox live arcade