How are MMOs like this still able to operate when they sell items like what is present in their cash shop (VIP memberships, outfits with +% attack, +% defense) to their players – that are so blatantly pay-to-win? I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.
So Mrs Stix and I just played through Echo of Soul.. and our experience was – and I mean this in the nicest way possible – absolutely terrible. This game – this MMO – published by Gamigo, the people who also publish ArcheAge – is so disgustingly pay-to-win it’s no wonder it’s in the state it’s in.

Echo of Soul used to be an alright MMO.
You know what? Echo of Soul is still an alright MMO. At its core, the game looks pretty good, its combat isn’t bad. There’s nothing visually wrong with the game, rather, how it’s handled is the main issue I have with the game.
Selling items in the cash shop with that drastic of an effect on the core game is typical Gamigo, and before them, Aeria Games, so I don’t know what I was expecting. But predatory cash shops like this – monetization methods – business models are what is wrong with the free-to-play genre.
It’s why barely anyone cares to invest time into free MMOs in this day and age.
Echo of Soul could be a fun MMORPG if only there were a purpose to play it. Instead, we get.. this. And this is not the way to run a successful game. Maybe to milk some money off of its players, sure, but not to run a game long-term.

Echo of Soul is an MMORPG currently published by Gamigo, but originally published years ago by Aeria Games as a free to play title.

Echo of Soul was relaunched as Echo of Soul: Phoenix under Gamigo and remained free to play. Now, under a new publisher “Blue Potion Games Co., Ltd”, Echo of Soul is being relaunched onto Steam. Whilst simultaneously being published by Gamigo.

Not only does Gamigo have a fully translated, fully playable version of the game, but Blue Potion Games Co., Ltd are actually launching Echo of Soul onto Steam in an Early Access state. Yes, you did hear that correctly, the MMO that has been publicly playable by anyone and everyone in English for years now, needs to enter Early Access.
The most shocking part of this, though, is that Echo of Soul is not launching as a free to play title. Even though, once again, it is available free to play under Gamigo.

Instead, the game is launching as buy to play at $8.99 – but don’t worry, it’s got a super duper incredible special on right now that allows you to get it for $5.39 – this is for a limited time only!

In an attempt at making as much money as possible, Blue Potion Games Co., Ltd are charging &18.99 for the Deluxe Edition, $39.99 for the Silver Edition, and $49.99 for the Gold Edition.
Yes, apparently people are willing to spend that much money on Echo of Soul. Or at least Blue Potion Games Co., Ltd seems to believe they are.

Does anyone else remember what happened to Elite Lords of Alliance and its rebranding to Warlords Awakening? Yeah, they’re buy to play and have an average of 100 players online at any given time.

Echo of Soul launched to 260 concurrent players and has thus far retained that playerbase.
Please, publishers… if nobody wants to play the game when its free to play.. who would opt to pay money to play it instead? C’mon.