Global Agenda scraps the subscription

Hi-Rez studios announced today that they're dropping the subscription model for its Tribes-esque online shooter, Global Agenda . Effective immediately, players can download and play Global Agenda up through level 15 with no money down. Players will still need to purchase a boxed copy of the game (conveniently currently on sale on Steam) to play the game beyond the trial, and optional paid expansions will be released going forward.

Players could previously play without a subscription, but wouldn't have access to some features, including the highest level of PvP conflict, unless they were a subscriber. This business model seems much more poised for success in a genre historically resistant to subscription models. Head over to Global Agenda's site to start playing the free trial, and check out our hands-on impressions of Sandstorm , the first paid expansion set to be released soon, at E3 last week .