Adding a new layer to Anarchy Online, Funcom has launched virtual item sales within the game, allowing players to purchase items ranging from hover-bikes, social clothing, and pets to luxury apartments with real money. However, it is said that this will not affect gameplay balance.

The game will employ a points system that can be purchased in blocks of 10, 20 or 40 USD/EUR, where 100 points is equivalent to 1 USD/EUR (unfair for Europeans). As an example, a new hover-board starts as low as 300 points, but players can also purchase an entire range.

“This kind of system puts the choice in the hands of the players by allowing them to take as little or as much of the new content as they like,” said Craig Morrison, Game Director on Anarchy Online. “It really adds an extra dimension to what we can provide in terms of fun social items, designed to look cool while being something players don’t feel forced into. That extra element of choice has allowed us to add a much broader range of items than we might if we were simply targeting it into a self contained expansion.”

Paying subscribers of the game will get a set of monthly points included in the subscription price, with longer pricing plans like 6 and 12 months getting extra points.

Funcom has announced an extension of the completely free and play-all-you-want offer in Anarchy Online until January 2008. This extended offer also includes the chance to check out Notum Wars, an expansion pack, allowing players to partake in PvP combat.

The free offer content is now greatly expanded through the ‘Notum Wars’ addition. When released, ‘Notum Wars’ brought a whole new dimension to Player vs. Player MMO combat. With it, players could claim control of large areas of land, build a base with an array of towers and then fight it out with other players to achieve control, prestige and power. With numerous additional features ‘Notum Wars’ now gives all free players a new kind of experience, with more possibilities.

The new and improved offer includes the entire classic version of ‘Anarchy Online’, named “Best MMO of the Year” by PC Gamer US, and ‘Anarchy Online - Notum Wars’, “Expansion Pack of the Year” in Computer Gaming World. Those who play for free are exposed to dynamic in-game advertising, a successful revenue concept implemented by Funcom and developed by Massive Inc. If the player upgrades to additional expansion packs, a monthly subscription fee kicks in, but the player will not be exposed to the ads.