The makers of free-to-play shooter Quake Live are putting a price on the web-based shooter, offering both "Premium" and "Pro" subscription options for FPS fans. The good news is that you still don't have to play to play Quake Live.
Yes, Quake Live will still be free-to-play, should you choose that option, but id Software is offering a few perks to players willing to cough up an annual subscription. Those plans range from about $24 to $48 USD per year and include the following enhancements to the current Quake Live experience.
Premium Subscription ($1.99 per month, billed annually)
- Access to 20 QUAKE LIVE Premium only maps at launch with more to come. Premium maps are a combination of brand new maps and frequently requested community favorites from previous QUAKE games such as Aerowalk, Theater of Pain, Japanese Castles, and Realm of Steel Rats
- An all new ‘Freeze Tag' game mode
- Exclusive premium level awards
- Create your own clan and join up to five separate clans
- Custom QUAKE LIVE profile wallpaper
- Match statistics stored for six months
Pro Subscription ($3.99 per month, billed annually)
- Includes all Premium Subscription features
- The ability to start your own game server, specify a server location, determine the game mode and invite who you want to join you
- With the Pro Subscription, you can invite three friends with Standard level memberships to play with you in any Premium level map
- Exclusive pro awards
- Create your own clan and join up to ten separate clans
- Match statistics stored for 12 months
The good old free version will still offer "friend lists, access to one clan, matchmaking, and stats tracking delivered through a web browser with more than 40 arenas and five game modes."
Kotaku will be looking at Quake Live and everything else Doom, Quake and Rage-related at this year's QuakeCon 2010, which runs August 12 to 15.