Rumors have been circulating about Farmville supposedly introducing a subscription fee into the game, but CNET is reporting that they will not be charging any subscription fee. The game has been in BETA since launch, and while the upgrade to the full version will likely involve some important changes, it’s doubtful that Zynga would use the occasion to alienate the majority of users on their largest game.
The uproar started when FarmvilleFreak.com, the leading Farmville fan site, posted about Farmville’s transition out of BETA later this year. Apparently, a reader found an email falsely stating that:
“ ATTENTION: Zynga has announced that as of March 31, 2010 FarmVille will no longer be available in it’s Beta version. The game will be available for a subscription fee of $5.99 per month and will include additional levels above 70. …… “.
The news got picked up by various outlets, and was a popular TechBlip on Daily Radar. The rumor mill spread but Zynga crushed it today, claiming there were absolutely no plans to do this. This was likely an important fire to put out, as if their audience were to feel payment were coming, it would threaten their motivation to build up the empires that Farmville is so famous for.
The news was dismissed by the majority of the readers on the site itself, as a poll at the site reported
these results:
- True, I saw this coming! 14% (343 votes)
- False, The Farm Gods wouldn’t do this. 72% (1,726 votes)
- Maybe, I already spend on Mystery Boxes. 14% (325 votes)
