The Video Game May Be Free, but to Be a Winner Can Cost Money
In Korea massively multiplayer online game are like Facebook, MySpace, SecondLife and Reality TV combined. Over 40% of the Korean population are engaged in online games everyday. In Korea it's not a single person sitting isolated at their PC as in EverQuest and World of Warcraft, they play in social groups and they buy stuff in the games.
EA is launching a free download of their new Battlefield Heroes game and they are betting that Americans will want to dress their solders like Barbie Dolls and pay real money for it.
There will also be Ad placement throughout this theatre of war and I don't know if you can blow-up the virtual billboards or not, we'll have to download the game to find out!