Trion Worlds takes Defiance into the brave new virtual world of free-to-play

One of the grand experiments in all of gaming is going even more experimental. Trion Worlds is announcing today that its Defiance massively multiplayer online game is going free-to-play this summer. If enough people join and purchase goods via microtransactions, then the shift to free-to-play could revive the fortunes of the game and boost demand for the SyFy television show that accompanies it.

Defiance has been a commercial disappointment, launching last year to poor reviews after five years of development. But it has a shot at a revival as season two of the TV show begins this summer. Trion Worlds has kept plugging away at it, improving the game experience and making it more engaging with downloadable content, said Scott Hartsman, the chief executive of Redwood City, Calif.-based Trion, in an interview with GamesBeat.