EA exploring subscription model for future Battlefield titles

I'd hate to see what sort of subscription fee I would have had to pay for L4D2 and TF2. But BF3 with a free client? Whatever. I would probably give up after a couple months or so anyway.

Usually, if it comes to that, it's time to quit.
 
Any game that wants you to pay to continue to play, and still have to put up with cheats is immediately ruled out for me. The one off sums for DLC I can deal with, but not some ongoing monthly sub just to play the game. Stuff that.
 
If they change the model for paying for the next game in the series, then the model for the actual game should be altered i.e. it can't be a sub payment for the same type of "boxed product" game, the game itself will have to be delivered, designed and developed in a completely different way.
 
Random Guy said:
the game itself will have to be delivered, designed and developed in a completely different way.
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This is important. Given the mucking around they've done with bugs, patches and DLC so far for BF3 I'd not put up with a monthly fee for it. They'd have to provide something which was highly polished, good quality and more or less bug free on release, with issues promptly patched and a crystal clear DLC plan. Given EA's history I really doubt they could do that. I'd really have to see the exact details of the subscription system, but I'm 95% sure my response would be:

McBain said:
In short, they can shove it up their ring if they go subscription based.
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BF3 is just too shoddy right now to introduce a subscription model. Bugs, imbalances, missing features, various scandals around hacking, the community having to threaten EA before they'd open up about DLC, etc.

But, somewhat sadly, I see sub fee's in future BF titles as an inevitability. Business is about profit, nothing else, so the greedy money men at EA have seen whats going on with CoD and immediately shot their metaphorical load all over their spread sheets. MOAR!

That's not to say its all bad though, they could pull something really special off. Perhaps a BF interpretation of Planetside, fighting over maps that are several hundred KM in size. Or even just a greatly improved version of what they're doing now, with regular updates and proper support for competitive e-sports. Who knows.
 
All games will be delivered like this in a few years so you will all have to get over it or stop gaming.

You will buy the game and pay a subscrition for guaranteed DLC packs over the course of the year etc. Nothing will be forced, you will just pay up front.

Nobody moans at certain Indie developers who are getting CASH UP FRONT for games that they have not even made yet, just because it is a 'cool' thing to do.
 
PapaLazaru said:
Nobody moans at certain Indie developers who are getting CASH UP FRONT for games that they have not even made yet, just because it is a 'cool' thing to do.
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It's to replace the publisher funding model, to avoid crap like the thread is discussing. The fans influence the output much more directly as a result (hell, RPGCodex are donating a seperate sum to get a side section in Wasteland 2 dedicated to them). Unless you think developers have other jobs that pay the bills and software is a hobby for them?

Nobody forced you to donate to Kickstarter, just as you can avoid purchasing EA's titles.
 
PapaLazaru said:
Nobody moans at certain Indie developers who are getting CASH UP FRONT for games that they have not even made yet, just because it is a 'cool' thing to do.
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You can still buy the game as normal once it's made and released though, so I see no problem with that, I wouldn't donate before the game is even made though. You can't just say that you don't want a sub, and then buy the game and play as normal when there's a sub forced on you.
 
PapaLazaru said:
All games will be delivered like this in a few years so you will all have to get over it or stop gaming.

You will buy the game and pay a subscrition for guaranteed DLC packs over the course of the year etc. Nothing will be forced, you will just pay up front.
Click to expand...

It is an excuse to charge a monthly fee and STILL have DLC as extra, many games currently do this.

PapaLazaru said:
Nobody moans at certain Indie developers who are getting CASH UP FRONT for games that they have not even made yet, just because it is a 'cool' thing to do.
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People moan at E.A and their ilk because they have no respect for the industry and have CEO's who say stupid things like this:


The "Money" men have polluted the gaming industry and it stinks, at least the Indies still have the respect for the industry which is why I vote with my wallet.

We should be fighting for the gaming industry we love, not the popular culture **** pile it is becoming.
 
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PapaLazaru said:
You will buy the game and pay a subscrition for guaranteed DLC packs over the course of the year etc. Nothing will be forced, you will just pay up front.
Click to expand...

You are 100% correct.

I was at a presentation in January where a BF subscription model was presented. Obviously it wasn't final, but it pretty much equated to something like $X/year which gives you extra features, plus all 4 DLC packs which are coming. The $X/year actually worked out LESS than if you bought all 4 DLC packs on their own.

Don't panic.
 
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