It's a great altruistic notion to run everything online for free, but the cost of it is actually quite exorbitant, and with data centre space running at ever more a premium prices are going up. If you think you've got to provide rack space, power, air con, 24x7 staff coverage, support teams etc. etc, its not going to be long until you start to make a loss. A lot of games like FPSs (e.g. CS:S, Battlefield 1942 etc. etc.) and the like are fine as they rely on third parties to run most of the servers, defraying a lot of the cost.
How Long Before Every Online Game = Monthly Subscription?
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It's a great altruistic notion to run everything online for free, but the cost of it is actually quite exorbitant, and with data centre space running at ever more a premium prices are going up. If you think you've got to provide rack space, power, air con, 24x7 staff coverage, support teams etc. etc, its not going to be long until you start to make a loss. A lot of games like FPSs (e.g. CS:S, Battlefield 1942 etc. etc.) and the like are fine as they rely on third parties to run most of the servers, defraying a lot of the cost.
Like others have said, I'm fine with advertisements in games just as long as it doesn't spoil the experience. It would be relatively easy to incorporate adverts in some games, however not as easy for others.
Imagine an online Oblivion type game. Where do modern adverts come in here? Nike branded plate armor?
Imagine an online Oblivion type game. Where do modern adverts come in here? Nike branded plate armor?
It will never happen because people would simply migrate to xbox live or things like that.And will not buy their games if they have to pay monthly so there will be no point in them doing it at a loss.I think they do realize that free online play is an essential part of the game and one of the main reasons and possibly only reasons people buy it.
More profit for the games companies sounds good to me, as it'll mean they'll make more games with bigger budgets and hopefully move onwards and upwards. If subtle advertising helps them achieve this, then personally i'd be all for it.
Could never see the need for a sub in a game that wasnt an MMO. adverts arent so bad not like i'd care that much if i was driving round in the new pgr with a boards up advertising something completly random, i think in the likes of GTA it would make it feel a bit more realistic
Agreed. Most games I cannot see the problem with adverts.
So long as I don't have to ever see lots of Intel branding in a Star Wars game or something!
How do some of you nto realise the only games where you have pay monthly are ones where the people who made the game provide a continuous service (servers etc). General fps games where people can host their own servers will never be pay to play. stop crying....
Soldato
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Subscription based online games are (and should only be) games that provide constant updates and extra content. Unless you're on an xbox, in which case all games are £40 a year to play online
Some of you will say adverts in games are ok but how far do you think they will go?
Doesn't sound that bad when its the odd static ad on a billboard or something unobtrusive but what happens when the games force you to update the ads while possibly sending out stats and who knows what back to them? what if you start getting popup ads in the middle of a game or have to actually wait longer than a load to watch a forced ad video between levels that you also had to of downloaded, its a slippery slope and ffs why should we accept adverts infesting one of our last sources of practically ad free media entertainment?
Doesn't sound that bad when its the odd static ad on a billboard or something unobtrusive but what happens when the games force you to update the ads while possibly sending out stats and who knows what back to them? what if you start getting popup ads in the middle of a game or have to actually wait longer than a load to watch a forced ad video between levels that you also had to of downloaded, its a slippery slope and ffs why should we accept adverts infesting one of our last sources of practically ad free media entertainment?
Heh, it's pretty amazing sometimes how much, no, how little imagination or initiative people have these days.
Wondering why big MMO's have to charge a monthly subscription etc, I guess they think they can run a company with more clients/users than some european nations, support them in different languages all over the world, and not charge them? Run if off initial sales and expansion packs.
Not to mention all that hardware and bandwidth to run all those servers and have the techinical support to keep them up!
Seriously, it doesn't take that much to imagine how hard that is and how much that costs, you know, they have to pay their employees too?
If ingame adds (some are pretty cool..mixed in with themed game adds) means it's cheaper for you, stop complaining.
Wondering why big MMO's have to charge a monthly subscription etc, I guess they think they can run a company with more clients/users than some european nations, support them in different languages all over the world, and not charge them? Run if off initial sales and expansion packs.
Not to mention all that hardware and bandwidth to run all those servers and have the techinical support to keep them up!
Seriously, it doesn't take that much to imagine how hard that is and how much that costs, you know, they have to pay their employees too?
If ingame adds (some are pretty cool..mixed in with themed game adds) means it's cheaper for you, stop complaining.