Will MMO's Drop the Sub?

[Radiance]

However I'd like the F2P MMO not to have all of the restrictions or the 'pay to win' ethos that many have.

Whilst that would be ideal for we gamers the game needs some financial reward to run and make a profit or companies will drop it or collapse. The reality is that F2P games need to incentivise players to pay that generally is done thus far by making the game less fun unless you pay. Without the incentive I would put money on most people never putting in a penny. As such most games will continue to keep touting F2P whilst provding what is pretty much an extended trial.
People need to realise F2P is not better for the players looking for a good entertaining game, it is great for companies looking to squeeze a bit more from a game in decline, or those who wish to create a cash shop and need something to fit around it.
B2P is an interesting idea but I can see cash shops creeping in that medium to the same extent.

I can almost guarantee we won't see WoW2 from Blizzard until the behemoth is dead, Blizzard will not release a direct competitor to WoW, not while it is making money hand over fist

 

[bemaniac]

is it true Rift is holding 1 million active subs still? I'm one of them.

 

[No1newts]

Regardless, Asking mum to pay £30 + £10 a month or £30 and thats it, as a parent i know exactly which one.

Maybe not a deterrent but more of a restriction making it harder for the children to play.

How does it act as a deterrent when the main p2p is exactly what you are advocating it shouldn't be because its p2p.

Please give me a decent reason although I really don't think you have one.

 

[LateX'Dog]

How does it act as a deterrent when the main p2p is exactly what you are advocating it shouldn't be because its p2p.

Please give me a decent reason although I really don't think you have one.

I said "Maybe not a deterrent but more of a restriction making it harder for the children to play. "

No matter what people say, its harder for a child to play a P2P then it is a F2P, to say otherwise is to be ignorant.

Most children buy a game like BF3 with a one off cost and free multiplayer, this concept is roughly the same as a F2P MMO, 1 fee and free multiplayer.

When you throw in a monthly direct debit, parents have to not only provide the financial details, but also enter in the details too, which makes the parents more aware of the game there playing.

I never said it stops it completely, i said it acts more as a restriction and filtering some of the children from playing, then a F2P does with its open door policy.

 

[No1newts]

Whilst that would be ideal for we gamers the game needs some financial reward to run and make a profit or companies will drop it or collapse. The reality is that F2P games need to incentivise players to pay that generally is done thus far by making the game less fun unless you pay. Without the incentive I would put money on most people never putting in a penny. As such most games will continue to keep touting F2P whilst provding what is pretty much an extended trial.
People need to realise F2P is not better for the players looking for a good entertaining game, it is great for companies looking to squeeze a bit more from a game in decline, or those who wish to create a cash shop and need something to fit around it.
B2P is an interesting idea but I can see cash shops creeping in that medium to the same extent.

I can almost guarantee we won't see WoW2 from Blizzard until the behemoth is dead, Blizzard will not release a direct competitor to WoW, not while it is making money hand over fist

Pay to win will fail and is terrible.

Properly implemented p2p with cosmetics and non gameplay benefits like extra character slots will work. But as soon as you touch p2w it will slowly die.

 

[wildman]

The sub is dead, SWTOR proved that.

NO.........

SWTOR proved that releasing a load of garbage under the guise of a starwars licence will **** your customers off to the point where they unsubscribe.

SWTOR didn't fail because it was sub, it failed because it was a distraous pile of crap that was managed with the competence of a drunk bus driver.

If Bioware / EA had actually got their ass in gear and released a well polished product and done something earlier for those on 'deserted servers' it would have still been in sub-mode today.

The potential was there, but they all got greedy and now its even worse considering the F2P model for SWTOR is the worse kind of horse crap you could ever come up with.........................

 

[Radiance]

Properly implemented p2p with cosmetics and non gameplay benefits like extra character slots will work.

I hate cash shops in P2P games. You just know deep down where this will lead. I really can't remember back in the day seeing anyone ever say 'I would like to customise my character a bit more...but rather than putting something in game I would like them to charge me extra for it on top of my sub!'
But people will defend it and support it, and companies will see that it's viable and so expand on it. A bit like when game activation codes began and people thought they were a pita and now nobody even realises they are there.

 

[krooton]

Regardless, Asking mum to pay £30 + £10 a month or £30 and thats it, as a parent i know exactly which one.

Maybe not a deterrent but more of a restriction making it harder for the children to play.

Given how many kids have phones with contracts, I don't think a £10 a month sub is something your average, modern parent in need of a cheap nanny would mind paying.

"Keeps the kids indoor, entertained, and out of trouble for less than a Starbucks a week? Sign me up!"

 

[naisdes]

I'm glad I quit WoW. I didn't mind paying something to play the game but I didn't play as much as I should have to warrant a monthly subscription. Some weeks I would play all week and other weeks I log on, AFK in Stormwind and then log off again. I doubt they would ever do a pay daily way of playing too.

Now I'm playing TERA with a few of my friends and I can't imagine going back to sub games providing TERA keeps this quality up.

 

[Fus Ro Dah]

Given how many kids have phones with contracts, I don't think a £10 a month sub is something your average, modern parent in need of a cheap nanny would mind paying.

"Keeps the kids indoor, entertained, and out of trouble for less than a Starbucks a week? Sign me up!"

Right... but the game has to be good for the kid to keep playing. Lots of Kids play WoW and not many kids play other MMO's. Also it's not really a "one off" £30 is it? The kid would be like "hey I need to get this piece of Armour, mum please give me another £10!

I hope to god ESO is sub based. I don't want to have to pay lots of money to have the best armour. Really though what's £10 a month? I used to spend £45 a month on my phone contracts, and that's just a bloody phone

 

[Edward78]

In my opinion the current generation of MMOs are of quite poor standard and don't have much long-time playability compared to those released 4-5yrs ago.

I so agree with that, APB good idea, but it didn't go to good in implementation. I do love the customisation feature, a game that needs that is EvE online. Think about pimping out your ship, or a corp. logo just for your corp. I mean, they couldn't go nuts with it or the game would lag, but CCP could limit it.

 

[No1newts]

Things is in f2p they are cosmetics, no gear looks the best cosmetically, you aren't forced to pay they are perks. Nice perks that some choose to make use of and others don't, the key word is choice.

All said and done though I'm not anti p2p, I'm just anti bad games and most recent p2p have been bad, or poorly supported, or even both. If the ideal game for me came out and was p2p I would pay. I just think in terms of business model f2p has an edge.

 

[ChrisJSY]

Right... but the game has to be good for the kid to keep playing. Lots of Kids play WoW and not many kids play other MMO's.

You'd be surprised, a lot of younger generations coming into age of being able to play on their own pc or play an mmo are playing the new stuff and for them it's their first experience. Without this market group I think a lot of games wouldn't do as well, us vets are harsh on a lot of the pap that comes out today.
(MMO speaking)

I'm pretty sure Latex has used the "subs stop the kids from playing" argument before, conveniently ignoring WoW's community.

The problem is you think he meant it stops then, instead of protect from.
Because like some forms of protection, it doesn't work every time

Wow is the most successful mmo p2p and has the WORST most childish and moronic, whiny fan base in any game ever who turned a great game (vanilla/tbc) into the shambles it is.

Great deterrent!

Also, picking up on the most populate game and saying they have the worst fanbase is odd, the more people you have the more chance you'll find morons; simple extrapolation.
F2P seems to bring in this certain breed of cretin; I can't put my finger on it.

 

[House]

I checked out my old transaction history on SOE when I subbed to PS2 (a good example of F2P not being pay to win IMO), I paid SOE allot of money over the years, Everquest, SWG, planetside 1, EQ2... Even had a station pass for 6 months at one point. WoW got a couple of years out of me, Warhammer online never got past the initial sub (frustratingly), SWTOR got one month on top of the one month that came with it.

Would I sub to a MMO again? only if I had community their. I'm enjoying PS2 right now cause I have a group to play with true I could do it all for free but the sub covers what I would have paid for a game and its a nice XP boost.

Would I buy EQ Next and sub to it?.... maybe... Would I give it a run for a month if it was like PS2 and maybe find a guild and people to play with? yes.

 

[Newbie007]

You'd be surprised, a lot of younger generations coming into age of being able to play on their own pc or play an mmo are playing the new stuff and for them it's their first experience. Without this market group I think a lot of games wouldn't do as well, us vets are harsh on a lot of the pap that comes out today.
(MMO speaking)

The MMORPG playerbase numbers aren't significantly bigger than they were 4 or 5 years ago. They are just spread over more titles. This magical influx of younger/new players isn't happening, they are all too busy playing facebook games, into the console market or playing DotA style games such as LoL.

The problem is you think he meant it stops then, instead of protect from.
Because like some forms of protection, it doesn't work every time

Still a valid point though isn't it, subs don't protect the playerbase from "Children or Morons" as he put it. Its universally acknowledged that WoW's community is the worst going, due to children and morons....! New titles forums are often terrible in the 1st few months and settle down once the 'WoW players" have gone back to WoW.

Also, picking up on the most populate game and saying they have the worst fanbase is odd, the more people you have the more chance you'll find morons; simple extrapolation.

Even at launch WoW's community was looked upon childish & moronic by other MMORPG gamers though

 

[Newbie007]

Would I buy EQ Next and sub to it?.... maybe...

At this moment in time EQN is possibly the only game I *might* think about subbing too and even then only if its sanbox in nature, purely because its Everquest.

 

[Guerrilla]

If the ideal game for me came out and was p2p I would pay.

This is the main point for me, I'd willing sub to a game if I felt it was worth it.

I've recently gone back to WoW for what must be the fourth time... Started over again and am enjoying it at the moment, would I rather not be paying for it? Sure, I don't feel it is as worth it as I once did, however there has been nothing else that has caught my attention and while I'm enjoying it I don't mind so much.