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How do you want to pay for your games?
Deathofsage
Member UncommonPosts: 1,102
There's a real stigma against Free-to-Play (F2P) games, or Pay-to-Win (P2W) as the less kind reference goes. One resaon for this is companies are able to tack on items, content, efficiency bonuses, whenever they feel and you're always in a very unique sort of grind. No matter what you can do this month, there's more to buy next month.
Additionally, the major releases tend to release on a subscription basis only going F2P when the numbers decline.
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The direct alternative is Subscription based. These have two key downfalls of their own--1) Once you stop paying and your subscription period has run out, access is prohibited. It doesn't matter if you've payed >$1000 in subscriptions, once you can not or will not pay, the deal is done. 2) This is not usually the primay method but the backup plan to bring people back, and more importantly, bring people in. This gets a negative feel to it because it's used by companies that have no alternatives.
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The behemoth is the hybrid. This is a monster that should never be allowed to exist. You're never done paying . The company can expect [x] for subscription income and slowly leak more items and content into the market for a boost to income, or just release another exp/bonus gains pack.
It lacks the benefit of the subcription--you pay, you get it--and it lacks the benefit of the F2P--as long as the servers are online, you can still play.
Some would argue that even Blizzard is approaching this with their "premimum service", a slap in the face to people, again, who have >$350, >$600 or >$1300 in the game. My only counter to that is that the premium services (real ID invites, and online Auction House) are not having a direct impact on gameplay or what your character is capable of in game yet. Blizzard has also sold mounts and compansions in the past from their store.
So which do you prefer? I personally prefer a flat fee I know I'm paying each month. No premium service garbage. I pay a bill, just like I pay my cable company, and I get to use their services.
Spec'ing properly is a gateway drug.
12 Million People have been meter spammed in heroics.
Comments
Subs, because I dont spend 100 dollars playing a PAY TO WIN GAME. I think its pointless.
Sub is an obvious option - i pay and i receive the same amount of content as everyone paying - its fair (especially when it includes free content updates - of a size of addons)
agree simple cuz everyones the same and depends on how much ur willing to put effort on it that separates us.
BTW; the only games were CS aren't OP that i found were LOTRO,D&D and global aika.
Free to Play, where I only pay for content as I want/need it or pay for things that don't have any/much impact on gameplay. (such as Skins in LoL)
Both work well.
I will not play a Pay-To-Win game. If the game offers anything in their Item Mall, that even slightly effects gameplay, I won't play it.
XP Boosts are fine, as long as the game isn't insanely grindy to the point where you absolutely need them.
Gold Boosts are pushing it.
I play far too many games to pay for subscriptions. I haven't found an MMO to hold me for more than a month straight, since EVE in 2003 and UO. There are plenty I have bought and would love to go back and play for a little bit to see how they have changed, such as Darkfall.
I think DCUO would benefit greatly from a Pay As You Go model and skin item mall. I would love to play DCUO, but I would never spend a monthly fee on it.
Got a Game Idea? Look Here!
When I play MMOs I like to be the best that I can. I like to have the best armor, the best weapons.. the best everything. And with most free-to-play games it really sucks for people like me. Instead of getting everything with that $14.99.. you gotta buy everything in small incriments. And, like I said, for people like me it all adds up.
Oh, you want that neat sword? Gotta buy the dungeon for $4.99 You want to be the best PVPer you can? Gotta buy the damage multipliers for $9.99. Low on gold? Here, go use this scroll for $4.99. Running out of bag/bank space? That'll be $2.99...
I like that freedom of having everything available to you.. the only thing you need is time. And I got plenty of that.
But there are cases of games doing it right. Where the only things in the item mall are experience multipliers and aesthetic items like costumes, hair, name changes, etc.. I'd much rather play a F2P game like that than monthly.
Currently Playing:
Nothing.
Though some implied it, the poll and some replies show that Subscriptions isn't the obvious choice though I'll always choose it over the alternative.
There's no sense of accomplishment, to me, in having paid a few dollars for a weapon. I'm not unique, everyone else with those few dollars has the same weapon and it quickly becomes like so many things has...nothing special. You also run the same gauntlet that subscription games run. Yours is great, the best, til they decide to make better, then you have to shell it out again.
The point of this post, if it has any point at all, is to let gaming companies know what we want. I'm kind of afraid of what's coming.
Spec'ing properly is a gateway drug.
12 Million People have been meter spammed in heroics.
Buy to play. I know it's not really plausible, but ideally I would rather not have to pay for anything beyond the initial box. Bundle the DLC and cash shop items into an expansion or sequel, in my opinion. I want to enjoy the entire game at my own pace. I do not like having to research what content is worth paying for and which to avoid. I don't like having to budget my RL wallet in order to play a game, no matter how good it is. I would rather pay $100 once for all of it.
Vault-Tec analysts have concluded that the odds of worldwide nuclear armaggeddon this decade are 17,143,762... to 1.
Sub.
When I first starting playing mmorpgs, I thought paying a monthly sub for a video game was very odd. My girlfriend actually gave me shit when she found out that not only did I buy the box, but I was shelling out money every month to continue to play. It didn't take me long though, to see how good a value it truly was.
I've seen far too many F2P games get out of hand. It always starts with little things that end up snowballing into the unacceptable. I don't mind F2P for my "cheap thrills" online multiplayer games, but when it comes to "fine gaming", I expect more from an mmorpg.
"Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand... the way it works out here. You're all just our guests. But you act like you're at home. Let me tell you something, partner. You ain't home. But that's where we're gonna send you if it harelips the governor." - Pat Webb
I prefer F2Ps, simply because I can try a game without having to spend $50 upfront (should the game not provide a free trial). But there are F2Ps where the Cash Shop will give unfair advantage to players, so I will always avoid those MMOs. The only F2Ps I've spent money on were F2Ps that sells cosmetics or conveniance items that have no impact on game balance (such as mounts).
I still play P2Ps though, but only MMOs I've already had experience with and that I know I like. Most newer P2P titles have been major disappointment over disappointment and having to spend money for bad products has made me skeptical of P2Ps so I have distanced myself from the business model.
Subscription , yes, when you don't pay your subscription runs out. But most subscription games are good in the sense of, they are worth playing. They offer more of the basic stuff, better PvP better crafting and questing. But also, the graphics and updates are pretty stable as well.
Even games you pay into once just to play, are not to bad too.
With the way both models are implemented in the majority of current examples, I'd say sub. If we're looking at overall potential, however, I would say F2P with an item mall consisting ONLY of convenience and cosmetic items. As soon as the cash shop items start giving players an otherwise unreachable competitive advantage - see: Perfect World, Requiem, etc. - they may as well just integrate those items into the existing gameplay and start charging a sub.
What I would really like to see is the abolition of box prices for MMOs that have subscription costs. I think that a lot more people would be willing to give older or less popular games a shot if they knew they weren't gonna have to pay $20+ just to get a feel for the game. 30 day trial then convert to sub cost = win IMO.
Voted Hybrid as it didn't have B2P, F2P is NOT B2P.
I don't like subs as it gives more power to the developer while B2P is gives power to the players. If they players don't like what is happening then they can hurt the developer the most...in their wallets. Many think that a B2P model equates to a shitty game which the reality is bout the opposite.
Subs lead to an abuse of ones playerbase, WoW is a prime example. Less than a third of what one pays to Blizz actually goes into the game operation and game development. Then they try to make more money by making their faithful player base spend more money on "premium service" and other goodies with rarely rewarding their players. Whatever anniversery was last the palyers got a "Feat of Strength" pfft. Subs condones greed by the developer.
Subscription (P2P) is the only real accept payment model. Box price only would be better, but there are not a lot of developers that will go that route. If a developer really wants to go the P2W route, then allowing players to purchase game time from other players with in game currency is the limit.
Fluff items can be acceptable if they are done with good intentions. I don't think I would have a problem if they wanted to sell pink ribbons (no stat boost) for breast cancer and donated 100% to charity.
^, Agreed. I honestly wouldn't even care if was only 75%.
For the user that wants to buy a BC ribbon, an anime mask for the Japan Quake, a Make-A-Wish magic wand. Hell yeah.
But that's besides the point. Companion pets are one thing, cosmetic gear is fine. It's great when these contribute to a good cause because they're basically enabling the players to contribute. It's a whole different thing when it's a profit game. They're making profit in the sub fees. If they aren't, lower costs or up fees.
Spec'ing properly is a gateway drug.
12 Million People have been meter spammed in heroics.
I choose F2P, since you are free to try the game until higher levels to see if it's really worth sticking to. Also, Money and Time are both very limited for me, so if I can only play 1-3 hours a week, my $40 subscription won't be wasted on just 12 hours of gametime.
I'm mostly a casual gamer so I play S4 League, Forsaken World, or Aika Global if I feel like it.
What I DON'T like are games that try to scam you into paying for useless stuff (as in, "I gotta have those, or else the game will be HELL"). I still can't forget Perfect World where in later levels, you'll need to burn through heiros (things that heal you to full if your hp goes below 50%) in order to just Survive. I DON'T like that kind of game.
...so yeah... it'd really depend on what kind of gamer you are. I'd like a high-quality P2P, or a B2P like Guild Wars, but with my limited time, I'll just stick to F2P games like Aika or Forsaken World or something.
Sturgeon's Law: "90% of everything is crud."
Subscription
I would like to write "IOU" on a piece of paper and mail it to them to pay for my sub fee.
/sigh
It may be a super-small sample size (31 votes atm) but it's sad to see that 25%~ of the voters do support F2P/P2W or Hybrid models.
The future so bleak, I need nightvision. =(
Spec'ing properly is a gateway drug.
12 Million People have been meter spammed in heroics.
Sub so i dont have a item mall in the game i play.
Plus many times subscription games have deals when you take 6 months you pay only 10 euros a months that seems a very good deal to play game thats free of those bloody item malls hehe.
B2P.
How was that not a poll option? :P
I was just never a fan of paying monthly in order to keep playing a game I already purchased (if it had offline compents that'd be a different story, but they don't), and can't say I care for cashshops either but I atleat ignore and tolerate them (when it's possible).
At the very least I would be okay only paying for the time I actually used! Not for entire months where I got maybe 5-10hrs in.
Buy to play with lots of expansion packs
Paying every month for a game means I feel like I have to justify it with time. I am definately not going to have simultaneous active subscriptions for Tera, AoC, SW:TOR, GW2 and every other game that may strike my fancy. If they were all B2P then I would most likely have all of them. P2P almost guarantees that I will not play them.
Pay to Win gets an immediate uninstall.
All of my posts are either intelligent, thought provoking, funny, satirical, sarcastic or intentionally disrespectful. Take your pick.
I get banned in the forums for games I love, so lets see if I do better in the forums for games I hate.
I enjoy the serenity of not caring what your opinion is.
I don't hate much, but I hate Apple© with a passion. If Steve Jobs was alive, I would punch him in the face.
Subscription for me. All this free to play hybrid stuff just turns me off.
Buy to play, is the utlimate one for me. They get money to make an awesome game, but they're not making me spend my lifesaving either.
scribble scribble scribble
First a little bone to pick w/ F2P. Games coined as FREE to Play are ABSOLUTELY not free to play. As a matter of fact, F2P games can often times end up costing a competitive player more money via cash shop than they would spend with a flat rate subscription.
Secondly, how you fall on this option probably has a lot to do with how you view the role of MMORPGs.
If your an old school "virtual world" type of MMORPG player, you probably want a flat subscription rate. Virtual World MMORPGs are much about the community....and as such, competition is a major focal point in the game. In a highly competitive environment with other players in the community......it isn't fair that the guy next door (who has more access to money) can get an unfair advantage over another because they have paid for more potions, better gear, higher stats, or access to special dungeons, etc.
If your of the new "themepark" type of MMORPG player, then you might be more interested in a cash shop model. New "casual" MMORPG fans are looking for brief, and varied, game play experiences. They are probably playing 2-3 different MMORPGs in 30-60 minute sittings, in games that focus primarily on the player's "story"....which typically gets played out as a solo experience. In these types of environments, other player's experience doesn't effect yours as much.....and as such, a player purchasing potions, gear, or other combat enhancing items doesn't effect your game play as much.
Sub then timecard when I hit max cap.
Velika: City of Wheels: Among the mortal races, the humans were the only one that never built cities or great empires; a curse laid upon them by their creator, Gidd, forced them to wander as nomads for twenty centuries...