Ok, this is totally insane. So unbelievable that the company would even do this. The offer isn't so crazy, but the "making" of the offer is. That's like investing in the long levity of a glazed donut, and we all know that widow is mere hours. Or even better yet, the offering of a life time membership to a work out fitness gym. and we all know the rest of the story there. I have preordered the game and looking forward to playing it. Since they are the same boys made City of Heroes, I can only assume that it will be better and City of heroes was a blast. (for a few months) It's certainly not about the money, but looking over the last 5 years of mmo's one would be crazy to invest in this crap shoot. It's so lame I am almost embarrassed for the company.
*sigh* You must all be rich. 200+ Dollar is just out of anything I can dream of. Dont even know I will play more than 2-3 months at this point. This isnt EQ days, where you knew you would play a MMO for years to come. Kinda odd to invest so much into a game.
I don't find this offer so crazy. There are people in beta who may know whether they like the game enough to buy in or not, and there is a new beta coming for people who've pre-ordered. They'll get to try it before they decide whether it's worth it or not.
I did this with LOTRO, and if I remember correctly, it was the same type of deal, you had to take advantage of it when signing up. I tried it in beta and thought it was worth a lifetime sub and bought in. Long term, it wasn't. I haven't picked up the game in ages, but if I ever do have the urge to download the game and play it again, I can. Not one of my best decisions, but not one of my worst either.
fyi - I'm not saying whether CO is worth it or not, just that the 'idea' of this type of offer isn't totally crazy. The fact that they offer incentives concerning ST online does make it seem like there are issues with CO, but I have no idea if that's the case or not. I really would like to be in the STO beta. I'm not pro or con to CO atm.
NO ONE is forcing you to take either offer or use the MTs to enjoy this game to it's fullest. YOU may not like the idea but I can tell you a lot are loving it, with LOTRO and DDO it was the same offer except it was more for the beta testers but again most peoples liked the idea, and this one is for anyone would pre-orders.
The game 'life' is all down to the players, it's not the dev's falut these days that many people have the etention span of a nat, much like CoX people just sat around with their characters and chatted or roleplayed, this is whom the offer is aimed at not the 'power gamer' we know most of them will cap out nd put the game down after a month and run to the next title to 'pown'.
This is what people mean when the industry struggles it's not the developers falut, it's the players who put too much into expecations on what is and what isn't 'correct' with MMOs - if you really think these games have 'failed' quit armchair deving and get out there and prove it can be done better.
For gods sake! Take of those damned tinfoil hats! NO ONE is forcing you to take either offer or use the MTs to enjoy this game to it's fullest. YOU may not like the idea but I can tell you a lot are loving it, with LOTRO and DDO it was the same offer except it was more for the beta testers but again most peoples liked the idea, and this one is for anyone would pre-orders. The game 'life' is all down to the players, it's not the dev's falut these days that many people have the etention span of a nat, much like CoX people just sat around with their characters and chatted or roleplayed, this is whom the offer is aimed at not the 'power gamer' we know most of them will cap out nd put the game down after a month and run to the next title to 'pown'. This is what people mean when the industry struggles it's not the developers falut, it's the players who put too much into expecations on what is and what isn't 'correct' with MMOs - if you really think these games have 'failed' quit armchair deving and get out there and prove it can be done better.
That's true. My mmo experience have been switching between wow and CoH, each time playing over a year. The offer works the best for more casual gamers that wont burn the content in a month. I still have to try the beta, but if I like it, I am pretty sure I can more less justify the risk over the release content over a year (not planning to play like crazy, I want to get out of mmo workload).
I am going to test it over the beta as much as possible before deciding about the lifetime offer.
MT , monthly subscription and now 6 month and lifelong ones.... am i the only one who is confused? i seriously cant wait to play the game but all these "cryptic" talk is silly
interesting way to choose people to beta STO (sad, but interesting) there is certainly great interest in STO and this way those that really, really want to get into the game as soon as possible can do so by paying their way into beta well, STO anticipation just went down a notch for me maybe it is just me but this whole thing seems to read that they really don't have a lot of faith in Champions Online
hopefully lifetime subscribers will also be getting a nice handful of "cash shop cash" to make up for the fact that this game will be going totally ftp within a year
Doesn't open beta start on the 15th? I know that if I like it during the open beta period that I'd probably make the effort to pick up a lifetime subscription. I have a very good nose at picking stinkers when it comes to MMO's. All it will take for me to decide on whether to take a lifetime subscription would be for me to play the open beta.
I will admit that I have a lifetime subscription to LOTRO :P and I've played that game as my backup MMO off and on without the fear of needing to log on everyday to get the most out my "subscription". Those of you complaining about the price well go get a job. I've spent more money on my motorcycle just buying a exhaust along with other hobbies and MMO's when it comes to adding up the entire subscription time I've played them.
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
hmm... I may do the six month thing just to get in the STO beta... kinda sad huh?
Sad? Yes.
Do I understand where you're coming from? Sadly, yes.
I was even doing the math to figure out if I really want in on STO that bad... would it really be worth getting a 6 month sub to a game I won't play? Maybe I could gift it to a friend.
I wish I could say more here, However I am under NDA so... All I think I can say is I do not plan on buying the game.
Whatever - I loved CoX for 5 years and most people here think it's crap. So I'm not going to listen to anyones opinion on this game.
I'm gong to do what I did with CoX, listen to my own opinion only and not go with the crowd.
I also thought WAR was a great game, so people opinions on MMOs mean crap to me.
I would even now consider purchasing a lifetime sub for CoX (for a reasonable price). Having played the beta for 5 months for Champs, I'd have to say I don't want to give them a dime and would only consider purchasing because I want to play STO that bad.
Personally, this limited time offer on the lifetime subscription reeks of a total scam, and that's not even getting into whether or not the game is actually any good. What they're doing is trying to sucker those people who are really excited for the game. Try and get them to throw down $200 to get a few extra things without even being able to try the game out yet. It's just a really, really low thing to do. My faith in the game is plummeting quickly, so I doubt I'll be picking it up on launch, if I even do at all. And this is coming from a big CoH fan who has been playing CoH since launch.
I respect that you all the right to your own opinion but some of you take it so seriously. Cryptic is only making an offer to the public, if you dont like that offer dont take it.
Personally, this limited time offer on the lifetime subscription reeks of a total scam, and that's not even getting into whether or not the game is actually any good. What they're doing is trying to sucker those people who are really excited for the game. Try and get them to throw down $200 to get a few extra things without even being able to try the game out yet. It's just a really, really low thing to do. My faith in the game is plummeting quickly, so I doubt I'll be picking it up on launch, if I even do at all. And this is coming from a big CoH fan who has been playing CoH since launch.
Totally agree, This reeks of desperation.
Let's see, first Jack sells City of Heroes to NCSoft so he can crawl into bed with Microsoft to create the Marvel MMO, a direct competitor to the game he just abandoned. As is their nature, MS kills the project when the bills start coming in with nothing but promises and hot air from Cryptic to show for the investment. Emmert is then stuck with a superhero game and no one to buy it. Then he works out a deal with Hero Games to adapt his game to their niche PnP RPG system, eventually buying the company so he can have total creative control over the franchise.
Add one Bill Roper, the huckster who left Blizzard when Vivendi wouldn't let he and his chums have greater decision-making ability with World of Warcraft. Roper and chums create Flagship and hype their Hellgate: London franchise, a game which, it would be revealed, had a serious identity problem. As has been so aptly said here, HG:L was a single-player game which Roper & Co tried to make look like a MMO. After many overseas PR trips and extravagant marketing, Flagship releases HG:L, but not before offering the same lifetime subscription model we're are seeing right here. HG:L Founders got a real bargain at a mere 150 smackers for the full-meal deal. What they couldn't foresee is that Roper would abandon the game a little more than a year later, closing Flagship's doors and allowing HG: L to be taken over (as in OVERSEAS!) by Flagship's Korean creditors. Founders were left with a nice parting gift of a single-player game and a pretty box. Koreans are still playing the game. The announcement that Roper had been hired by Cryptic was a bad omen.
In the meantime, Emmert sold Cryptic to Infogrames / Atari, similarly financially-struggling company with no MMO experience. The fix was in. The game was pushed back from its July release date for "polish". Then the rumors broke of the existence of an Item Shop mechanic in the beta code. Typical, Cryptic and Roper let the controversy boil over before finally announcing that Champions Online would include features that could only be bought with real cash, in addition to the full industry-standard subscription fee.
Now we have the Lifetime Subscription being offered before the game is even released, just like Hellgate: London with similar perks, another indication of a severely cash-strapped developer with no confidence in their finished product. Call it all the sweet things you like, but this is nothing more than a fast-grab revenue generator. Good luck and godspeed to the unwary "fans" who will fall for this, oblivious to what has gone before.
Cryptic has subscribed to the P. T. Barnum marketing model. Hurry in for this exclusive limited-time offer! Some restrictions do apply. Void where prohibited by law.
"Soloists and those who prefer small groups should never have to feel like they''re the ones getting the proverbial table scraps, as it were." - Scott Hartsman, Senior Producer, Everquest II "People love groups. Its a fallacy that people want to play solo all the time." - Scott Hartsman, Executive Producer, Rift
Everyone considering this should look at the man behind this game Bill Roper. Look what happened to the game he last offered lifetime subscription with. Just do your homework please.
I think it is really sad that CS must obviously think CO can't draw subscribers on it's own that they have to try to bribe players with a STO beta acess to get them to play CO. It really bothers me that more and more GD's are trying to charge money for beta acess to scam players to take a chance on some IP that has little or no chance of even being succesful. If the GD can't get their publishers to support them instead of the beta testers then maybe they need to rethink their career choices.
I remember the days when gamers would of loved to get paid to test games....now GD's want US to pay THEM to test their game? Not I, and anyone who fell for DF should know not to either, heh.
I would be wary of taking advantage of either offer for closed beta access, as it doesn't say when you will join the closed beta (could be the final wave before open).
Also, I think LOTRO allowed pre-order person to take advantage of their lifetime offer after the initial release of the game. It was not restricted to open beta, as far as I remember.
To me, the thing I don't like about this is the tacking on of extras. It becomes less an offer to the players and more a mammoth collectors edition.
The single largest problem with lifetime subs, for me, is the fact that once they have my money I no longer have any avenue of meaningful protest. I can no longer "vote with my wallet" if I think it sucks or later on takes a turn for the worst (think the SWG NGE here). It's not the cost, it's the principle of the matter. The foregoing applies to lifetime subs in general. In the specific, there is no way in hell I would even consider a paying a lifetime sub for a game that Roper has had any hand in.
Ok I preordered the damn game April and what Key. I call Gamestop where I paid and they have nothing yet. What preorder key? As far as lifetime memberships. Good deal, Doesnt hurt anyone and benifits lots. Just as long as NCSOFT doesnt spend all their preorder money up front leaving nothing left for later.
This post is intentionally written as to not make any sense what so ever. Thank You Very Much.
Just as long as NCSOFT doesnt spend all their preorder money up front leaving nothing left for later.
Cryptic / Atari not NCSOFT....
It makes me sad to see NCSoft name incorrectly associated with Champions Online, they have absolutely no relations with CO. I could proceed with an item mall rant but I'm not in the mood.
if they offer this deal (like Lotro did) after launch then i willl jump all over it provided the game is at least a standard MMO style game (WAR, AoC(minus the bugs)...ect).
MMO wish list:
-Changeable worlds -Solid non level based game -Sharks with lasers attached to their heads
And then it hit me... you actually have to play for 20+ months for this to break even with just getting 6 month subs back to back. If you are an altoholic the extra slots might be enough to jump but otherwise $15/month is peanuts and getting into betas is almost guaranteed for all but the high profile ones. Cry never did get my Aion beta QQ. But then NCSoft won't be getting my sub either until I've read about it after launch backwards and forwards :P
Comments
Cryptic was in good standing in my eyes until i've seen what has gone on over the last few months. I don't plan on giving these guys any of my money.
Ok, this is totally insane. So unbelievable that the company would even do this. The offer isn't so crazy, but the "making" of the offer is. That's like investing in the long levity of a glazed donut, and we all know that widow is mere hours. Or even better yet, the offering of a life time membership to a work out fitness gym. and we all know the rest of the story there. I have preordered the game and looking forward to playing it. Since they are the same boys made City of Heroes, I can only assume that it will be better and City of heroes was a blast. (for a few months) It's certainly not about the money, but looking over the last 5 years of mmo's one would be crazy to invest in this crap shoot. It's so lame I am almost embarrassed for the company.
King of the world
*sigh* You must all be rich. 200+ Dollar is just out of anything I can dream of. Dont even know I will play more than 2-3 months at this point. This isnt EQ days, where you knew you would play a MMO for years to come. Kinda odd to invest so much into a game.
I don't find this offer so crazy. There are people in beta who may know whether they like the game enough to buy in or not, and there is a new beta coming for people who've pre-ordered. They'll get to try it before they decide whether it's worth it or not.
I did this with LOTRO, and if I remember correctly, it was the same type of deal, you had to take advantage of it when signing up. I tried it in beta and thought it was worth a lifetime sub and bought in. Long term, it wasn't. I haven't picked up the game in ages, but if I ever do have the urge to download the game and play it again, I can. Not one of my best decisions, but not one of my worst either.
fyi - I'm not saying whether CO is worth it or not, just that the 'idea' of this type of offer isn't totally crazy. The fact that they offer incentives concerning ST online does make it seem like there are issues with CO, but I have no idea if that's the case or not. I really would like to be in the STO beta. I'm not pro or con to CO atm.
For gods sake! Take of those damned tinfoil hats!
NO ONE is forcing you to take either offer or use the MTs to enjoy this game to it's fullest. YOU may not like the idea but I can tell you a lot are loving it, with LOTRO and DDO it was the same offer except it was more for the beta testers but again most peoples liked the idea, and this one is for anyone would pre-orders.
The game 'life' is all down to the players, it's not the dev's falut these days that many people have the etention span of a nat, much like CoX people just sat around with their characters and chatted or roleplayed, this is whom the offer is aimed at not the 'power gamer' we know most of them will cap out nd put the game down after a month and run to the next title to 'pown'.
This is what people mean when the industry struggles it's not the developers falut, it's the players who put too much into expecations on what is and what isn't 'correct' with MMOs - if you really think these games have 'failed' quit armchair deving and get out there and prove it can be done better.
Bring on the WARRRRGGHH!
That's true. My mmo experience have been switching between wow and CoH, each time playing over a year. The offer works the best for more casual gamers that wont burn the content in a month. I still have to try the beta, but if I like it, I am pretty sure I can more less justify the risk over the release content over a year (not planning to play like crazy, I want to get out of mmo workload).
I am going to test it over the beta as much as possible before deciding about the lifetime offer.
MT , monthly subscription and now 6 month and lifelong ones.... am i the only one who is confused? i seriously cant wait to play the game but all these "cryptic" talk is silly
If you are confused now, wait until they offer some kind of collectors edition. hehe
Agreed.
Doesn't open beta start on the 15th? I know that if I like it during the open beta period that I'd probably make the effort to pick up a lifetime subscription. I have a very good nose at picking stinkers when it comes to MMO's. All it will take for me to decide on whether to take a lifetime subscription would be for me to play the open beta.
I will admit that I have a lifetime subscription to LOTRO :P and I've played that game as my backup MMO off and on without the fear of needing to log on everyday to get the most out my "subscription". Those of you complaining about the price well go get a job. I've spent more money on my motorcycle just buying a exhaust along with other hobbies and MMO's when it comes to adding up the entire subscription time I've played them.
Games I've played/tried out:WAR, LOTRO, Tabula Rasa, AoC, EQ1, EQ2, WoW, Vangaurd, FFXI, D&DO, Lineage 2, Saga Of Ryzom, EvE Online, DAoC, Guild Wars,Star Wars Galaxies, Hell Gate London, Auto Assault, Grando Espada ( AKA SoTNW ), Archlord, CoV/H, Star Trek Online, APB, Champions Online, FFXIV, Rift Online, GW2.
Game(s) I Am Currently Playing:
GW2 (+LoL and BF3)
Sad? Yes.
Do I understand where you're coming from? Sadly, yes.
I was even doing the math to figure out if I really want in on STO that bad... would it really be worth getting a 6 month sub to a game I won't play? Maybe I could gift it to a friend.
Whatever - I loved CoX for 5 years and most people here think it's crap. So I'm not going to listen to anyones opinion on this game.
I'm gong to do what I did with CoX, listen to my own opinion only and not go with the crowd.
I also thought WAR was a great game, so people opinions on MMOs mean crap to me.
I would even now consider purchasing a lifetime sub for CoX (for a reasonable price). Having played the beta for 5 months for Champs, I'd have to say I don't want to give them a dime and would only consider purchasing because I want to play STO that bad.
Totally agree, This reeks of desperation.
I respect that you all the right to your own opinion but some of you take it so seriously. Cryptic is only making an offer to the public, if you dont like that offer dont take it.
Totally agree, This reeks of desperation.
Let's see, first Jack sells City of Heroes to NCSoft so he can crawl into bed with Microsoft to create the Marvel MMO, a direct competitor to the game he just abandoned. As is their nature, MS kills the project when the bills start coming in with nothing but promises and hot air from Cryptic to show for the investment. Emmert is then stuck with a superhero game and no one to buy it. Then he works out a deal with Hero Games to adapt his game to their niche PnP RPG system, eventually buying the company so he can have total creative control over the franchise.
Add one Bill Roper, the huckster who left Blizzard when Vivendi wouldn't let he and his chums have greater decision-making ability with World of Warcraft. Roper and chums create Flagship and hype their Hellgate: London franchise, a game which, it would be revealed, had a serious identity problem. As has been so aptly said here, HG:L was a single-player game which Roper & Co tried to make look like a MMO. After many overseas PR trips and extravagant marketing, Flagship releases HG:L, but not before offering the same lifetime subscription model we're are seeing right here. HG:L Founders got a real bargain at a mere 150 smackers for the full-meal deal. What they couldn't foresee is that Roper would abandon the game a little more than a year later, closing Flagship's doors and allowing HG: L to be taken over (as in OVERSEAS!) by Flagship's Korean creditors. Founders were left with a nice parting gift of a single-player game and a pretty box. Koreans are still playing the game. The announcement that Roper had been hired by Cryptic was a bad omen.
In the meantime, Emmert sold Cryptic to Infogrames / Atari, similarly financially-struggling company with no MMO experience. The fix was in. The game was pushed back from its July release date for "polish". Then the rumors broke of the existence of an Item Shop mechanic in the beta code. Typical, Cryptic and Roper let the controversy boil over before finally announcing that Champions Online would include features that could only be bought with real cash, in addition to the full industry-standard subscription fee.
Now we have the Lifetime Subscription being offered before the game is even released, just like Hellgate: London with similar perks, another indication of a severely cash-strapped developer with no confidence in their finished product. Call it all the sweet things you like, but this is nothing more than a fast-grab revenue generator. Good luck and godspeed to the unwary "fans" who will fall for this, oblivious to what has gone before.
Cryptic has subscribed to the P. T. Barnum marketing model. Hurry in for this exclusive limited-time offer! Some restrictions do apply. Void where prohibited by law.
"Soloists and those who prefer small groups should never have to feel like they''re the ones getting the proverbial table scraps, as it were." - Scott Hartsman, Senior Producer, Everquest II
"People love groups. Its a fallacy that people want to play solo all the time." - Scott Hartsman, Executive Producer, Rift
well, hopefully the cash generated by fleecing the noobs will go toward development of STO (not that i think this IP is in the right hands)
Everyone considering this should look at the man behind this game Bill Roper. Look what happened to the game he last offered lifetime subscription with. Just do your homework please.
I think it is really sad that CS must obviously think CO can't draw subscribers on it's own that they have to try to bribe players with a STO beta acess to get them to play CO. It really bothers me that more and more GD's are trying to charge money for beta acess to scam players to take a chance on some IP that has little or no chance of even being succesful. If the GD can't get their publishers to support them instead of the beta testers then maybe they need to rethink their career choices.
I remember the days when gamers would of loved to get paid to test games....now GD's want US to pay THEM to test their game? Not I, and anyone who fell for DF should know not to either, heh.
I would be wary of taking advantage of either offer for closed beta access, as it doesn't say when you will join the closed beta (could be the final wave before open).
Also, I think LOTRO allowed pre-order person to take advantage of their lifetime offer after the initial release of the game. It was not restricted to open beta, as far as I remember.
To me, the thing I don't like about this is the tacking on of extras. It becomes less an offer to the players and more a mammoth collectors edition.
The single largest problem with lifetime subs, for me, is the fact that once they have my money I no longer have any avenue of meaningful protest. I can no longer "vote with my wallet" if I think it sucks or later on takes a turn for the worst (think the SWG NGE here). It's not the cost, it's the principle of the matter. The foregoing applies to lifetime subs in general. In the specific, there is no way in hell I would even consider a paying a lifetime sub for a game that Roper has had any hand in.
Ok I preordered the damn game April and what Key. I call Gamestop where I paid and they have nothing yet. What preorder key? As far as lifetime memberships. Good deal, Doesnt hurt anyone and benifits lots. Just as long as NCSOFT doesnt spend all their preorder money up front leaving nothing left for later.
This post is intentionally written as to not make any sense what so ever. Thank You Very Much.
Cryptic / Atari not NCSOFT....
Cryptic / Atari not NCSOFT....
It makes me sad to see NCSoft name incorrectly associated with Champions Online, they have absolutely no relations with CO. I could proceed with an item mall rant but I'm not in the mood.
if they offer this deal (like Lotro did) after launch then i willl jump all over it provided the game is at least a standard MMO style game (WAR, AoC(minus the bugs)...ect).
MMO wish list:
-Changeable worlds
-Solid non level based game
-Sharks with lasers attached to their heads
And then it hit me... you actually have to play for 20+ months for this to break even with just getting 6 month subs back to back. If you are an altoholic the extra slots might be enough to jump but otherwise $15/month is peanuts and getting into betas is almost guaranteed for all but the high profile ones. Cry never did get my Aion beta QQ. But then NCSoft won't be getting my sub either until I've read about it after launch backwards and forwards :P