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This game is NOT worth $15/mo, however...
popinjay
Member Posts: 6,539
..it IS worth a lifetime subscription for me.
That sounds contradictory but after thinking about the pros/cons, that "P" word popped up in my head a lot.
The game is shallow, there isn't a ton of wholly diverse content (despite what some of the people keep saying), but it does have a good amount of content. I have made numerous posts about many other things as to why I feel this isn't really worth $15/mo right now and why I don't feel it's a MMO at all. I believe it's a deep console game. Now let me tell you why I think it's worth a lifetime sub.
This game has room to grow.
The world won't ever get bigger in that you can travel from one point to another more expansively. It's a HEAVILY instanced game where there is no real exploration. But since that's the case, they have room to put tons more instances in the game doing more missions (which I really enjoyed in story mode). If someone was paying a month/month sub, SoE may slip and not have content ready for them when promised, so those people have to re-up just to see the next part if they like the game.
The lifetime sub allows you to say "Oh, not ready yet? I'll come back next month while I go do something else." You don't have the feeling that you have to log in every week just to get your money's worth out of the game.
SoE doesn't shut down games. To me, SoE is like the Sanford and Son of the gaming industry. They go around and buy up a lot of other people's old junk that was thrown out on the curb. They shine it up a bit and put it in their windows, mixing them with their own games. Only one I know they shut down is The Matrix Online.
So far, this is their flagship game regarding IPs imo. It's the oldest one they've got (DC has been around forever) and there is instant recognization of all the toons. I have small children (under 10) and they watch Batman, Superman, etc just like I did when I was a kid. With a lifetime sub, as long as this game is running, it's a legacy game that I can pass to my kids and instantly they know the toons. This game will be around for a long time even if at some point in a few years it goes F2P given SoE's history. But I think they want to break that "junkman" reputation so they may give this more support. Given that SWTOR/GW2 will be coming out, they HAVE to hustle and stand by this product.
The game has to stay P2P for 16 months or so in order for me to break even. I believe that if a game like Warhammer can last for two years, this game can last 16 months. Although the PvP was better in WAR, the PvE wasn't really so hot, they had TONS of bugs, lag and the animations/models/world I did not like there.
I still believe the console people will fall out of love with this game and unsub, specifically because they don't have a lifetime option. But due to the small zones here, this game doesn't need a huge population (100k+) to make the world seem populated.
The lifetime sub obviously isn't for everyone in this game. If you don't like instancing, lack of early content, meaningless, quick and repetitious PvP, or SoE in general.
But if you have some extra money and like the DC IP, quick action, and short instances, it may make sense in case the lifetime option is possibly pulled away in the future like done in games like LOTRO, CO and others.
Comments
The game world is pretty big....any bigger and open world pvp wouldnt really work but i dont see why they couldnt ever make it any bigger in the future...
1-30 the game has alot of content you will prob pass up on a quest line or 2 but after 30 it gets a little flat....End game has your typical raid for gear scenario, you can also que up for PvP instances for Endgame currency, After 30 there is also a means of acquiring end game currency running repeatable solo and group instances, classes are pretty balanced, theres a Que to log in everynight so finding pvp isnt hard at all....infact its almost impossible to avoid.
Pros
Probably the smoothest launch ive experienced
Combat system is a blast
Nice amount of content for levels 1-30 with different final questlines depending on your mentor
Classes are pretty balanced
World size makes the PvP server a blast
The ride to 30 was a blast to play thru
Cons
Open world pvp is pretty pointless atm
End game content is pretty scarce (although its there and theres always something to do)
Reaching the level cap doesnt take very long
Attaining Purchaseable endgame gear is a bitch
Theres a wierd difficulty gap in dcu online, 1-30 is a breeze....4 maning Arkham Assylum (30 medium instance in hard mode) is damn near impossible and keeping your repair money can be a bitch also, But with all that said i enjoy the hell outta DCUO for a launch title its pretty impressive and if your looking for a change of pace from your standard mmo this is definetly something worth checking out especially if your a casusal player.
Now DCUO's fate is in SOE's hands....If they can make open world pvp meaningfull and manage to add content and features at the same time then the futures pretty bright but as is i really enjoy zipping around gotham in superspeed and smashing people around.
Just a quick question about the sub:- Do you have to sub through the Sony Station?EDI
EDIT:: SEE step 3.
Step 1. Go to www.dcuniverseonline.com and look for the "Redeem your Code" box on the Home Page.
Step 2. Enter the code you received with your pre-order purchase, either on the key code card inside your Pre-Order box or on your receipt (if you pre-ordered from Gamestop).
Step 3. Log in with your Station Username and Password or select the "Don’t have a Station Account?" option and follow the steps given to create one.
Step 4. Congratulations! Your exclusives will be waiting for you in your inventory!
You say the game has to last 16 months for you to break even, but that's not all, you also have to play it for at least 16 months in order to 'break even'
Otherwise you might be better off subbing for a bit to complete updated content and canceling again.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
As shallow as the game is, you can create and max out a toon for each of the 6 powersets in a couple weeks. (Less if you play steady). As it is, a lifetime sub seems like a VERY expensive way to pay for a game that you would be lucky to get 2 months of playtime out of.
I imagine most wouldn't be able to do that, though. The crippled PC UI will drive most away by then.
Not sure it will pan out or not but they did say that the fee will go toward adding a lot of new content each month. .not sure if I believe it or not but that was the statement.
Of course the content might not help if you are maxed out easily.
Wa min God! Se æx on min heafod is!
seems to me that everyone is buying this game at the moment just because they are bored.
ive noticed people on my steam friends list.. 'now playing dc universe' people who dont switch games so easy and very rarly buy mmo's on release. almost just because they are bored right now and need something new to play.
So, I think im gona contradict you on the 'lifetime sub' thing. its a £30 game that might keep you from being bored for about a month. which is about how long a typical £30 console game will last you.
So just play it for a bit of fun, when your month is up go play something else. Maybe in 6 months time when your bored again it will be worth re-subbing too, again, just for a month for a change of pace.
definatly shouldnt pay a life-time sub. handing over your money like that is just daft, you have to give soe an incentive otherwise they will dump this into their graveyard and you better beleive it.
There is a few thing I am worry about.
1) they still haven't fix some bug in some raid( so new content won't be out for a while)
2) the new content ...what will it really be? just add a few raid ? add 1-2 more pvp ring?.. I dont c any of those changing the game. To me anyway. All the raid feel the same.. and all the pvp ring do about the same thing. Since everyone can tank(block, dodge and run away) no one can really die if you know what you doing.
3) the new content won't be new class. I bet they r saving it for expo lol
so all in all, i feel it will be the same shallow game unless they add some game changer thing ...but those kinda update won't come out on a monthly bases
Yep. The OP is making the logical error in thinking that age of game = time of being subscribed, where in fact you can subscribe for a couple of months, then unsubscribe for a couple of months and so on.
I have done this with alot of games, revisiting the game now and then to see if they added any new content or features.
My gaming blog
Exactly. Very fair point Yamota.
Its doubtful I'll stay subbed for an entire year to DCUO, but I promise I'll be back at some point, and when I do come back I'll likely have a ton of content to catch up on. Paying 200 dollars for that right seems a little far fetched to me, when the entirety of my years worth of playtime could essentially be only 60 dollars, give or take a month or two.
Yep. I have played virtually every major MMORPG title since after UO was released and there are only two games that I have played for a total of more than 16 months and that was UO and Asherons Call, both sandbox games.
MMORPGs are simply not made like they used to be (i.e. robust sandbox). So having that much content to warrant 16+ months game play? Well it has to be some amazing themepark we are talking about.
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I predict this game will be F2P in less then a year....
I have done this with alot of games, revisiting the game now and then to see if they added any new content or features.
Not really.
When you take it into consideration of my other reasons of a legacy game to pass down, there is no reason to unsubscribe, then re-subcribe later. This is not totally my type of game to to the clickfest nature and it's light on content atm, but I would just limit myself to the amount of play time so that my hands/fingers could rest.
On the other hand, I plan to allow my children to play in about two years or so.. maybe one. This is quite comparable to any console game they would play and I think a 11-12 year old can play it for fun. So they will be making their own characters to play.
If someone did not have this as an option (no family, single person, limited funds, not much interest right now) then your point makes sense but it's quite logical to lifetime a game that could be gifted long after I have moved onto Rift, SWTOR and GW2.
This is why I said for me, it makes perfect logical sense.
"TO MICHAEL!"
Again, you fit that "other profile" as I said so yeah, for you it wouldn't make sense.
Check the conditions in where I said it makes sense for someone to consider it.
EDIT: I'm pretty sure since you don't know me, the "you's" were reflecting your own gaming habits, so I just put "me's" and "I" in there and it makes more sense that way, instead of you speaking for me.
"TO MICHAEL!"
I don't think you can share or give your account to other people. I think they have the same set of rule like WoW.
If you do(get caught), u get a warning or ban or something
lol ..not 100% sure, i might just be wrong on this lol
It's not like you have to go to court and file paperwork, lol.
Just log in.
"TO MICHAEL!"
Anyone who buys a lifetime sub to any MMO is pretty much a stupid consumer.
Once you have done that, you have no power: the developer can do whatever they want, screw the game over, screw the community over, turn it into pong and do they care if you quit? Hell no, they already have your money.
Twice as much, if you are buying that lifetime sub on the "potential" of the game, i.e. for what "is planned to go in later or what might go in later." If it ain't there now, no reason to think it will be.
Four times as much when the company is SOE, their history of longterm support/development of their games is probably the worst in the industry. (And the reason they don't close down their games, OP, is they send them to the barge of the undying known as Station Pass).
Have people not learned anything from STO?
You know what they say about a fool and his money....
@OP...if you bought a lifetime and it took 16 months to break even do you really think you'll be playing it in 16 months from now? If so then buy it.
But games are changing so fast......plus you have to consider this is SOE, they'll fuck you over somehow or their name isn't SOE.
I have to wait and see if it's worth the subscription for me.
I have to see what end-game is like... dungeons, raids, alerts, duos, arena
If other games with these things... WoW etc are worth the sub I don't see why this one wouldn't be.
Hey Hey
The game should be BTP w/ extra content bought that unlocks more iconic missions and story. I played during Beta and i felt that the game was solid but i had no urge to sub. However i think it would be resonable that every month or so they added a new story line that could be DL for 10 dollars or so.
They should follow the GW model.
Welcome Home
Rev.
The only people leaving this game over the UI system are the same people that were never going to stay in the first place because it isn't a traditional MMO.
Besides, the only things thats severely deficient in the UI is the chat, and most people just use voicechat once they hit end-game and join a clan.
As a legacy game that I can play forever and even give to my kids or SELL to someone else, it makes perfect sense for me. Please at least take the time to read reasonS why it makes sense for me. Not reason.
Now as to the whole "But.. but.. t's SoE! Them are duh Debble!" argument..
I really don't get into that stuff to be honest. I don't care anything about SoE other than I know they don't shelve games. The only one I saw of any note was The Matrix Online, which by ALL accounts was a pretty horribly coded game. (didn't play it; read reviews)
I have bought EQ2 when it was still relatively new and had a great time in that game and thought it was really good. I played it for almost a year and didn't have any problems with 'the evil empire' of SoE. I played Vanguard at launch and I can say that SoE did a MUCH better job fixing up that game than Sigil did.. and Sigil MADE it. Why?
Because SoE has deep pockets. Now, this is a game they made with a pretty serious IP and their biggest MMO to bank on for awhile. I'm pretty sure that it will be around for many years to come, so the 'company' doean't scare me lol. That part of the converstaion is way too anal retentive for me to worry about. (How SoE will screw you for a buck)
"TO MICHAEL!"
Interesting post op even though I don't have a few hundred to throw around for a lifetime sub to a game I may not play much at all. I think personally things would be a bit easier if they just forgo the sub fee until they can show they will release so much content we (the general mmorpg crowd) will not burn through it in a few weeks as we tend to do (and this is coming from a notoriously slow player). I like the concept of freemium games but this isn't a push to move the entire genre in that direction at all, when I think of what games like TOR and GW2 will offer I can see paying a sub fee when I look at the things I got from DCUO I cannot.
but yeah, to call this game Fantastic is like calling Twilight the Godfather of vampire movies....
[Mod Edit]
If you are hesitant to buy a lifetime sub because you worry about a gaming company, that's fine but many people don't have problems with companies in that way if the company has a good bottom line. ALL companies will do things for a buck, so SoE isn't any different in that regard which I know that going in. Pretty sure I wouldn't buy anything at all but live in a cave with a roll of toilet paper with your view.
Some of the games sold lifetime subs and bombed (Hellgate), while many other games sold lifetime subs that those people are STILL playing happily (Champions Online, LOTRO, etc) so your fears are not MY fears. If someone playing Hellgate London couldn't see what a colossal pile of crap that was and STILL bought a lifetime... that's a person choice there.
But while I give DCUO a 7.5/10 right now, it isn't a pile of crap. I saw it in beta and did like overall, but had some reservations about a monthly sub as I didn't think it was a real MMO. (still don't)
But when I look at it in it's proper form, a console with MMO attributes, it's a good deal for me as a lifetime.
Years ago I listened to all these reasons other people had for not subbing to LOTRO lifetime and said "Yeah, what if.." and didn't do it. Then they stopped selling it. In retrospect I wish I had bought that sub because I see how people can always go back whevever they want because it's an established gaming company (Turbine) just like SoE.. and SoE is BIGGER.
Afaik, people are still playing STO with a lifetime sub so I don't know what you are talking about, lol. Because I'm not a big fanboi of this game, I was able to look at it from a purely entertainment dollar perspective that makes it worthy of a lifetime.
"TO MICHAEL!"