Originally posted by Volenibblets Subs never been an issue for me as long as the game is delivering and expanding in the right direction...and frankly the price of 2 cheap pints of beer per month is a steal given the amount of entertainment you get out of a GOOD, 'social', immersive game...plus that 2 cheap pints of beer cost keeps me from drinking a few dozen orders of magnitude more actual beer that I likely would be drinking in a pub rather than playing said game so it's a healthy steal to boot ;-D
This. I would gladly pay an increased subsciption fee to support an MMO I honestly enjoy. I would also add that I would not want to see a cash shop tacked on to generate more income because the greed that a cash shop generates usually is a serious disincentive (if not a full detriment) to solid, in-depth game development.
I'd pay 20 bucks a month if a MMO had live support from GM's who controlled multiple world bosses and NPC's live in game. I know this has been done before but I'm not talking one GM controlling a world boss ie one event a day or even every hour. I'm talking a team of GM's controlling ALOT of bosses and NPC's providing live dialogue with players on the fly 24 hours a day.
This is not a Sub fee vs F2P discussion (there is another thread for that)
How would you feel if your MMO announced that the sub fee was going up $1 per month?
Why would this happen? Well - tell me what's getting cheaper in this world? Utilities, staffing, health care, gas, office supplies - not to mention the changing value of currency.
If your studio launched a game in 2008 with a $15.00 sub, and you maintain the same 500k subscribers - you are making less money! Why? Because that $15 isn't worth the same in 2012.
You must make up for that lost revenue somehow? Why not raise the sub fee to $16.00 per month?
Obviously, sudios won't do that because of the crap-storm that would follow. Or would players understand?
Just some thoughts I was having and was curious about what people thought about it.
I am not playing any sub-MMO after my annual pass in wow is up. There are so many fun F2P mmo that i am done with sub ones.
It is not about whether i can afford $1 more a month. It is about competition. If i can have the same amount of fun for free, with no string attached, and no hassle, i wouldn't play a sub-game.
This is not a Sub fee vs F2P discussion (there is another thread for that)
How would you feel if your MMO announced that the sub fee was going up $1 per month?
Why would this happen? Well - tell me what's getting cheaper in this world? Utilities, staffing, health care, gas, office supplies - not to mention the changing value of currency.
If your studio launched a game in 2008 with a $15.00 sub, and you maintain the same 500k subscribers - you are making less money! Why? Because that $15 isn't worth the same in 2012.
You must make up for that lost revenue somehow? Why not raise the sub fee to $16.00 per month?
Obviously, sudios won't do that because of the crap-storm that would follow. Or would players understand?
Just some thoughts I was having and was curious about what people thought about it.
I am not playing any sub-MMO after my annual pass in wow is up. There are so many fun F2P mmo that i am done with sub ones.
It is not about whether i can afford $1 more a month. It is about competition. If i can have the same amount of fun for free, with no string attached, and no hassle, i wouldn't play a sub-game.
which is what GuildWars 2 is doing
after getting that game, and seing the pure quality of the gameplay, i am unable to pay for a sub game anymore.
i am still willing to pay for the box on any game release
Seeing as how EA wants to rape their customers with their new freemium system, it's probably a good thing SWTOR never took off. If it did, the first thing EA would have done would probably be to raise the sub fee to $20-$25 (€30-35+ ) a month, sending shills everywhere, comparing their increase to only a few cups of coffee, then sending others elsewhere to call non-supporters "cheap".
For a game I really liked though, I guess I'd begrudgingly pay the increase, although I wouldn't be too thrilled, seeing as how extra money seems to just line the pockets of the suits, with little extra content to be seen. The extra $$ also gets funneled into other projects that I couldn't care less about, etc. Maybe a smaller dev wouldn't be so indifferent to customers who keep games financially afloat, but large companies is where the trust breaks down.
If it wasn't worth the price hike, I'd find a new game I suppose as an alternative.
This is not a Sub fee vs F2P discussion (there is another thread for that)
How would you feel if your MMO announced that the sub fee was going up $1 per month?
Why would this happen? Well - tell me what's getting cheaper in this world? Utilities, staffing, health care, gas, office supplies - not to mention the changing value of currency.
If your studio launched a game in 2008 with a $15.00 sub, and you maintain the same 500k subscribers - you are making less money! Why? Because that $15 isn't worth the same in 2012.
You must make up for that lost revenue somehow? Why not raise the sub fee to $16.00 per month?
Obviously, sudios won't do that because of the crap-storm that would follow. Or would players understand?
Just some thoughts I was having and was curious about what people thought about it.
I am not playing any sub-MMO after my annual pass in wow is up. There are so many fun F2P mmo that i am done with sub ones.
It is not about whether i can afford $1 more a month. It is about competition. If i can have the same amount of fun for free, with no string attached, and no hassle, i wouldn't play a sub-game.
which is what GuildWars 2 is doing
after getting that game, and seing the pure quality of the gameplay, i am unable to pay for a sub game anymore.
i am still willing to pay for the box on any game release
Great but this is not a GW2 thread or a B2P Vs P2P, plenty of other threads for that.
I paying 19$ right now for FXI, so i could care less. If a mmo is worth it then i will pay the price. A mmo is worth it if it can keep me playing more than 2 month. MMO these day dont so, back to the old game.
This happened when EQ went from $9.89/mo to $14.95/mo, so there's a precedent. Personally, I wouldn't mind as long as:
I still received what I thought was a fair entertainment value for my money. That's obviously subjective.
Price increases were rare occurences - if the price has gone up by a dollar three times in the last year then I would probably be irked. If it's the first time the price has risen in several years then I wouldn't mind.
It would suck but if I enjoyed the game it would not stop me from paying. When I played EQ sub went from $12 to $15... I played many years after still.
This is not a Sub fee vs F2P discussion (there is another thread for that)
How would you feel if your MMO announced that the sub fee was going up $1 per month?
Why would this happen? Well - tell me what's getting cheaper in this world? Utilities, staffing, health care, gas, office supplies - not to mention the changing value of currency.
If your studio launched a game in 2008 with a $15.00 sub, and you maintain the same 500k subscribers - you are making less money! Why? Because that $15 isn't worth the same in 2012.
You must make up for that lost revenue somehow? Why not raise the sub fee to $16.00 per month?
Obviously, sudios won't do that because of the crap-storm that would follow. Or would players understand?
Just some thoughts I was having and was curious about what people thought about it.
I am not playing any sub-MMO after my annual pass in wow is up. There are so many fun F2P mmo that i am done with sub ones.
It is not about whether i can afford $1 more a month. It is about competition. If i can have the same amount of fun for free, with no string attached, and no hassle, i wouldn't play a sub-game.
which is what GuildWars 2 is doing
after getting that game, and seing the pure quality of the gameplay, i am unable to pay for a sub game anymore.
i am still willing to pay for the box on any game release
Great but this is not a GW2 thread or a B2P Vs P2P, plenty of other threads for that.
i used the "quote tool" for a reason,
so let me spell it out for you
IT'S NOT ABOUT IF I CAN AFFORD 1$ MORE A MONTH, IT"S ABOUT COMPETITION!
can i pay 1$/month extra for my games? (12$/year) course i can.
will i do it with all the other games out there with the same gameplay quality or better NOT asking me to pay 1$ extra? course i wont!
For a game that I know and love, the sub fee is inconsequential - I'd pay it probably no matter what it was. As long as the company was honest about it upfront - "Hey, in 3 months we are raising the rate because we need to keep the lights on" - I wouldn't bat an eyelash. But if the rate just goes up one month, and 6 months later I see "XYZ MMO Co gets record profit and Execs at XYZ MMO Co. get recordsetting bonuses" with little to no change in game service, then I'm out the door, and with a very bitter taste in my mouth.
However, a sub fee in general, and certainly the higher that it is the moreso that this is true, is a barrier of entry for me. I am much less likely to try a game that requires me to enter a credit card to play - initial free month or not. I know these things auto-bill on a monthly basis, and I am not very good about canceling service before the end of a billing period - that and games typically have a box charge that's more than a single month sub anyway so I feel like I paid for that first month one way or another.
This happened when EQ went from $9.89/mo to $14.95/mo, so there's a precedent. Personally, I wouldn't mind as long as:
I still received what I thought was a fair entertainment value for my money. That's obviously subjective.
Price increases were rare occurences - if the price has gone up by a dollar three times in the last year then I would probably be irked. If it's the first time the price has risen in several years then I wouldn't mind.
I remember that, and didn't really give it much thought at the time either, it was well worth it though. Also competition was pretty scare for graphical MUD's so not subscribing would limit ones options for online gaming pretty significantly (compared to today).
With the current selection, I can't think of an MMO worth more than the rest, but maybe it will come .. oneday?
Well here's the thing... You pay a sub fee for several reason:
Server costs/maintenance
Customer service
Future development
Company Profit
If my sub fee is going up, it would have to be shown that it wasn't just to pad a profit margin, and is actually caused by inflation in their production costs. Then I wouldn't mind.
This is not a Sub fee vs F2P discussion (there is another thread for that)
How would you feel if your MMO announced that the sub fee was going up $1 per month?
Why would this happen? Well - tell me what's getting cheaper in this world? Utilities, staffing, health care, gas, office supplies - not to mention the changing value of currency.
If your studio launched a game in 2008 with a $15.00 sub, and you maintain the same 500k subscribers - you are making less money! Why? Because that $15 isn't worth the same in 2012.
You must make up for that lost revenue somehow? Why not raise the sub fee to $16.00 per month?
Obviously, sudios won't do that because of the crap-storm that would follow. Or would players understand?
Just some thoughts I was having and was curious about what people thought about it.
This is what I think happened - 15.00 is what the market would bear in 1999, it is still what the market will bear.
But you are right, the value of that 15 bucks is less.
But here are some other variables to consider about why it hasn't changed.
1. The profit margin in 1999 was insanely high. The profit margin in 2012 is still extremely high - it just isn't insanely high anymore. I.E. The companies are still making money hand over fist; the profit loss due to inflation is negligible when countered with the the profit loss due to subs going away because of raising fees.
2. In 1999 an mmo was lucky to have 100k population. Games now start at about 250k and go up into the millions. I highly doubt that the staff and overhead has grown at the same exponential rate. Therefore, the increase in subs puts their profits so high compared to 1999 - they can afford to keep the price as such.
3. Cash shops. I think this speaks for itself.
But this I do know. As soon as someone decides it is time to raise fees; that it is time that the market will bear a higher price; and someone releases a game for 29.95 a month and is successful - it will never be 15 bucks again.
This happened when EQ went from $9.89/mo to $14.95/mo, so there's a precedent. Personally, I wouldn't mind as long as:
I still received what I thought was a fair entertainment value for my money. That's obviously subjective.
Price increases were rare occurences - if the price has gone up by a dollar three times in the last year then I would probably be irked. If it's the first time the price has risen in several years then I wouldn't mind.
I remember that, and didn't really give it much thought at the time either, it was well worth it though. Also competition was pretty scare for graphical MUD's so not subscribing would limit ones options for online gaming pretty significantly (compared to today).
With the current selection, I can't think of an MMO worth more than the rest, but maybe it will come .. oneday?
LOL I had forgotten that! (As you can see if you read my post above)
But my error speaks to my point:
EQ didn't have any idea what the market would bear as a sub fee. There first pricing was a 'guess'. Then they chose to raise it and found that the price raise didn't stop them from gaining subs.
Essentially, through trial and error, EQ figured out what the market would bear.
If I'm paying a sub fee then I think it's worth a sub fee. If they increase and I still think I'm getting good service for the money then I'll continue.
Considering when the 15 or 15.99 per month came about I'm actually surprised that they haven't raised it.
But then again, that might be part of the reason we are getting more cash shops.
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This is not a Sub fee vs F2P discussion (there is another thread for that)
How would you feel if your MMO announced that the sub fee was going up $1 per month?
Why would this happen? Well - tell me what's getting cheaper in this world? Utilities, staffing, health care, gas, office supplies - not to mention the changing value of currency.
If your studio launched a game in 2008 with a $15.00 sub, and you maintain the same 500k subscribers - you are making less money! Why? Because that $15 isn't worth the same in 2012.
You must make up for that lost revenue somehow? Why not raise the sub fee to $16.00 per month?
Obviously, sudios won't do that because of the crap-storm that would follow. Or would players understand?
Just some thoughts I was having and was curious about what people thought about it.
Yes but the product is old now and it isn't worth more money by that logic.Do computer hardware from 2008 cost as much as newly released ones?
The way the genre is heading they had better consider decreasing not increasing.....ALot of us have moved away from the $15 a month p2p and have found less expensive options.....To me the sub games arent any better than the f2p games but then again I dont have to have that brand new shiny toy taht just came out either.
imo they need to bring down the monthly fee. People have less disposable income these days. A sub fee for a game is one of the first things I would do without when times are tough. I think many games would be doing much better if it cost less to play, also considering some don't have as much time to play therefor paying for mostly downtime. Sometimes I don't play games for a week or two, sometimes I crack out on games for a week or two straight. I think if they made subs a few bucks a month way more people would pay, play, and not really think about it.
Now if a company comes along with the next gen game that is so amazing and new that it takes the whole game by storm, maybe. Most mmos are still kind of dated game mechanics and far behind the depth of gameplay available in single player games while for the most part only really outdoing those games in amount of content. When an mmo comes along that can out due skyrim while still being massive then we can talk....
How would you feel if your MMO announced that the sub fee was going up $1 per month?
UO raised it in 2003 and I didn't have a problem with it. I think DAoC also raised the price while I was playing a couple years later. I had not problem there either. Both were reasonable increases.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein "Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Well that can really depend on the circumstances. I haven’t had a steady MMO in several years, past a few months that is. My current game of choice is GW2 but I’ve been playing it very casually and I’m not entirely sure if I will last for more than a few months, regardless of the lack of monthly sub.
There are multiple factors for my lack of subbing to a game. Most of this is due to the fact that I haven’t care for any MMO’s currently out there enough to justify paying 15 bucks a month when I logged in maybe a few times a month. That doesn’t mean that if an MMO really captured me that I still wouldn’t part with my monthly sub money.
I would even consider a sub above the normal $15 fare. I also feel that if I’m paying more than 15 a month (lets say 18 to 20) there better not be a cash shop of any sort.
No fluff items, no boost items, these should all be obtainable as drops if your game is going to even include them in the first place, for that increased subscription price. I don’t even want to see something like name changes or server transfers if you’re going even attempt to hit me up past the “normal” 15 dollars a month. But that’s just me.
Basically if the game interests me and the devs make it worth my while I have no issues with paying out more than the normal sub fee as it stands.
Comments
This. I would gladly pay an increased subsciption fee to support an MMO I honestly enjoy. I would also add that I would not want to see a cash shop tacked on to generate more income because the greed that a cash shop generates usually is a serious disincentive (if not a full detriment) to solid, in-depth game development.
wouldnt really care if it still had pop. and was a good game..imo some F2P games are worth a sub fee nowa days lol
but most sub fee games of today are really badly done or its P2Win
Aloha Mr Hand !
If some game team need more money maybe its time to do something to increase the number of subs.
Increase the sub fee is not a smart option in a such agressive market, but they can start for:
- "Take care" of the current subs.
- Analyse why dont have more subs.
- Analyse why they are lossing subs (if its the case).
- Then make changes to increase the sub numbers (its where the profit comes).
- If its necessary to change sub fee is to reduce and never increase.
My opinion, ofc.
Some time i dont play sub games, but ofc if some come out and call my interest i will but i dont find 20€ sub a cheap price nowadays in my country.
I am not playing any sub-MMO after my annual pass in wow is up. There are so many fun F2P mmo that i am done with sub ones.
It is not about whether i can afford $1 more a month. It is about competition. If i can have the same amount of fun for free, with no string attached, and no hassle, i wouldn't play a sub-game.
which is what GuildWars 2 is doing
after getting that game, and seing the pure quality of the gameplay, i am unable to pay for a sub game anymore.
i am still willing to pay for the box on any game release
Seeing as how EA wants to rape their customers with their new freemium system, it's probably a good thing SWTOR never took off. If it did, the first thing EA would have done would probably be to raise the sub fee to $20-$25 (€30-35+ ) a month, sending shills everywhere, comparing their increase to only a few cups of coffee, then sending others elsewhere to call non-supporters "cheap".
For a game I really liked though, I guess I'd begrudgingly pay the increase, although I wouldn't be too thrilled, seeing as how extra money seems to just line the pockets of the suits, with little extra content to be seen. The extra $$ also gets funneled into other projects that I couldn't care less about, etc. Maybe a smaller dev wouldn't be so indifferent to customers who keep games financially afloat, but large companies is where the trust breaks down.
If it wasn't worth the price hike, I'd find a new game I suppose as an alternative.
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
Great but this is not a GW2 thread or a B2P Vs P2P, plenty of other threads for that.
Currently playing: Elder Scrolls Online
MMORPG experiences:EQ2, AoC(pre f2p), Lotro,GW1,DDO, Aion,WoW( stop with wotlk),Allods, GW2
Eu,War, Secret World
Waiting On: WoD Sometime Maybe: Elder Scrolls MMO, Might and Magic
This happened when EQ went from $9.89/mo to $14.95/mo, so there's a precedent. Personally, I wouldn't mind as long as:
i used the "quote tool" for a reason,
so let me spell it out for you
IT'S NOT ABOUT IF I CAN AFFORD 1$ MORE A MONTH, IT"S ABOUT COMPETITION!
can i pay 1$/month extra for my games? (12$/year) course i can.
will i do it with all the other games out there with the same gameplay quality or better NOT asking me to pay 1$ extra? course i wont!
For a game that I know and love, the sub fee is inconsequential - I'd pay it probably no matter what it was. As long as the company was honest about it upfront - "Hey, in 3 months we are raising the rate because we need to keep the lights on" - I wouldn't bat an eyelash. But if the rate just goes up one month, and 6 months later I see "XYZ MMO Co gets record profit and Execs at XYZ MMO Co. get recordsetting bonuses" with little to no change in game service, then I'm out the door, and with a very bitter taste in my mouth.
However, a sub fee in general, and certainly the higher that it is the moreso that this is true, is a barrier of entry for me. I am much less likely to try a game that requires me to enter a credit card to play - initial free month or not. I know these things auto-bill on a monthly basis, and I am not very good about canceling service before the end of a billing period - that and games typically have a box charge that's more than a single month sub anyway so I feel like I paid for that first month one way or another.
I remember that, and didn't really give it much thought at the time either, it was well worth it though. Also competition was pretty scare for graphical MUD's so not subscribing would limit ones options for online gaming pretty significantly (compared to today).
With the current selection, I can't think of an MMO worth more than the rest, but maybe it will come .. oneday?
Want a nice understanding of life? Try Spirit Science: "The Human History"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8NNHmV3QPw&feature=plcp
Recognize the voice? Yep sounds like Penny Arcade's Extra Credits.
Well here's the thing... You pay a sub fee for several reason:
This is what I think happened - 15.00 is what the market would bear in 1999, it is still what the market will bear.
But you are right, the value of that 15 bucks is less.
But here are some other variables to consider about why it hasn't changed.
1. The profit margin in 1999 was insanely high. The profit margin in 2012 is still extremely high - it just isn't insanely high anymore. I.E. The companies are still making money hand over fist; the profit loss due to inflation is negligible when countered with the the profit loss due to subs going away because of raising fees.
2. In 1999 an mmo was lucky to have 100k population. Games now start at about 250k and go up into the millions. I highly doubt that the staff and overhead has grown at the same exponential rate. Therefore, the increase in subs puts their profits so high compared to 1999 - they can afford to keep the price as such.
3. Cash shops. I think this speaks for itself.
But this I do know. As soon as someone decides it is time to raise fees; that it is time that the market will bear a higher price; and someone releases a game for 29.95 a month and is successful - it will never be 15 bucks again.
LOL I had forgotten that! (As you can see if you read my post above)
But my error speaks to my point:
EQ didn't have any idea what the market would bear as a sub fee. There first pricing was a 'guess'. Then they chose to raise it and found that the price raise didn't stop them from gaining subs.
Essentially, through trial and error, EQ figured out what the market would bear.
If I'm paying a sub fee then I think it's worth a sub fee. If they increase and I still think I'm getting good service for the money then I'll continue.
Considering when the 15 or 15.99 per month came about I'm actually surprised that they haven't raised it.
But then again, that might be part of the reason we are getting more cash shops.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Yes but the product is old now and it isn't worth more money by that logic.Do computer hardware from 2008 cost as much as newly released ones?
imo they need to bring down the monthly fee. People have less disposable income these days. A sub fee for a game is one of the first things I would do without when times are tough. I think many games would be doing much better if it cost less to play, also considering some don't have as much time to play therefor paying for mostly downtime. Sometimes I don't play games for a week or two, sometimes I crack out on games for a week or two straight. I think if they made subs a few bucks a month way more people would pay, play, and not really think about it.
Now if a company comes along with the next gen game that is so amazing and new that it takes the whole game by storm, maybe. Most mmos are still kind of dated game mechanics and far behind the depth of gameplay available in single player games while for the most part only really outdoing those games in amount of content. When an mmo comes along that can out due skyrim while still being massive then we can talk....
UO raised it in 2003 and I didn't have a problem with it. I think DAoC also raised the price while I was playing a couple years later. I had not problem there either. Both were reasonable increases.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Well that can really depend on the circumstances. I haven’t had a steady MMO in several years, past a few months that is. My current game of choice is GW2 but I’ve been playing it very casually and I’m not entirely sure if I will last for more than a few months, regardless of the lack of monthly sub.
There are multiple factors for my lack of subbing to a game. Most of this is due to the fact that I haven’t care for any MMO’s currently out there enough to justify paying 15 bucks a month when I logged in maybe a few times a month. That doesn’t mean that if an MMO really captured me that I still wouldn’t part with my monthly sub money.
I would even consider a sub above the normal $15 fare. I also feel that if I’m paying more than 15 a month (lets say 18 to 20) there better not be a cash shop of any sort.
No fluff items, no boost items, these should all be obtainable as drops if your game is going to even include them in the first place, for that increased subscription price. I don’t even want to see something like name changes or server transfers if you’re going even attempt to hit me up past the “normal” 15 dollars a month. But that’s just me.
Basically if the game interests me and the devs make it worth my while I have no issues with paying out more than the normal sub fee as it stands.