I made a rule some years ago that I will only ever pay one sub at a time. Those 15euro a month are the most I can spend. So I am switching games that are worth the money (mostly it is in EVE Online anyway).
The problem with the subscriptions these days is that most of them do not offer any benefits. I can ignore conveniences (storage space, special skins or auras etc). I would never sub a game where you get content for sub. I actually like the EVE Online model. You can to a LOT on a free account. No content is locked, just the means you can enjoy it.
I also don't have an issue with pay for expansion models (DDO back in the day).
If I'm playing the game and it has a sub I'll pay it. Life is rarely free. What would happen if i went to work and my company said "we don't really believe in paying a salary but we will pay for the things you do that we like or want. If we don't find value in some of the things we do we won't pay.
Of course that's an oversimplification and a ridiculous analogy but you get the point.
and I'm not stingy.
The case with the game is that they release it as free, so subscription is not required, it may be encouraged, but that's it.
The analogy with a job and salary is not appropriate, because when you begin a job, you sign a contract where you and your employer agree that you will be paid for performing your duties. These games release as F2P and everyone knows it, even the people who work on them, they can choose to quit when they realize the game will launch as F2P (if they had hopes for it to be B2P or P2P), but if they don't quit, then it means they are OK with the game being F2P.
So player should not feel feel obliged to pay.
There is no obligation. It's odd that rewarding a developer is considered an obligation. I know that it being F2P you don't have to give them a damn thing.
Perhaps I come with a different outlook as I always feel that when something has managed to engage and keep me occupied the creators from my perspective should be rewarded by me.
I also belong to a subset for whom content is fast dwindling in this age of action games and really nerve wrecking difficult games that I have no hope of ever playing so when a company includes poor me in their sights and makes content that I can enjoy I want to overwhelmingly just return that generosity with some of my own. I may be extremely naive in this regard but that is the reason I always take up a sub if there is an option to or get some other thing to support them.
In the long run if absolutely everyone is expecting someone else to support and keep the game running we will be running on empty sooner or later. If a f2p player smirks and laughs about how they have gotten away with paying nothing for their time in the game I just have to wonder what their balance sheet looks like.
That is also the reason so many games just end up dying and being lamented upon when they finally shutdown.
No, I do not sub. Just because (Inquisition, get ready!) I am free player. And enjoy being so.
The only time I thought to subscribe was Lotro, after it gave away basically all content for free. Enter code, receive quest packs, enter another code and receive expansions. It should have been my token of thanks.
But then there were bad moves from developers, nerfs, unfair practices continued - and I did not sub.
Since then, not even thinking about subscription. Maybe, if Lotro had quality developers who play and care, who wants feedback and improve quality of life - then it could be my "thank you" token to them. Not thou, Raninia and Co...
Burn him I say, burn him!
Naw, we need free players to lord our sub benefits / wallets over, the more the better.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I didn't clarify what I meant by balance sheet. I wasn't talking about your earning power. What I was talking about is the time you put into a game to skirt around limitations of inventory space or earning more points to earn that content you could've paid for. My time is rather precious to me since as I'm growing older and I find that that is the scarcest of my resources so I'd rather pay for some conveniences with a sub.
"So when subbing to a game that should be, in theory and by its own business model's name, free, there has to be a reason."
That's just it, though, and why I have a problem with the business model: it's rarely free. I mean sure you can in theory play it for free, but they typically put in pay walls and\or make the game so painful to play free that you have to either belly up to the cash shop or move on. It's disingenuous at best, borderline fraud in some cases especially when they start manipulating people via their addictive tendencies with gamble boxes and such.
Developers don't go FTP because of their altruism. They do it because historically they make MORE money, not less.
I have no problem subbing for a game and even prefer it, but will never buy ingame items/features for cash on top of a sub. If I am subbing everything better be available in game and not have to pay an extra fee or use a stipend (STO/Rift). I'll pay for a new expansion sure if it is worth the cost.
The mini quest packs that EQ2 did for a bit really aggravated me and that's when I dropped it and when back to CoH and than on to WoW. One of the things I like is when a company will only give the first 10-20 levels of a game for free with no chat or mail options. This limited gold farming spam, to some extent back as they would have to pay each time they got banned for a new account.
I have played a hand full of F2p games but never stuck with them long enough to warrant buying anything.
"One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games and it cannot be done by men out of touch with their instinctive selves." - Carl Jung
I subscribed for one month only in LOTRO just so I can unlock the VIP benefits. I had no intention to remain VIP anymore. Actually, I had no idea the subscription was recurring. . .
I can't tell if you're serious or not. What about the word subscription leads you to believe it's not reoccurring?
If I like a game, it has a subscription option but not buy to play, and additional fees such as microtransactions on top of the subscription aren't a serious problem with that game, then I'll generally subscribe while I play the game. And then cancel when I quit.
I will eagerly give you my money if the game is good enough to keep me distracted from the whole the most of the time you exist in the universe you will be dust and everything you know will one day be nothing type of dread that I'm sure we all experience late nights as the cosmic horrors watch us from the shadows.
And any other game i play if it has a sub i grab it while im active ..
Same!
I played both Baja and when siege was still good that pretty much my entire life. Legends back when AOL was a thing.
It was also my first job. I still can't believe that "Companion" Experience was a resume thing I had in my 20's lol. That one entry got me like five jobs in a few years so it was worth the whole "Volunteer" and get nothing. Aside from being near godlike with /companion mode on. Which of course my colleagues and occasionally me would take advantage of with ogre lords.
Comments
The problem with the subscriptions these days is that most of them do not offer any benefits. I can ignore conveniences (storage space, special skins or auras etc). I would never sub a game where you get content for sub. I actually like the EVE Online model. You can to a LOT on a free account. No content is locked, just the means you can enjoy it.
I also don't have an issue with pay for expansion models (DDO back in the day).
Perhaps I come with a different outlook as I always feel that when something has managed to engage and keep me occupied the creators from my perspective should be rewarded by me.
I also belong to a subset for whom content is fast dwindling in this age of action games and really nerve wrecking difficult games that I have no hope of ever playing so when a company includes poor me in their sights and makes content that I can enjoy I want to overwhelmingly just return that generosity with some of my own. I may be extremely naive in this regard but that is the reason I always take up a sub if there is an option to or get some other thing to support them.
In the long run if absolutely everyone is expecting someone else to support and keep the game running we will be running on empty sooner or later. If a f2p player smirks and laughs about how they have gotten away with paying nothing for their time in the game I just have to wonder what their balance sheet looks like.
That is also the reason so many games just end up dying and being lamented upon when they finally shutdown.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
That's just it, though, and why I have a problem with the business model: it's rarely free. I mean sure you can in theory play it for free, but they typically put in pay walls and\or make the game so painful to play free that you have to either belly up to the cash shop or move on. It's disingenuous at best, borderline fraud in some cases especially when they start manipulating people via their addictive tendencies with gamble boxes and such.
Developers don't go FTP because of their altruism. They do it because historically they make MORE money, not less.
The mini quest packs that EQ2 did for a bit really aggravated me and that's when I dropped it and when back to CoH and than on to WoW. One of the things I like is when a company will only give the first 10-20 levels of a game for free with no chat or mail options. This limited gold farming spam, to some extent back as they would have to pay each time they got banned for a new account.
I have played a hand full of F2p games but never stuck with them long enough to warrant buying anything.
Oh thanks man. You are great.
I can't tell if you're serious or not. What about the word subscription leads you to believe it's not reoccurring?
Same!
I played both Baja and when siege was still good that pretty much my entire life. Legends back when AOL was a thing.
It was also my first job. I still can't believe that "Companion" Experience was a resume thing I had in my 20's lol. That one entry got me like five jobs in a few years so it was worth the whole "Volunteer" and get nothing. Aside from being near godlike with /companion mode on. Which of course my colleagues and occasionally me would take advantage of with ogre lords.
Fk I'm old.
If its the type of game i play when im just bored and want to kill some time then no.