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What do you think of these MONTHLY charges?
jacks
Member Posts: 55
I cant beleive that all these online games are charing 15$ a month! On top of the 15$ we have to pay 49$ to buy the game. Do the game-creators understand that were all not rich like they are?? I mean, my life ISN'T to play video games all day--I have to pay for rent and food and other entertainment! I think this should stop before all games are going to have a 15$ a MONTH!!!!!!!
What do you guys think?
What do you guys think?
City Of Heroes Rocks
City Of Heroes Rocks
Comments
$15 a month isn`t expensive my my eyes (I'm English so thats around £12 for me)
I mean whats £12?...
A trip to the cinema to see a film...4 pints of beer....a takeaway pizza...3 video rentals?
Remeber $15 pays for the server, updates, support and not to mention the wages and investor returns.
When I first head the $14.99 price I was somewhat shocked and angry. I'm still not totally thirlled with the idea but then I stood back and looked at the situation.
Games have been priced at $50 for a long time... years in fact. Yes I consider that to be a lil pricey but unless you purchase a special edition of a game prices have been stable. I can live with that.
Next thinking of that 15 bucks a month it adds up to 50 cents a day. Now where can you find entertainment for 50 cents a day (that is if you are entertained)? A night out eating and a movie is at least $20 a person (unless you eat fast food). So there is 3 hours entertainment for 20 bucks or many hours for 15 a month.
Now if monthly prices rise above $15 a month I think many people will be peeved. I think we hit the ceiling for monthly prices for a few years... at least I hope
Edit Hehe Amishbob beat me to the dinner and a movie analogy
I type too slow
Well, they are many differents games with many differents realities.
I have friends that have swear they will never join a monthlee fee games and they are kinda like a *holy order of the freaks*!
But a game that request a server to be maintain need to see those charges covers at the very least. As long as 1 type of game dont prevent the others and crush them before they are born...a game I play home alone better have no monthlee fees. But a game, on a server, with thousands of others players, a support team and all, new content added...
As much as I am sure many devs wish they could live out of thin air and charge nothing...if the servers are serious to prevent cheating and all, you need that.
I think there would be place for a market like the old BBS althought, you buy the game, then someone install it in his home(an individual), he run the world and he is the GM and only guy around, and then it could be free or have some fees depending on each individuals, buy many many folks would be more then happy to run a game and be the only GM and change stuff like he want.
The game seller could offer a support webpage where a list of those home run server are and what are the rules everywhere...does this or that server allow transfers or not from another, this server is closing anyone wanna take the players and/or the world and so on...
At first my idea seem *bad*, but the company can offer some server with their fees and their rules and accepting no transfer from any server they dont run, allow some customization for home made server like the SySop of old...
This could work, but it need a company that want to make it throught and offer the support so a player find the list with maybe a few comments beside all servers, like: this place is almost like if we would run it outselves...almost...or another comments: This guy is a freak and he customize the game really bad, dont go there because... see each player could make his mind and pick whatever he want.
I would most likely pick a Company server with theirs fees unless my interest in the game is very low. Yet, this could be an option to sell more games and make some publicity, yet, they put willingly competitors for their Company servers and this is not the ways most of the companies around there work. They could even create many types of company servers, a type could even accept every players from others servers and have minimal fees and no support whatsoever (instead of just refusing them).
Anyway, just an idea.
But fees are helping make the game experience nicer, yet, I do understand you and if they could give the option for folks that want it another way (or rather run a world themselves then be a Guide or whatever), /shrug. Wont it be nice to be able to go on some home run made servers while the Company servers are running patch?
Of Course, home servers would have huge limitations on amount of players online at once...anyway, it is just an idea(and certainly not my best). 
- "Coercing? No no, I assure you, they are willing to bring my bags and pay public transportation just to help me, it is true!''
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
0.50 for the game monthle fee
$30 every two months for the new expension, so you have $1 a day.
Internet connection cost more then that, so let say we double to $2 a day.
The need of a computer that can support the game is $3 a day. (2k every 2 years)
So we are a $5 a day assuming you play everyday, let say you are a very big freak but still dont play half the days, we are talking of $10 for each day you play.
My Sattellite Dish cost me a lot less ($200 over 5 years, $600 for the TV over the same 5 years and then my programation that cost me a little more then $30 per month, so under $1.5 a day assuming I watch it everyday for the news or 1 emission or whatever) Additionnally, I can easily split those fee with someone else, more difficult for my little computer and all. There is no clashing almost over TV program watching when you share TV...if you share 1 computer, welcome to hell!
I think it is already kinda expensive.
They would not raise the monthlee fee much!
- "Coercing? No no, I assure you, they are willing to bring my bags and pay public transportation just to help me, it is true!''
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Can't use the internet or computer to raise your virtual prices unless the only reason you have a computer or internet connection is to play the game in question and you plan on throwing it away when the game ends ;p
The way I see it $15/mo saves me money. I only play one game at a time. Most games I play a month, beat it or get bored, and buy a new one. So lets say I'm spending $50 a month for games. With most MMORPGS, I pay $50, $15 (or $30, I generally end up with two accounts), and play for months (or years) on end. That's $20-35 a month I'm saving by my count.
I only have a computer and an internet connection for games as a matter of fact, would use a free thing trial all the time otherwise. And a high speed connection on top of that!
Yes, I plan on throwing away my connection when I stop playing online games. As a matter of fact, I take a internet connection to try EQ when I was bored with online BBS games(not internet, inside the city). I would not buy a new computer until a game interest me enought to buy it, so will prolly buy a new computer for WoW or EQ2.
If those games would not come out, I would have buy a new computer when another game(maybe not online) would request it and motivate me enought. Would I pay $100 for a game, no. Would I pay 2k for a new computer? Yes. I am buying the computer for the game(s) only? Yes. Current computer was buyed for which games? Black Isles Studio games (Icewind dales2 or Baldur Gates2, not sure which it was, I am getting confused in such details, but some such games)where making very droolific games and I buy my computer to play them, and it was not my first computer buyed for Black Isles Studio Games. My old Amiga 500 still work fine and can do everything I need with a computer with 1 exception...games.
So yes, you use the material cost on a daily basic to consider what the game cost you. If you have a computer for working on Words, you can pay $500 for 10 years and you dont need more, and you can use a free AoL thing. I have a computer to play games, so whatever game I am playing, I add the computer cost for the time I play it and the internet connection as well.
Yes, it would most likely cost me more to buy tons of drink or many games instead of paying 1 monthlee fee, that dont change the cost for that game and ignoring them would be unwise.
- "Coercing? No no, I assure you, they are willing to bring my bags and pay public transportation just to help me, it is true!''
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
When I play MMOGs I only pay $10-15 per month.
When I'm not playing MMOGs I am usually buying a game every week, at roughly $40 a week.
$15 < $160
I think it's cheap.
0.50 for the game monthly fee
We're in agreement on this one:
+ 0.50
$30 every two months for the new expension, so you have $1 a day.
Can't 100% agree with this comment at all, the only game I know of that has expansions comming out anywhere near that fast is EQ, DAoC is at 1 a year as are most of the others but I will bend a little and go on the high side and say that a game has 2 expansions in a given year, so let's add that to your calculation:
+0.16 ($60.00/365days)
Internet connection cost more then that, so let say we double to $2 a day.
So, the only reason you have an internet connection is for MMORPGS? you wouldn't have that connection if you weren't playing them? Sorry, you really can't include this into your calculation for the games costs as it's something most people have and pay for whether or not they play these games, but I will humor you and work that into the overall calculation. Let's dedicate HALF the fee to the games for the sake of arguement. Now I have broadband and pay $35 monthly for it, so half of that is $17.50 monthly, we'll round that up to $20 for fluctuatiing isp costs across the globe, that works out to:
+0.65 (($20.00 * 12) / 365 )
The need of a computer that can support the game is $3 a day. (2k every 2 years)
Not gonna agree with this one at all, as even if you only play regular single player games and are a dedicated gamer. Most likely you are upgrading once a year, I can't see playing Half-Life2, Doom3, Farcry or any other big titles for this year on a sub par machine, and even if we are going to include these costs but again for the sake of arguement I guess we can allow half of your generous upgrade costs for thes calculations (I've never spent 1k a year for upgrading and my machine is capable of running anything out there currently and comming up this year) I say half because your machine is NOT specifically for mmorpg use. Sooooo......
+1.30 (500 / 365 )
Now we are actually at, $2.66 a day, this is of course being generous because I really don't feel ISP and PC upgrade costs should be included, hell if you're going to include them you might as well include your electric bill for powering the PC, your rent bill for having a place to store your computer, your cars gas bill for driving to your local EB or Gamestop to buy the game and/or your grocery bill for the food that keeps you alive to play them.
I am not going to double this amount or change it at all to reflect your time in game, you have 24/7 access to the game, that is included in the fee, it doesn't scale by your usage of it.
So for under $20 a week ( less than one night out ) I have access at anytime, fitting my schedule to a game that brings me enjoyment. This $20 includes all fees that could be included as shown above. That isn't bad at all by my count.
*shrug*
Argue all you want.
Those numbers are a fact for me, not something to argue!
My computers cost me 1k each year, and if I play a MMORPG, then the days I play it, they are award the full price of the computer if I only play it, which is the case...
- "Coercing? No no, I assure you, they are willing to bring my bags and pay public transportation just to help me, it is true!''
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Please $15 a month for something that can keep as occupied as a good MMORPG can? I'd GLADLY pay that or more. If it stops me from going out for a night even once a month that I normally would have I actually SAVE money for the whole month. A night of entertainment can cost me way more than that and sometimes I go out just so I don't have to sit home bored.
In university I used to play MMORPG's just to keep myself from going out as much so I could save up money.
There are plenty of free options or cheap games you are welcome to play. No one is forcing you to buy these, it's entirely your choice. I on the other hand can only be entertained by a game that has certain quality levels and that means I will need to support them through monthly fees.
MMORPGS actually save me money. When I am not playing mmorpgs I am spending vast amounts more money shopping, going out, and on other forms of entertainment.
15$ a month for a mmorpg has to be the single cheapest form of entertainment I have encountered and I would happily pay 100$ a month for a well designed mmorpg I could enjoy. That being said I hope prices dont go up too much cause even if its such an insignificant amount nobody likes to part with their money.
I guess you should all be like me... I bought EQ for prolly $50, and all the expansions up to LOY so maybe another $100, then say $12 dollars a month (even though most of it was $10 per month). Played it for 3 years... thats roughly 582 dollars for 3 years. I sold 2 accounts (one mid way through and one at the end of 3 years). One account for $555 and the other one for $1000. So $1555 - 582 = $973 dollars profit. Now tell me its expensive to play again...
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""Now we are actually at, $2.66 a day, this is of course being generous because I really don't feel ISP and PC upgrade costs should be included, hell if you're going to include them you might as well include your electric bill for powering the PC, your rent bill for having a place to store your computer, your cars gas bill for driving to your local EB or Gamestop to buy the game and/or your grocery bill for the food that keeps you alive to play them. ""
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LOL that made me laugh>>
If its true that when you drop a cat it lands on its feet or if you drop toast it lands butter-side down... what happens if you strap toast to a cats back and drop it?
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Yep that's what I was saying. When I'm sitting around bored I am very dangerous in regards to my bank account
Give me something to keep me occupied like a MMORPG though and I am fine. Now I don't often go to the movies but by comparison one night just paying for myself = $15. If I take a date it's double and you have to do something else other than just a movie...A night out with a date/girlfriend can easily hit $100. A night out at a club with my friends can run from $25-80+ depending on cover charges, where you go, if you take a cab etc.
I'd pay more for an MMORPG easily if it would allow them to make them even more entertaining from me. Even at $30 a month it would probably save me money just by keeping me home one night rather than out spending money on my usual forms of entertainment.
OK well MMORPGS dont save me money, they make me money, beat that.
If its true that when you drop a cat it lands on its feet or if you drop toast it lands butter-side down... what happens if you strap toast to a cats back and drop it?
-----------------Censored------------------
If its true that when you drop a cat it lands on its feet or if you drop toast it lands butter-side down... what happens if you strap toast to a cats back and drop it?
they bouth well dissapear in a puff of logic
_______________________________
So i am a addict. i can live with it
can you ?
_______________________________
So i am a addict. i can live with it
can you ?
/em takes his Eggo off of Buster.
If its true that when you drop a cat it lands on its feet or if you drop toast it lands butter-side down... what happens if you strap toast to a cats back and drop it?
-----------------Censored------------------
The monthly fee starts from $10 and up to $15, depending on the game.
Personally, I feel that is a justified price, as long as there are regular updates, not only in bug-solving, but also in additional content and storyline changes. After all, any MMORPG requires a 24hour customer support, both in-game and out of the game, continuous development and server maintenance.
Currently playing:
* City of Heroes: Deggial, Assault Rifle/Devices Blaster. Server: Defiant.
* City of Villains: Snakeroot, Plant/Thorns Dominator. Server: Defiant.
You wouldn't be posting here using that computer would you? Because you ONLY use it to play MMORPG's. And you only use that Internet connection to play MMORPG's. So, again I say, you better be at work using their computer to post here, doing non-work stuff, where you are suppose to be working to earn the money to pay for that MMORPG.
"The greatest trick the devil played on humanity in the 20th century was convincing them that he didn't exist." (Paraphrasing) C.S. Lewis
"If a mother can kill her own child, what is left before I kill you and you kill me?" -Mother Teresa when talking about abortion after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979
Fact is mmorpg are not like other games they provide a persistant world that needs continious monitoring and issues resolved.Meaning staffing that continiously monitor and upgrade the game regualrly.Also due to the huge amount of people in one server at a time it cost a lot of bandwidth and hardware.
So basically yes they do need a monthly fee to run.Now whether $15 is an acceptable amount I dunno.
I remember when EQ rose their price from 9.95 to 12.95 I was furious because lets face it 500,000 accounts x 13 = $6.5m
Honestly in last 3 years the prices have gone up 50% which is way higher then inflation.
I understand what you are saying about every penny counts.I have a mortgage in the UK,car payments,taxes and so much more then I do value every coin.
But mmorpgs are addictive meaning you will end up spending more time at home which means less weekend nights out drinking .This at least for me has amounted to a huge saving .Without this savings I might have been forced to get a smaller house thats for sure
Why do you pay for it if you think it's thievery?
Why do you pay for it if you think it's thievery?
I dont, last game I played for an extended period of time was AC1, and it was 10$ a month.
"The greatest trick the devil played on humanity in the 20th century was convincing them that he didn't exist." (Paraphrasing) C.S. Lewis
"If a mother can kill her own child, what is left before I kill you and you kill me?" -Mother Teresa when talking about abortion after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979
Good for you. Now, if you can convince the majority of others to stop paying for it then they'll drop the prices.
Primary rule of capitalism: whatever the market will bear. Price is determined by a buyer's willingness to pay versus a seller's willingness to sell.
"The greatest trick the devil played on humanity in the 20th century was convincing them that he didn't exist." (Paraphrasing) C.S. Lewis
"If a mother can kill her own child, what is left before I kill you and you kill me?" -Mother Teresa when talking about abortion after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979