F2P or SUB poll speak your mind

[maxztt]

It's a hard decision. I always preferred the other players in subscription-based games over the other players in free-to-play games and I definitely preferred that everything was always available through ingame means.


On the other hand, with free-to-play you have more freedom to decide when to play. You don't have to worry about paying the 15€ a month although you don't play a single second in that month. You just jump in and out whenever you like. (which also takes away from some of the game feeling, since the community of free-to-play games seems to be less serious about the games)


My last point would be, that I doubt that a subscription based MMO could be very successful in todays world, with all the high quality free-to-play games popping up these days.

Eve Online and World of Warcraft seem to be the only big subscription-based games that are left and successful.
All the others either converted to some form of free to play or are virtually dying.

[Black_wraith]

It's a hard decision. I always preferred the other players in subscription-based games over the other players in free-to-play games and I definitely preferred that everything was always available through ingame means.


On the other hand, with free-to-play you have more freedom to decide when to play. You don't have to worry about paying the 15€ a month although you don't play a single second in that month. You just jump in and out whenever you like. (which also takes away from some of the game feeling, since the community of free-to-play games seems to be less serious about the games)


My last point would be, that I doubt that a subscription based MMO could be very successful in todays world, with all the high quality free-to-play games popping up these days.

Eve Online and World of Warcraft seem to be the only big subscription-based games that are left and successful.
All the others either converted to some form of free to play or are virtually dying.

f2p games die extremely fast, because they're nothing mroe then pay to win

[Thayl Ruttgar]

WoW I am sorry that you guys have had bad times with F2P games but I have played a lot of F2P and have found that there is good and bad in all game how many sub games have failed people should look at a game for what IT is and not if it is F2P or SUB, open your eyes to the world around you.

[lycrates]

SO just have the game F2P with the ability to SUB.

Let me explain to you how games with optional Sub work.

Optional Sub also nessecitates that content updates are optional to buy. As such, it is easy to guess that most people will not pay for a Sub or most of the optional content updates.

Since content updates are optional, seven things must ultimately happen:
1) Content updates are kinda of minor and boring because they are optional and cannot be an intergral part of the game.
2) Many people are not going to get them.
3) People who dont experience frequent content updates will eventually get bored and leave.
4) The cost for the development of new content falls increasingly on the small number of Subcriptions.
5) Less funding means smaller and smaller content updates.
6) More people leave due to the lack of new content.
7) Game becomes fully a free to play mess (cash shop with tiny new content updates).

This is not new. Us veteran gamers have seen these thing happen again and again. Sadly, the only AAA MMOs that are able to pull off the necessary frequent content updates which keep people engaged are subscription only MMOs. There is a reason for that and sadly developers do no work for free.

[Atheosis]

f2p games die extremely fast, because they're nothing mroe then pay to win

I really wish people would stop perpetuating this ignorance. Not all F2P games are P2W.

[deusex2]

Let me explain to you how games with optional Sub work.

Optional Sub also nessecitates that content updates are optional to buy. As such, it is easy to guess that most people will not pay for a Sub or most of the optional content updates.

Since content updates are optional, seven things must ultimately happen:
1) Content updates are kinda of minor and boring because they are optional and cannot be an intergral part of the game.
2) Many people are not going to get them.
3) People who dont experience frequent content updates will eventually get bored and leave.
4) The cost for the development of new content falls increasingly on the small number of Subcriptions.
5) Less funding means smaller and smaller content updates.
6) More people leave due to the lack of new content.
7) Game becomes fully a free to play mess (cash shop with tiny new content updates).

This is not new. Us veteran gamers have seen these thing happen again and again. Sadly, the only AAA MMOs that are able to pull off the necessary frequent content updates which keep people engaged are subscription only MMOs. There is a reason for that and sadly developers do no work for free.

Actually, from my experience with DCUO:

1)Mostly true, however some provide optional(and very often OP classes). Those very quickly become mandatory for everyone.

2)True

3)Kinda true, those people get bored with the game itself in general and are bound to leave sooner or later, new content or not. But later on, same kind of people pops in anyway, with no dedication and no intention to stay for long. They're there either to troll people or to kill few hours of their free time before moving on to the next f2p. It's one of reasons why I like p2p-it scares those people away.

4)Well, if the game ends up f2p, it's because of low number of subs and that number doesn't go up when the game turns f2p(especially since subs don't get all that much more for being subs). The game starts earning money on DLCs and other items, being bought by those people that come in, throw away few bucks and leave.

5)Usually, but mostly smaller content updates means that the devs become greedy. Why sell something a whole, when you can sell it piece by piece, for the same price as a whole thing? That's the problem with most of DLCs these days.

6)True, but some leave because they don't like getting ripped-off by DLCs.

7)That happens always, sooner or later, but always with f2p games. For the same reasons stated in #5

Also you've forgotten one more thing:

8)Optional subs/DLCs alienate gaming population. It's like all those fancy new maps that cost 10$ and have nobody playing on those, because very few people actually have that DLC.

[Shadinaxx]

Let me explain to you how games with optional Sub work.

Optional Sub also nessecitates that content updates are optional to buy. As such, it is easy to guess that most people will not pay for a Sub or most of the optional content updates.

Since content updates are optional, seven things must ultimately happen:
1) Content updates are kinda of minor and boring because they are optional and cannot be an intergral part of the game.
2) Many people are not going to get them.
3) People who dont experience frequent content updates will eventually get bored and leave.
4) The cost for the development of new content falls increasingly on the small number of Subcriptions.
5) Less funding means smaller and smaller content updates.
6) More people leave due to the lack of new content.
7) Game becomes fully a free to play mess (cash shop with tiny new content updates).

This is not new. Us veteran gamers have seen these thing happen again and again. Sadly, the only AAA MMOs that are able to pull off the necessary frequent content updates which keep people engaged are subscription only MMOs. There is a reason for that and sadly developers do no work for free.

There are ways of having optional content without it being mediocre. For instance, using Trion for example, Storm Legion is considered optional for the Rift platform, but I would not call it even remotely mediocre. You can play WoW as any of the previous expansions without the newest ones. You just dont have access to the greatest stuff, the increased level caps, dungeons, etc. SWTOR also has the option of F2P or sub, but with their first expansion not quite out yet, we cant say if it's "optional" or not. They do have a mall system for certain things, that subs get a monthly "allowance" of the premium currency that is given them based on their monthly sub rate.

However, I do prefer subs, dont have to do this thing where I have to play the game for x amount of time just to have access to content that is right in front of my face. I will be playing for x amount of time regardless, to "level up" and get geared, practice, etc. However, I dont want to have to run some sort of time sink scam just to use something for free. Not my style, I will pay what it's worth to show my appreciation for the hard work people have put into making a good product.

[Thayl Ruttgar]

I still disagree since like I said before everything is going this way and soon will be the standard I think you need open your eyes to the world and see that change is here and we need to make the most of it instead of make it sound horrible. I am sorry you are so one sided on this and can't see that we need to make it work not the DEV's. So if F2P WE need to buy content WE need to advertise this game and WE need to make it happen.

[Shadinaxx]

There are several "free" games I play, some good, some bad, some medium. I dont think "free" games is the change that is needed. What's wrong with currency exchange (paying for a product you want)? It's been done for over 2 thousand years, and seems to work well enough.

Here's the thing, compare what you are proposing to say, a gas(petrol) company. I dont want to pay for fuel anymore, so let's goto Shell, and tell them we aren't gonna pay for fuel by the gallon/litre anymore. However, because we want to use their fuel, we'll sport a sticker on our vehicle, and advertise for them. Also, if they put out merchandise, and maintenance items for our cars, I'll buy my maintenance from them, and whatever other "swag" I feel like getting from them. They will, I garauntee it, laugh you out of their meeting room. This busniess plan does not benefit them. In the online gaming industry, we (as the players/consumers) have a bit more authority than a fossil fuel company. However, it's still a service that requires manpower to run. Funding the manpower takes money. The free to play market is nice, but it's designed to cater to those willing to spend the most on it. ON a balanced, benevolant dev base, the sub is hte BEST way to go, for equality. May not be the most convieniant route, but it's the most equal.

[Thayl Ruttgar]

Again I have said I did not start this F2P thing but I do use it and do not think it is going anywhere, to compare online gaming to Fuel is not the same thing something that is luxury or something that is manditory not a comparison. but I do understand what you mean just wrong way to say it. F2P is here and staying if you like it or not look at almost all the SUB based games that started this year where are they now some form of F2P most of which SUCK. I play DDO and other games and do like the way they run it and do like the amount of content they are putting out and being able to get points from play as well as pay for them I play with almost all SUB players and keep up with them so this game is not PAY to WIN. I am sorry but please understand I get what you are saying but it is just not that way anymore so we as the players have to make it work and just PLAY FOR FUN which is what all games should be.