Topics: Subscription based MMO’s

Zach Goodier

As a fan of the Elder Scrolls series, I have been mulling over the new direction of the franchise since the announcement of ESO, and while I definitely think this game has a lot of potential, it also made me wonder why I have failed to jump on board with subscription-based games before now, such as WOW.  While I don’t deny the quality of these games, it has generally been a genre that I’ve avoided.  While I have dabbled in free-to-play MMO’s, they generally fall into a dynamic of “free to play, but pay to win” type of games.  So, here’s a look at why I’ve found subscription-based games difficult to get into.

Paying potentially over a hundred of dollars to play a game.

Alright, first off, let’s break this down a bit.  First, you buy a game, let’s say for $40, but the initial price doesn’t matter.  Sure, it seems like a deal compared to the $60 standard for most games, and they generally come with coupons or codes for at least 1 month of game time, but then it jumps to $15/mo. (the accepted standard now).  Ok, still not too bad, but if you want to reach the level cap, you either have to play non-stop for a couple weeks, or dabble in the game for months, paying $15 for each month just to keep your account active so you can hop on. For some, they can easily get their money’s worth out of these games, and that’s great.  But for gamers who are less than obsessive, this can be a difficulty. 

As new content is released in the months following release, you have to keep paying the subscription fee just to be able to enjoy it.  And sure, most MMO’s end up going free after a while, they can still rack up a hefty bill in the meantime, and you will end up likely spending over $100 before you end up having the game go free, which is a lot higher than the $60 game you thought you were so smart to avoid.

You still often have a lot of items that require money.

Let’s face it, all MMO’s will likely have items you need to pay to have.  However, I will admit that most subscription MMO’s avoid hoarding all the great items for either single-payments or the notorious “VIP” packages and what-not.  In subscription-based games, they usually limit it to cosmetic items, like outfits and appearance packs, but they still make sure the stylish stuff is held back for a nominal fee. 

Want that pet Direwolf (or whatever) pet you've had you eye on, well shell out the dough, amigo.

Closing Thoughts.

I don’t want you to read this and think I detest subscription-based games online.  In fact, I think they’re a great idea, in theory.  If the rate was $10/mo, I might even think about some of them.  However, as a gamer who finds himself without an abundance of time to enjoy his games, I find subscription fees too steep for a person who only has bulk game time on weekends here and there.  This article is mainly an explanation of the weaker points of subscription-based games.  As more and more of my favorite franchises (Elder Scrolls, Knights of the Old Republic) have turned towards MMO’s for the future of their games, I find myself feeling alienated from many of my favorite franchises. However, Elder Scrolls Online might be the game to convert me.  Depending on the pricing of their subscriptions, as well as the reviews on how the game turned out, I might give it a shot.  

I hope ESO is the game to convert me, but subscription fees are a hefty hurdle to overcome in justifying the purchase.