by Savanja on Jun 05, 2006
By: Tony "RadarX" Jones
<!-- if (!document.phpAds_used) document.phpAds_used = ','; phpAds_random = new String (Math.random()); phpAds_random = phpAds_random.substring(2,11); document.write ("<" + "script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript' src='"); document.write ("http://ads.tentonhammer.com/adjs.php?n=" + phpAds_random); document.write ("&what=zone:25"); document.write ("&exclude=" + document.phpAds_used); if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); document.write ("'><" + "/script>"); //-->If you are like me, you are only reminded of what playing MMO's cost when you get your bank statement. Of course, that is assuming you actually look at your bank statement. You'd have to check the mail, which is all the way out in the garage, and it's kind of warm this time of year you know? Some of us have a number of subscriptions. Some of us also spend agonizing hours monthly, deciding if this is the day we should cancel one of them.
Subscription fees are an established business model for MMO's in this day and age. It's difficult to conceptualize how a company would maintain content and support, based purely on unit sales. There are a few games who attempt to capitalize on unit sales *cough* World of Warcraft *cough* as serious source of revenue, with some success. Most other games depend on the monthly fees their subscribers (also known as "subs") pay. What effect does paying these subscription fess have on the playerbase? Does it change our mentality and our expectations? Does Blackguard work on the 75th floor of a posh high-rise?
The first thing I believe subscription fees affect, are the customers attitude towards the game. When we pay monthly for something, we feel we are obligated a certain level of service, and rightly so. Yes, we pay for the server to be down, for our classes to be "nerfed," and even for the Frostfell tree to stay in Qeynos Harbor through January. We get impatient with GM's who can't fix our problems, complain about horrid server lag, and chastise developers for broken content. The question in this is, what is too much? If you are a part of the 1% (including me) who has actually read our End User License Agreement (EULA), you'll notice SOE doesn't guarantee play time in any form. What that means, is you aren't really "entitled" to any level of service, including access to their forums. Your concerns, complaints, and for some of you, rants are ultimately heard with your wallet. Am I saying not to complain? Absolutely not! My Tier 7 armor is still pink and I will not rest until that is rectified! Or until I replace it with something else. Please, just check your pitchforks and torches at the door when complaining, especially on the forums. The angrier you are the bigger target you become.
The next thing subscription fees affect, are the motivation for playing. Yes, in the end, you should be playing a game because you are having fun, not because you are a masochist. However, there is a certain level of dedication that surfaces when you realize something is being paid for. Like a gym membership you use every few months, because you're going to get ripped by next week, there are times you log in to play because it's costing you. Now this isn't to say that's the primary motivation. The idea of "getting your money's worth" might be one of those things, that tips the scales in favor of jumping into Norrath. You could always be playing Oblivion, or screaming "Tengo Down!" in the twenty second version of Rainbow Six. There is a flipside to this. When you aren't enjoying the game, and it is costing you monthly, it's very easy to tell yourself, "You know if I cancelled EverQuest 2 that would pay for a 80's music compilation CD." The next stage, is the agony of weighing whether the game is worth paying for. Fortunately most games don't delete your characters, and it's easy to resubscribe.
What if EverQuest 2 was free? What would it change? For starters, since you weren't paying monthly for it, the expectations would be lower. My dad always said, "You get what you pay for, except when it comes to video games cause they rot your brain!" The first half of that, is true. If there isn't any out of pocket cost, why should we expect much? You ever shop in the bargain bin at Walmart? Don't lie, we all have. You picked up that $10 game called "Begemmed!" or "Commando Assault 4!" got home and played it for 10 minutes before giving it up to for Ultima III because it was more fun. The lack of cost is actually a deterrent for me personally. Why is it free? Is the game not good enough to charge for? What is most interesting though, is this doesn't apply in Asia . All the MMO's over there (except WoW of course) are completely free in the beginning. The consumer attitude there is not to pay for anything until they've tried it.
What this really boils down to is a very interesting question: Are MMO subscription fees actually good? From a consumer's standpoint, of course we want things as economical as possible (like a $0.99 menu) but we can't expect something for nothing. A monthly cost makes the game manufacturer accountable, and gives them a reliable source of revenue to fund themselves. A game with no money, is a game with no future, although I have seen at least one MMO I thought was dead announce an expansion.
This isn't to say a free MMO won't work. I am aware of the ultra-secret classified MMO that SOE is working on, and that it will not be subscription based. I'm guessing it will be funded from in game advertising, the purchase of items, or the souls of former SWG players. Can a free subscription game be successful in the West? Guildwars and Second Life have both tried the model, and seem to be seeing a little bit of success. I'm not sure I can see it working on a large scale, but it'll be interesting to watch. So next time you actually get your mail from the garage, in the 100 degree heat, maybe your bank statement won't have MMO charges on it and instead of reading junk mail you can read in game advertising.