tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post2913152221740798925..comments2020-08-02T23:54:34.120-04:00Comments on Straw Fellow's Field: Worst Case Scenario - The End of Subscription GamingStrawfellowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575682856487531183noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-30454405503682944042012-08-24T18:37:47.552-04:002012-08-24T18:37:47.552-04:00I think its true that it won't die off complet...I think its true that it won't die off completely, but to play Devil's Advocate, I don't see many people paying for subscription games as the F2P "revolution" reaches its peak. Very few games right now are capable of maintaining a subscription-only model. To better define this, I consider games that are F2P yet offer a sub service to be F2P.<br /><br />The problem with comparing it to magazines, Netflix and Xbox Live is that those services offer something that is impossible (or difficult) to get otherwise, or in the case of magazines, appealing to collectors. You can't play on an Xbox live service without obtaining another system, and Netflix offers the convenience of not having to deal with the employees at Blockbuster who are fully aware their company is dying. Or going to a RedBox. <br /><br />If I don't like WoW? I can play LOTRO, City of Heroes, SWTOR (come this Fall), Age of Conan, or any other theme park MMO that is free and tickles my fancy. It may not be WoW, but it's close enough in gameplay that it can be good enough. And good enough for free? That can do some serious damage.Strawfellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01575682856487531183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-72296095867969332592012-08-24T11:26:14.591-04:002012-08-24T11:26:14.591-04:00Subscriptions aren't going anywhere. Just like...Subscriptions aren't going anywhere. Just like F2P was always around. When everyone is F2P, the pendulum will swing back to subs being the 'next big thing' for assorted reasons.<br />Subs are everywhere in the entertainment industry. Magazines mailed to your doorstep, Netflix, Xbox live... the list goes on. At the end of the day, people pay for services they deem have value. The marketing on the other side of the table will spin various methods at extracting cash from the pockets of customers, but it's only possible because person A deems object B to be of value.<br />The business model is the road between the A and B. There are many possible paths, but the industry will never shut one path down. That's less travelers that will reach the destination. Greed will see to it that the road stays open.Ahtchuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02137426873819158649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-63910399414239365662012-08-22T14:15:22.695-04:002012-08-22T14:15:22.695-04:00As for features, I agree entirely. SWTOR came out ...As for features, I agree entirely. SWTOR came out with bare bones endgame and so few things to do and expected it to compete with established titles like WoW, Rift and the like. If you get bored in SWTOR, your only option is another alt, and that gets old fast.Strawfellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01575682856487531183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-84781324871708288932012-08-22T14:13:44.519-04:002012-08-22T14:13:44.519-04:00Don't make me miss Pink Pigtailed Inn more tha...Don't make me miss Pink Pigtailed Inn more than I already do. That was an awesome blog.<br /><br />You make a good point about indie devs. MMO's are generally out of their grasp, but certain entrepreneurs have made it happen. Face of Mankind, Wurm Online, Runsscape and EVE Online all started out with small teams. I think the mistake is associating MMORPG's with big budgets. Servers cost money, sure, but MapleStory gets by with sprites and a 2D world. And I bet they have more people spending money than SWTOR right now. I wouldn't consider gamers so picky as to push away a game that had dated graphics. I am looking forward to City of Steam immensely, to toss out another example.<br /><br />Strawfellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01575682856487531183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572947746800591214.post-42161282895021257862012-08-22T13:27:04.828-04:002012-08-22T13:27:04.828-04:00I completely agree with it needing to distance its...I completely agree with it needing to distance itself from being Free because it sucked.<br /><br />But on something you said earlier, I don't see Indies making MMOs unless they are a big indie company. MMOs especially any coming out today have so many systems required to function that even writing them all out would be a bother.<br /><br />I think many of these games are failing because they don't have enough. Larisa, the Pink Pig-Tailed innkeeper from not so long ago, said it best, when she said that what WoW has is the ability to let her fish.<br /><br />Where is that in SWTOR, Champions Online, Star Trek?Pangoria Fallstarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01148359926488188195noreply@blogger.com