Online/Subscription Gaming

[just_another_tek_head]

I for one feel that the migration towards online only/subscription games is a bad idea. I have lost count of how many times I have picked up a game at walmart and thought, hey, this looks cool. But wait, you have to have an online subscription for it. Screw that. For example: The final fantasy series. I've played all but the latest ones, because they require a monthly fee. I own them, but haven't been able to play them. I feel that because there are a lot of people that cant afford the fee, the companies will lose a lot of their fan base. Comments anyone?

[kpm547]

Yes lots of people can't afford them, but a lot can. The companies are raking in way more money with the subscription than the amount lost by people that can't afford it. Also the people that can't afford it will buy a different game that is made by the same company and the company still gets rich.

Consumers love choices. Companies have to give them choices. The consumer can't have everything. Yes there's lots of online games that I would like to play, but I can only afford to play one. Up until this year I couldn't afford any so I had to buy other games.

It's just like cars. I would love to drive a Porsche, but I am driving a Toyota Corolla because I can't afford the Porsche. I made a sacrifice.

[just_another_tek_head]

Lol. I guess you're right. I drive a 91' Firebird and have little money left for anything else. Well, I wrecked it but am still paying on the loan. :-( Same difference.

[AllGamer]

aye.. aye.. couldn't agree more.

i feel the same way, i don't like how they way games are going now, they are all ONLINE games... :-\

some are good, some are bad

what i hate most is the online community

some great games are ruined by hacker, scammer, and cheaters community.

so all online games are worthless to us, but the game makers likes it because of the monthly thousands upon thousands of dollars they get for it.

and Blizzard must be Millions upon Millions of dolars a month...

[RockNRoll]

Ppl need to start boycotting all this junk... M$ with the halo 2 bunch of monkey dung. And yes, online games are ruined by hackers, cheaters, spammers, and the biggest frigs of the gaming community.

[kpm547]

You can boycot all you want. It's not going to make a difference, because they are making too much money. You'd have to get millions of people to shut down their accounts with WoW. then BLizzard would say what's wrong? Let's make an expansion and give a good signup deal and then all the people who quit will say, yo know, I really actually enjoyed that game. I'll go back. Then you're back to square one.

I had the same feelings about MMORPGs. I didn't want to play because of the subscription. Down with the man. Then I played it and I love it. Yes there are some people that make parts not enjoyable, but you deal with it an ignore them.

[RockNRoll]

Another tactic is MMORPG's are addicting... WAY too addicting.

[kpm547]

Another tactic is MMORPG's are addicting... WAY too addicting.

Exactly. The software companies didn't just throw the idea together in one day. They probably spent hundreds of thousands to determine how to keep people hooked. If they weren't addicting, then they wouldn't make very much money. It's the new drug!

[RockNRoll]

I wasted my whole summer playing Knight Online... That was lame.

[just_another_tek_head]

It's the new drug!

Lol. But there are a few exceptions to the online gaming community. For example, Freelancer, Warcraft III, Half-Life Counterstrike. . . at least these are free.

I spent quite some time playing Runescape online. It's free, but if you become a member it's only $5 a month. It's quite a great deal. But sadly enough there are all the ****heads that like to ruin the whole experience by scamming, spamming, cheating, being complete idiots. . .

[AllGamer]

Lol. But there are a few exceptions to the online gaming community. For example, Freelancer, Warcraft III, Half-Life Counterstrike. . . at least these are free.
.

but that is different, these are not MMORPG games, just regular games.

and this is what i was saying about alot of Gamer companies are going Away from, they are swtiching any multiplayer game into MMORPG to keep you paying.

the old multiplayer games are pay once, and is game over for the software makers, but MMO games, is pay once, they pay some more over and over and over and... until you can;t affort it, or until you get bored of it.

[just_another_tek_head]

Ahh, yes! Finally somone who agrees.

[NJEnviroguy]

I have to offer a dissenting opinion...I don't find it that bad to have to pay for one or two games a month if need be. I play plenty of free mp games over the internet, mostly shooters, but I do subscribe to a couple MMORPGs. For the amount of energy and oversight that the MMORPGs take (and I'm not saying its out of control amount of oversight, but moreso than a standard shooter) I don't think the charges that are currently the norm are out of line.

I subscribe to SWG and EQ2...just about $20 a month. Albeit, I don't play SWG as much anymore, but my account started on launch and its becoming just a piece of nostalgia for me. But, that said, new missions/quests/loot/gear rolls out on an almost daily basis that does make you want to come back for more and if a company needs to charge a couple bucks a month for that, so be it. I guess I'll pack a ham sandwich once every 30 days for lunch when I goto work and it pretty much evens out.

If people are complaining about costing too much and this and that, well maybe those people shouldn't be shifting their income towards a video game at this point. Hey, maybe they are lucky enough to have cool parents or a nice suga moma on the side that can feed their addiction.

Like someone said, its a choice...no one is putting a gun to your head (although they just make these games so sweet that they might as well haha) and forcing you to buy a game that costs monthly to play. God knows there are plenty other games out there that you don't have to.

[germanNiklas]

If people are complaining about costing too much and this and that, well maybe those people shouldn't be shifting their income towards a video game at this point. Hey, maybe they are lucky enough to have cool parents or a nice suga moma on the side that can feed their addiction.

Like someone said, its a choice...no one is putting a gun to your head (although they just make these games so sweet that they might as well haha) and forcing you to buy a game that costs monthly to play. God knows there are plenty other games out there that you don't have to.

true true, cant agree more!

i play world of warcraft too, luckely i can afford the 12 euros per month and the money is well spend imo.

the only free "mmorp" i know is guild wars, and there are alot of updates like in wow too
play both but guild wars isnt the same and you feel the difference. guild wars hasnt that many updates and it gets boring (at least for me)
it couldnt keep me playing so i went back to wow, there is always something to do and alot of high level content (hope my friends and me make it to Ahn'Qiraj soon)

[own]

I don't like the newer MMORPG's. Massive online role playing peaked with Ultima Online in 1999 in my opinion. Shadowbane had it's moments but it still didn't stack up. I didn't like WoW or EQ or any of those other "consent pvp" games. Darkfall looks promising except it seems that combat will be more like an FPS than an RPG.

Only MMORPG I might ever pay for again is Star Trek Online, which probably won't be for another couple years.

Subscriptions are also too expensive now. $9.99/mo. used to be the standard and I thought it was a reasonable fee. Now you probably can't find one for much cheaper than 15 a month. I know it' sonly a 5 dollar difference, but that's enough to drive me away.