Brendon Fredin - Why I Love Subscription Games

Source Article – Troubled MMO The Secret World drops the subscription model – Mike Rose

 

                Ahhh, another one falls. After Star Wars: The Old Republic, the long touted "World of Warcraft killer" finally followed in its predecessors footsteps and switched to a free-to-play model, it seems The Secret World will be joining them as well. The switch to free-to-play seems to be a movement that has defined 2012. It makes sense really, in this age of mobile gaming and micro-transactions, that a subscription model might not be favourable. Indeed, the only two major MMORPG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games) left with a subscription model are EVE Online and World of Warcraft.

 

                In my personal opinion, I understand the free-to-play versus pay-to-play fight very clearly. By going free-to-play, the game is free and instead, you use micro-transactions to buy additional content from some sort of in-game cash shop to obtain items from weapons and armor to new outfits and hair styles (some games of course only sell cosmetic items and no weapons or armor are allowed). That seems very pay to win to me though and heavily shifted in favour of those that have money to throw around. There is a reason why I love the subscription model.

 

                I love the subscription model because it puts everyone on an even playing field. Typically, in a subscription modeled MMORPG, everything you see in game, you can get and is not blocked off by any sort of cash shop or monetary wall. I'm a broke college student, I cannot afford to make constant small purchases. A lot of the free-to-play games I have tried sell weapons and armor in their cash shops. I literally cannot afford to keep up with the other players. In a game like World of Warcraft, which I have been playing for 8 years, I pay once a month, and it's up to the player on how hard he wants to work to get the equipment he needs for his character(s).  Blizzard did set up a cash shop to buy mounts and pets, but those are for cosmetic reasons.

 

                I am totally in favour of the pay-to-play subscription model. I constantly feel disadvantaged when playing free-to-play games and I find myself not having fun. The constant ads and sales are overwhelming. I understand why more companies are using them, but to me, it feels like they are selling out. I'm not having fun when I'm being constantly bombarded to spend more money.