The Elder Scrolls Online Petition

[dabagonsmith]

The people behind The Elder Scrolls Online have announced that they are going with the subscription based business model. This is something I feel that alot of bethesda and elder scrolls fans are not going to like and want to change. Please help by signing this petition and hopefully bethesda will see it and seriously reconsider their decision. https://www.change.org/petitions/bethesda-the-elder-scrolls-online-change-the-business-model-from-subscription-based-to-one-time-purchase#share

[Elsarian]

Seriously? Is it that big of a deal? If you had a free-to-play model then you'd be paying more than you would on a subscription model. If there are items you want to upgrade, pay for it. Armor? Pay for it. It just wouldn't work and it wouldn't promote much incentive for the devs to push out more content. A subscription model would promote a more stable "mega"-server and weekly content that you do not have to pay for. Everyone has the same stuff as it comes out. That, to me, is a better system for these kinds of games. If you can't pay, then don't play.

 

Here's what the developers had to say: "The Elder Scrolls games are all about allowing the player to go where they want, be who they want, and do what they want. We feel that putting pay gates between the player and content at any point in game ruins that feeling of freedom, and just having one small monthly fee for 100% access to the game fits the IP and the game much better than a system where you have to pay for features and access as you play. The Elder Scrolls Online was designed and developed to be a premium experience: hundreds of hours of gameplay, tons of depth and features, professional customer support - and a commitment to have ongoing content at regular intervals after launch. This type of experience is best paired with a one-time fee per month, as opposed to many smaller payments that would probably add up to more than $14.99/month any way."

 

I don't see petitioning Blizard about their models, yet it takes them so long to push out content. I agree with and find the ESO Team's plan fair.

 

-Elsarian

[Kursan]

This would be the first MMO that I consider subscribing to and I had not seen this announcement yet. It seemed obvious from the start that it would have to be a fee based subscription and I am glad that they did not opt for needing to buy access to better stuff or certain areas, they would most certainly have lost me as a customer then.

What bothers me is that on top of that one has to "buy the game" for another sixty $, that seems a bit excessive unless you get the first 2-3 month for free.

Or has anyone read something to the contrary?

I am still on the fence about buying into this, as much as I love the elder scrolls and love to explore Tamriel.

[mikejaxer]

I agree with the op.

Nothing they've shown me seems like it'll be worth the monthly fee, I'm sure for ES fans they'll love it but for someone who plays ES games casually; I'm not interested. I don't make enough every month to spend £8 on a game, especially with next gen approaching. That being said though I doubt a petition will do anything, they never get anywhere. I see it turning F2P with optional monthly fee like like other MMOs have done

 

I wish more games would have their MMOs set up like Guild Wars, one time fee and an cash shop.

Edited August 21, 2013 by mikejaxer

[dabagonsmith]

Seriously? Is it that big of a deal? If you had a free-to-play model then you'd be paying more than you would on a subscription model. If there are items you want to upgrade, pay for it. Armor? Pay for it. It just wouldn't work and it wouldn't promote much incentive for the devs to push out more content. A subscription model would promote a more stable "mega"-server and weekly content that you do not have to pay for. Everyone has the same stuff as it comes out. That, to me, is a better system for these kinds of games. If you can't pay, then don't play.

 

Here's what the developers had to say: "The Elder Scrolls games are all about allowing the player to go where they want, be who they want, and do what they want. We feel that putting pay gates between the player and content at any point in game ruins that feeling of freedom, and just having one small monthly fee for 100% access to the game fits the IP and the game much better than a system where you have to pay for features and access as you play. The Elder Scrolls Online was designed and developed to be a premium experience: hundreds of hours of gameplay, tons of depth and features, professional customer support - and a commitment to have ongoing content at regular intervals after launch. This type of experience is best paired with a one-time fee per month, as opposed to many smaller payments that would probably add up to more than $14.99/month any way."

 

I don't see petitioning Blizard about their models, yet it takes them so long to push out content. I agree with and find the ESO Team's plan fair.

 

-Elsarian

I understand that, i'm all for supporting good developers. They will be getting the initial 60 dollars for the game that alot more people will buy if it isn't subscription based, having more people in the game will make more oppurtunites for them to buy stuff from the in game cash shop, items skins, trinkets etc....like in guild wars 2. Even though gw2 has some issues it has by far the best business model for any mmo ever made. With things being the way they are right now asking for a monthly subscription from your fans is going to kill off a great deal of potential consumers.

 

Many of us long time bethesda fans would save what little we have and buy their games. We want to support them because they're an amazing company. They would make more money by not having it subscription based, and that's simply because of how many die hard loyal fans their are of betheda and the elder scrolls series. Asking for an inital fee creates a really big barrier that will stop alot of potential money coming in, that's why I hate subscription based to begin with. People that want to support the game will spend well over 15 dollars a month, people that are poor will still save up to buy the game and spend what little extra spending money they have on items aswell.

 

I just don't like subscription based models, it's rather greedy and creates alot of barriers for potential buyers and it also creates a barrier for plenty of their fans, who might get pissed off enough to where they don't buy anymore games from bethesda, I will still support bethesda on their good games, but this isn't one of them and i'm going to continue fighting for this even though it's probably not going to happen.

[Maverick827]

 

What bothers me is that on top of that one has to "buy the game" for another sixty $, that seems a bit excessive unless you get the first 2-3 month for free.

 

 

You get the first 30 days for free.

 

 

I understand that, i'm all for supporting good developers. They will be getting the initial 60 dollars for the game that a lot more people will buy if it isn't subscription based, having more people in the game will make more oppurtunites for them to buy stuff from the in game cash shop, items skins, trinkets etc....like in guild wars 2. Even though gw2 has some issues it has by far the best business model for any mmo ever made. With things being the way they are right now asking for a monthly subscription from your fans is going to kill off a great deal of potential consumers.

 

Many of us long time bethesda fans would save what little we have and buy their games. We want to support them because they're an amazing company. They would make more money by not having it subscription based, and that's simply because of how many die hard loyal fans their are of betheda and the elder scrolls series. Asking for an inital fee creates a really big barrier that will stop a lot of potential money coming in, that's why I hate subscription based to begin with. People that want to support the game will spend well over 15 dollars a month, people that are poor will still save up to buy the game and spend what little extra spending money they have on items aswell.

 

I just don't like subscription based models, it's rather greedy and creates a lot of barriers for potential buyers and it also creates a barrier for plenty of their fans, who might get pissed off enough to where they don't buy anymore games from bethesda, I will still support bethesda on their good games, but this isn't one of them and i'm going to continue fighting for this even though it's probably not going to happen.

 

 

1. They will not make more money with a free to play model, at least not from the start. They might switch to free to play once that becomes the most profitable model, but a team of market analysts with infinitely more experience and information than you or I decided that the game would make more money as pay to play.

 

2. Pay to play is not any more or less greedy than buy to play or free to play. A company will use whichever model will get them the most money; if a game happens to be free to play, it's not out of the goodness of the developer's hearts, it's because they ran the numbers and projected that free to play would earn them the most money.

 

3. Bathesda is not creating Elder Scrolls Online, ZeniMax Online Studios is. Even though both companies are owned by ZeniMax Media, you are not really supporting Bathesda regardless of whether or not you buy the game. It's a completely different team. It's like going to dinner at Little Ceasar's to support the Detroit Red Wings because they're both owned by Mike Ilitch.

[yzerman19]

Free to play is crapass. I will pay...if I get interested in it. I am having too much fun with Skyrim though, in reality.

[Lachdonin]

I've played many free to play games, and frankly... Once you hit the level cap (if you even make it that far) they are absolute twaddle. The only MMO's i've actually enjoyed are WoW, SWtoR (initially, got boring rather quick) and WAR. The assurances of the subscription income ensures that the developers can keep developing, adding new, decent content (unlike, say, Guild Wars... Or Neverwinter where they let players make everything for them) regularly.

 

The problem with subscription based models is not the companies being greedy, but the players feeling entitled. Most (not all) MMO players today want to pay a one-time fee to get a game, and then get regular, outstanding content for absolutely no contribution. Look at what SWtoR has become.Every 'patch' you have people raging on the forums because of the pay-to-play system on the new content. They want their new dungeons for nothing other than their time spent in game, with no contribution what so ever. It's like MMO players are starting to view their gaming as a job, rather than what it really is.

 

Personally, i'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. 30 days free is more than enough time to determine if the game has the stones to survive (probably not, but we can hope) in the insanely competitive market that is MMO's. If it does have said stones, however, $20 a month to play an enjoyable game is less than i'd probably be paying on crappy games i'd only beat once during that month anyway.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Lachdonin

[kleinstaff]

Why even bother ESO is already failling and it is not even launched

the beta is a small calamity and now they started to develop a console version , something they never had plans for in the past and sounds more like aé desperate attempt to get the salelevels they promised to their investors

actually i should not call it development none of those developers actually developed anythng in the game they just bought the license for it

 

overall the beta iwas a big let down

graphics are dul and uninspiring , the game mechanis feel clunky and very unimaginitive pve is like wow except of a npc telling you to go and kill 10 boars the npc tells you to explore that or that cave/ruin saùe thing same result

and for pvp well my youngest daughter hello kitty online has more and better hardcore pvp than ESO

and just about everything in the fgame has been done before in an other mmo usually better

i wouldn't even touch the game even if it came free with the next real TES or fallout

Edited August 22, 2013 by kleinstaff

[Lachdonin]

Well, it IS a Zenimax product... They've been scraping the bottom of the barrel for some time now. Still, a Beta is a Beta, they can't all be as overwhelmingly successful as Smite.