Are they trying to get advantage of the passionate fanbase by imposing a subscription fees?

I'm suspicious of their motives and how exactly it will affect the game for current users. I just fell that people who buy their way to the top will take over from players who provide the PvP element that the game has already.

 

Happens with all games with optional fees. I hope they know this...

 

They're being greedy, and I do think they're taking advantage of their fans. But they're alienating people who are new to the series. I think they're probably going to milk all the money they can from box sales and subscription fees and then switch to free to play like everyone else.

 

The subscription fees are there to save the fanbase from itself. There's the side of the fanbase that are mod-crazy and like their games populated by goblins re-textured to look like Chuck Norris and dragons with My Little Pony skins. The subscription will keep out fans like that who aren't willing to invest in the actual lore and storyline of the series.

 

I love/hate subscription fees. As others have stated, if you can buy your way to the top, then it's no longer a game and just representing real life. I play games to escape reality, not to get more into it. However, I don't mind a minor subscription fee that deters randoms from just causing havoc.

 

I will agree with some of your points, in that this is the business model that exists in game design these days. Get some money, while the idea is new and fresh. Ultimately go free to play and make a fortune off of superficial changes to the game. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Also, I agree about alienating people with no familiarity who may be interested in the game. If I knew nothing of the games but an article I read online, I may be tempted to throw down purchase price, but a monthly subscription in a commitment.

However, it is expensive to create a game. That is taken care of by the initial sale of the game. If the game is to be just that, the version that was released on that first day, I would agree that charging a subscription would be a little cumbersome to the fans. If, however, the subscription is used to add value to the game over time, say with free updates/features... this is one way where I can justify a continued cost for the player.

 

I agree with that. Many games have been ruined by their own fans, and it's something that could easily happen to ESO. It will be a massive RPG game, lore is an important aspect of the game and it should be respected.

 

Subscription fees have no place in games these days. Servers and bandwidth are cheap nowadays so ESO has no real excuse to charge a monthly fee.

 

How can you say it's uncalled for? Seriously, do explain how charging people from the work they have done is "uncalled for".

It's their game, they have wasted time and money making it so they can do anything they please with it. Anything. If they want to charge $200 they have the right to do so. There is no point in crying about it, they are providing a service and want to get paid for it. You don't go to McDonald's and cry about not getting free food, do you? If you do not believe their service is worth the price, no one is forcing you to buy it. (and this is why I'm staying away from both ESO and McDonald's)

 

I hope they implement a subscription fee... I think it is unfair to us players to all of a sudden pay for the new EOS. There will definitely be a decline in players if they implement this.

 

You can protest... I do too. I won't be buying the game, the only protest that matters. But crying in here saying it's "uncalled for" is not going to help. At all.

And while not many would buy it for $500, I'm sure that a lot of people will buy it with the $15 subscription fee.

I still don't understand how you can, at the same time, say that they can charge whatever they want and that asking $15 / month is uncalled for. Maybe I just don't see it but I can't understand how there is any logic to saying those 2 things.

 

Am I the only one that actually likes subscription fees? If they're that big of a thing for you then you need a better job/budget, I'd always prefer subscription fees as opposed to micro transactions of a lack of content in any game MMORPG or not.

 

I think they are, but I think most gamers have already made up their mind if they are going to buy the game or not.

 

It's not a question of budget for me, it's the principle. $15 a month is not much, especially if it's something that will keep you entertained for hours and hours. I'm just not a fan of paying for something that I already bough. One guy said "it's like you bought a house but you still need to pay rent for it" which is a pretty damn good comparison.

 

I think they are taking advantage of the fanbase just by releasing the game as an MMO. They could easily make a few more SP games with more of the lore etc.

 

I don't have a source but apparently they are also continuing to develop more SP games.