How long will we have to pay the subscription fee?

They are a business after all so the change into from paid to free to play will be completely dependent on profits which in turn comes from the popularity of the game that gamer's like us provide. When people get sick of paying and they begin to lose money they will switch to F2P. I feel like the hype for skyrim online will mean that the change will happen over a year after release.

 

I doesn't even take that long, all it takes is some bad reviews once the game comes out, since it has so much competition from F2P games it will be hard to justify paying.
People will read the reviews before buying, the reviews probably mention the free alternatives as comparison and then the game won't have as many subscribers.
On top of that, Wildstar will be coming close on its heels so people might also wait to see how that pans out.

 

I have been watching some streamers play the beta and the game just honestly isn't that intruging yet. It has a lot of potential, but it's not good enough to be something I would pay a subscription for. I have a beta key, so I will probably try it out, simply because it was free.

 

I have to agree with the comment above. I have not seen anything to intriguing from the game yet. I'm gonna have to wait until it comes out so I can get everyones reaction first. As for how long it will last? I say it all depends on how many people are willing to do this whole subscription thing. Could be the entire life of the game or a few years. Who knows?

 

Like someone said, it completely depends on the popularity of the game. And from what I've heard, not so many people will be buying the game at launch... and from what I've seen and played of the game, not so many people will continue to play it after it comes out either... so I imagine it won't be too long before it goes free to play. Especially considering that the only people who will keep paying to play after 6-12 months will be die hard fans and when newbies come in to start playing they will be alienated by the larger players, more so than in other MMOs.

 

I had access to a Beta weekend, I had 3 whole days to try it out, I played for about two hours before I shut it off and didn't touch it for the rest of the weekend, that should be a hint as to what I thought of the Beta

 

That bad eh? Well in that case, it shouldn`t take long for the game to become free to play, question is however, how long until the game shuts down if it is so bad, even if free to play?

 

If ESO pulls it off, I would say you will be paying the subscription fee for the majority of its lifespan. However, if ESO ends up like that of Star Wars TOR, then I would say their subscription program would die out within 2-3 years. They will either switch it to a lower monthly cost or take it out all together.

The problem with the latter is that many companies get too cocky and overly confident about their product at the start, even before releasing the game. So they incur a lot of set expenses, especially if they are contracted expenses on an annually basis. So if they take out the subscription program later on, they may end up with losing more money than if they had kept going.

There is a balancing factor. You see, on one hand, if their game is not that successful, they will need to create incentives for current players to keep playing, while attract new players and former players. This is done by offering a lower price or giving more in the game, but by giving more, they can cause people to lose interest due to the game being too easy. On the other hand, if they want to keep their contracts stable without potential lawsuits or breakage fees, they may lose players and turn off new ones.

Unfortunately, all of this comes down to how everything started before the game was even released. Developers should seriously stop their arrogance and ignorance and think realistically. MMO gaming today is drastically different than back when WoW and Everquest first came out. Players are generally more demanding and unyielding today, than it was 8-10 years ago when MMO games were new and fresh.

 

I agree with the overall opinion that it's business and the time frame will all depend on how well the game is doing. Then again, based on some of the feedback I'm seeing, I also agree that it might just come down to a decision of if the game is even worth it or not...subscription or not.

 

We will all be paying them until we decide to put our virtual feet down and say "No more". Seriously, it is almost like when I quit smoking, I never quit until I was ready and willing. I feel the same grip holds over many people that pay fees (like me).

 

It's a good game, but I think they should have made their subscription fee somewhat less. I mean, buying Skyrim is only about $60, and it only takes four months (at $15) to equal that, and as someone else pointed out, they want you to just keep paying it! It adds up.

 

Precisely. Obviously many people don't feel that way and that is down to opinion and not really relevant to this topic. but the fact that so many people do and will continue to do so will likely mean free to play sooner than expected. I'm expecting to see the price coming down in the form of sales soon. Perhaps a "six months at five dollar/month" Christmas sale.

 

Well that depends on how good and popular the game will be. I started playing, but then cancelled mine, because me and my husband ended up getting into Dark souls. I am still wondering if it is still good to play. I may start it back up soon and see if I like it. I have heard it is not worth it though, so who knows.

 

It's a pretty sad game for what it could have been. It's definitely clear a B team developed it. I might try it if it does go f2p but I doubt it.

 

Give it a couple more time. I'm pretty sure it will go free to play but it's way too soon now.

 

The thing is, Elder Scrolls Online seems to be a step above these former P2P games which you speak of. I think that, like World of Warcraft, the subscription fee will stay as they know people will continue to pay. Hell, I know I will.

 

It's unfair to ask users to pay to keep playings I hope they change their mind and atleast if you will pay for a game, let it be for once.