How can WoW still justify a subcription model?
- Thread starter 00slash00
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I've loved WoW since 2006, when I first played it!Nieroshai said:
In fact, I love all aspect of it except for raiding, because I've never come around to doing that properly. I play the game for a few months and level a character or two where I then get bored and stop playing for year or 2, where I start again on a renewed 2-3 month subscription. That's just what I find fun in the game: Dungeons, quests, lore and a little PvP.
I can just take the same answer I gave to an incredibly similar thread [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.398174-How-is-WoW-able-to-keep-its-subsricption-service-going?] a week ago and post it here. There's no point giving a different answer to a variant of the same question, not that I'm trying to be impersonal or anything but I can't spare half an hour to recall it:
Bvenged said:
Well, the argument the quoted user was putting forward was that Free to Play MMOs don't work so I pointed to successful Free to Play games whose methods could be employed in MMOs.Capitano Segnaposto said:
I also mentioned myself that the Guild Wars games aren't free to play but employ very successful cash shops that allow them to survive without a subscription model that I'm sure free to play games could also employ.
Agreed the vocal bunch that scream and yell and rant and rave about how horrible wow is and how much is casualized or caters to hardcore or etc etc blah blah yakkity-smakkity, are a very very small minority of the wow player base. Just sadly they the ones you see because they the ones that stand up and scream the loudest.Nieroshai said:
I play wow as a hobby. Same as my mother gardens, the step father collects coins, my roomie works out, my friends collects unicorn, another friend plays various FPS online, another plays civ 5... a hobby. I spend my subscription on it over the year. I might buy a store pet if I like the design. (like the cinder kitten) so for anyone to tell me to my face I'm stupid for paying for them I'll just ask them what they do and point out the various stupities of their hobby. They tend to shut up real quick, especially the one who have actually expensive pointless hobby. (collectors of anything pretty much come to mind...)
Because severs cost a lot of money to operate and maintain. Also last I checked WoW still has over several million subscribers willing to pay for that subscription, so I'm reminded of the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
WoW is still selling subscriptions and making more money with that than f2p. Games that go f2p are the ones that fail at the subscription model, WoW isn't near that category and thus isn't going to go f2p anytime soon.
And despite the people who say they *hate* the newer versions of WoW, players are still playing and paying so it must be fun for more people than it isn't.
I don't find people pay for things they don't want, and WoW doesn't force sub's on anyone who doesn't want to play anymore.
And despite the people who say they *hate* the newer versions of WoW, players are still playing and paying so it must be fun for more people than it isn't.
I don't find people pay for things they don't want, and WoW doesn't force sub's on anyone who doesn't want to play anymore.
Cause people will pay it.
Do I think WoW is worth $15 a month? No, and thus I don't play WoW. But, enough people still do and likely will for a long time. I wouldn't be surprised that if WoW ends up being the only non-F2P MMO.
Normally I'd accuse you of trying to over-compensate by questioning people's security in their own masculinity, but considering WoW is general population is over-hormonal 14yr old boys comparing e-peen size, you're probably right.
Personally, I don't find them especially cute at all, just kinda dumb looking.
Do I think WoW is worth $15 a month? No, and thus I don't play WoW. But, enough people still do and likely will for a long time. I wouldn't be surprised that if WoW ends up being the only non-F2P MMO.
Oh no, people have a different opinion from yours. They're just whining!jetriot said:
Normally I'd accuse you of trying to over-compensate by questioning people's security in their own masculinity, but considering WoW is general population is over-hormonal 14yr old boys comparing e-peen size, you're probably right.
Personally, I don't find them especially cute at all, just kinda dumb looking.
Eh, im not so sure. while there are certainly multiple factor that contribute to wows continued dominance, what ive heard from many wow players boils down to endgame content. theres just so much to do in wow, once you hit that level cap. there are plenty of mmos that have done things as good or better than wow but couldnt stand up to wow because blizzard has been constantly building endgame content for years, close to a decade by this point. so even people who are kinda bored of wow will keep coming back because they will hit a point with newer mmos where they have just experienced everything and theres nothing left for them to do.mooncalf said:
blizzards next mmo, obviously, will not have that same advantage. also, from what ive heard, the next mmo is not warcraft related or even an rpg. the fact that its a completely different kind of game means that many wow fans may be less willing to jump on board, and the days of blizzard having the reputation as the company that always releases quality games doesnt really exist anymore. i didnt think diablo 3 was THAT but, but i think it did hurt their reputation
If people are paying to play what makes you think they would suddenly turn around and say, "no no, fuck it, keep your money."
When far fewer people are willing to pay they will re-think the situation and go pay-to-win like Mass Effect 3 (on 360) was before the EC release.
When far fewer people are willing to pay they will re-think the situation and go pay-to-win like Mass Effect 3 (on 360) was before the EC release.
What I've heard from WoW players who left WoW is that they were frustrated at having their stuff rendered obsolete by new additions. Both types are correct I'm sure. If Blizzards new game is meant to replace WoW, then it will have subscriptions. Maybe it will be free with subs for premium, maybe it will be subs for blizzard catalogue on tap, maybe it will be subs bundled with home utilities or cable. But subs there will be, you can count on it, there's too much money at stake for it to be otherwise.00slash00 said:
It doesn't need to justify it. You're coming at this backwards.
The players feel they can justify spending the subscription fee, and Blizzard feels that this business model is successful for them. You can only charge what enough people to earn you profit are willing to pay. As TOR, TERA, LOTRO, and pretty much every other MMO has been learning.
Moreover, specific sorts of people play MMOs long term, and they take a heavy investment of time. There's just not that many players to go around who are going to be hardcore enough players to play it, while paying for it, and it's kind of a stretch to half play two of them while paying for both.
Why do people choose it over free options? I don't know... Friends, Guilds, time and money invested, habit? It's pretty easy to see that there's good reasons why people stick with the game they're playing.
The players feel they can justify spending the subscription fee, and Blizzard feels that this business model is successful for them. You can only charge what enough people to earn you profit are willing to pay. As TOR, TERA, LOTRO, and pretty much every other MMO has been learning.
Moreover, specific sorts of people play MMOs long term, and they take a heavy investment of time. There's just not that many players to go around who are going to be hardcore enough players to play it, while paying for it, and it's kind of a stretch to half play two of them while paying for both.
Why do people choose it over free options? I don't know... Friends, Guilds, time and money invested, habit? It's pretty easy to see that there's good reasons why people stick with the game they're playing.
