[Column] Elder Scrolls Online: Is ESO Going F2P?

SBFord

If you went to any ESO related community forums prior to launch you’d see a common topic being discussed, Will ESO go Free to Play? This topic sparked some of the largest debates I’ve seen in the MMORPG community. However, after discussions comparing the pros and cons of the F2P model, the majority of the Elder Scrolls Online community did not want the F2P model. They wanted ESO to be a subscription based game.

Read more of Ryan Getchell's Elder Scrolls Online: Is ESO Going F2P?

Nitth

Pretty good article.

AmbrosiaAmor

Yes the announcement will be made before the end of the year as far as changing its current business model. It might be F2P, B2P, or hybrid.

rodingo

As usual, MMORPG.com does what it does best:

I do think it is inevitable that it will go F2P, because that's what history has shown for most western MMOs.  Why would ESO be any different?  That's not hate for all of you fans out there.  That is is simply looking at history and understanding how it repeats itself.

flizzer

I would vote b2p model but doubt that will happen.

cheyane

The article seems to suggest no such thing. Anyway they are doing well like 700k subs .That is pretty good .

Gdemami

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Originally posted by SBFord

However, after discussions comparing the pros and cons of the F2P model, the majority of the MMORPG.COM Elder Scrolls Online community did not want the F2P model.

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Fixed for you.

Please do not make it like forum posters or even just the subset of MMORPG.COM posters represent anything else but couple posters on a single gaming site...

Mpfive

All depends on console players i guess

TankYou88

Ya sounds like they will announce B2P once they announce the console version. P2P isnt very popular for console games, the only successful one is FF which is mostly popular in Asia still. It makes total sense to get a huge boost to sales on the console by making it B2P instead of P2P.

Thestrain

And the worst decision a company can ever make ....to listen to the 'playerbase'. There is always a portion of players who are against F2P model and by listening to them companies often make the wrong choice. We know what happens next.

ESO and Wildstar two games traveling steadily towards F2P model.

 

Originally posted by cheyane
The article seems to suggest no such thing. Anyway they are doing well like 700k subs .That is pretty good .

 

Those are official numbers released by the company or more guess work?

black_isle

What an irresponsible clickbait. Worse if it is deliberately done.

 

After Paul Sage made that comment, the CMs immediately cleared that out in Twitch chat saying he meant in-game gold. This is not even a discussion. Why are you acting like it is and forcing false info to the community?

 

Having said that, i believe they will go B2P with their console launch. It would be best for everone i think. New and older players.

Thestrain

Originally posted by black_isle

What an irresponsible clickbait. Worse if it is deliberately done.

 

After Paul Sage made that comment, the CMs immediately cleared that out in Twitch chat saying he meant in-game gold. This is not even a discussion. Why are you acting like it is and forcing false info to the community?

 

Having said that, i believe they will go B2P with their console launch. It would be best for everone i think. New and older players.

I agree. I enjoyed my time in the game but i couldn't justify paying 15 bucks a month. It is very thin on content and no replayability to justify sub.

rojoArcueid

no matter how old the tier gear is, if they sell it for real money that is a problem. Using blizzard as an excuse to get away with this in ESO is wrong. Blizzard fixed that by allowing transmogrification so you get your old tier gears and copy the design to the latest tier you own.

If you want the gear from a lower tier than your character is on, then its obviously easier to get it than a current tier. There is no reason to try and cash in just because its "older tier".

 

As for the payment model of the game. I hope ESO doesnt go Free to Play, but i do hope it goes Buy to Play with a decent cash shop. GW2 proved to be very successful as B2P with a small cash shop (the second most profitable mmo from NCSOFT, only surpased by their legendary grindfest Lineage 1). So yeah, if B2P is done right, it will be a success. And ZoS would stay true to the Elder Scrolls franchise model.

Hermod

Originally posted by Thestrain

And the worst decision a company can ever make ....to listen to the 'playerbase'. There is always a portion of players who are against P2P model and by listening to them companies often make the wrong choice. We know what happens next.

Works aswell

Thestrain

Originally posted by Hermod

Originally posted by Thestrain

And the worst decision a company can ever make ....to listen to the 'playerbase'. There is always a portion of players who are against P2P model and by listening to them companies often make the wrong choice. We know what happens next.

Works aswell

Examples? any recent ones?

Unless you are SE with deep pockets, in house publishing and huge fan following on consoles in Asia.

rojoArcueid

Originally posted by Thestrain

Originally posted by Hermod

Originally posted by Thestrain

And the worst decision a company can ever make ....to listen to the 'playerbase'. There is always a portion of players who are against P2P model and by listening to them companies often make the wrong choice. We know what happens next.

Works aswell

Examples? any recent ones?

Unless you are SE with deep pockets, in house publishing and huge fan following on consoles in Asia.

so you are comparing Square Enix to ZoS to get your point across? If you are going to make a comparison then at least make it right. Square Enix vs Zenimax (the parent company, not ZoS) or even Bethesda. Then yes, Those guys have the deep pockets, in house publishing and huge fan following on consoles (it doesnt necessarily have to be in Asia).

WolfClaws

The article is written pretty well.  But the topic is just stirring the shit up for no reason than to get people to read it.

Just FYI, a lot of games with subs in the past did the Loyalty rewards depending on how long you have been subscribed.  A great example of this was City of Heroes.  The longer you are subbed, the more cool stuff you have to show off to others.

The game has not given any indication that it was going Free to Play. 

However, with that said, if it does go free to play, it will not bode well for ZOS since the game was never meant to go FTP and there isn't a cash shop (oooh a horse).  I can see there being a small cash shop like the horses and pets, but not much more than that, and they will not be able to generate the revenue that they are with subscriptions.

grimal

This is just headline grabbing. I don't see any evidence to support that the game is going F2P.  He made a couple of comments (perhaps questionable in their phrasing), but this is really making a big leap on your part, OP.

Why is it now that even the Columns on this site are lowering themselves to this?

I see this as no different than the recent ANET post about two people leaving the company.  That was made by a regular user but this is a column piece.

I expected better from a column piece.  You guys need to take a look at what kind of site you are quickly becoming.

Edit: How can I block the author?  I have no option to do it and frankly am not interested in reading this kind of stuff any more.

Thestrain

Originally posted by rojoArcueid

Originally posted by Thestrain

Originally posted by Hermod

Originally posted by Thestrain

And the worst decision a company can ever make ....to listen to the 'playerbase'. There is always a portion of players who are against P2P model and by listening to them companies often make the wrong choice. We know what happens next.

Works aswell

Examples? any recent ones?

Unless you are SE with deep pockets, in house publishing and huge fan following on consoles in Asia.

so you are comparing Square Enix to ZoS to get your point across? If you are going to make a comparison then at least make it right. Square Enix vs Zenimax (the parent company, not ZoS) or even Bethesda. Then yes, Those guys have the deep pockets, in house publishing and huge fan following on consoles (it doesnt necessarily have to be in Asia).

I am comparing publisher to publisher. 

And i doubt you even know how huge FF is in Asia. ESO doesn't even come to close to that in west.

Nanfoodle

Playing beta I called this game going F2P within 15hrs of play time. Before I played beta and ESO heading to console and all TES games being you B2P with no sub and DLC content. B2P or F2P made way more sense IMO. This move if they do, can only do them good and I will be glad to see another MMO that stated they will not go B2P or F2P eat their words if it happens. 

 

Nickhead420

I love this site for previews and reviews.  But these retarded speculation posts...it's like reading the Weekly World News.  Seriously, I hope y'all didn't pay for this article, because it's making you look bad.

GeezerGamer

Originally posted by Thestrain

And the worst decision a company can ever make ....to listen to the 'playerbase'. There is always a portion of players who are against F2P model and by listening to them companies often make the wrong choice. We know what happens next.

ESO and Wildstar two games traveling steadily towards F2P model.

 

Originally posted by cheyane
The article seems to suggest no such thing. Anyway they are doing well like 700k subs .That is pretty good .

 

Those are official numbers released by the company or more guess work?

I remember reading that article about the Subscribers, but it was a marketing piece, not a reporting piece. While I'm sure the numbers themselves are accurate, it's what those numbers represented that had a marketing spin on them. The way it was worded, the article made you think they had 780K subs as of June. But they never said how many were actually still active. Meaning, from release to June, ESO had roughly 780K people subscribe to the game (A number probably close to it's box sale number) But lead you to believe they were active, but it never said anything about how many canceled. It's the same kind of spin when a F2P game claims 10 Million accounts.

Thestrain

Originally posted by GeezerGamer

Originally posted by Thestrain

And the worst decision a company can ever make ....to listen to the 'playerbase'. There is always a portion of players who are against F2P model and by listening to them companies often make the wrong choice. We know what happens next.

ESO and Wildstar two games traveling steadily towards F2P model.

 

Originally posted by cheyane
The article seems to suggest no such thing. Anyway they are doing well like 700k subs .That is pretty good .

 

Those are official numbers released by the company or more guess work?

I remember reading that article about the Subscribers, but it was a marketing piece, not a reporting piece. While I'm sure the numbers themselves are accurate, it's what those numbers represented that had a marketing spin on them. The way it was worded, the article made you think they had 780K subs as of June. But they never said how many were actually still active. Meaning, from release to June, ESO had roughly 780K people subscribe to the game (A number probably close to it's box sale number) But lead you to believe they were active, but it never said anything about how many canceled. It's the same kind of spin when a F2P game claims 10 Million accounts.

Thanks, i googled and found the article. 

I however only take official numbers by company seriously. And since there is no such official annoucement considering how quick companies are to flaunt the numbers. I am not confident that they even have 500K subs at the moment.

furbans

Came here thinking that maybe ESO is going to F2P..... instead it is some shit piece article about some nameless persons opinions that don't mean crap as companies will do what is in their best interest.

bcbully

I had to look at the date of this article. 

 

I was watching the stream when he said that. In that same stream he laughed when people asked "for cash?!?!" and replied no, in game currency, vendor. 

 

I've seen better, more up to date articles from 18 post forum newbs to be honest. 

 

edit- Jessica, ESO community manager shortly after Paul Sages comments responded in the steam's chat "items for sale in season sets was with IN GAME currency. Not real life money".

 

I never thought about the meaning of "troll bait" before. I understand now. It's like I just had an epiphany. 

cesmode8

Im not sure what ESO is trying to be...gear grinding game?  Exploration?  Story?  I dont know.

If it isn't a gear grinding game..and more of "go out and do see it all" sort of thing...I might actually buy it in the next month or two.  If its a gear grinder so I can complete the next dungeon, No.