Chances are no new MMO will have the staying power "like your first MMO" that you may have played for years. I don't see the benefit of paying so much up-front money when the risk is so high that you will move on to another game after several months.
I do not buy lifetime subs. All of the games that offer lifetime subs have went F2P a few years later, making the whole lifetime sub thing virtually worthless.
Besides that, I rarely stick with 1 MMO for longer than 3 months. I usually rotate between a few favorites so the lifetime would be pointless for me anyway.
There is one simple advantage a life-time sub has, if you can afford it (as in, you don't mind "loosing" the entire amount on a game if you stop playing straight away).
You can take a break, without feeling you are loosing money. Or put another way, you can afford to take a long term look at things, rather then having to decide each month on wether you want to continue paying or not. If a patch is delayed, well, just put the game aside for a while and continue when you are no longer tired of it.
With monthly payed games, I keep having the feeling I should play because I pay, even if for long term enjoyment, I should really be taking a break.
My other lifer game is Lotro and that I have played on and off since launch to a point that the original investment means the amount paid per hour of gaming is in the cents now. Frankly that is insanely cheap, especially compared to TV which I barely watch and still costs 20 bucks a month regardless. Movies, dinner, dancing etc etc cost infiniitly more.
As for Funcom's track record, so far it is that both their MMO's continue to be supported, as for the games themselves, this is a different team. So what track record?
Face it, in this industry, the bar is pretty low. Compared to companies that just plain fold or cancel games just a few months in, Funcom ain't that bad. That is not praise, it is just acceptance that the industry is pretty screwed up.
Buy lifetime sub if you see yourself playing this game on and off for the next 3-4 years without wanting to constantly manage your subscription.
When I read the topic title I thought I went back in time. Last time I seen a topic like this the guy was asking if he should get a lifetime sub to Star Trek Online. Amazing how the past repeats itself, eh?
My advice is learn from the past of other MMOs and choose wisely.
For me i am not going to get the lifetime sub, but not because the game is bad or such. t is since many of the games i have played had such fast leveling, and slow content roll out that till i see how they are going to pace their content releases, it is not worth the money for a life time sub (yet no mmo as of yet is worth a lifetime sub to me, even lotr was not worth it to me, but that was because of the style of the game an content release pace.). For me to want to sub a lifetime sub it would need to have well over the pace of content releasing that rift has, since getting a life tie sub makes me want to have to keep playing even after the game goes stale or content paces slow down to a crawl.
TSW is actually the second game that I would consider buying a lifetime sub for. SWG would have been the first, but the option was never offered.
However, I'm super nervous about the future of TSW. It's not a mass appeal game, so anything could happen. If it gathers a solid niche fanbase, then things should be fine. But if it does not maintain the sub levels that FC need, all bets are off.
To keep TSW fresh and different, FC will have to make a solid commitment to expanding the content. The current quests and storyline are generally quite good, and a lot of the quests are really well thought out. But will they be able to match that in the future ? If the originality starts fading, the game will rapidly lose its appeal.
I'm still tempted. I've never bought one before but I can see the value if you intend on playing the game for a long time. However, most MMOs I only play for a month or two then quit, the only exceptions have been WoW and Age of Conan. I'll make a decision on my sub when it comes time to actually pay for a sub in a month's time.
I always sub more than 12 months to games I like, as I know I will play it on and off for a long time. It saves me cash in the long run.
from my experience most players would save money on this offer regardless of how much time they spend on it. It gives you the opportunity to log in again later and play.
If there is a F2P option added later, it will be the same as AO and AOC. Limited play, and you will want to upgrade to full after some time playing it...
I also do not see any reason for it to add a F2P option for at least 2 years or more, and based on how Funcom adds their F2P options its not for me as I prefer to have the full package!
So in my opinion, everyone should buy a lifetime subscription!
Lifetime sub = They've run out of money and the game is still incomplete.
Lifetime subscription facts: Every single MMORPG that has offered a lifetime sub has gone down the drain, some faster than others. LotRO, STO, CO, G&H, ect ...
Funcom's other two games are both F2P with cash shop.
Funcom's release of TSW feels like De ja vu from 2008 when AoC released. It feels as if Funcom is doing the exact same as before but hoping for a different result ... or are they? Perhaps they are hoping for a similar result? Record breaking sales before going down the pan and into F2P with cash shop?
I have no problem with a free to download and free to play game with cash shop, but a game where I pay for the box ($50?), then pay for a lifetime sub ($200?), then I have to pay for each expansion ($40?) and I have to pay for the cash shop? Personally I feel like Funcom is just extracting the urine!
I give it a year before it's f2p and they're already leaking niblets of info about their next project!
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"
The only people I ever knew who bought lifetime subscriptions to MMO's had enough money to frivolously purchase what they wanted. If that's your situation, more power to you.
"This is life! We suffer and slave and expire. That's it!" -Bernard Black (Dylan Moran)
OmaliMMO Business CorrespondentMemberUncommonPosts: 1,177
Originally posted by friednietz
Game developers that offer a lifetime sub ought to provide buyers with a gameplan on what their future plans for the game will be. Even if they must put the gameplan under NDA. They should also allow refunds in a reasonable window (1 month?). That would probably make it a lot easier to take the plunge.
I don't think it's worth buying lifetime at this point. The game includes 30 days of game-time anyway, so I'm going to play out those 30 days and see whether I'm still feeling it then.
I can never justify myself to buy a lifetime sub. You never know until a game acutally launches and you have spent a few months playing it to know if you can justify a lifetime sub. Community/game/content/something better come along can sway me as a consumer. I prefer to month to month my payments.
Also throwing my warning out there - this game will be F2P in a year or less. Let the buyer beware with this game.
Having seen beta - not impressed at all. This game is far less polished than Age of Conan was at release, so take that how you will.
Simple example of lack of quality control: click on some NPCs and they will say a line or two to you while you run around. Now if you click on this NPC while he's talking, he starts his voice audio PLAYED RIGHT OVER what he's already saying. If you keep clicking the NPC, the NPC starts the audio file over and over again, until you have this buzzing noise like being in a room filled with a hundred people talking at once. I mean.. come on, this many years of production, and they miss something as simple as limiting an NPC's audio speech to one track at a time?
The genre is cool and original, so I can respect that, but Age of Conan was also filled with huge potential in its ultra violence, nudify, and mature themes. Age of Conan failed and dropped to F2P, and I feel the Secret World will do the same, but much sooner.
On the fence with the lifetime sub, but will probably do it.
I rather not have a monthly fee anyways and I like to hop in and out of the game as I please without entering my CC information.
As Dayer stated off of the TSW forums.
Also, 15$ per month * 12 is actually 180$ in a year, the lifetime sub "practically" pays for itself in a year, if you include the bonus content, such as the extra character slot and the clothing, pets and stuff like that.
I have bought lotro and sto life subscription as well in the past and still don't regret it since I got my moneys worth out of both them games.
I know everyone doesn't have disposable income like others, but if you do, to me it's sounds like a great deal. As stated, I probably will do it since it's only $200 bucks, I did finally go to gamestop and order my GW2 collectors edition for $150 and see no different (I like the figurine anyways since I collect them and array of different ones from different games / comics, so that's was a plus to my GW2 buy).
Comments
Chances are no new MMO will have the staying power "like your first MMO" that you may have played for years. I don't see the benefit of paying so much up-front money when the risk is so high that you will move on to another game after several months.
Definitely not.
a) It's Funcom
b) The game is low quality and will hemorrhage subs to below 100k in 2 months and then be forced to go F2P
c) It's Funcom
d) Never buy a lifetime sub to a MMO
e) It's Funcom
might of bought it if they had proper necromancy where you could raise the dead as minions.
No lifetime subs for me too.
First reason is with that kind of money, I can owned so many games.
There will be so many new games coming out soon.
2nd reason is there are so many complains for their previous games that Funcom is quite unreliable as a company.
Just have to wait for 6 month.
For me this game launch feels like a prepurchase for the players.
Pardon my English as it is not my 1st language
A lot of the people getting the lifetime sub are closed beta testers - like myself.
After this last beta weekend im very tempted... but i dont have the spare cash to do it this month.. bloody cars lol..
This is by far the best themepark MMORPG on the market.. and I dont see anything coming along that will be better than it.. at least not this year..
I gave this last beta weekend 4 hours of my time and I wish I could get them back, I couldn't find anything about the game that I liked.
I do not buy lifetime subs. All of the games that offer lifetime subs have went F2P a few years later, making the whole lifetime sub thing virtually worthless.
Besides that, I rarely stick with 1 MMO for longer than 3 months. I usually rotate between a few favorites so the lifetime would be pointless for me anyway.
There is one simple advantage a life-time sub has, if you can afford it (as in, you don't mind "loosing" the entire amount on a game if you stop playing straight away).
You can take a break, without feeling you are loosing money. Or put another way, you can afford to take a long term look at things, rather then having to decide each month on wether you want to continue paying or not. If a patch is delayed, well, just put the game aside for a while and continue when you are no longer tired of it.
With monthly payed games, I keep having the feeling I should play because I pay, even if for long term enjoyment, I should really be taking a break.
My other lifer game is Lotro and that I have played on and off since launch to a point that the original investment means the amount paid per hour of gaming is in the cents now. Frankly that is insanely cheap, especially compared to TV which I barely watch and still costs 20 bucks a month regardless. Movies, dinner, dancing etc etc cost infiniitly more.
As for Funcom's track record, so far it is that both their MMO's continue to be supported, as for the games themselves, this is a different team. So what track record?
Face it, in this industry, the bar is pretty low. Compared to companies that just plain fold or cancel games just a few months in, Funcom ain't that bad. That is not praise, it is just acceptance that the industry is pretty screwed up.
Buy lifetime sub if you see yourself playing this game on and off for the next 3-4 years without wanting to constantly manage your subscription.
When I read the topic title I thought I went back in time. Last time I seen a topic like this the guy was asking if he should get a lifetime sub to Star Trek Online. Amazing how the past repeats itself, eh?
My advice is learn from the past of other MMOs and choose wisely.
For me i am not going to get the lifetime sub, but not because the game is bad or such. t is since many of the games i have played had such fast leveling, and slow content roll out that till i see how they are going to pace their content releases, it is not worth the money for a life time sub (yet no mmo as of yet is worth a lifetime sub to me, even lotr was not worth it to me, but that was because of the style of the game an content release pace.). For me to want to sub a lifetime sub it would need to have well over the pace of content releasing that rift has, since getting a life tie sub makes me want to have to keep playing even after the game goes stale or content paces slow down to a crawl.
TSW is actually the second game that I would consider buying a lifetime sub for. SWG would have been the first, but the option was never offered.
However, I'm super nervous about the future of TSW. It's not a mass appeal game, so anything could happen. If it gathers a solid niche fanbase, then things should be fine. But if it does not maintain the sub levels that FC need, all bets are off.
To keep TSW fresh and different, FC will have to make a solid commitment to expanding the content. The current quests and storyline are generally quite good, and a lot of the quests are really well thought out. But will they be able to match that in the future ? If the originality starts fading, the game will rapidly lose its appeal.
how much could cost a lide time sub lol?
I'm still tempted. I've never bought one before but I can see the value if you intend on playing the game for a long time. However, most MMOs I only play for a month or two then quit, the only exceptions have been WoW and Age of Conan. I'll make a decision on my sub when it comes time to actually pay for a sub in a month's time.
The Enlightened take things Lightly
Bought the life time sub package
-Funcom have manage to launch quality content steadily in the pass (AO, AOC)
-Game is fun (Obviously)
-The nature of the game makes me want to not worry about sub and explore every nook and cranny in a epic slow way
-Ragnar
-Support a company that doesn't make a WoW clone....yes ToR and Rift i'm looking at you
For me it was a very easy choice.
I always sub more than 12 months to games I like, as I know I will play it on and off for a long time. It saves me cash in the long run.
from my experience most players would save money on this offer regardless of how much time they spend on it. It gives you the opportunity to log in again later and play.
If there is a F2P option added later, it will be the same as AO and AOC. Limited play, and you will want to upgrade to full after some time playing it...
I also do not see any reason for it to add a F2P option for at least 2 years or more, and based on how Funcom adds their F2P options its not for me as I prefer to have the full package!
So in my opinion, everyone should buy a lifetime subscription!
Lifetime sub = They've run out of money and the game is still incomplete.
Lifetime subscription facts: Every single MMORPG that has offered a lifetime sub has gone down the drain, some faster than others. LotRO, STO, CO, G&H, ect ...
Funcom's other two games are both F2P with cash shop.
Funcom's release of TSW feels like De ja vu from 2008 when AoC released. It feels as if Funcom is doing the exact same as before but hoping for a different result ... or are they? Perhaps they are hoping for a similar result? Record breaking sales before going down the pan and into F2P with cash shop?
I have no problem with a free to download and free to play game with cash shop, but a game where I pay for the box ($50?), then pay for a lifetime sub ($200?), then I have to pay for each expansion ($40?) and I have to pay for the cash shop? Personally I feel like Funcom is just extracting the urine!
I give it a year before it's f2p and they're already leaking niblets of info about their next project!
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience"
CS Lewis
The only people I ever knew who bought lifetime subscriptions to MMO's had enough money to frivolously purchase what they wanted. If that's your situation, more power to you.
"This is life! We suffer and slave and expire. That's it!" -Bernard Black (Dylan Moran)
Can you dig it? I can.
I don't think it's worth buying lifetime at this point. The game includes 30 days of game-time anyway, so I'm going to play out those 30 days and see whether I'm still feeling it then.
So, buying lifetime sub would be extremely stupid.
I can never justify myself to buy a lifetime sub. You never know until a game acutally launches and you have spent a few months playing it to know if you can justify a lifetime sub. Community/game/content/something better come along can sway me as a consumer. I prefer to month to month my payments.
Also throwing my warning out there - this game will be F2P in a year or less. Let the buyer beware with this game.
Having seen beta - not impressed at all. This game is far less polished than Age of Conan was at release, so take that how you will.
Simple example of lack of quality control: click on some NPCs and they will say a line or two to you while you run around. Now if you click on this NPC while he's talking, he starts his voice audio PLAYED RIGHT OVER what he's already saying. If you keep clicking the NPC, the NPC starts the audio file over and over again, until you have this buzzing noise like being in a room filled with a hundred people talking at once. I mean.. come on, this many years of production, and they miss something as simple as limiting an NPC's audio speech to one track at a time?
The genre is cool and original, so I can respect that, but Age of Conan was also filled with huge potential in its ultra violence, nudify, and mature themes. Age of Conan failed and dropped to F2P, and I feel the Secret World will do the same, but much sooner.
On the fence with the lifetime sub, but will probably do it.
I rather not have a monthly fee anyways and I like to hop in and out of the game as I please without entering my CC information.
As Dayer stated off of the TSW forums.
Also, 15$ per month * 12 is actually 180$ in a year, the lifetime sub "practically" pays for itself in a year, if you include the bonus content, such as the extra character slot and the clothing, pets and stuff like that.
Original link - http://forums.thesecretworld.com/showthread.php?t=33913
I have bought lotro and sto life subscription as well in the past and still don't regret it since I got my moneys worth out of both them games.
I know everyone doesn't have disposable income like others, but if you do, to me it's sounds like a great deal. As stated, I probably will do it since it's only $200 bucks, I did finally go to gamestop and order my GW2 collectors edition for $150 and see no different (I like the figurine anyways since I collect them and array of different ones from different games / comics, so that's was a plus to my GW2 buy).