I am wondering what most of the major, well known games charge for a monthly sub and who has the highest sub.
(I'm not really interested in 'average cost' for ones that use a different system than monthly subs.)
Thanks.
zewtastic said:In 1999 I was paying $15/mo for EQ1. I just don't understand how that price-point hasn't moved up after all these years.
I feel the same. I was at $13/mo then for AC, but it went to $15 within a few years. Nothing else I know is nearly the same price today.
Bankie said:The real question is how are those cards only $14.99? The store needs to make money?
Convenience stores often have loss leaders like milk or bread. Once you are there for the deal on it, you'll likely buy the few other things you need there, instead of going elsewhere for the rest of your shopping list.
When EQ came out, the monthly subscription was probably based off on the current market price of e-Commerce monthly subscriptions at the time. That would be an outdated model by today's standards, since most games are now F2P. I would guess that the current market price for a subscription should be relative to what the average person may spend on MT's if you want to maintain the same profitability. However, this number could be below the minimum operational costs, in which case a sub price must be raised. This number may also be way above what consumers are willing to pay for a "subscription", in which case it's obvious why MT's are the preferred model for most games, because it maximizes profits, as consumers are much more obliged to spend $100 on MT's a month, but not $100 for a subscription.
Also, "gift card" fees are paid by the company, which is why a $100 gift card costs you exactly $100. When you purchase a "prepaid debit card", you pay the fees, so a $100 prepaid debit card will cost you $104.95 + tax. Gift card sales are also counted as pure profit until they are redeemed, so companies like it when you purchase them. When you buy a $100 McDonald's gift card, it's like they are selling you $100 of food, but they haven't given you the food yet!
Naos said:When EQ came out, the monthly subscription was probably based off on the current market price of e-Commerce monthly subscriptions at the time. That would be an outdated model by today's standards, since most games are now F2P. I would guess that the current market price for a subscription should be relative to what the average person may spend on MT's if you want to maintain the same profitability. However, this number could be below the minimum operational costs, in which case a sub price must be raised. This number may also be way above what consumers are willing to pay for a "subscription", in which case it's obvious why MT's are the preferred model for most games, because it maximizes profits, as consumers are much more obliged to spend $100 on MT's a month, but not $100 for a subscription.
EQ was the first.
There was no "current market price" for a true first-person, 3D MMORPG.
The only other game close to what EQ was, was UO. Which was a much more simplistic, isometric, side-scrolling game with horrible bugs, extensive hacking problems and bad infrastructure issues that caused daily server crashes resulting in multi-hour roll-backs.
Only Brad and the SOE exec's (Smedley) know why EQ pricing was set where it was in the start. It was unbroken ground.
The rest of what you say is dribble.
Pricing models are much more complex than simply saying everything is FTP now. Because it ain't FTP, is it. It's actually P2Win, Grind2Win, Gamble2Win.
Games are designed to be addictive. That started to be Game Design 101 over a decade ago. Trigger those collecting, farming, OCD mentalities in the kiddies. Create ridiculous PVP competitions with unobtainable gear to trigger the incessant drive to have the best gear, best weapon, be better - at any cost. Even if it means cheating, hacking and yes paying for it.
A reason why games rarely ever penalize and ban players for cheating, hacking, stealing. Short time-outs might be the worst for even the worst exploiters. Because it keeps other players raging, and more likely to spend their way to retribution and virtual percieved fame.
So-called FTP games began to play the players. You need to farm this and that quest every day. You need to grind these bits out. You need this faction, that item, which is now the uber-best item. Once you feel compelled to log into a game because you have to do a quest daily, water your plants, feed your animals, etc. You are now being played by the game and are on their schedule.
Game companies keep the content fresh. Keep introducing a new lines of better and more $$$ gear and grind2win quests every few weeks. Keep the rabid kiddies grinding, RNGing, spending.
The monetary RNG tricks and cheating done by game companies which should be classified as gambling operations. And imo are criminal. Our(US) criminal justice system has turned a blind eye due to the simple fact legislaters were not technically savvy enough to understand what is really going on, and nobody was complaining (nobody with enough money for them to bother with).
