KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
It has long been rumored that The Elder Scrolls Online will go free to play eventually but that day may come sooner rather than later as Zenimax Online has removed one of the subscription options available for the MMO.
Those looking to subscribe can now only choose between 30 day and 90 day options, whereas you used to be able to subscribe for 180 days. This could just be a simple case of the 6 month option not selling very well but many are starting to believe that this may be a prelude to a change in the game's business strategy.
Other MMOs have removed subscription options before hopping on the Free to Play bandwagon in the past. A move to the Free to Play business model may also open the game up to a wider audience, including many of those that refuse to pay subscription fees but may very well buy a micro-transaction or two.
Star Wars: The Old Republic did this a few years back, which has arguably boosted the game's popularity. It is a little early to tell for now but this may be a sign of things to come. The change over to free to play could also coincide with the game's delayed launch on the Xbox One and PS4.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: Many critics and gamers alike thought that ESO should be a free to play game right from the start. The business model can work very well in some cases, just as long as the developers are smart and don't mess with the game's progression pace too much. Do you guys think ESO will go free to play later this year? Would you give it another shot if it did?
I just bought myself a 6mth package for xmas, now I cannot get into the game at all. All I get is Crashes on every attempt to log in. Was working fine BEFORE I bought the Subs
Well I sure hope the game stays on subs. 🙁 there are plenty of players so far,the updates are making the game a lot better :3 (can’t wait for update 6) and this is a lot better than microtransactions :-/…………I’d rather pay monthly and enjoy the game to it’s fullest rather than paying monthly and there still be items obtainable only through micro-transactions
If you want to spend that much money for a game every month when you can get 3-4 games on steam for 15 dollars then go ahead.
Not the first game to charge that much. I don’t understand why people found it so weird.
I stopped playing simply because I couldn’t afford the monthly fee.
I think its because you have to buy the game then pay for the subscription one or the other is fine, not both.
And for console players, you’ve paid for the console, you’ve paid for the game, you’re paying a subscription fee for the console’s online service, and you’re paying a subscription fee for the game itself.
But console gamers do get 2 free game a month and discount for paying subscription fee. Win-win situation…
Games that you’ll never play for longer than five minutes.
If it goes F2P, I’ll give it another shot. I’ve only played beta so far and was not impressed.
I played 2 betas. I realy enjoyed the game, got very into it, but 1 thing put me off completely: the standard / Premium subscription ruined the whole concept of it.
You know what is great about a subcription based MMORPG? It’s that everybody start EQUAL. It removes the need for micro-transactions, thus avoiding the unbalance money can give to high-paying users. What’s the point then if you have 2 variations? bad move Zenimax, bad move
you are really liar or troll? there is no types of sub in ESO, only one – standard
I don’t think the game will be free to play, you will still have to buy the game but you will be able to play it without any monthly subscription.
I’m bored of waiting for this game to come out on consoles so I’m just gonna buy 3ds and Pokemon omega ruby fuk you ESO
I don’t mind p2p mmo, a sub fee allows the devs to produce bigger better content- not to mention more of it. This unfortunately since its release has not been with a sub fee, nor have I seen content that has been exciting. Aside from that the game looks so dated, and it’s still buggy at least for me anyway.
I played In two betas and thought the game was pretty decent because even though I’m not an MMO fan I absolutely love Elder scrolls and quite enjoyed it.
Then when the game was released I immediately got an 3 month Sub, I couldn’t play for nearly 1 month due to bugs and my characters constantly been deleted but I endured and got to complete the Aldmeri Dominion storyline then my sub went off .
Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind paying for a sub but I wouldn’t do it again for a game which had a step initial price as well.
I for one hopes that it does eventually go F2P because I don’t mind making the odd micro-transaction in game but I hope it doesn’t bring all these scamming people.
Let’s hope it goes f2p sometime in 2015 .
I’m sorry, I typed that wrong.
I was talking about the 2 versions of the game itself: Standard Edition / Digital Imperial Edition, which you have to buy BESIDES the subcriptions! indeed there is only 1 type of sub.
As shown here:
http://www.elderscrollsonline.com/en-gb/joinus
Digital Imperial Edition €29.99EUR
Digital Standard Edition €18.32EUR
at this time the difference is less than 12€. At the time it came out, it was 70€ and 50€
and I was like: http://i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/005/954/wtf_is_this_shit2_RE_73_Million_Sharks_Killed_Every_Year-s468x349-71815.jpg
1. ESO Population is rising, has been on the rise as ESO development has proven they can pump out content updates, fix bugs, and improve gameplay.
2. They have not yet released Console. Why would they gut themselves from subscriptions from console players?
3. They have not yet released a trial. Why would they not go the route of a TRIAL, STEP 1, for boosting the population?
4. The company is having trouble HIRING people, not FIRING people – This is not the way P2P to F2P games are generally going
This is stupid speculation based on a ridiculous change to their system – okay so they didn’t want to offer 6 month subscriptions anymore – probably because 99.99% of people don’t sign up to pay for games 6 months at a time and they axed it.
Stop being stupid.
Don’t you people have anything real to report on?
you can’t afford 50 cents a day?
Get a job
PC players pay for the PC
Pay for the game
Pay for internet service
Pay for the Sub fee
The only difference is on Xbox- where you must pay to play online. PS is free.
You are a moron. Your description makes no sense.
You should be raging at microsoft, not at a standard sub model.
different versons of the game – usual practice in MMO-RPGs
i preordered Standart version at the beginnng, few weeks ago i also upgrade it to the imperial for a modest price, and also buy Explorer Pack, really cheapes one, for pet and treasure maps(CE edition addition). So in fact on the release there are three versions of preorder
– standard
– imperial
– Collector Edition
fair enough
Actually, PS4 players have to have an active PlayStation Plus subscription in order to play online, just like Xbox players.
There are these things called bills, asshole. Move out of your mom’s basement and you might learn about them and how to prioritize what you pay.
They aren’t “free” if you are paying money to get them.
Nah. I paid for the PS Plus on Ps4 or Xbox Live Gold to play online but I get more benefit than just free game, I get discount etc… better than paying for one same game fee every month…
I’d rather stay on subs and enjoy a great game than a free2play with all kinds of shitty freebies and never be able to have everything the game has. I’d end up spending more cash with f2p…alas now it’s too late and if they really keep true to this move I hope the game finds an early grave 🙁
Congrats Matthew Wilson, you have successfully misunderstood the meaning of F2P… Having to buy the game, which will be the case with ESO, is not F2P… it’s B2P…