So long as it's mainly fulff I'm fine with it, and even if it isn't, they're paying $240 for it... I'd say if they paid that, they deserve the advantage.
"The question that sometimes drives me hazy: Am I, or the others crazy?" - Albert Einstein
After seeing the mess that is CO, I've lost a lot of faith in Cryptic. I bought a lifetime sub for that game because I enjoyed COH so much. I can't believe how much that company has changed for the worse. I have zero faith that STO will be worth a damned, so I'm taking the ol' wait and see approach. No way in hell would I buy a lifetime sub for any Cryptic games at this point though.
so far i have seen 3 lifetime sub offers and only one of them ever offered it post launch. That game was Lotro and it only offered it on the anniversary of the launch.
That's the honest and honourable way to do it. Offer it after people know what the game is like.
Ok 1st off Lotro offered the lifetime sub from day 1,not a year later.
2nd With STO you can also buy a lifetime membership after release and at anytime,this was posted on this site and the official forums yesterday,though as it was not something the trolls could cling to it was generally ignored.
Get the facts and then post.
actually, Lotro and CO did not offer it at launch (only before) and STO has not said if it will have it post launch (i doubt it).
I too think its silly to not offer them post launch but i guess they have to make money somehow.
MMO wish list:
-Changeable worlds -Solid non level based game -Sharks with lasers attached to their heads
I know this is not the popular opinion here but I wish more MMO's offered lifetime sub deals. I've spent 3, or more lifetime accounts worth of money on other mmo's, hell I even have multiple accounts for some of them. This seems to be the direction mmo's are moving these days and I think it's a good thing.
Not to be a braggart here but I make in a day what the lifetime for this game is going to cost so for me it's not about initial cost for the sub, for me it's the long haul that make more sense. I got a founders lifetime for LOTRO and have not quite gotten my moneys worth there yet but I know that I will eventually. For WoW, well I've paid over $400 in sub fees and I know that while I'm burnt out on that game now one day the Jones will come again and I'll be wishing I had a lifetime for that game. Galaxies, same thing, less money in sub fees compared to WoW but still more than the lifetime for LOTRO or STO.
What seems to be bugging people here the most is the reward that people will be getting for forking out the cash up front. Again I see no problem with that. For me it's about the same as saying "I deserve better gear because I stayed up all night and raided a 40 man". Oh yeah? Well I worked my ass off all day and could not and can not stay up all night and raid because of it and other real life responsibilities. Does that mean I am not allowed to get something you could not? And why, because I didn't EARN it? Well on my side of the fence it sure looks like I earned something.
This is the future of MMO's and I think we should all start getting used to it. I'm still on the fence about whether or not I will lifetime sub for STO but the more I think about it the more it's starting to make sense. I've still got a little time I just have to decide if I want the "fluff" or not.
I know this is not the popular opinion here but I wish more MMO's offered lifetime sub deals. I've spent 3, or more lifetime accounts worth of money on other mmo's, hell I even have multiple accounts for some of them. This seems to be the direction mmo's are moving these days and I think it's a good thing. Not to be a braggart here but I make in a day what the lifetime for this game is going to cost so for me it's not about initial cost for the sub, for me it's the long haul that make more sense. I got a founders lifetime for LOTRO and have not quite gotten my moneys worth there yet but I know that I will eventually. For WoW, well I've paid over $400 in sub fees and I know that while I'm burnt out on that game now one day the Jones will come again and I'll be wishing I had a lifetime for that game. Galaxies, same thing, less money in sub fees compared to WoW but still more than the lifetime for LOTRO or STO. What seems to be bugging people here the most is the reward that people will be getting for forking out the cash up front. Again I see no problem with that. For me it's about the same as saying "I deserve better gear because I stayed up all night and raided a 40 man". Oh yeah? Well I worked my ass off all day and could not and can not stay up all night and raid because of it and other real life responsibilities. Does that mean I am not allowed to get something you could not? And why, because I didn't EARN it? Well on my side of the fence it sure looks like I earned something. This is the future of MMO's and I think we should all start getting used to it. I'm still on the fence about whether or not I will lifetime sub for STO but the more I think about it the more it's starting to make sense. I've still got a little time I just have to decide if I want the "fluff" or not.
How many companies offer lifetime subs now?
Honestly, I think companies can make more money by NOT offering lifetime subs in the long run. Basic economics will tell you that and I'm sure that's one of the reasons why many companies don't do it. To offer a lifetime sub only before launch for a "limited time" just screams "Help us recoup some cash NOW!" to me.
Why can't Cryptic offer these lifetime subs after launch (looking at CO, they probably won't offer a lifetime sub after launch) ? Do they not have faith in their product?
Originally posted by phobic How many companies offer lifetime subs now? Honestly, I think companies can make more money by NOT offering lifetime subs in the long run. Basic economics will tell you that and I'm sure that's one of the reasons why many companies don't do it. To offer a lifetime sub only before launch for a "limited time" just screams "Help us recoup some cash NOW!" to me. Why can't Cryptic offer these lifetime subs after launch (looking at CO, they probably won't offer a lifetime sub after launch) ? Do they not have faith in their product?
You are absolutely correct about more money, that btw is also the answer to your question in the end. It has nothing to do with faith in their product, it's an oppurtunity to save money in the long run. Hear that knock? Answer it or not, one way or another they are going to make money on their game. Just how much is up to the consumer.
so far i have seen 3 lifetime sub offers and only one of them ever offered it post launch. That game was Lotro and it only offered it on the anniversary of the launch.
That's the honest and honourable way to do it. Offer it after people know what the game is like.
Ok 1st off Lotro offered the lifetime sub from day 1,not a year later.
2nd With STO you can also buy a lifetime membership after release and at anytime,this was posted on this site and the official forums yesterday,though as it was not something the trolls could cling to it was generally ignored.
Get the facts and then post.
actually, Lotro and CO did not offer it at launch (only before) and STO has not said if it will have it post launch (i doubt it).
I too think its silly to not offer them post launch but i guess they have to make money somehow.
"Confirmed. You can purchase the lifetime sub after 2/1 for $299.99, but the special Liberated Borg and character slot offers expire on 2/1, as well."
If someone had came up to me in 1980 when I was on my Atari 2600 and said we will be playing games with thousands of people at the same time.I guess my response would have been,"but I only have 2 joysticks"
Originally posted by daylight01 Ok 1st off Lotro offered the lifetime sub from day 1,not a year later. 2nd With STO you can also buy a lifetime membership after release and at anytime,this was posted on this site and the official forums yesterday,
At a higher cost, and without the premium. Why?
Why does Cryptic want people buying it before release?
Why can't they give a discount and special bonus to people who preorder and buy in before launch? Can't they give people something for being early adopters?
Or perhaps it's just a forced money grab before the masses figure out what they got, or don't got. I guess we'll find out in a month or two but my guess is on the latter.
Well just be sure to hold on to that tinfoil hat. Thinking it's a multimillion dollar scam rather than a bonus for early adopters seems rather silly.
You are being naive if you see it as anything other than a money-making scam.
Yes, because it makes MUCH more sense for a high profile game company to spend years upon years and millions upon millions of dollars securing rights to gigantic IPs and signing contracts with powerhouse corporations like CBS all as a giant scam to get high box sales and lifetime subs so they can take the money and run. Despite the fact that that would kill the entire company and the careers of all it's employees and any money they got would be lost back in lawsuits.
Just curious, but what colour is the sky in the world you live in?
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
The borg character really is mostly just fluff. You get the look of a borg, but that's about it. The racial traits it gets are pretty similar to traits that other races already have or can get. The two character slots is nice but you also get an extra slot when you unlock klingons.
Also note that nobody's forcing you into buying a lifetime sub, and if you want to wait till after launch, you can still get one then. You just don't get the bonus for subbing before launch.
The haters just need to stop whining and get over it. If you don't want a lifetime sub don't buy one. Pretty simple.
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
I really doubt that cryptic would shut down STO before CO to be honest, a lifetime subscription will most likely pay out in the end. But there are other reasons not to get a lifetime subscription, for example that cryptic will probably work harder to maintain and keep the subscriber base happy. Anyone becoming a lifetime subscriber no longer have that pressure and power over them.
I know this is not the popular opinion here but I wish more MMO's offered lifetime sub deals. I've spent 3, or more lifetime accounts worth of money on other mmo's, hell I even have multiple accounts for some of them. This seems to be the direction mmo's are moving these days and I think it's a good thing. Not to be a braggart here but I make in a day what the lifetime for this game is going to cost so for me it's not about initial cost for the sub, for me it's the long haul that make more sense. I got a founders lifetime for LOTRO and have not quite gotten my moneys worth there yet but I know that I will eventually. For WoW, well I've paid over $400 in sub fees and I know that while I'm burnt out on that game now one day the Jones will come again and I'll be wishing I had a lifetime for that game. Galaxies, same thing, less money in sub fees compared to WoW but still more than the lifetime for LOTRO or STO. What seems to be bugging people here the most is the reward that people will be getting for forking out the cash up front. Again I see no problem with that. For me it's about the same as saying "I deserve better gear because I stayed up all night and raided a 40 man". Oh yeah? Well I worked my ass off all day and could not and can not stay up all night and raid because of it and other real life responsibilities. Does that mean I am not allowed to get something you could not? And why, because I didn't EARN it? Well on my side of the fence it sure looks like I earned something. This is the future of MMO's and I think we should all start getting used to it. I'm still on the fence about whether or not I will lifetime sub for STO but the more I think about it the more it's starting to make sense. I've still got a little time I just have to decide if I want the "fluff" or not.
Lifetime subs are the MMO form of extended warrenties, that you see in almost every sears,best buy, etc etc store these days. Its basically a secure form of revenue, that has minimal drawbacks or negative aspects at all. How many people actually use the extended warrenties on tv's, appliances etc that they purchase. There is a reason you cant get more then a few years. Sure best buy might pay off on 2 out of 10, but the other 8 they did not pay out on is a huge revenue stream that has zero overhead costs associated with it.
It is the furture of MMO's because the revenue goes directly to the Developer, or publisher, and is not split with the retailer or middleman. Additionally, this tends to lock the lifetime consumer into the product line, and will encourage them to buy the next 4-5 expansions, or however many are planned.
Given the extremely short life cycle of most MMO's these days, its clear that lifetime subs are going to be a staple of the industry. games like LOTRO, Warhammer, TR, etc etc all have very short life cycles. Given that at 15$ a month a player would have to play for 18-20 months to break even, its a no brainer for MMO's to offer the lifetime sub.
The real issue is that many people get sucked into it, and very few will probably ever make enough use of it to warrent the associated costs.
Lifetime subs are the MMO form of extended warrenties, that you see in almost every sears,best buy, etc etc store these days. Its basically a secure form of revenue, that has minimal drawbacks or negative aspects at all. How many people actually use the extended warrenties on tv's, appliances etc that they purchase. There is a reason you cant get more then a few years. Sure best buy might pay off on 2 out of 10, but the other 8 they did not pay out on is a huge revenue stream that has zero overhead costs associated with it. It is the furture of MMO's because the revenue goes directly to the Developer, or publisher, and is not split with the retailer or middleman. Additionally, this tends to lock the lifetime consumer into the product line, and will encourage them to buy the next 4-5 expansions, or however many are planned. Given the extremely short life cycle of most MMO's these days, its clear that lifetime subs are going to be a staple of the industry. games like LOTRO, Warhammer, TR, etc etc all have very short life cycles. Given that at 15$ a month a player would have to play for 18-20 months to break even, its a no brainer for MMO's to offer the lifetime sub. The real issue is that many people get sucked into it, and very few will probably ever make enough use of it to warrent the associated costs.
My first iPod was the 30gig 5th gen video one and it got replaced by Best Buy through their extended warranty service because it failed. The Apple warranty had expired so Best Buy replaced it. I can't remember for sure but I'm pretty sure I paid way less for the extended warranty than I paid for the iPod. In that case, I bet Best Buy lost money.
I believe one of the reasons you can't get a longer extended warranty is because usually, and especially in the case of electronics, the item is no longer made so it can't be replaced, also there's this little thing called depreciation. Once you take an item out of the store it is no longer worth what you paid for it anymore so in the case of a few years use, it is by far no longer a new item and would, of course, not warrant the associated cost to replace with like kind and quality.
When a MMO fails you don't get anything back, so I'm not quite sure I follow the analogy you make there. Now I can't speak for the 2 other example games you mention but LOTRO is by far no where near the end of it's life cycle. In fact they have not even gotten to the Two Towers in that game yet so I'm pretty sure that games got more life to live.
MMO companies are not trying to screw their customers. I agree that some people will not make full use of their lifetime subs but that would most likely be by personal choice i.e. getting bored with the game, perhaps it was a purchase made through hype or for whatever other reason but you don't have to buy the lifetime account. I like that it's optional because I'm the kind of person who likes choices, sometimes they pay off, sometimes they don't.
Lifetime subs are the MMO form of extended warrenties, that you see in almost every sears,best buy, etc etc store these days. Its basically a secure form of revenue, that has minimal drawbacks or negative aspects at all. How many people actually use the extended warrenties on tv's, appliances etc that they purchase. There is a reason you cant get more then a few years. Sure best buy might pay off on 2 out of 10, but the other 8 they did not pay out on is a huge revenue stream that has zero overhead costs associated with it. It is the furture of MMO's because the revenue goes directly to the Developer, or publisher, and is not split with the retailer or middleman. Additionally, this tends to lock the lifetime consumer into the product line, and will encourage them to buy the next 4-5 expansions, or however many are planned. Given the extremely short life cycle of most MMO's these days, its clear that lifetime subs are going to be a staple of the industry. games like LOTRO, Warhammer, TR, etc etc all have very short life cycles. Given that at 15$ a month a player would have to play for 18-20 months to break even, its a no brainer for MMO's to offer the lifetime sub. The real issue is that many people get sucked into it, and very few will probably ever make enough use of it to warrent the associated costs.
My first iPod was the 30gig 5th gen video one and it got replaced by Best Buy through their extended warranty service because it failed. The Apple warranty had expired so Best Buy replaced it. I can't remember for sure but I'm pretty sure I paid way less for the extended warranty than I paid for the iPod. In that case, I bet Best Buy lost money.
I believe one of the reasons you can't get a longer extended warranty is because usually, and especially in the case of electronics, the item is no longer made so it can't be replaced, also there's this little thing called depreciation. Once you take an item out of the store it is no longer worth what you paid for it anymore so in the case of a few years use, it is by far no longer a new item and would, of course, not warrant the associated cost to replace with like kind and quality.
When a MMO fails you don't get anything back, so I'm not quite sure I follow the analogy you make there. Now I can't speak for the 2 other example games you mention but LOTRO is by far no where near the end of it's life cycle. In fact they have not even gotten to the Two Towers in that game yet so I'm pretty sure that games got more life to live.
MMO companies are not trying to screw their customers. I agree that some people will not make full use of their lifetime subs but that would most likely be by personal choice i.e. getting bored with the game, perhaps it was a purchase made through hype or for whatever other reason but you don't have to buy the lifetime account. I like that it's optional because I'm the kind of person who likes choices, sometimes they pay off, sometimes they don't.
Its pretty simple, Just like with most extended warrenties the consumer will not make full use of the lifetime sub for a mmo. Sure they will play for awile, but take exteneded breaks, and return from time to time, especially when new content is offered. Many, will not even do that, they will play for 6-9 months, then just stop playing, never to return. The demographics and stats are pretty clear, only a minority of consumers will make full use of a lifetime MMO sub, and many of those will invest additional money into expansions that they might not normally,
In terms of life cycle, its purely in a business sense, the majority of MMO's are designed for short life cycles. the successful ones exceed whats planned, and are supported. LOTRO was designed with a short life cycle, its not a 10-15 year project, neither is WoW or any other MMO out there these days, which is published by a mainstream company. This is because of the demographics of the consumer, who tend to play a MMO, and move on in a very short time frame.
As far as your Ipod, your one of the 2 out of 10 who make use of the warrenty. Sure, most ipod customers had issues when they were first released, but that is just one segment of the retail electronices/appliance industry. Eight other people bought items, and the extended warrenty and never used it at all, which turns into revenue for whoever sold it, which covers the costs on repairing or replacing ipods. It has very ilttle to do with dipreciation, it has to do with additional revenue streams for retailers, for the least investment. Anyone who has worked in retail chains as management can tell you the same thing.
I do not know what your situation is, but if your a homeowner or have been in the working world for a few years, just sit down for a few minutes and add up all the items you purchased, in the 500-2000$ range where you bought extended warrenties, then add up how much you paid for the warrenties, and what you had to have replaced at minimal or no cost to you, compared to how much you spent.
Cryptic has to get their money up front because their population is going to dwindle drastically after the first month or two.
And here, is the exact reason.
If one thing we have learned over the past 3 years of new MMOs, that 95% of them will have their subscription base drop off drastically in the first month. If a company can lock in those subscriptions for a lifetime, they can brag about high subscription rates even though people may not be playing anymore. You are giving them these bragging rights for $250-$300.
I remember a guy once calling me stupid for not buying a lifetime sub to Tabula Rasa. "It's a Richard Garriot game, it'll be around for years!"
Tabula Rasa offered a lifetime sub?
Tabula Rasa had no lifetime sub as far as I remember, only LOTRO, Hellgate and recently CO and STO
I think he may have confused Richard Garriot with Bill Ropper, oh wait, he's with Cryptic now and these are the folks we're talking about lifetime subscription sales right now.
I'm all for supporting devs when I think they deserve it, but that's not the case with Cryptic. Especially after the CO debacle.
These guys seriously lack creativity, imagination and balls. Seems like they only care about making fast cash. Not a chance in hell I'm giving them 240 bucks for another of their typical cookie-cutter grind, let alone 15 bucks per month.
Actually I think i'm just gonna avoid their games from now on.
Comments
Not sure what's it's doing in this topic but that sure was fun and ROFL'd , even my GF who isn't even into MMORPG was LOL'ing thanks for that.
.
You should post this again on the Pub page.......
So long as it's mainly fulff I'm fine with it, and even if it isn't, they're paying $240 for it... I'd say if they paid that, they deserve the advantage.
"The question that sometimes drives me hazy: Am I, or the others crazy?" - Albert Einstein
After seeing the mess that is CO, I've lost a lot of faith in Cryptic. I bought a lifetime sub for that game because I enjoyed COH so much. I can't believe how much that company has changed for the worse. I have zero faith that STO will be worth a damned, so I'm taking the ol' wait and see approach. No way in hell would I buy a lifetime sub for any Cryptic games at this point though.
That's the honest and honourable way to do it. Offer it after people know what the game is like.
Ok 1st off Lotro offered the lifetime sub from day 1,not a year later.
2nd With STO you can also buy a lifetime membership after release and at anytime,this was posted on this site and the official forums yesterday,though as it was not something the trolls could cling to it was generally ignored.
Get the facts and then post.
actually, Lotro and CO did not offer it at launch (only before) and STO has not said if it will have it post launch (i doubt it).
I too think its silly to not offer them post launch but i guess they have to make money somehow.
MMO wish list:
-Changeable worlds
-Solid non level based game
-Sharks with lasers attached to their heads
I know this is not the popular opinion here but I wish more MMO's offered lifetime sub deals. I've spent 3, or more lifetime accounts worth of money on other mmo's, hell I even have multiple accounts for some of them. This seems to be the direction mmo's are moving these days and I think it's a good thing.
Not to be a braggart here but I make in a day what the lifetime for this game is going to cost so for me it's not about initial cost for the sub, for me it's the long haul that make more sense. I got a founders lifetime for LOTRO and have not quite gotten my moneys worth there yet but I know that I will eventually. For WoW, well I've paid over $400 in sub fees and I know that while I'm burnt out on that game now one day the Jones will come again and I'll be wishing I had a lifetime for that game. Galaxies, same thing, less money in sub fees compared to WoW but still more than the lifetime for LOTRO or STO.
What seems to be bugging people here the most is the reward that people will be getting for forking out the cash up front. Again I see no problem with that. For me it's about the same as saying "I deserve better gear because I stayed up all night and raided a 40 man". Oh yeah? Well I worked my ass off all day and could not and can not stay up all night and raid because of it and other real life responsibilities. Does that mean I am not allowed to get something you could not? And why, because I didn't EARN it? Well on my side of the fence it sure looks like I earned something.
This is the future of MMO's and I think we should all start getting used to it. I'm still on the fence about whether or not I will lifetime sub for STO but the more I think about it the more it's starting to make sense. I've still got a little time I just have to decide if I want the "fluff" or not.
How many companies offer lifetime subs now?
Honestly, I think companies can make more money by NOT offering lifetime subs in the long run. Basic economics will tell you that and I'm sure that's one of the reasons why many companies don't do it. To offer a lifetime sub only before launch for a "limited time" just screams "Help us recoup some cash NOW!" to me.
Why can't Cryptic offer these lifetime subs after launch (looking at CO, they probably won't offer a lifetime sub after launch) ? Do they not have faith in their product?
You are absolutely correct about more money, that btw is also the answer to your question in the end. It has nothing to do with faith in their product, it's an oppurtunity to save money in the long run. Hear that knock? Answer it or not, one way or another they are going to make money on their game. Just how much is up to the consumer.
That's the honest and honourable way to do it. Offer it after people know what the game is like.
Ok 1st off Lotro offered the lifetime sub from day 1,not a year later.
2nd With STO you can also buy a lifetime membership after release and at anytime,this was posted on this site and the official forums yesterday,though as it was not something the trolls could cling to it was generally ignored.
Get the facts and then post.
actually, Lotro and CO did not offer it at launch (only before) and STO has not said if it will have it post launch (i doubt it).
I too think its silly to not offer them post launch but i guess they have to make money somehow.
"Confirmed. You can purchase the lifetime sub after 2/1 for $299.99, but the special Liberated Borg and character slot offers expire on 2/1, as well."
http://forums.startrekonline.com/showthread.php?t=64417&page=2
Scroll down to the marketing guy post.
If someone had came up to me in 1980 when I was on my Atari 2600 and said we will be playing games with thousands of people at the same time.I guess my response would have been,"but I only have 2 joysticks"
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/235780/page/8
As ST hard core fan I was ready for this option,but not more.Gameplay is too much bad for me.
For ST fans who liked STO concept(too much instanced,weakness pvp) it is nod bad .
At a higher cost, and without the premium. Why?
Why does Cryptic want people buying it before release?
Why can't they give a discount and special bonus to people who preorder and buy in before launch? Can't they give people something for being early adopters?
Or perhaps it's just a forced money grab before the masses figure out what they got, or don't got. I guess we'll find out in a month or two but my guess is on the latter.
Well just be sure to hold on to that tinfoil hat. Thinking it's a multimillion dollar scam rather than a bonus for early adopters seems rather silly.
You are being naive if you see it as anything other than a money-making scam.
Yes, because it makes MUCH more sense for a high profile game company to spend years upon years and millions upon millions of dollars securing rights to gigantic IPs and signing contracts with powerhouse corporations like CBS all as a giant scam to get high box sales and lifetime subs so they can take the money and run. Despite the fact that that would kill the entire company and the careers of all it's employees and any money they got would be lost back in lawsuits.
Just curious, but what colour is the sky in the world you live in?
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
I remember a guy once calling me stupid for not buying a lifetime sub to Tabula Rasa. "It's a Richard Garriot game, it'll be around for years!"
The borg character really is mostly just fluff. You get the look of a borg, but that's about it. The racial traits it gets are pretty similar to traits that other races already have or can get. The two character slots is nice but you also get an extra slot when you unlock klingons.
Also note that nobody's forcing you into buying a lifetime sub, and if you want to wait till after launch, you can still get one then. You just don't get the bonus for subbing before launch.
The haters just need to stop whining and get over it. If you don't want a lifetime sub don't buy one. Pretty simple.
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
Tabula Rasa offered a lifetime sub?
.. .... .- - . - .-. --- .-.. .-.. ... .-- .... --- .-. . .--. --- .-. - .-.-.-
--------------------------------------------------------
Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.
I really doubt that cryptic would shut down STO before CO to be honest, a lifetime subscription will most likely pay out in the end.
But there are other reasons not to get a lifetime subscription, for example that cryptic will probably work harder to maintain and keep the subscriber base happy. Anyone becoming a lifetime subscriber no longer have that pressure and power over them.
Lifetime subs are the MMO form of extended warrenties, that you see in almost every sears,best buy, etc etc store these days. Its basically a secure form of revenue, that has minimal drawbacks or negative aspects at all. How many people actually use the extended warrenties on tv's, appliances etc that they purchase. There is a reason you cant get more then a few years. Sure best buy might pay off on 2 out of 10, but the other 8 they did not pay out on is a huge revenue stream that has zero overhead costs associated with it.
It is the furture of MMO's because the revenue goes directly to the Developer, or publisher, and is not split with the retailer or middleman. Additionally, this tends to lock the lifetime consumer into the product line, and will encourage them to buy the next 4-5 expansions, or however many are planned.
Given the extremely short life cycle of most MMO's these days, its clear that lifetime subs are going to be a staple of the industry. games like LOTRO, Warhammer, TR, etc etc all have very short life cycles. Given that at 15$ a month a player would have to play for 18-20 months to break even, its a no brainer for MMO's to offer the lifetime sub.
The real issue is that many people get sucked into it, and very few will probably ever make enough use of it to warrent the associated costs.
My first iPod was the 30gig 5th gen video one and it got replaced by Best Buy through their extended warranty service because it failed. The Apple warranty had expired so Best Buy replaced it. I can't remember for sure but I'm pretty sure I paid way less for the extended warranty than I paid for the iPod. In that case, I bet Best Buy lost money.
I believe one of the reasons you can't get a longer extended warranty is because usually, and especially in the case of electronics, the item is no longer made so it can't be replaced, also there's this little thing called depreciation. Once you take an item out of the store it is no longer worth what you paid for it anymore so in the case of a few years use, it is by far no longer a new item and would, of course, not warrant the associated cost to replace with like kind and quality.
When a MMO fails you don't get anything back, so I'm not quite sure I follow the analogy you make there. Now I can't speak for the 2 other example games you mention but LOTRO is by far no where near the end of it's life cycle. In fact they have not even gotten to the Two Towers in that game yet so I'm pretty sure that games got more life to live.
MMO companies are not trying to screw their customers. I agree that some people will not make full use of their lifetime subs but that would most likely be by personal choice i.e. getting bored with the game, perhaps it was a purchase made through hype or for whatever other reason but you don't have to buy the lifetime account. I like that it's optional because I'm the kind of person who likes choices, sometimes they pay off, sometimes they don't.
My first iPod was the 30gig 5th gen video one and it got replaced by Best Buy through their extended warranty service because it failed. The Apple warranty had expired so Best Buy replaced it. I can't remember for sure but I'm pretty sure I paid way less for the extended warranty than I paid for the iPod. In that case, I bet Best Buy lost money.
I believe one of the reasons you can't get a longer extended warranty is because usually, and especially in the case of electronics, the item is no longer made so it can't be replaced, also there's this little thing called depreciation. Once you take an item out of the store it is no longer worth what you paid for it anymore so in the case of a few years use, it is by far no longer a new item and would, of course, not warrant the associated cost to replace with like kind and quality.
When a MMO fails you don't get anything back, so I'm not quite sure I follow the analogy you make there. Now I can't speak for the 2 other example games you mention but LOTRO is by far no where near the end of it's life cycle. In fact they have not even gotten to the Two Towers in that game yet so I'm pretty sure that games got more life to live.
MMO companies are not trying to screw their customers. I agree that some people will not make full use of their lifetime subs but that would most likely be by personal choice i.e. getting bored with the game, perhaps it was a purchase made through hype or for whatever other reason but you don't have to buy the lifetime account. I like that it's optional because I'm the kind of person who likes choices, sometimes they pay off, sometimes they don't.
Its pretty simple, Just like with most extended warrenties the consumer will not make full use of the lifetime sub for a mmo. Sure they will play for awile, but take exteneded breaks, and return from time to time, especially when new content is offered. Many, will not even do that, they will play for 6-9 months, then just stop playing, never to return. The demographics and stats are pretty clear, only a minority of consumers will make full use of a lifetime MMO sub, and many of those will invest additional money into expansions that they might not normally,
In terms of life cycle, its purely in a business sense, the majority of MMO's are designed for short life cycles. the successful ones exceed whats planned, and are supported. LOTRO was designed with a short life cycle, its not a 10-15 year project, neither is WoW or any other MMO out there these days, which is published by a mainstream company. This is because of the demographics of the consumer, who tend to play a MMO, and move on in a very short time frame.
As far as your Ipod, your one of the 2 out of 10 who make use of the warrenty. Sure, most ipod customers had issues when they were first released, but that is just one segment of the retail electronices/appliance industry. Eight other people bought items, and the extended warrenty and never used it at all, which turns into revenue for whoever sold it, which covers the costs on repairing or replacing ipods. It has very ilttle to do with dipreciation, it has to do with additional revenue streams for retailers, for the least investment. Anyone who has worked in retail chains as management can tell you the same thing.
I do not know what your situation is, but if your a homeowner or have been in the working world for a few years, just sit down for a few minutes and add up all the items you purchased, in the 500-2000$ range where you bought extended warrenties, then add up how much you paid for the warrenties, and what you had to have replaced at minimal or no cost to you, compared to how much you spent.
And here, is the exact reason.
If one thing we have learned over the past 3 years of new MMOs, that 95% of them will have their subscription base drop off drastically in the first month. If a company can lock in those subscriptions for a lifetime, they can brag about high subscription rates even though people may not be playing anymore. You are giving them these bragging rights for $250-$300.
Tabula Rasa offered a lifetime sub?
Tabula Rasa had no lifetime sub as far as I remember, only LOTRO, Hellgate and recently CO and STO
I think he may have confused Richard Garriot with Bill Ropper, oh wait, he's with Cryptic now and these are the folks we're talking about lifetime subscription sales right now.
I'm all for supporting devs when I think they deserve it, but that's not the case with Cryptic. Especially after the CO debacle.
These guys seriously lack creativity, imagination and balls. Seems like they only care about making fast cash. Not a chance in hell I'm giving them 240 bucks for another of their typical cookie-cutter grind, let alone 15 bucks per month.
Actually I think i'm just gonna avoid their games from now on.