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IGN - Paying to Play MMOs in 2014

by Couchpotato, 2014-01-23 01:36:13

IGN has a new article about MMOs that talks about subscriptions in 2014. I suspect this has to do with the upcoming Elder Scrolls Online game.

If 2012 was the year the sub fee appeared to be in serious trouble amid a swath of free-to-play conversions, then 2013 was the year developers dug their heels in and refused to abandon the model. Despite popular opinion and the apparent trends of the industry, both The Elder Scrolls Online and WildStar announced they will be launching with subscription fees; given the battering such an approach took in the previous 12 months, this is a clear declaration of intent by the industry. Despite assumptions the sub model was preparing to keel over, we could be about to see a resurgence in a business model that many were ready to write off.

The last year has seen powerful voices - including those of Bethesda, Carbine and Square Enix - all rally behind subscription fees, confirming we won’t see the back of the model this year, despite the hopes of many gamers. While Carbine at least is prepared to riff on the existing ideas and try something slightly new with its CREDD model, both The Elder Scrolls Online and Final Fantasy XIV doggedly refused to launch without sub fees even in the face of staunch criticism. So, why were they so bold?

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