How long before TESO becomes free to play?

[Rukiara]

It's going to be a lot harder if you ride on the idea of console players paying for MMOs, this is especially because PSN has started to require playstation plus in order to play online. Granted it is much cheaper than Xbox Live it doesn't change the fact that now it goes from paying the internet, paying the online-play fee for the console, and paying the fee for the game. It's ridiculous. I have to pay to pay to pay to play my games. It's really getting out of hand.

 

[andrew172]

$200 is close to what you're normally looking at for an MMO in the first year. Sometimes there's that first month free thing to reel you in, but the monthly subscription is a given. I agree that it will be one or two years before it goes freenium so that the early adapters truly get to enjoy the game before the freeters (I like that term) start to run amok Animaniacs-style.

I agree most MMOs are like that. But then again.. most console gamers won't have played an MMO on PC before, so this idea of paying fives more than usual for a video game will seem strange to them...

 

[Zeholipael]

It won't be P2P for long, that's for sure. With all the Elder Scrolls titles already out, why would anyone want to pay just to get World of Warcraft in Tamriel? Most of the Elder Scrolls players aren't MMO players, anyways. They'll probably end up attracting a whole new market. I really wish them the best, but it'll be rather difficult getting this off the ground.

 

[desarijulian]

I'm hoping for the best. While MMOs aren't a dying genre it's hard to get attention if you're not a free-to-play. If you're not established then things can be difficult, I mean people are questioning how long WOW can last before they have no choice but to become a free-to-play. I have a friend who loves watching the CG trailers for MMOs but won't play them because of the subscription.

 

[andrew172]

I'm hoping for the best. While MMOs aren't a dying genre it's hard to get attention if you're not a free-to-play. If you're not established then things can be difficult, I mean people are questioning how long WOW can last before they have no choice but to become a free-to-play. I have a friend who loves watching the CG trailers for MMOs but won't play them because of the subscription.

This is especially a concern when it comes to console users who have never had to pay a subscription before for a game...