This week we want to know from you whether the traditional Pay2Play model for MMOs and MMORPGs is still актуальны. What do you think about it?
Is the Future Free2Play?
In recent years, a lot has changed in the large market of MMORPGs. While the basic principles of “Kill 10 Monsters” and “Bring me 15 Butterflies” have hardly changed, the various payment models are subject to constant change. Many games relied on a “Pay2Play” model in the past, which is a classic subscription where the player must pay a fixed amount monthly to gain access to the game. This was justified back then by the provisioning costs of the servers, access to customer support, and the ongoing development of the games through patches and content updates.
Aside from World of Warcraft as the undisputed market leader and Final Fantasy XIV, the representatives of the subscription model are slowly fading away. Both SWTOR and WildStar pulled the emergency brake after a relatively short time and switched to a Free2Play system, and most new releases are also based on this system. Some exceptions, such as Guild Wars 2, require payment for the purchase of the game (or the latest expansion), but then have no further fees, aside from any in-game shops.
And now we come to the question: Is the future of MMOs entirely in Free2Play? Does Pay2Play (Subscription) even stand a chance anymore?
Cortyn says: Maybe my stance is no longer quite up to date, but I really like the subscription model. It’s clear that the component has been removed where you theoretically have access to customer service for 13 euros a month and are provided with bug fixes and new content at more or less regular intervals. Yet, even once immovable giants like World of Warcraft are slowly loosening their concepts with the possibility of the WoW token, whereas other games use such services in the form of a “premium membership” to provide players with more advantages.
The more I think about it, the more I question why I still like this system. Perhaps because I still have the impression in World of Warcraft that I am not missing anything relevant in the game – despite the cosmetic item shop (which, to be fair, only has a very sparse offering). Probably it’s just pure nostalgia and the feeling built over 10 years that it has “always been this way”. In my mind, a subscription still stands for high quality – and at least so far, I’ve never been disappointed; for me, WoW, SWTOR, and also WildStar were high-quality titles that I felt were always worth the monthly fees.
But now to you: Do you think the days of Pay2Play games are numbered? Can anyone still represent this model or is it just a matter of time before Free2Play has swallowed every game? Or would you actually wish for more Pay2Play games? Discuss with us in the comments!
