Star Citizen enhances its funding through crowdfunding and a shop with yet another model. From now on, players are offered a subscription in the still quite early development phase that provides exclusive rewards and bonuses.
Update: There was a mistake at pcgamesn that we had adopted: The subscription model has actually existed for a while. However, it is new that the offer has been expanded, which is why the news remains open for discussion.
For true Star Citizen fans
“Centurion” and “Imperator” subscriptions are the available subscription models. They represent another way to support Chris Roberts and his team in the development of the space simulation.
“If you’re interested in going above and beyond to support Star Citizen’s development,” says Cloud Imperium, “there’s no better way.”
What do you get for it? With the $12 Centurion subscription, the (additionally) paying customer gets access to the magazine “Jump Point” and has access to The Vault, a folder containing concept art and graphics. There will also be in-game items for subscribers, such as goodies for their hangar and a currency called REC, which allows temporary access to certain ships and weapons in the Commander module. Roberts Space Industries also hopes for supporters who will stick around long term: Subscribers who stay for more than a year are promised a mention in the game and fancy stickers for their ship. There is even more for fans who take the $24 Imperator Prime subscription. They get all the benefits of the basic subscription and additionally receive an extra ship, more of the REC currency, a larger number of goodies, and discounts in the shop.
When is enough…enough?
Well, a game costs money to develop, especially a blockbuster like Star Citizen. But the question remains: How much more do they need until release, and what can they implement properly by then? In addition to the over $70 million gathered so far through crowdfunding, the game also has an item shop. Here, a ship can easily cost over $250 – so it is more of a luxury than a small gimmick. And now, of course, there is the monthly subscription.
As an Alpha, already 3 business models
Currently, Star Citizen is still in an alpha version. The focus seems to be not only on the development and completion of the game but also heavily on monetization: How can we make money with it? I don’t want to accuse Chris Roberts of not developing a fantastic game, but the business practices are sometimes a bit dubious. Funders receive emails with offers for horrendously expensive ships. Once someone has paid, they may be inclined to spend even more.
Let’s see if the team comes up with another monetization opportunity… it will be interesting to see. After all, there seems to be a demand, and if enough people are willing to pay so much, why not?
