Premium - Single or subscription fee?

[Prexun]

I'll make it short - Is the premium membership going to have a subscription fee or just a single payment? I've listened to all livestreams and videos there are so far and they've mentioned it multiple times but they've never clarified the payment(s)..

Personally I'd pay the single fee, but not a subscription. Would you?

[MyMeatStick]

Lifetime membership option would be nice, but I will probably just pay a monthly sub unless the rewards are pretty awesome on the lifetime option.

[UnDeAdKiTtY]

I would, and please before you post please read and look for posts already made about this subject.

Its experience and resource boosters like LoL.

They also sell premium accounts not yet any info on this, other then "no super gains of any kind, just convenience things"

[Prexun]

I would, and please before you post please read and look for posts already made about this subject.

Its experience and resource boosters like LoL.

They also sell premium accounts not yet any info on this, other then "no super gains of any kind, just convenience things"
I know what they've said about the premium benefits so far offline exp etc.

[Kran De Loy]

Better option would be the One-time payment for premium account, but really it depends on cost and content.
If I want to pay a monthly sub it's gonna have to give me my money's worth every month, in order to balance that with people not willing or not capable of paying the monthly sub they'd need to do some fancy ass footwork.

So I would rather they just did 1 time payment for Premium Content that gave the account some recognition status and some other one time ingame bonuses like a batch of free consumables and maybe some cosmetic stuff. That way the monthly sub I want to pay I could pick and choose which items I get off the MT market and those items will be exactly the same as a non-premium person can get.

I know what they've said about the premium benefits so far offline exp etc.

Nah, that is just something they said they'd look into trying out. Honestly I don't want that in the game as it breaks balance between paying customers and non-paying customers. I can see why SOE may want to do it and I can see that as long as the number of benefits that a high XP character is limited enough compared to a newborn character then it could still work.. but.. yeah dun like it.

[IgloGlass]

Honestly I'd prefer to just buy the game for $50-60 and be done with it, unfortunately the player base probably wouldn't get large enough for the game to work out if that was the case. I usually like just buying the game once and then have access to everything.

If the game is free then I'm just not very open to buying lots and lots of things that add up, guess that has something to do with my childhood :shrug:

However if there's a subscription fee then I pretty much only subscribe if that's the only way to play the game, e.g WoW.
If I were to use another SOE game as an example I'd use DCUO. The game's free and I have played it for quite some time, however I feel no need or urge to subscribe to it since it wouldn't make the game that much more fun in my opinion and I can still play it.

TL;DR I like to buy a game once. Probably won't buy more than a few selected items in PS2.

[Otleaz]

They also sell premium accounts not yet any info on this, other then "no super gains of any kind, just convenience things"

Yeah, it is more convenient to be able to spawn more vehicles and spam more grenades than non-boosters, isn't it?

[Lorgarn]

I would most likely pay a premium-based kind of subscription thingy. Not necessarily for my own, but more for the sake of giving something back to the developers more than just playing their game. I love SOE for bringing back PlanetSide and I want to support them in this as much as I can.

However, it'll also depend on the cost. Let's just say that I would be OK with paying a standard type of monthly fee.

[Gandhi]

I have nothing against a subscription, but obviously it comes down to a question of cost vs benefit. If all it does is give me a special camo or two and $x per month in Station Cash then I probably wouldn't go for it. I don't want to end up feeling like I'm renting content is the problem.

Maybe in the end it doesn't make much sense to offer a subscription. On the face of it a one time purchase for a premium account makes more sense to me in a F2P model, especially if you're going to tie some special cosmetic items into it.

[Prexun]

Honestly I'd prefer to just buy the game for $50-60 and be done with it

Same here.

One thing that worries me about PS2 is that it's a huge project and they're just giving it all away for free. That means that they may have to spam us with microtransactions.

[Gandhi]

Yeah, it is more convenient to be able to spawn more vehicles and spam more grenades than non-boosters, isn't it?
Well I guess that all depends on how common resources are to begin with. If a grenade costs 1 resource and you earn an average of 5000 an hour then it doesn't make a lot of difference either way. A resource boost might turn out to be totally useless, we won't know until the system is finalized.

But it should always be a percentage boost, not a straight up "x resources per hour" boost. That way you can still rob an entire empire of a certain vehicle by taking all the territory associated with that resource, regardless of how many people are premium players.

[SztEltviz]

Well I guess that all depends on how common resources are to begin with. If a grenade costs 1 resource and you earn an average of 5000 an hour then it doesn't make a lot of difference either way. A resource boost might turn out to be totally useless, we won't know until the system is finalized.

But it should always be a percentage boost, not a straight up "x resources per hour" boost. That way you can still rob an entire empire of a certain vehicle by taking all the territory associated with that resource, regardless of how many people are premium players.

Maybe it's like the rested XP bonus in WoW. In short: if you are offline, you start to accumulate XP bonus. When you come back and start playing, you get double XP till you exhaust your collected XP.

http://www.wowwiki.com/Rest

[ChipMHazard]

Same here.

One thing that worries me about PS2 is that it's a huge project and they're just giving it all away for free. That means that they may have to spam us with microtransactions.

They are obviously confident enough in their shop atm. This could of course change if too few people are actually being converted into buyers.

Personally I'm probably going to buy a premium model of some kind, be it monthly or a one time deal.. If I end up loving the game, which I probably will.

[Redshift]

You guys need to stop with the subs, it's proven to be a death blow for a game.

Look at PS1 yesterday, 4 days ago it was sub based and no one was online, yesterday it was free and we've 2-3 pop locks

f2p means lots of members all the time, which is exactly what you need in this game. Otherwise the pops drop off over time and the game dies exponentially faster.

If you're desperate to support SOE with cash then just spend lots in the shop.

[Prexun]

Look at PS1 yesterday, 4 days ago it was sub based and no one was online, yesterday it was free and we've 2-3 pop locks

You're kidding, right? PS1 is 9 years old, not that many look at games that are nine years old.

[Greeniegriz]

For premium I would prefer a subscription.

Cheers,

GG

Sent from Auraxis using Tapatalk

[kejel]

The only reason PS1 had so many players on was due to the publicity of PS2 and all the old vets are hyped and willing to play for a laugh, there not gona return full time to PS1 free or not its just to old.

PS1 didn't get that many players on after the sony hack and it was free to play.

I do agree that more players will play if a game is F2P however but Subs are also still viable in F2P games for things like bonus xp gains etc and they generate important revenue for the gaming company, the business model in tribes imo is a good example of this.

The difference for me is when i have to pay a sub to play, once im bored i stop paying and stop playing. With F2P ill pay while im enjoying the game and fairly active but when i get bored ill still come on and play occasionally for free which keeps numbers up.

[Russ]

Id subscribe if say they do something like you get Y% xp and recourse gain boost and 1500 station cash each month for 10 dollars, maybe add like a custom camo or something flashy to show im a subscriber too. But something along those lines where it is a slight deal over just buying the stuff as is. 1000 station cash is 10$, so its a good deal.

I dont want it to be anything where people feel they need to get it, but there should be an incentive.

[Prexun]

F2P. Thats what T-Ray told me!!
We're discussing the fee for premium membership here, not just for playing the game.

[Mastachief]

Monthly so we can vote with a wallets if hackers are causing issues and the old SOE rears it's head

[ChipMHazard]

Monthly so we can vote with a wallets if hackers are causing issues and the old SOE rears it's head

Good point. :p

[Crator]

Well, I'm pretty certain there will be a monthly subscription based option. Especially since they have an ALL ACCESS sub which gives you access to all MMOs they offer. For the F2P titles with subs they give you Station Cash once per month. Station Cash can be used on all F2P titles they have.

There are other perks you get with a paid sub as well. Take a look at DCUO payment model: http://www.dcuniverseonline.com/free/

DCUO F2P FAQ: http://www.dcuniverseonline.com/free/faq.vm?locale=en_US

[Satexios]

I'd rather have they do something like
Starter -> F2P, can buy stuff with station cash for boosts etc.
Combat Pack -> One-time payment which gives you a standard xp boost (say 10%) and the ability to create outfits. For example $9.99
Subscription -> Monthly fee of $9.99 which gives you XP boost (20-30%) ability to create an outfit and Aurexia/ stationcash so you can purchase customizations. That way someone who subs for a year can get customizations worth for over a year and SOE has a stable income.

Bit like Aion does it but with less limitations. But I am sure SoE have their plans figured out. I just hope a decal won't cost 10 bucks..

[JxP]

I would pay $9.99 a month for rested xp gain and a monthly SC allowance. Any more than that and the benefits better be pretty awesome which at some point will turn the free players away (that's bad).

[james]

It depends on the price, but if there are a ton of micro transactions which it seems there will be, i doubt there will be a sub, it will be like most f2p if i had to guess you spend real money you get some bonus

[Crator]

^^^ James, that doesn't make much sense. So if there's a ton of micro transactions you'll be able to spend the SC that you get from the monthly sub then have to buy more SC with money if you want to buy more stuff. Or wait till next month when you get more SC from your monthly sub.

[Prexun]

I'd rather have they do something like
Starter -> F2P, can buy stuff with station cash for boosts etc.
Combat Pack -> One-time payment which gives you a standard xp boost (say 10%) and the ability to create outfits. For example $9.99
Subscription -> Monthly fee of $9.99 which gives you XP boost (20-30%) ability to create an outfit and Aurexia/ stationcash so you can purchase customizations. That way someone who subs for a year can get customizations worth for over a year and SOE has a stable income.

Bit like Aion does it but with less limitations. But I am sure SoE have their plans figured out. I just hope a decal won't cost 10 bucks..
Nah, I don't like that idea at all. Stripping away the ability to create an outfit for those who don't pay just doesn't add up. Also they've already told us a bit about what we'd get for paying, and I prefer their list.

[Redshift]

You're kidding, right? PS1 is 9 years old, not that many look at games that are nine years old.

Er that's kind of my point, f2p means you always have very high pops, and for a game that requires high pops it's a must. They make it free and they get well over 1000% the number of players, exactly what happened with DCOU and TF2.

Monthly so we can vote with a wallets if hackers are causing issues and the old SOE rears it's head

Give it a monthly fee and you'll have less hackers... you'll also have no one to shoot.

[The Degenatron]

I'm ok with a monthly fee for premium content (all of the cosmetics) and additional XP and resource boosting. I'm already subbed to PS1 so rolling that monthly sub fee over to PS2 has been the plan the whole time.

[Arovien]

Single or Sub? Really depends on the price. Pretty sure they will be going with single time pay of about $30-50. Hope I'm wrong and is cheaper.

[Arcticus]

...But I am sure SoE have their plans figured out. I just hope a decal won't cost 10 bucks..

I'm sure they will have SOME decals/camo that are more expensive. One advantage of microtransactions is that they can have multiple price tiers to cater to vanity, status, etc.. It would be seem like a gaping marketing hole to have all the camos at $0.99 and not have some select $5 and $10 ones.

They will probably be tiering up 8%-15% of their stock divided among, say, $2, $5 and 10$.

Any higher than 15% and it won't feel as exclusive to those of us looking to purchase (even though it's digital and easily reproducible, we want the illusion that only a few are available). Also, the low-/non-paying base will complain that too much of the stock is higher-priced.

Any lower than 10% and SOE would be loosing revenue opportunity.

They might also have single-player ones that are auctioned off. There is absolutely no pain and pure gain in this for both players and SOE.

[Wayside]

Depends on the cost when compared to the benefit. What are you gonna give me to assure my monthly deposit of cash moneys into the vast coffers of SOE?

[JointReef]

I don't mind sub did for planetside and still do so wont bother me for PS2 either

[Prexun]

Er that's kind of my point, f2p means you always have very high pops, and for a game that requires high pops it's a must. They make it free and they get well over 1000% the number of players, exactly what happened with DCOU and TF2.

If SOE wasn't making PS2 and Ps1 would've been free VERY few would be playing it right now. Everyone's just hyped about PS2 and they like the idea of shooting developers, that's why they're playing PS1.

If you think a game is good and fun, you buy it. If you're unsure however, you might not, especially if it's got a monthly fee. That's where the monthly fee can ruin a game. However it can easily be solved with a demo or a free trial. That's how a game can convince the player to buy it.

[Vreki]

I depends on what you get for the money of course, but I cant see myself going for a subscribtion this time. Its easier to go back to a game after a break when you dont always have to think "Is it really worth it? How much will I play this month?"

My plan is to support the game by buying stuff from the store. Unless it is timelimited, I am no fan of that.

[Flaropri]

Why not have both as an option? (different and on-going benefit for subscription, bundled package for single payment)

Anyway, I'm pretty sure that "Membership" is a subscription, based on similar models by SOE/DDO. But I'm not 100% sure of course.

[Ramladu]

Tribes and World of Tanks have a "monthly" plan that gives a certain amount of gold (real money tokens) along with an experience boost and some other minor perks. It works pretty well.

By monthly I mean it's a one-time fee, but the experience boost lasts for 30 days. Not quite the same as a subscription.

[Karrade]

Individual transactions.

Freedom to pick and choose what I want, and if the price is something I want to pay.

That for me is the best way, and I can avoid things I don't want to buy.


Tribes and World of Tanks have a "monthly" plan that gives a certain amount of gold (real money tokens) along with an experience boost and some other minor perks. It works pretty well.

By monthly I mean it's a one-time fee, but the experience boost lasts for 30 days. Not quite the same as a subscription.

I've bought many of their individual tanks but avoided this. You can earn enough off tier 8 premiums to do okay for yourself.

[LazyBonez]

I would pay for premium benefits!

Single Payment option: pay $200 upfront get Premium for life

Monthly options: usual sub plans $14.99 a month, $12.99 a month for 3 months etc

What you get with premium I think will be standard fare... all DLC free for premium subs + early access to DLC, Exclusive customization options camo, armor styles, decals etc, station cash allowance + what ever SOE can think of to go with it. (maybe discounts on market place items)

Something along those lines I would pay.:D

[Redshift]

If SOE wasn't making PS2 and Ps1 would've been free VERY few would be playing it right now. Everyone's just hyped about PS2 and they like the idea of shooting developers, that's why they're playing PS1.

If you think a game is good and fun, you buy it. If you're unsure however, you might not, especially if it's got a monthly fee. That's where the monthly fee can ruin a game. However it can easily be solved with a demo or a free trial. That's how a game can convince the player to buy it.

No, but it would have lasted longer than it did.

Even with a demo sub games don't get anywhere near the player base of f2p games, theres really no point in arguing otherwise, DCUO and TF2 demonstrated the power of f2p emphatically

[Stew]

You guys need to stop with the subs, it's proven to be a death blow for a game.

Look at PS1 yesterday, 4 days ago it was sub based and no one was online, yesterday it was free and we've 2-3 pop locks

f2p means lots of members all the time, which is exactly what you need in this game. Otherwise the pops drop off over time and the game dies exponentially faster.

If you're desperate to support SOE with cash then just spend lots in the shop.

lol your rigth !

if they really want to suport the game they just have to as long as the game are full i will suport the game !

who want to spend money on empty servers ? especially in a fps

[Xaine]

You're kidding, right? PS1 is 9 years old, not that many look at games that are nine years old.

Especially ones that have pretty much been neglected for years on end.

On topic:

If i think the game is worth it, i'd be happy to pay for premium.

[SixShooter]

You guys need to stop with the subs, it's proven to be a death blow for a game.

Look at PS1 yesterday, 4 days ago it was sub based and no one was online, yesterday it was free and we've 2-3 pop locks

f2p means lots of members all the time, which is exactly what you need in this game. Otherwise the pops drop off over time and the game dies exponentially faster.

If you're desperate to support SOE with cash then just spend lots in the shop.

You do realize that no one is talking about a required sub right? It's already been established that the game will be F2P for everyone and that cash shop item and an optional sub will be there for those who want it.
Having an optional subscription is not going to be a "death blow" in any sense of the phrase. It will be there for those who want to use it (like myself) and it will be a good thing that will not effect anyone who never wants to pay a dime other than it will help support continued development for the game.

[Talented Maori]

Im going to say no, I need no premium. Devs have stated that everything in game can be unlocked through simply playing, I need no advantage. Wonder if it's like DCUO where when your sub ends you can't access the 'premium' stuff.

[Mikenumbers]

Since the game is free-to-play I would pay for premium membership.

Mainly because it would allow me to further support the game financially, customizations are great and dandy but this system would allow them a steady income, I'm not so much interested in the bonuses that would come with it though.

[Crator]

Im going to say no, I need no premium. Devs have stated that everything in game can be unlocked through simply playing, I need no advantage. Wonder if it's like DCUO where when your sub ends you can't access the 'premium' stuff.

I'm not seeing what 'premium' stuff you are referring too in DCUO. Only thing I see that requires a premium account is being able to create Player Leagues (outfit/guild). Free to play accounts have the option to buy the stuff piece meal that the paid sub gets.

And no, not everything is unlocked via just playing. The cosmetic stuff is purchased by using Station Cash only. Perhaps not all of them, but most. Same thing goes for DCUO and PS2. The non-cosmetic items they sell are for speeding up game play such as being able to retry locked instances right away. Or speeding up experience gain. Convenience items.... PS2 will also offer side-grades for purchase....

As for DLC packs.... I don't think they will have those for PS2. I think I remember hearing a dev say they weren't going to do that... I think....

http://www.dcuniverseonline.com/free/