Post by Morreion on Jan 14, 2014 18:32:17 GMT -5
Pathfinder Online CEO defends Elder Scrolls Online's subs (Massively)
The Elder Scrolls Online's subscription-only business model has had an unlikely ally step up to defend it: Goblinworks CEO Ryan Dancey.
The Pathfinder Online head chief claimed that subscriptions were still responsible for upward of an estimated $100 million a month in revenues in the Western market with a much smaller amount being gained by cash shops. "It's even harder to estimate how much revenue is being generated from microtransactions but it is extremely difficult to imagine that the revenue even approaches 50% of the amount being paid as subscription fees," he wrote.
Dancey also commented that initial box sales will be incredibly important for ZeniMax: "This may be the internal justification ZeniMax is using to benchmark its budget for Elder Scrolls Online.
Forbes: ESO's subscription model is just 'a compounding factor' to risk (Massively)
"With rumors of a massive budget, indicators that the game itself isn't anything phenomenal, and the insistence of the subscription model across all platforms, I stand by my assertion that Elder Scrolls Online has the potential to be a huge miss for ZeniMax and Bethesda," the article concludes. "Honestly, even a free-to-play ESO would have seemed incredibly risky by itself, and the subscription fee is just a compounding factor."
F2P vs. Subscription: Who cares? (Keen & Graev)
The business model isn’t going to make or break ESO. Hold on just a sec. *Puts on the broken record* Okay. If your game sucks it sucks. If your game is great its great. People like great games, and don’t like the ones that suck. Make a good game, and people will play. If it’s F2P and you don’t screw it up (hasn’t happened yet) and your game is fun then you’ll be fine. If it’s subscription and your game is fun then people will fork over $15 a month — it’s very reasonable and affordable. *Takes off the broken record*
ESO devs have more important things to worry about right now. According to the general consensus on the web — always a trusted source — the game isn’t very good. I recommend people stop debating the merits of various business models and start focusing on why that won’t matter at all.
Let’s sum it up.
Good games can be ruined by business models, but bad games can never be helped by them.
The Elder Scrolls Online's subscription-only business model has had an unlikely ally step up to defend it: Goblinworks CEO Ryan Dancey.
The Pathfinder Online head chief claimed that subscriptions were still responsible for upward of an estimated $100 million a month in revenues in the Western market with a much smaller amount being gained by cash shops. "It's even harder to estimate how much revenue is being generated from microtransactions but it is extremely difficult to imagine that the revenue even approaches 50% of the amount being paid as subscription fees," he wrote.
Dancey also commented that initial box sales will be incredibly important for ZeniMax: "This may be the internal justification ZeniMax is using to benchmark its budget for Elder Scrolls Online.
Forbes: ESO's subscription model is just 'a compounding factor' to risk (Massively)
"With rumors of a massive budget, indicators that the game itself isn't anything phenomenal, and the insistence of the subscription model across all platforms, I stand by my assertion that Elder Scrolls Online has the potential to be a huge miss for ZeniMax and Bethesda," the article concludes. "Honestly, even a free-to-play ESO would have seemed incredibly risky by itself, and the subscription fee is just a compounding factor."
F2P vs. Subscription: Who cares? (Keen & Graev)
The business model isn’t going to make or break ESO. Hold on just a sec. *Puts on the broken record* Okay. If your game sucks it sucks. If your game is great its great. People like great games, and don’t like the ones that suck. Make a good game, and people will play. If it’s F2P and you don’t screw it up (hasn’t happened yet) and your game is fun then you’ll be fine. If it’s subscription and your game is fun then people will fork over $15 a month — it’s very reasonable and affordable. *Takes off the broken record*
ESO devs have more important things to worry about right now. According to the general consensus on the web — always a trusted source — the game isn’t very good. I recommend people stop debating the merits of various business models and start focusing on why that won’t matter at all.
Let’s sum it up.
Good games can be ruined by business models, but bad games can never be helped by them.
