Post by Morreion on Apr 9, 2010 7:00:34 GMT -5
Jon Wood: Pre-Orders and Lifetime Subs (MMORPG.com)
I think he makes a point- pre-orders these days are so aggressively marketed that I feel like they are a part of a 'sell lots of boxes' strategy where it almost feels that companies are not expecting to have enough subscribers to make money- they want their cash up front as if they don't expect their product to make it.
I see his point. But the one game I have a lifetime subscription to- LOTRO- has worked out well for me. I can play as often or as little as I wish and not worry about getting my money's worth. I've been playing on and off for a few years now. Of course I got my lifetime sub a year after release, so I knew what I was getting- although theoretically they could always drastically change course in the future.
It's not that I think all pre-orders are bad. There are legitimate reasons to pre-order a game. That being said, I think that three major problems emerge with the pre-order phenomenon: First, people are often shocked when a game that they pre-ordered doesn't live up to their expectations. Second, companies add more and more incentives (including beta access and other extras) for people to pre-order and finally, it gives less incentive for games to have to offer quality at-launch products. They have their pre-orders already and can always "improve the game post-launch."In the end, pre-orders seem to cause more headaches for people than they give benefit to and all I have to say is this: If you pre-order a game and then complain that the game wasn't good enough, I have little to no pity for you. No, you don't deserve a refund. You purchased something sight unseen, pre-launch (so you didn't even have any reliable info on it). That's entirely your own fault.
I think he makes a point- pre-orders these days are so aggressively marketed that I feel like they are a part of a 'sell lots of boxes' strategy where it almost feels that companies are not expecting to have enough subscribers to make money- they want their cash up front as if they don't expect their product to make it.
Here's my opinion: buying a lifetime subscription to a game completely undermines your power as a consumer. MMO development studios don't put time and resources into updating their games as much as they do out of the goodness of their hearts. They do it in order to keep making money. Ultimately, to keep people subscribing to their game. If they already have all of the money they're going to get out of you. Why then, other than out of the goodness of their hearts (or good PR, but we're all too cynical for that), would they care what your opinions are, you've already given them your power.
I see his point. But the one game I have a lifetime subscription to- LOTRO- has worked out well for me. I can play as often or as little as I wish and not worry about getting my money's worth. I've been playing on and off for a few years now. Of course I got my lifetime sub a year after release, so I knew what I was getting- although theoretically they could always drastically change course in the future.
