Hey guys. I'm new to the site but am an avid Elder Scrolls player/fan. I just wanted to take a moment to address the Subscription Fee. I started playing this series back in the Morrowind days and fell in love with it. Everything about it. For a while now I've thought about how amazing it would be to have an online version of this game, and on a console at that! When I heard this was being released on the Xbox One I was ecstatic. By far this game was my #1 Top Pick for Titles being released this year. Then the other day I started researching the Subscription Fee and saw that we would have to pay $15 a month just to play. This was very unsettling. Personally I can not afford this, and seeing that I already have to pay $60 a year for Gold anyway, I don't agree with paying for ESO, definitely not $15 anyway! This is a downer for me, but it is what it is I assume. But I was just curious to see what your thoughts and opinions were on the situation and whether or not you were still going to purchase ESO...

- Zz I Thrifty -

Is there text here? Coloring your text makes it hard to read. I have no idea if you wrote anything.

F2P svcks, and will always be infirior to P2P in huge mmos like this. Path of Exile and the like are good as F2P as they cost not even 3% of what this game costs to make and good F2P games are scarse.

If you want to read in detail why F2P realy is bad in general you should (if you have acces) chek a topic about the same subject on the beta forum.

Absolutely! I usually allot myself 2 Sub based MMOs currently that's SWTOR and FFXIV, I have a lifetime sub to TSW but seeing as that was a lump sum I don't consider that a subscription. Once ESO drops I'll be dropping SWTOR.

I was able to read it with the quote function and HTML tags deactivated.

MMORPGs cost money. $15 a month is standard, and is cheap entertainment. The Live cost is a separate issue that is inflicted on you by Microsoft.

Sorry for the big wall of text, but its good stuf.

I can safely say I won't be paying the subscription fee. Don't like it and can't afford it. I will just rent the initial price of the game or wait for free to play depending on my situation.

Pretty much this, F2P makes money by coming up with new and inventive ways to nickle and dime you just look at how much you don't have access to when your not a subscriber for SWTOR.

*shrug* Xbox one costed you probably over 500 dollars? ESO costs 15 dollars a month, that's 50c a day. Going to see a movie and buying popcorn costs 15 dollars, and it only lasts one night.

Of course you are entitled to your opinion and I see not everyone is ready to pay to play. I'm just curious people find 15 dollars their deal breaker, comparing to everything else what costs us money in our lives.

"["spoiler"]["/spoiler"]"

OT: Yes.

Subs = creamy goodness.

I wouldn't get it without the sub. F2P / B2P MMOs aren't my bag.

Sub fee is in. It's not up for debate, and it's not going to change. I have the point of view that the business model is the LEAST important aspect of an MMO, especially when talking about whether it will succeed, or how "good" it is. I also have the point of view that MOST arguments on BOTH sides are fallacious.

I prefer a buy to play model, but that's not what ESO is, and I'm good with that.

You have to understand that this is not a simple TES with multiplayer added, it is an mmorpg and as such the subscription fee is totally valid and good for the costumers as in offering a premium service. Free to play models have proved insufficent or simply ripping of costumers. I am happy with it.

Easily a yes. I can't ever get into any f2p MMO's and the ones are do are "freemium" which are technically f2p, but you either have to buy a ton of crap with real money to do anything or you can just pay a subscription and get everything. As others have said F2P MMO's typically nickel and dime you and ultimately costs more than a flat out p2p mmo.

Obviously everyone will have different preferences and budgets, but honestly $15/month really isn't that much. As stated you spent $500 for an xbox one. If you buy only one game a month depending system odds are you're paying $60/month. Go to a movie and likely spending at least $15 for 2 hours of entertainment, while an MMO is all the entertainment you can squeeze in in a month. Of course had you gone for a PS4 then you could play this without paying for their online services, for that part you can blame Microsoft on having to pay for both.

oh this again.....subs fees are fine and nothing new...man where were all these Sub haters/bashes back when EQ1 or DAoC were top games...didn't see any post in the forums going "omg 15 bucks a month? outrageous!"

Simply yes.

So let me sumarize:

You can afford:

new Xbox One

60$ for Gold status

But you cant afford: 15$ a month for TESO?

Am i right?

Yep. You're right. It took me a minute to save for the One. I don't know. Maybe it's just the thought of 15 a month... I've never played a game requiring a subscription... Just a new thing to me I guess.

I'ma console gamer... Subscriptions aren't in our scope of practice. It's uncharted waters.

MMO's are a different beast altogether. Lots of upkeep costs for them. All the servers and everything are hosted by Zenimax. They also have to pay for the buildings, IT folk, developers, artists, and everyone else involved in making the game due to constant updates. They also aren't like console games (or just regular games in general) where they release a new version every year and you pay $60. You buy the game you have the game so they need a continued income to pay for everyone and everything involved in them. Granted there will likely be expansions, but at most those run $40 typically and sometimes even less, but practically add another game on top of it.

I could be mistaken, but I believe they've mentioned also doing content updates every month or every 2 months. So basically instead of having to pay for DLC's on a monthly basis you already have access to them.

Xbox One player here...and YES I'm absolutely paying the $15/month and am getting a bit annoyed at console players that complain about it. If people like the game but can't figure out a way to pay $15/month then maybe they should re-think the nearly $750 (or more) they've probably spent to this point since November on their console. If you're cutting it that close on bills maybe it's time to prioritize a little better.

And the 60$ for the actual game. If you don't want to get locked out of content, you'll to throw another 30$ for the imperial edition.

Try to be polite to other people. I know it's the internet and everyone is an unknown but you really don't know the way people live/their financial situations. Maybe the xbox one was a gift? Maybe they had saved up for it since it's announcement? It's really hard to pass judgement on someone without knowing them.

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I feel like these threads come up so often because the elderscrolls series has always been about providing hundreds of hours of content for a base price. Any DLC, any extra content was an extra fee. Take Dragonborn for instance. It was 20$ when it first came out. I'm not entirely sure you can compare the amount of content Dragonborn adds to Skyrim to the May subscription fee that you will have to pay to play TESO.

The truth is the needs of elderscrolls fans and the needs of MMO fans are very different in regards to value. Consoles aren't really ripe with MMOs either so they're not used to subscription fees.

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What I strongly suggest to people who don't want to pay subscription fees: The first month is free. Play the hell out of this game and let it go. After all.. who can play the same game so hard for a month?

Imagine how much work goes into balance and calculation alone. Its not fun anymore.

Not entirely true. Everquest Online Adventures was on the PS2 in 2003 and Final Fantasy XI was on it in 2002. Since then off the top of my head I know there's been Final Fantasy XIV and DC Universe Online. Granted I believe both are Playstation and not Xbox so if you only have played Xbox it'd be new to you, but certainly isn't uncharted waters when it comes to subscription MMO's on consoles.