Age of Conan

If you want to pay for it you do, if you don't you don't. Nothing sneaky about it, it is all up front and in the open.

If you think it should be free, well that is another debate but this is certainly not sneaky I have known about it for a long time as has everyone else who cares enough to research a game before they buy it.

I even saw it when pre-ordering the CE on gamestops webpage. No small print either, right there in the Bonus Offer Box. All it takes is someone with reading skills to clearly see it written.

I don't like paying, but nothing sneaky about it. I saw it awhile back listed on that page.

This is old news and funcom are not tricking anyone.  If you read about the game you would know about this.  If you dont stay up to date you have no one to blame but yourself.

As long as they allow the download to commence before the first day it should be fine and reasonable value for money.   

i dont know what the Op is talking about the $5 early access fee has been known by everyone for awhile now. its been in the open not small print its been in the "print" along with everything else.it just helps to read fully and thoroughly. and yeah its mainly includes  3day and 7 day launch acess. so if it gives me 10 days approximately and helps them pay for bandwidth cost so be it. the game is good enough in my eyes ill pay for it. I already plunked down $90 whats another $5.

I believe the charge is a way for them to verify you are old enough to play (ie via credit card).  Since the game is rated M they legally cannot let just anyone play. 

just say NO.

I've been going through and reading the ops many posts in his/her thread, and all I can say is... Am I the only one the OP confuses? People who ordered the collectors edition will disagree with what im about to say untill it's been a year or two after release, then they will probably all agree with me. People don't order the collectors edition for the crap that comes with it, they order it to have a prestige position above everyone else in 3 years when people sit outside a bank arguing whose been playing the longest and trying to prove their status over the others with collector's edition pictures and release-content knowledge. Most of the people who ordered the collectors edition will probably have tosses half of the junk it comes with i'd say a year from now, but guaranteed what they won't dismiss is the fact they bought the collectors edition and payed $5 to get a head start, infact they'll be quite proud of that. I ordered the regular AoC instead of the collectors simply because I don't think $80 is worth anything they could give me, not to mention I don't care about starting early ahead of everyone else. What I'm curious about is why the OP cares so much? $5 oh wow. If you didn't order the collectors edition then why do you care about the $5? and if you did order the collectors edition, why would $5 burn a hole in your pocket? an extrra $35 as opposed to an extra $30, oh no!  I'm gonna guess you were bored, found something you thought was interesting, got your little heart all pumped up, and you ran with it to these forums. Things cost money. Lots of things cost money. There is always an extra dollar to be made. They charge for almost every little option in almost every type of retail product. Would you rather SOE took over, charged $100 for collectors edition but gave you the free 3 day early access that you apparently think someone deserves? or what if the collectors was $85 instead of $80, and they gave you the free 3 days early access, you'd never have Known they would've charged $5 for the early access, and the best arguement you realistically would've had, should this have actually happened, is that $85 is too much money for the collectors edition and you think we should get more stuff in the big box. Besides they announced the extra $5 early access option around the time they started taking orders for the collectors edition.

Ok.. now time for the real reply post.

 Who Cares? End of Story.

Blimy!  i hope you didnt say all that on one breath...... 

Well said.

I'm all up for a good rant/complaint or bash.. a good discussion or debate.

However, to the OP I just don't get it.. I really don't.

First off it was clearly stated in normal sized text when I pre-ordered.

And to be technical/logical.. *ponders*

30 days / 3 = 10 days

$15 / 3 = $5

They claim the $5 is to cover the cost of the headstart download.  Then they give you an extra 10 days on top of your 30 days that came with the game.

Those 10 days.. are 1/3 of a normal month (err the generic concept of a month is 30 days).. and $5 is 1/3 of a monthly fee.

Exactly what are they sneaking/stealing from you again?

I'm confused..

3 day head start + 10 days *free* = 1/3 a month.

$5 = 1/3 of $15

Your not paying to get in early. Your paying for the extra 1/3 a month. It's rather simple.