General Discussion

Originally posted by Sovrath

 

Originally posted by Diamedes

Originally posted by Kordesh

Down with this thread. If you REALLY believe that a high quality MMO can operate without monthly fees, then you know nothing about how MMOs operate. Guild Wars, a game that classifies as an MMO in only the barest sense, can do what it does only because its entirely instanced and the overhead is incredibly small, and the only additional content is provided via expansion. Games with persistent non-instanced game worlds with constant updates cannot afford to run without a fee unless you bog the game down with advertising to an invasive and painful level, and even then I would say it's a stretch. Hellgate London is instanced but does throw out the occasional patch to non-subscribers, but even they need some advertising to keep that going.

The "free" MMO is a pipedream thought up by 13yr olds with no money who play games like Maplestory and go "WHY CAN'T ALL GAMES BE LIEK THIS!" Until developers and publishers can print money, it's not going to work unless you want an ad infested instanced mess, with few updates and low production values.

You sound like your just spouting off what MMO companies tell you about maintaining an MMO but don't really have a clue. An average WoW server has about 20,000 people on it, thats $300,000 a MONTH for 1 server, are you telling me it costs 300,000 to maintain a damn server? And I don't want to hear about expansions because you pay for them too. The only thing that would make monthly fees worth it would be if we actually got content on a regular basis and I haven't played a game that has done that yet.

Since you know so much perhaps you could also give us the break down for actually running the business, the company's part in health insurance, 401k contributions, salaries, bonuses, possible pensions, insurance for the comany, lawyers fees, equipment, office supplies, taxes, well you know... the other stuff that businesses have to pay for. And if the company is publicly owned then of course the investors are going to want their take.

 

When I'm processing invoices i seem to remember a hefty stack of accounts payable and that's just on my end.

For some reason I keep seeing threads like this where players seem to assume that all that money is wheeled in placed in boxes around the office and then the employees can dip into it when they feel like it.

Because "after running the server" what else is there?"

Oh don't forget research and development, money funneled out for new projects, possible acquisitions, licensing fees, etc.

Originally posted by spinach8puff

Monthly fees keep the majority of the immature prepubescent kiddies away. Keeping them is a good thing imo.

Originally posted by katriell

To the OP:
No.

Some games certenly don't deserve their monthly fee. But I can understand that devs must ask a monthly fee to help the development of the game (WoW, EQ2,.....).

But I also think their should be more mmorpg's like guild wars, without a monthly fee, you just need to buy the boxes.

Originally posted by kingtommyboy

Some games certenly don't deserve their monthly fee. But I can understand that devs must ask a monthly fee to help the development of the game (WoW, EQ2,.....).

But I also think their should be more mmorpg's like guild wars, without a monthly fee, you just need to buy the boxes.

 

GW is not a mmorpg

too many clone games out there

im ready to play cheaper one~ har har!

Originally posted by DeadlyMage

Originally posted by kingtommyboy

Some games certenly don't deserve their monthly fee. But I can understand that devs must ask a monthly fee to help the development of the game (WoW, EQ2,.....).

But I also think their should be more mmorpg's like guild wars, without a monthly fee, you just need to buy the boxes.

 

GW is not a mmorpg

Don't be so nitpicky, it's not the point. I can agree with the way he said it.

Originally posted by DeadlyMage

Originally posted by kingtommyboy

Some games certenly don't deserve their monthly fee. But I can understand that devs must ask a monthly fee to help the development of the game (WoW, EQ2,.....).

But I also think their should be more mmorpg's like guild wars, without a monthly fee, you just need to buy the boxes.

 

GW is not a mmorpg

It is on the gamelist of mmorpg.com, so GuildWars is an mmorpg

Guildwars is most certainly NOT a MMO,  It is no more a MMO than Diablo is,  Neither is Hellgate London a MMO, but it is on here.  Heck they had a news item about a strategy game, Myth War Online,  on here the other day.  They really do cover more than what is considered a MMO they pretty much cover  any online game, although they avoid the FPS games.  Just because it is on this site does not a MMO make it.