Since I absolutely, without exception, refuse to use item shops, I had to go with upping the subscription.  I don't think that's a viable option though, most people will not pay more than $15 a month and I don't blame them.  A better option would be to attract more players through advertising, etc.  If you cannot attract enough players to make your game viable, then your game is not viable and you deserve to go out of business.

If they didn't make a good enough game to support it with subs, I'd probably just quit.  Isn't that the real issue?  Why doesn't the game have enough subs to support itself?

It is entirely possible to build a game that is F2P with a cash shop that does not interfere with game play.

I would bet that you'll see things change drastically over the next year or so in how things monetize.

You could even see things like hybrid "subscriptions" that actually entitle you to a certain number of micro transaction items.

Why isn't there a "Neither; Declare the game dead" option?

Declaring a game dead sucks for people who have put tons of time or money into it.

Originally posted by wildchyld

Declaring a game dead sucks for people who have put tons of time or money into it.

 

Yeah.. Dying kinda sucks *Stares at Tabula Rasa*. But it's the circle of life.

I only got about 20 minutes out of Tabula Rasa :(

Originally posted by wildchyld

I only got about 20 minutes out of Tabula Rasa :(

It's ok. *hugs*. Tabula Rasa will forever remain with you.. *points at your heart* in here. *cries*.. I.. I promised myself I wouldn't cry! 

2/3 of the subs fee is profit is they need more money they should review what they are wasting and cut it. The current MMOs lack any sort of quality to even be worth 15$ a month if they dare to increase by any sort is a shoot on the foot.

I signed up for my first MMORPG roughly six years ago, paying $15/month subscription fee.

The MMORPG I am currently subscribed to also charges $15/month.

I've paid $15/month for a number of other games in that time.

And you know what? Inflation is real. If I was playing a game and enjoying it, and the developers said "due to rising costs we need to increase the subscription fee", I'd be hard pressed to be upset. It happens with everything else in life, why shouldn't it happen with MMORPG subscriptions? Can it really be $15/month forever? I think not.

Put in the cash shop, if it's not game changing items. By the way, I don't feel that XP Pots are game changing. Whatever.

With a cash shop, such as the one Blizzard has introduced, I have a choice of whether or not I will spend more on their game or not. So it has no effect on me. I don't have to spend money in their cash shop. No biggie.

Some will choose to spend money in the cash shop, which will give them more revenue. That's fine with me. As long as I don't come across someone in AV with the Uber Cash Shop Sword of Die Cheap Bastard!