Is The Elder Scrolls Online set up to fail?

With Zenimax Online opting for both microtransactions and a monthly subscription, Sean Knight wonders if it will be too much for the MMO crowd.

[WickedLester]

"Is The Elder Scrolls Online set up to fail?"

On consoles, I believe so. I just don't think console gamers will ever embrace subscription based MMO's. Especially when we're already paying a yearly fee for a network service. 15.00 a month (180.00 a year) is way too steep for one game!

[Pintheshadows]

I worry it will be shunned by PC gamers as well. B2P or F2P is the current way the genre seems to be going.

[cleft5]

The whole pay to play model is just outdated now. Either do what the Guild Wars developers did or figure out some way to handle a F2P system that doesn't ruin the game.

It would be one thing if people where hailing ESO as this amazing game, but every video that has been shown of it makes it look average. Why pay for ESO when you can just play WoW, the much more established diverse experience? That is the question they are going to have to answer and right now I don't think they have answered that question.

[TopDudeMan]

Yeah. With WoW, LoL and GW2 hogging most of the players ESO is going to stuggle.

[BlingBlaine]

$64 for the game + $180 sub for a year + $60 ps+ sub + mictotransactions =

$380 a year just to play eso. Who needs to be fired for that one?

ESO on consoles will fail pure and simple.

[Mystogan]

Struggle? It will fail so hard. This is going to be catastrophic, trust me.

Not even the many Star wars fans could help SWTOR.

There are much less ElderScrolls fans than Star Wars fans. And even less fans who actually want a multiplayer Elder Scrolls.

Its a shame. Because this is a good game. Ruined by the Pricing Model. This should have been Buy2play like Guild Wars.

This one is going down in history boys.

[sdozzo]

Never thought of that. Good call.

[2cents]

I agree WickedLester,

I can't believe they decided to go this route, especially for console! This will be the first elder scrolls I will have to give a miss.

[Regis]

Do we even need to say yes? Only when it becomes F2P or with only an online subscription of PS+ or XBLG is when we will see it take off.

[urwifeminder]

Guild wars 2 is the best model and now the norm unless others follow they will fail.

[sdozzo]

They will get some cash and eventually go free to play.

[The_Kills]

Lol I remember when freemium games started releasing, everyone scolded them. Now people with take that nonsense over skipping one lunch a month. N4G MMO players are a JOKE.

[Pintheshadows]

You must eat fancy lunch if you are spending $15 on one.

[The_Kills]

Normal afternoon off work lunch?

[Mystogan]

The problem I have witn subscriptions is that I will feel forced to play the game. Or I would pay $15 for nothing. 12*15= 180 dollars each year FOR ONE game.. That is a rip-off and Guild Wars 2 and many others proved that it is a ripoff. You CAN make a great MMO without a monthly subscription.

[nooneknows]

LOL Monthly Fee and Micro-transactions?!

On top of that I'm paying a fee for PS+ or XBL!!

BYE! Don't make me laugh.

[DFray919]

Maybe they should just lower them monthly fee to maybe $10 or less. Or maybe pay by the quarter like $25/ 3 months. And maybe the more months u pay for the more you save.

[Regis]

No what they should do is raise the prices in their micro-transaction store and only need the subscription or if people only have silver or no PS+ make it 5 dollars every 3 months.

[pandehz]

Nope just /epic fail

[My_Name_BTW_Is_Dante]

FF14 was set up to fail with their subscription fee too.

[KillrateOmega]

With that subscription model, you'd be paying $180/a year just to play one game online on top of the $60 you pay for your LIVE or PS+ subscription. $240/a year is pretty crazy, man. That's not even taking into account the micro-transactions in ESO and the expenses of buying other games in general; however, I suppose if you're going to be paying $180/ a year, then this better be the only game you'll be playing.

Anyways, to answer the original question as to whether or not ESO is set up to fail: On consoles, it's very possible, yes.

I'll still give it a try for like a month to see if the experience is really worth it though.

[BlingBlaine]

$64 for the game, $60 for + sub, $180 for year sub, microtransactions.

Total is over $300 just to play ESO the first year. Boycott for me.

Yes ESO will fail.

[ilovefatgirls]

everyones assuming theres going to be a years worth of content there wont be the ex wow/ddo/lotro guys etc will eat the release content up in a month or two, everyone else maybe six at the very most, and then stop subbing.

anyone considering paying a years worth of sub up front is foolish if they hold out for the first year as subscription ill be surprised, personally i give it nine months max before it goes f2p theres just too many people out there been burned by subscription games before that will be unwilling to commit their money to glitchy patches and slow content roll outs

[opinska]

uhm.. YES

[MilkMan]

Yep. Waste of dough. Guess Bethesda got it to burn. Call me when they realize what mistake they just did.

[season84]

Totally agree! If Bethesda didn't announce the subscription, I'd have definitely paid $60 for this game.