TSC's subscription service seems to have bombed though, I reckon in part because there's no reason to buy it without extra incentives. I could point toward any variety of streaming apps or game subscriptions which have exclusive content that can't be bought out right. (Apple TV, let me watch Masters of the Air!) A better "Try before you buy" scheme would actually involve being able to, well, try it before buying it. Subscriptions are only really good "try before you buys" if it's something you already have for other reasons. Netflix back in the day for example could serve that function because frankly it had almost everything. Now when the ecosystem's more divided it's much trickier to do that, and even then all those services still serve that purpose better than a dedicated sub for a niche game like is being purposed here. There's better ways that actually involve no upfront costs, DCS from what I gather has a excellent one where you get to play with modules for a whole week (maybe two actually) free, letting you get a feel for them. I think there's MMO's which offer massive free periods too, I've heard Final Fantasy 14 is massive, I think it's longer than most full games actually, it's like the first 50 hours or something like that. For a more traditional game Pikmin 4 for example got a nice demo, which was something like the first two hours of the game, with the ability to carry over your progress to the full version of the game. All those are actual ways to "buy before you buy" examples that benefit everyone, not just people with $60+ a year they can use to risk on niche subscription services.
Absolutely not!!!! This is the first step in getting people to pay more in the long run. I oppose! I rather pay $40 for half baked routes.
I mean, yeah that would be the most ideal solution (try before you buy). Just like on PS that offer 1-2 hours free trails on new games or on steam, buy then refund I would love to see that, as I think that would work really well and encourage folks to buy the routes after trying them. FF14! Don’t talk about that Great game, but yeah I’ve dedicated over 1000+ hours on that game with the PS4 & PS5 versions combined. You’re right about the story being long, the base game took me well over 50+ hours to finish, that’s not including the side content. The expansions are in the 20-25 hour range to finish also (main story). I have yet to start Dawntail as work and commitments got in the way, and I didn’t really have any time to invest in it anymore. Not like other multiplayer games I play, where you can just pick them up and play, and put them down as quickly. FF14 takes over your life so to speak. I was very addicted.
As I’ve said enough times already, I’m not suggesting that subscriptions should replace the current system. Reading through any of my replies to this post would tell you that
And nobody who said to give Horse Armour a chance was suggesting that one day it should cost £30, yet here we are...
That’s not really relevant in this specific instance, the price of dlc still does not justify scrapping that system for subscriptions
No, but the thing about a well designed slippery slope is that it makes it increasingly harder for anyone sliding down it to climb back up the further down you push them. Give them an inch and they will take a mile. Anything that presents a more exploitative means of paying for something as an "option" rarely remains truly so. You never let them get a foot into that doorway or you won't be able to close it again. We saw it with "micro"transactions, we're seeing it with subscriptions. It is naive in the extreme to imagine that opening the door on the second stable might let the second horse tire out the first one that already bolted.
This for sure. A commercial entity is always going to follow the money. Subscriptions ensure a steady revenue stream, avoiding the ups and downs of the market. People are naive if they think you can have a hybrid system with sales plus subscriptions.
