Well here we are again folks. A new edition of TSW has dropped and as expected it's caused quite a division between customers and alike. Given that DTG basically release a yearly edition of TSW and given that it's also something you have to purchase, shouldn't they really just be asking us to pay an annual subscription at this point? Let me lay this out below: Some people believe each TSW is basically a new game. I disagree but that's their opinion and they are entitled to it. On the flipside, people like myself see each new TSW edition as a paywall to gain access to future DLC and support. We can look at this objectively and try to understand if its because its a financial necessity to keep the lights on in the TSW offices. To some people, it can come off as a bit greedy and bad taste to basically ask people to pay at best a minimum of £28 just to be able to have continued support and access to DLC for what is basically the same game. In other words we are faced with a paywall if we want continued bug fixes for DLC we already own and other parts of the game that still need fixed. If you don't buy TSW4, you'll not receive these updates and fixes. DTG are in a privileged position in that they have good connections and such for acquiring rights for brands and usage of locos etc etc - despite the divide, people (including myself) are still wanting to support DTG as they do get some stuff right. Basically, if DTG are planning to continue down this route, no pun intended, of releasing new editions yearly, are they as well to just offer some sort of annual subscription which grants access to each new core game? It allows for them to be more transparent whilst also giving them a quantifiable amount of yearly revenue for investing back into the game, you get the idea. They could include other perks too perhaps, the world is their oyster. To Conclude: I still retain the belief that the yearly editions should really just be free core updates because under the hood, the game is still mostly the same. You can't change my mind on this. However, if they were to offer a yearly subscription instead instead of asking people to pay for what i believe is the same game with a discounted route bundle thrown in, this sits a lot better with me and at least helps to keep money flowing into the franchise to further develop it. Please be civil with your replies and keep knee-jerk reactions out of this space. I've been seeing people getting attacked simply for having a different view to others. Please act your age in respect to this and be polite to each other. I'm simply offering food for thought with this post on what has been a divisive hot topic.
Absolutely against a subscription- there’s downsides to what they are doing now, but if I choose to not upgrade I can still play everything I own on the old version. With a subscription, I’d would only work with stop paying? Lose access… My TSW content is too big an investment to end up losing access…
So now you want to introduce a subscription model? I don't get the intent of this poll. You clearly don't want a subscription model so why suggest a subscription model?
Absolutely no to a subscription model, I would be saying so long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye to TSW.
Clearly you never read the entire post as otherwise, given the context of you having read my other replies elsewhere, you would not have made such a remark or be posing those questions.
All these TSC suggestions sound frightening. Now they also start suggesting subscription models. Time to head over to the TSC forum to make some polls over there to create confusion about the future of TSC I guess
I get what you're saying, and I agree. But the point is, isn't what DTG is doing right now just kind of a compromise between a supscription model and just buying the game anyways? I don't think @OP is actually seriously hoping there'd be a supscription model in the game, but it's basically supscription-lite at this point. I'm taking their point to be aking to "If you're gonna do it, might as well go all the way". Right now you might not lose access to your game in its current form, sure. But by now buying the new version, a.k.a. the supscription fee, you're locked out of future updates and content until you pay it. Would be fine with it if it actually felt like an exciting new game with complete overhauls to the experience instead of just a continuation of the old game with a few upgrades. Get where I'm coming from?
This is basically what the idea behind this post was hahah. Folk are basically paying an annual subscription by paying every year for a new edition of the game.
Exactly. I'm taking this point as awareness to the current model. People rightfully don't want a subscription model, and few people do. But if you're not ok with a full subscription model, than why are you okay with the -lite version of it?
I’m ok with the so called lite version because if I stop paying I still keep my content so far. As Guitarman said in the first reply, with a full subscription model, you stop, you lose it all. So I’m not ok with a full subscription.
Suppose you haven't gotten the upgrade yet. It's past release date for TSW4 and the 1st of the yet unnamed roadmap content got announced. Can you just go and buy and play it? No you can't because you haven't paid your seemingly annual defacto subscription yet to keep access to future support and content additional to that of the content you actuslly did want.
Yo, I heard you like polls, so I'm putting a poll inside your poll. The question is: Do you really think that a poll on the forum would sway DTG to change their business model? The answer is NO. There's no other option in my poll.
They really need to moderate polls or eliminate them altogether. We got along just fine without them for quite a while this past year.
K? Your point? You think we'll get our point across better by meekly bowing our heads in silence as nothing will change anyways? If that's your outlook on everything, please don't vote
Maybe should have added a free to play model to your poll. Otherwise you laid out your thoughts on the matter quite well. TSW feels like it would be a worthy free to play game where you get the menu and training center for free and that's the core that gets regular updates. Later that with whatever routes you choose to buy.
I’m not for subscriptions, I’ll get hold of what I want and keep it when that’s obtained. Rather than lose access and have gained nothing at the end if I pay for months/years then stop. I’ve been buying dlc/core game since founders edition and I still have all that content, I wouldn’t have that content unless I was paying to this day continuously with a subscription. on the topic of polls, I don’t have a problem with any poll, if I don’t want to respond I won’t. I’m not forced to, if your not into the topic it’s discussing you and I are always welcome to click back out of the thread.
TSW released in 2017, TSW2 in 2020, TSW3 in 2022, and now TSW4 in 2023. This is the first one-year gap.
First, absolutely no to a subscription model. Plus other things to consider is that if it turns into a subscription model, the developers are not paid for the work they put in. Dtg release a lot of dlc each year along with 3rd parties. If you divide up the revenue, they earn almost nothing for their efforts after accounting for any development costs, licenses, etc. That would not work financially. I fully support a paid yearly title or update/route release, but no to a subscription or season pass to tsw
How would a yearly subscription model benefit me. I own all content outright and to be honest it probably cheaper than paying for a yearly subscription. And what about people who don't want everything it most definitly would not benefit them they are already hard for cash. I will just keep paying for DLC unless one I'm not interested in comes out. Then I won't buy it.
Why not have both like Trainz does I would make use of the subscription model as I dont play TSW full time (TSC is my preferred option) and that way if I wanted to play TSW for awhile I could pay on a monthly basis and then if I dont use it I wouldnt pay, but I feel this would only work if it gave you full access to the back catalogue as well
Regardless of what you think or even what I think, the budget at DTG doesn't allow them to continue to fix things non stop without someway of having an income. I need to tell you we need to promote this. Once they get a bigger budget they will be able to fix things quicker. Simple as that really. Does your land lord let you get free rent? Nothing is free. When someone gives you free stuff like in Japan they hand out small bundles of tissues advertising a company, it isn't free. It's a promotion and it comes out of their budget.
Are you ok? Who thinks DTG works for free? When you get your monthly Windows updates pushed to your computer is Microsoft working for free? I hope you are paying them for a new version every year as your line of thinking would have you being a freeloader while their poor coders go to sleep homeless and hungry.
Bad analogy, Microsoft makes the majority of their money from business. Businesses do have to pay yearly for many of their services.
And DTG makes their money through DLC sales. The analogy I was making is that in the end they are not working for free by patching their game. Some seem to think that if they put out free patches for their game they are somehow working for free. That makes no sense.
It the same broken game again again, and the truth is - the emperor is naked, there is no chance that tsw 4, 5 or 6 will get current bugs fixed as DTG admitted in RM part. 2 about tsw2 it is beyond thier capacity - by inference no fixes in the every coming old/new tsw 4,5 ble ble. Until they switch to real new engine, we will be getting hyped old/new versions of the old game circulary.
Big fat no from me. Yes we would all prefer the TSC model where the core update is subsidised by content sales, but if DTG put together a cracking route pack with the update - like they have this year - then with discount sell it for not much more than a single DLC, I’ll take that thank you.
Honestly, no. But even a subscription model would make more sense that what they are currently doing. But if they wanted to act like a respectable game company, they would do it like they have done for TSC. Free core update once you have the base game. Every new feature is simply route specific anyway.
Definitely no subscription, but the base version of TSW4 (core + training centre) should be a free to play title where people can add DLC as desired.
Don't suggest this! DTG already looked at the yearly release funding model (FIFA, Football Manager, WWE) vs the DLC funding model (DCS, ETS2, TSC) and decided that they deserved both. Don't give them a 3rd option to add on top!
A subscription model does not suit TSW. I would like to see it appear in TSC. There is way more content so a subscription model makes sense for consumers. If TSC had a subscription model I would bite but TSW does not have enough content to warrant a subscription model.
I still wouldn't take it, even for TSC. I like to pay for (well licence) my software outright, not have it on some sort of Netflix agreement where if you unsubscribe, everything goes away.
It effectively is a core subscription model. Now they are going for yearly releases its a yearly payment to be able to access/buy new content.
Imagine all of the content of TSC for only €29/m. Eat as much trains and routes as you want. It's a steal. Would DTG ever do it? I would pay for a TSC subscription. Edit; and bring it to consoles as I probably can think of nice loot box practices for TSC as well. I want to apply for the job of Executive Producer of TSC. Let's start to make money DTG. (sarcasm)
Maybe but once you've paid as little as £30 to get the new version along with a route, you don't lose the lot if you decide for whatever reason to unsubscribe.
No to TSW subscriptions. More and more things in our lives are switching to a subscription-based model and ownership is starting to slip away from our fingers. If it was an optional choice of subscription or purchase, then so be it, but I would not subscribe to it.
me too but TSC is way too much content to start for new users. If you buy everything you are broke. Not very fair to consumers who have to eat as well. Just saying it would be better to do it than just leave TSC dying.
It's going to cost you £30 for one route DLC to get the new version (or under £40 if you preorder the Deluxe version which has three routes plus Flying Scotsman). It's a no brainer, really. Or wait for the Xmas sale when, on Steam at least, the one route starter packs will probably going for £18. I spent that on "posh" food in Marks & Spencers yesterday.
Yeah I get that. I've spent a bunch of cash on this game since TSW2020. So OK if you spread that over the years as annual costs its not horendous and I enjoy a lot of the routes I've bought and the new routes I want. However its still essentailly the same game since TSW2020 released and will continue to be. Whats got me on this one is TSW3 has only had 1 year support and TSW3 routes i've previously purchased are having new updates put behind a new TSW4 paywall which I think is totally wrong.
All this update moaning could easily be fixed with smoke and mirrors. Just have a statement you will be supporting routes for x years or even forever and just keep pushing minor updates like build numbers pretending to be still supporting it. Everyone happy (No evil emoji here?)
