When I look at The Elder Scrolls Online from a subscription point of view, I don't think there's enough "pizzazz" to warrant a fifteen dollar subscription each month, with also paying a full sixty dollars up front.
I think that whole game would work well under a free-to-play business model, even if i'm not a big fan of it in any game, it's surely better than what they're doing right now.
Locking out an entire race that's pretty deeply embedded in The Elders Scrolls games and making it only exclusive to people who pay for a collector's edition is also really stupid. Also, kinda unfair for having that race locked out for people who are already paying for the game and monthly subscription.
Sounds gross, but I like what EA did with their three tier free-to-play model on The Old Republic. Monthly subscriptions open the entire game to subscribed players. Preferred player access allows for preferred players to reach the max level (I'm not sure how that unlocks, I believe it's after buying an item on their cartel market with real money?). Free-to-play is not that offensive in it either, there's more than enough there to give players something for free, and the level restriction is only up to 50, (55 being the max level in the game).
So i don't know. There's no doubt in my mind that ESO will become free-to-play. I'm sure what they're doing is all intentional in Zenimax's "master plan". Easy, fast money with the initial release, wait six months to observe the situation. Then based on how things are going, roll out a free-to-play model.
I'm just mad over this, because right now, the whole product comes off as a desperate cash grab.
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