I almost decided to hold this off until a Community Monday, but in a way it is almost too good to hold back. I found this post floating around several MMO forums, so stay with me if you have already read it. It is a letter by a gamer who refuses to play Darkfall because there is a subscription price, and he doesn’t want to send the message that subscription MMOs are “acceptable.” To add to the drama, the thread I found this post in was prefaced with “I read this post on another forum…and quite literally wanted to vomit.”
There might be more humor in taking the poster at their word, that the thought of someone with a different opinion made them quite literally nauseous.
The Deal BreakerThis is a message mostly towards the devs, but also a statement for my fellow gamers. I’ve seen bits of Darkfall for quite a few years now. I originally lost interest during my highschool years when everything else in life bogged down on me. Seeing it on steam, I was excited and even pondering whether or not to purchase it like I always wanted to. Then I saw the business model…That death sentence for any mmo in 2013; $15 a month. Can you even fathom how utterly dissapointed I was? I’ve seen gameplay videos of this game; they look interesting! Fun! Good! I really, REALLY wanted to play this game soooo badly. $40? Sure! I don’t mind paying a good lump of cash for an mmo. Pay once to play forever mmos are by far my favorite; unfortunately that wasn’t the case here.
I still considered buying the game for awhile, but eventually came to the conclusion that in doing so, I was making a statement not just to the devs of this game, but all devs for any mmo, that subscription fees are acceptable. They’re not. Cash shops; expansion packs; things like that are more than welcomed. But blatant subscription fees are a thing of the past. An ugly archaic practice that can not compete with other business practices these days. Something I have to vote ‘no’ at with my wallet
It’s the deal breaker for me, and I’m sorry to see it happen to what looked like a really good game. I hope those of you playing this game are enjoying it thoroughly for that extra $15 a month. As for the rest of you considering whether or not to purchase this game, take into consideration what paying may mean for the rest of the gaming community. What will those added votes, your payments, do to influence the industry later on? Are you alright with the return of the subscription era? Do you wan’t to motivate developers and publishers to find compromise in better business models that don’t tax players? Think long and hard about this before you hit that ‘purchase’ button.
Best of wishes.
MMO Fallout 