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Originally Posted by ClawsandEffect
LOL, I think that's a new personal best. I killed 2 threads with 1 post.
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Yes, it would be worth it (to the players) to have a lifetime sub.
NO, it does not make econmic sense for the company to offer it.
NO, they do not need a quick infusion of cash.
This has been covered and explained in multiple other threads.
Have a great day.
While lifetime subs are attractive from a player standpoint they get me thinking that the game developer is just looking to make their money quickly before they bail. That might be Cryptic's MMO MO. (Yes I said it!) They develop the game, hang onto it until they pay off the investors and make their money and then sell the rights to the game before moving on to their next big project.
It's not a bad business model. You get a fairly reliable revenue stream as folks jump on board due to the pre-release hype. The quick turn around on investment could make it easier to attract future investors. In addition it would certainly keep your development and art teams challenged. It would also allow a company like Cryptic to continue to improve their own software engine outside the limitations of an existing game system or hardware platform.
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GL putting in lifetime access into a game that launched 5 years ago, without severely pissing of the veteran playerbase in the process (who have spent anywhere up to $900 so far in total subscription costs).
MMOs only offer lifetime subs directly before/ during a game launch, and for good reason: not only to make money up front, but also to offer such a thing when the game launches. Putting such a device in long after launch, or making it available indeterminably, not only creates ire in the existing subscriber base, but is also a poor business decision in the long run for any MMO, which requires continual funds to pay for development staff, infrastructure overhead, etc.