Wildstar Business Model is announced

[FatherXmas]

It's like EVE.  You can pay a monthly subscription of $15 per month ($14 with 3 month plan, $13 with 6, $11 with yearly) or you can buy C.R.E.D.D. off the player's market with in game currency and use it to pay for a month of time.  However that means another player would have to first buy CREDD for $20 from the online store and then sell it on the player's market.

It's daring since the most recent MMOs that came out in the west with subscriptions haven't lasted too long before they switched to F2P.  Wildstar is only F2P if you can earn enough every month to buy a CREED off the player market.

[SARobb]

As I understand it, you have to purchase the game first for 60 bucks... you get 30 days free with the purchase... then it's $15 a month.

[FatherXmas]

Yea, it's a standard subscription style MMO with a way for players to pay for other players time in return for in game money.

[DarkCurrent]

I'm taking Nancy Reagan's advice on this one.

[Kaos Arcanna]

Interesting, but even if NcSoft wasn't associated with it, the graphics that I've seen are kind of a turnoff for me.

I think the market is probably not going to support a subscription only MMO that isn't named "WOW" right now.

[General Idiot]

I think the market is probably not going to support a subscription only MMO that isn't named "WOW" right now.

Especially this one where everything I've seen of it thus far makes it seem like the typical 'We made WoW but better!' game.

[UruzSix]

I'm reconciling my belief that the sub model is deader than Elvis with Wildstar getting some positive run by blazing a new sandpark trail. And then they throw in CREDD which could blow the game's economy apart.

I'll just stick to thinking it'll be neat to watch how the whole thing unfolds.

[FatherXmas]

I'm reconciling my belief that the sub model is deader than Elvis with Wildstar getting some positive run by blazing a new sandpark trail. And then they throw in CREDD which could blow the game's economy apart.

I'll just stick to thinking it'll be neat to watch how the whole thing unfolds.

How would it blow the game's economy apart?  It hasn't with EVE.  The only difference is that CREDD costs $5 more than PLEX or a one month subscription.  You afraid that such a carrot will skew play toward farming and player market meta game?  So far I haven't seen how the player market is modeled after.  Pure auction house like WoW or trading post like GW2 or double blind consignment like CoH or some hybrid.  And they haven't revealed the crafting system either.

[JetFlash]

NCSoft will have to pay ME a $15 sub to get me to play.  Pity that I will not do further business with them; looks like it could be a fun game.

[Codewalker]

So far I haven't seen how the player market is modeled after.  Pure auction house like WoW or trading post like GW2 or double blind consignment like CoH or some hybrid.

Given that it's being designed by ex-WoW devs, my money is on standard auction house. So far nothing else they've done has strayed far from that mold, except maybe for setting it... IN SPAAAACE.

Oh wait, the first WoW expansion was set in space too. Nevermind.

[FatherXmas]

And TESO, The Elder Scrolls Online, just announced they are also doing a subscription model.

[Thunder Glove]

Dofus - a game which I play and which I've mentioned before - still uses a subscription model (with a very small and limited F2P area), but its subscription price is only $6 a month (and less if you buy more than a month at a time).

So there's still some games out there with a subscription model.

[FatherXmas]

It's just that new games going the straight up $15 a month route after so many went hybrid within 18 months is what's turning heads.

[Adelante]

I lost interest in Wildstar a while back, can't say why... yet.

[Kosmos]

I'm taking Nancy Reagan's advice on this one.

In my case, I'm just saying "No!" to the dealer rather than their product.

[Minotaur]

I'm taking Nancy Reagan's advice on this one.

What ? to go ask the psychic what she should do ?

[DBadger]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if this game was designed with a cash shop/hybrid/f2p model in mind once they think they have recouped enough of their costs in subs, this is NCSoft after all.

[UruzSix]

How would it blow the game's economy apart?  It hasn't with EVE.  The only difference is that CREDD costs $5 more than PLEX or a one month subscription.  You afraid that such a carrot will skew play toward farming and player market meta game?  So far I haven't seen how the player market is modeled after.  Pure auction house like WoW or trading post like GW2 or double blind consignment like CoH or some hybrid.  And they haven't revealed the crafting system either.

From what I heard it actually did bork the economy on EQ2 and TERA. As an educated guess it will go like: Sell CREDD, make huge wads of cash, price out all the top-end items unless you can grind crazy like the guys who will be buying CREDD. That works in EVE with the megacorps, but I haven't seen the foundations for something like that in Wildstar. Its Pay4Power with your fellow players footing the bill.

And TESO wants a cash shop for 'fun items' and I hear Wildstar has plans for a cash shop just in case. As someone on MMORPG.com put it, it sounds less like subscriptions than an early adopter tax.

[Trip]

It sounds like a way for the company to make some quick cash off the "gotta have it first crowd". To me it speaks volumes about what the company thinks of it's community of players. Sad part is they're not even trying to hide it. Wildstar is far from innovative as a game and their business model seems to fit. Yesterday's ideas at tomorrow's prices seems to come to mind.
Best of luck to Wildstar. I'm sure the crash and burn will be epic  ;)

[FatherXmas]

Gee I was under the impression that the Other Games board was a no bash zone especially any game that's owned/backed by NCSOFT.