When I first started playing MMORPGs, I didn’t know what an expansion was because no MMORPG had ever had one. I paid my subscription because it gave me access to the game, and that was that. Sure, I looked forward to patches, but I didn’t really expect them, and most of them did not add new content, not exactly; usually, it just tweaked existing content and systems. That seemed normal then.
Fast-forward 27 years and I don’t actually know what people do or should expect from their sub – in the MMOs that still have them. Access to our characters doesn’t seem like enough anymore, for sure. We expect patches, maybe seasonal releases or reward tracks. Some games use it to grant content access you’d otherwise have to pay for piecemeal. People don’t want to pay for infrastructure, even if it’s important. People seem to hate subbing for things like crafting inventories, too. If a studio isn’t putting out something tangible, it just doesn’t feel worth a sub… does it?
What do you think should MMO subscriptions actually pay for?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
