Why subscription is a silly idea.

[Inflatablewoman]

Posted By Gabe
Other people will want to buy the game on subscription (e.g. $9.95/month). The good news for the "buy it once" crowd is, well, they only have to pay once. The bad news is that when we come out with new content (expansion products, TF 2, and presumably other games) then they have to pay separately for those. We're pretty sure that the $9.95 guys are going to get the better value, as we've been pretty good over the years at generating a lot of content.

I purchased my copy of HL around December 1998. There is not many months that have gone by without me playing one mod or another.

So if I do the maths. I have been playing for 57 months. That would have cost me $570, using the subscription method. I paid 40 quid for HL. And I have had 57 months of fun from it. Thats why subscription is a silly idea. I think I will be going TRADITIONAL.

 

[Harryz]

did you have to make another thread on this?

 

[Feath]

It's a silly idea in your case. But not in others. It will be good for some people who may only want to play Half Life 2 for a few months.

And we really didn't need another thread for this.

 

[MoJo|Night]

"I think I will be going TRADITIONAL"

Good, you found the right option for you, I am pleased. An example of another satisfied customer. I'm sure other people will find the option to suit them. Can we not have another active thread on this please.

 

[Inflatablewoman]

Originally posted by Harryz
did you have to make another thread on this?

I tried to delete it, but it wouldnt let me.

 

[Slash]

Cool I'll keep up the funneh and post another thread on this tomorrow! COOL MAN!

 

[Axyon]

Originally posted by Slash
Cool I'll keep up the funneh and post another thread on this tomorrow! COOL MAN!

Sarcasm ahoy!

 

[W7RE]

Originally posted by MoJo|Night
"I think I will be going TRADITIONAL"

Good, you found the right option for you, I am pleased. An example of another satisfied customer. I'm sure other people will find the option to suit them. Can we not have another active thread on this please.

He won't be quite so satisfied when an official multiplayer map pack comes out, and he's got to pay for it.

 

[Nathaniel]

this first post is just stupid... If you would have bought HL2 back then, you wouldn't have bought the subscription, but rather the full package, pay-once-play-forever edition, and thus the cost would have been exactly the same... If you only want SP and perhaps don't want to play it over a 3 year period, then buy the subscription for $10. Remember, that's an entire SP game for $10 (and most people don't take more than one month to complete a game)

I'm gonna get the "normal" pay-once edition with Mods and MP, no hassle with steam subscriptions, and I get the CD and the box.

 

[Guest]

just talk about this in the same thread where gabe has replied. i go for the traditional one too.

 

[Apos]

The subscription option offers more, over time. If you are going to get all their stuff anyway, it will no doubt be a better value. If you are only going to get HL2+mods, then the traditional copy will be fine for you. How can you rag on them for offering choices?

 

[Claws]

Yes, but before, all this extra stuff was free. TFC, Classic DM, DoD, CS... That's what made HL what it is today, all the free stuff. Now it seems they want to charge for their extra content, which isn't the Valve way.

 

[Feath]

Originally posted by Claws
Yes, but before, all this extra stuff was free. TFC, Classic DM, DoD, CS... That's what made HL what it is today, all the free stuff. Now it seems they want to charge for their extra content, which isn't the Valve way.

They want to charge for Expansion Packs and Stand alone games.

They didn't give Opposing Force away for free you know?

 

[A2597]

myself, I KNOW there will be free HL2 mods, and since I never really cared for TFC/CounterStrike, why bother?

Its up to the person though

 

[Demon-Dragon]

Yeah that $10 subscription gives you EVERYTHING released on Steam.
Any game, any mod, any patch, any update.
All of it is covered with the fee and that's all you'll ever have to pay.
It actually will be a lot cheaper for the people who want to download a lot of games and content and can put up with the credit card or whatever pay methods they are using.

 

[Apos]

It's a choice. The mods were all free because the mod makers had no way to charge for them. Now some of them do. Many will most likely remain free. It's their choice. Unless you're the sort of person who thinks they deserve everything for free, people have the right to sell their own work.

 

[MaDMaXX]

this sooo needs closing, its just messing up the forums and stopping people from reading the real info thats been posted in the main version of this thread.

And who said it was 9.95 a month, that was used as an example, it has also not been finalised, no specifics have been mentioned about the subscription to valve products and how that will work, people are guessing big time and then taking themselves for gospel!!!

 

[Anwar]

http://halflife2.homelan.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=123032#post123032

read

Gabe said it

this IS real however the topic is lame

 

[Claws]

Originally posted by Feath
They want to charge for Expansion Packs and Stand alone games.

They didn't give Opposing Force away for free you know?

Somehow I fear that certain mods, which would have been free, will now be "expansion packs" thanks to this marketing strategy.

 

[Anwar]

true but they will always need to be free at first only the most popular will be expansions. so you get to try out a game before you buy it.

 

[Claws]

Hopefully you're right.

 

[chris_3]

uhhhh, well lemme get this straight..... this isnt the same thing where you can click on multiplayer in your Half-life 2 menu and ur in multiplayer? u need to use steam if u wnna play multiplayer? and say i wanna play half-life 2 (retail) multiplayer and mods will i have to pay a subscription of $9.95 every month???

 

[chris_3]

bump

 

[TheOriginalEvil]

subscription for a long period of time is useless. Other then that its perfect... Steam has really opened up the realm of possibilities for valve.
Steam rocks.