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Bees do it too. But now for something completely different.
IGN does it for its exclusive content. The Times Online does it for its crossword. Will SR and other gaming sites follow suit? We all know the ones, the game reviews, the hints and cheats and walkthrough sites etc.
Do what?
Charge you to view their content.
I report just out from the PPAi (Periodical Publishers Association Interactive) states that about two-thirds of interactive publishers in the UK will start charging us to view content in the near future.
The kind of content that is deemed worthy of charging for generally comes under the heading of either highly specialised (gaming for example, look at IGN), or of high value (like scientific journals). But high value could also include game walkthroughs, it would be a natural step to move from the costly premium rate services over the telephone network to the high speed access of the internet and provide a game walkthrough service more cost effectively.
This has all kinds of ramifications for the gaming community. We already pay to play games online; there are hundreds of websites out there devoted to each individual game and each individual genre. Once one of them takes that big leap into subcription then the others are bound to follow suit should it be seen to be a success. After-all, most of them only provide information, they don't have a big retail outlet behind them generating revenue, all their income comes solely from banner advertising and affiliation with other companies.
So whilst I can't see a retail organisation like Special Reserve charging for content (gawd bless ya SR), there are plenty of other sites out there that might, and will, like official games publishers' sites with the option of paying a subscription to view an 'official guide' for one of their range of games and so on.
Personally I'd rather just go out and buy an official guide in a store than have to read it over the web. And I think because of the current demographic of gamers (12 yrs and upwards), there aren't enough credit card holders amongst them to make online charging viable.
However, should some canny site come up with a deal with SplashPlastic for example (a debit card that any person of any age can use over the internet), then I actually think it could work. I know that if IGN accepted SplashPlastic then I'd probably sign up for their subscription service to see what's coming out and hear the latest news in the gaming industry before anyone else.
What if Rockstar Games did it and charged us to view the official guides and walkthroughs for titles like Grand Theft Auto 3, Smugglers Run, State of Emergency? A subscription of £5.00 a year might just be attractive to enough people to make it work. Buying an official guide in a shop could cost as much as a tenner, the option of just a fiver may clinch it for some people.
It would increase the already ferocious competition between websites to make their content more worthwhile, because if it isn't worthwhile people just aren't going to pay to see it. This means that we may get more news, better quality reviews, better walkthroughs than ever before.
It also means that gaming, expensive as it is at present with peripherals, magazines, accessories, merchandise, is going to be an even costlier hobby should the gaming community decide that this kind of content IS worth paying for.
The future of gaming is...
I would tell you, but it'll cost you a fiver.
IGN does it for its exclusive content. The Times Online does it for its crossword. Will SR and other gaming sites follow suit? We all know the ones, the game reviews, the hints and cheats and walkthrough sites etc.
Do what?
Charge you to view their content.
I report just out from the PPAi (Periodical Publishers Association Interactive) states that about two-thirds of interactive publishers in the UK will start charging us to view content in the near future.
The kind of content that is deemed worthy of charging for generally comes under the heading of either highly specialised (gaming for example, look at IGN), or of high value (like scientific journals). But high value could also include game walkthroughs, it would be a natural step to move from the costly premium rate services over the telephone network to the high speed access of the internet and provide a game walkthrough service more cost effectively.
This has all kinds of ramifications for the gaming community. We already pay to play games online; there are hundreds of websites out there devoted to each individual game and each individual genre. Once one of them takes that big leap into subcription then the others are bound to follow suit should it be seen to be a success. After-all, most of them only provide information, they don't have a big retail outlet behind them generating revenue, all their income comes solely from banner advertising and affiliation with other companies.
So whilst I can't see a retail organisation like Special Reserve charging for content (gawd bless ya SR), there are plenty of other sites out there that might, and will, like official games publishers' sites with the option of paying a subscription to view an 'official guide' for one of their range of games and so on.
Personally I'd rather just go out and buy an official guide in a store than have to read it over the web. And I think because of the current demographic of gamers (12 yrs and upwards), there aren't enough credit card holders amongst them to make online charging viable.
However, should some canny site come up with a deal with SplashPlastic for example (a debit card that any person of any age can use over the internet), then I actually think it could work. I know that if IGN accepted SplashPlastic then I'd probably sign up for their subscription service to see what's coming out and hear the latest news in the gaming industry before anyone else.
What if Rockstar Games did it and charged us to view the official guides and walkthroughs for titles like Grand Theft Auto 3, Smugglers Run, State of Emergency? A subscription of £5.00 a year might just be attractive to enough people to make it work. Buying an official guide in a shop could cost as much as a tenner, the option of just a fiver may clinch it for some people.
It would increase the already ferocious competition between websites to make their content more worthwhile, because if it isn't worthwhile people just aren't going to pay to see it. This means that we may get more news, better quality reviews, better walkthroughs than ever before.
It also means that gaming, expensive as it is at present with peripherals, magazines, accessories, merchandise, is going to be an even costlier hobby should the gaming community decide that this kind of content IS worth paying for.
The future of gaming is...
I would tell you, but it'll cost you a fiver.
This system is open to piracy.
Already, some people have been copying "exclusive" content from IGN and putting it on their own page, and letting the information out that way.
I know that it'll soon be deemed illeagal but that sort of thing will be hard to police.
Already, some people have been copying "exclusive" content from IGN and putting it on their own page, and letting the information out that way.
I know that it'll soon be deemed illeagal but that sort of thing will be hard to police.
BT should pull their finger out. I hold them personally responsible for not being able to play Final Fantasy XI online you know.
It's going to be a long time before broadband is widespread though, only a quarter of the country covered by 2005?
I think it'll go the other way Meka. With Broadband internet access getting more and more widespread, and permanent online connections not requiring dialup, I think the days of the dialup.exe programs are numbered.
Another realistic possibility if having to dial in to a different number, a premium rate number, to access certain websites.
There are two types, ones that charge you a one off fee to youe phone bill once you dial in, and others that charge so much a minute.
You'll see more of this on the internet in the coming years, I'll wager.
There are two types, ones that charge you a one off fee to youe phone bill once you dial in, and others that charge so much a minute.
You'll see more of this on the internet in the coming years, I'll wager.
Bees do it too. But now for something completely different.
IGN does it for its exclusive content. The Times Online does it for its crossword. Will SR and other gaming sites follow suit? We all know the ones, the game reviews, the hints and cheats and walkthrough sites etc.
Do what?
Charge you to view their content.
I report just out from the PPAi (Periodical Publishers Association Interactive) states that about two-thirds of interactive publishers in the UK will start charging us to view content in the near future.
The kind of content that is deemed worthy of charging for generally comes under the heading of either highly specialised (gaming for example, look at IGN), or of high value (like scientific journals). But high value could also include game walkthroughs, it would be a natural step to move from the costly premium rate services over the telephone network to the high speed access of the internet and provide a game walkthrough service more cost effectively.
This has all kinds of ramifications for the gaming community. We already pay to play games online; there are hundreds of websites out there devoted to each individual game and each individual genre. Once one of them takes that big leap into subcription then the others are bound to follow suit should it be seen to be a success. After-all, most of them only provide information, they don't have a big retail outlet behind them generating revenue, all their income comes solely from banner advertising and affiliation with other companies.
So whilst I can't see a retail organisation like Special Reserve charging for content (gawd bless ya SR), there are plenty of other sites out there that might, and will, like official games publishers' sites with the option of paying a subscription to view an 'official guide' for one of their range of games and so on.
Personally I'd rather just go out and buy an official guide in a store than have to read it over the web. And I think because of the current demographic of gamers (12 yrs and upwards), there aren't enough credit card holders amongst them to make online charging viable.
However, should some canny site come up with a deal with SplashPlastic for example (a debit card that any person of any age can use over the internet), then I actually think it could work. I know that if IGN accepted SplashPlastic then I'd probably sign up for their subscription service to see what's coming out and hear the latest news in the gaming industry before anyone else.
What if Rockstar Games did it and charged us to view the official guides and walkthroughs for titles like Grand Theft Auto 3, Smugglers Run, State of Emergency? A subscription of £5.00 a year might just be attractive to enough people to make it work. Buying an official guide in a shop could cost as much as a tenner, the option of just a fiver may clinch it for some people.
It would increase the already ferocious competition between websites to make their content more worthwhile, because if it isn't worthwhile people just aren't going to pay to see it. This means that we may get more news, better quality reviews, better walkthroughs than ever before.
It also means that gaming, expensive as it is at present with peripherals, magazines, accessories, merchandise, is going to be an even costlier hobby should the gaming community decide that this kind of content IS worth paying for.
The future of gaming is...
I would tell you, but it'll cost you a fiver.
IGN does it for its exclusive content. The Times Online does it for its crossword. Will SR and other gaming sites follow suit? We all know the ones, the game reviews, the hints and cheats and walkthrough sites etc.
Do what?
Charge you to view their content.
I report just out from the PPAi (Periodical Publishers Association Interactive) states that about two-thirds of interactive publishers in the UK will start charging us to view content in the near future.
The kind of content that is deemed worthy of charging for generally comes under the heading of either highly specialised (gaming for example, look at IGN), or of high value (like scientific journals). But high value could also include game walkthroughs, it would be a natural step to move from the costly premium rate services over the telephone network to the high speed access of the internet and provide a game walkthrough service more cost effectively.
This has all kinds of ramifications for the gaming community. We already pay to play games online; there are hundreds of websites out there devoted to each individual game and each individual genre. Once one of them takes that big leap into subcription then the others are bound to follow suit should it be seen to be a success. After-all, most of them only provide information, they don't have a big retail outlet behind them generating revenue, all their income comes solely from banner advertising and affiliation with other companies.
So whilst I can't see a retail organisation like Special Reserve charging for content (gawd bless ya SR), there are plenty of other sites out there that might, and will, like official games publishers' sites with the option of paying a subscription to view an 'official guide' for one of their range of games and so on.
Personally I'd rather just go out and buy an official guide in a store than have to read it over the web. And I think because of the current demographic of gamers (12 yrs and upwards), there aren't enough credit card holders amongst them to make online charging viable.
However, should some canny site come up with a deal with SplashPlastic for example (a debit card that any person of any age can use over the internet), then I actually think it could work. I know that if IGN accepted SplashPlastic then I'd probably sign up for their subscription service to see what's coming out and hear the latest news in the gaming industry before anyone else.
What if Rockstar Games did it and charged us to view the official guides and walkthroughs for titles like Grand Theft Auto 3, Smugglers Run, State of Emergency? A subscription of £5.00 a year might just be attractive to enough people to make it work. Buying an official guide in a shop could cost as much as a tenner, the option of just a fiver may clinch it for some people.
It would increase the already ferocious competition between websites to make their content more worthwhile, because if it isn't worthwhile people just aren't going to pay to see it. This means that we may get more news, better quality reviews, better walkthroughs than ever before.
It also means that gaming, expensive as it is at present with peripherals, magazines, accessories, merchandise, is going to be an even costlier hobby should the gaming community decide that this kind of content IS worth paying for.
The future of gaming is...
I would tell you, but it'll cost you a fiver.