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Well, we may have to, according to this:
"Unreal Championship is one of the first six titles to be launched later in the year to be playable via Xbox's online service. Its pedigree and wrist-achingly gorgeous looks have made it hot property in the gaming world, and it's likely to sell incredibly well at launch. Or is it?
A recent Unreal Championship product information sheet to be released by Infogrames contains the following statement, which it brands as one of the title's key features:
Battle your friends with out-of-the-box Internet play allowing up to 32 players to face off online in a single match (subject to subscription fees)
Yup, you read that right: "subject to subscription fees". While it's taken as gospel that you'll be charged a regular subscription fee to play online RPGs, playing first-person shooters over the Web has always been different - it's always been free. Until now.
So, Unreal Championship is going to be the first online shooter where gamers are going to have to pay to play. Funnily enough, we can't see this being particularly popular, and it could well have a sizeable affect on sales.
Infogrames would not comment on the issue today.
Microsoft believes that the Xbox online service will be one of machine's main keys to success. However, the black box of tricks is likely to get a real kick in the teeth and be packed off to the pearly gates if publishers start charging gamers to play their Xbox games online."
Taken from computerandvideogames.com
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Notice it's NOT Microsoft imposing the charges, but Infogrames themselves. Ridiculous! You never, ever pay for playing FPS' online.
RPG's yes, as there are a lot more costs involved in keeping those going.
Still, I'll probably get it for mulitplayer, especially if you can link more than one XBox as my house mate next year at uni will be getting one. 8 Player Unreal? Yes please!
But will you still get it? Let's face it, no one buys an Unreal game for the single player experience, do they...
"Unreal Championship is one of the first six titles to be launched later in the year to be playable via Xbox's online service. Its pedigree and wrist-achingly gorgeous looks have made it hot property in the gaming world, and it's likely to sell incredibly well at launch. Or is it?
A recent Unreal Championship product information sheet to be released by Infogrames contains the following statement, which it brands as one of the title's key features:
Battle your friends with out-of-the-box Internet play allowing up to 32 players to face off online in a single match (subject to subscription fees)
Yup, you read that right: "subject to subscription fees". While it's taken as gospel that you'll be charged a regular subscription fee to play online RPGs, playing first-person shooters over the Web has always been different - it's always been free. Until now.
So, Unreal Championship is going to be the first online shooter where gamers are going to have to pay to play. Funnily enough, we can't see this being particularly popular, and it could well have a sizeable affect on sales.
Infogrames would not comment on the issue today.
Microsoft believes that the Xbox online service will be one of machine's main keys to success. However, the black box of tricks is likely to get a real kick in the teeth and be packed off to the pearly gates if publishers start charging gamers to play their Xbox games online."
Taken from computerandvideogames.com
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Notice it's NOT Microsoft imposing the charges, but Infogrames themselves. Ridiculous! You never, ever pay for playing FPS' online.
RPG's yes, as there are a lot more costs involved in keeping those going.
Still, I'll probably get it for mulitplayer, especially if you can link more than one XBox as my house mate next year at uni will be getting one. 8 Player Unreal? Yes please!
But will you still get it? Let's face it, no one buys an Unreal game for the single player experience, do they...
Your Honour wrote:
> The thing is, it's NOT Microsoft charging to play Unreal Champioship, it's
> Infogrames themselves.
Yep, that is pretty wrong I think. If all game developers got together and said lets do a service where the user can play any game online for a monthly fee. Each developer can then take a share of the money made from the subscription depending on what games they have online.
> The thing is, it's NOT Microsoft charging to play Unreal Champioship, it's
> Infogrames themselves.
Yep, that is pretty wrong I think. If all game developers got together and said lets do a service where the user can play any game online for a monthly fee. Each developer can then take a share of the money made from the subscription depending on what games they have online.
Sonys online service will be free(although you do have to buy the modem).
MS should follow suit and makes theirs free or at least cheap.
I jsut read and article about the online service at xboxaddict.com, it says about subscriptions. Read it if your interested.
MS should follow suit and makes theirs free or at least cheap.
I jsut read and article about the online service at xboxaddict.com, it says about subscriptions. Read it if your interested.
The thing is, it's NOT Microsoft charging to play Unreal Champioship, it's Infogrames themselves.
I would have thought that MS would do everything they can to make online gamin as cheap as possible...
I would have thought that MS would do everything they can to make online gamin as cheap as possible...
Your Honour wrote:
> adrian, a good idea in theory, but if you add to that the £15 a month that
> people pay for the broadband connection, as well as the £40 people pay for
> the game, it all adds up.
Maybe each game could come with a free 1 month
> online trial, to see if you like it, then if you wanted to carry on playing then
> they start charging?
Just an idea...
Yeah a trial would be good. Because not everyone will want it. I would pay a subscription if it was say £10 a month, especially the cost of broadband rental. It would be actually quite good if Microsoft did a deal where broadband users for PC's could get both the Xbox and PC's connected via the same line. Maybe they could charge a fixed amount for the line, which included PC internet access free 24/7 aswell as subscription to the Xbox online gaming service.
If they did this and charged £25-30 for the whole lot, many Xbox and PC owners would get this.
I hope Microsoft actually realise that they cant charge stupid amounts of money for online gaming. If its too expensive I wouldnt pay for it.
> adrian, a good idea in theory, but if you add to that the £15 a month that
> people pay for the broadband connection, as well as the £40 people pay for
> the game, it all adds up.
Maybe each game could come with a free 1 month
> online trial, to see if you like it, then if you wanted to carry on playing then
> they start charging?
Just an idea...
Yeah a trial would be good. Because not everyone will want it. I would pay a subscription if it was say £10 a month, especially the cost of broadband rental. It would be actually quite good if Microsoft did a deal where broadband users for PC's could get both the Xbox and PC's connected via the same line. Maybe they could charge a fixed amount for the line, which included PC internet access free 24/7 aswell as subscription to the Xbox online gaming service.
If they did this and charged £25-30 for the whole lot, many Xbox and PC owners would get this.
I hope Microsoft actually realise that they cant charge stupid amounts of money for online gaming. If its too expensive I wouldnt pay for it.
adrian, a good idea in theory, but if you add to that the £15 a month that people pay for the broadband connection, as well as the £40 people pay for the game, it all adds up.
Maybe each game could come with a free 1 month online trial, to see if you like it, then if you wanted to carry on playing then they start charging?
Just an idea...
Maybe each game could come with a free 1 month online trial, to see if you like it, then if you wanted to carry on playing then they start charging?
Just an idea...
I think Microsoft should charge a monthly fee so that any online game can be used. This will stop having fees for just one game. If you buy a game then you may play on it for a few months, but once another game of the same genre comes out you normally play that.
Microsoft could charge different amounts of money for different access. So if your a occansional user who plays for 5 hours a week you should be charged according. And then people who would play or day every day should pay more. So say a top range subscription should cost maybe £15 a month. This would let you play 24/7 on any online game.
Microsoft could charge different amounts of money for different access. So if your a occansional user who plays for 5 hours a week you should be charged according. And then people who would play or day every day should pay more. So say a top range subscription should cost maybe £15 a month. This would let you play 24/7 on any online game.
But Meka, there has been no charge for playing online FPS games on the PC, and they've been going for years! So there must be a way of doing it.
As I said before, I can well understand why games like Ultima, EverQuest etc have a subscription system in place. But FPS games have always been free, so why do they need to start charging now? They never charged to play UT online from a PC.
As I said before, I can well understand why games like Ultima, EverQuest etc have a subscription system in place. But FPS games have always been free, so why do they need to start charging now? They never charged to play UT online from a PC.
See, this is what Nintendo have been going on about all along.
There's no business model in place for online console games, and people seem to expect too much, for nothing.
Now when it's announced that gamers will have to pay a subscription fee for online games, there are complaints.
There's no business model in place for online console games, and people seem to expect too much, for nothing.
Now when it's announced that gamers will have to pay a subscription fee for online games, there are complaints.
Disgusting really. People will still subscribe though anyway.
Well, we may have to, according to this:
"Unreal Championship is one of the first six titles to be launched later in the year to be playable via Xbox's online service. Its pedigree and wrist-achingly gorgeous looks have made it hot property in the gaming world, and it's likely to sell incredibly well at launch. Or is it?
A recent Unreal Championship product information sheet to be released by Infogrames contains the following statement, which it brands as one of the title's key features:
Battle your friends with out-of-the-box Internet play allowing up to 32 players to face off online in a single match (subject to subscription fees)
Yup, you read that right: "subject to subscription fees". While it's taken as gospel that you'll be charged a regular subscription fee to play online RPGs, playing first-person shooters over the Web has always been different - it's always been free. Until now.
So, Unreal Championship is going to be the first online shooter where gamers are going to have to pay to play. Funnily enough, we can't see this being particularly popular, and it could well have a sizeable affect on sales.
Infogrames would not comment on the issue today.
Microsoft believes that the Xbox online service will be one of machine's main keys to success. However, the black box of tricks is likely to get a real kick in the teeth and be packed off to the pearly gates if publishers start charging gamers to play their Xbox games online."
Taken from computerandvideogames.com
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Notice it's NOT Microsoft imposing the charges, but Infogrames themselves. Ridiculous! You never, ever pay for playing FPS' online.
RPG's yes, as there are a lot more costs involved in keeping those going.
Still, I'll probably get it for mulitplayer, especially if you can link more than one XBox as my house mate next year at uni will be getting one. 8 Player Unreal? Yes please!
But will you still get it? Let's face it, no one buys an Unreal game for the single player experience, do they...
"Unreal Championship is one of the first six titles to be launched later in the year to be playable via Xbox's online service. Its pedigree and wrist-achingly gorgeous looks have made it hot property in the gaming world, and it's likely to sell incredibly well at launch. Or is it?
A recent Unreal Championship product information sheet to be released by Infogrames contains the following statement, which it brands as one of the title's key features:
Battle your friends with out-of-the-box Internet play allowing up to 32 players to face off online in a single match (subject to subscription fees)
Yup, you read that right: "subject to subscription fees". While it's taken as gospel that you'll be charged a regular subscription fee to play online RPGs, playing first-person shooters over the Web has always been different - it's always been free. Until now.
So, Unreal Championship is going to be the first online shooter where gamers are going to have to pay to play. Funnily enough, we can't see this being particularly popular, and it could well have a sizeable affect on sales.
Infogrames would not comment on the issue today.
Microsoft believes that the Xbox online service will be one of machine's main keys to success. However, the black box of tricks is likely to get a real kick in the teeth and be packed off to the pearly gates if publishers start charging gamers to play their Xbox games online."
Taken from computerandvideogames.com
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Notice it's NOT Microsoft imposing the charges, but Infogrames themselves. Ridiculous! You never, ever pay for playing FPS' online.
RPG's yes, as there are a lot more costs involved in keeping those going.
Still, I'll probably get it for mulitplayer, especially if you can link more than one XBox as my house mate next year at uni will be getting one. 8 Player Unreal? Yes please!
But will you still get it? Let's face it, no one buys an Unreal game for the single player experience, do they...