Is ESO going to self destruct before it even launches?

[Bateluer]

When the preorders went live, the game looked to be going down a stark path of cash grabbing, micro transactions, and pay gates; all while having a monthly sub. An entire race locked to preorder Collector's Edition is obscene.

Even hardcore fan sites, like ShoddyCast, are angry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lRi-aku1nw


And he talks about tactics, not just in MMOs, that I've been complaining about myself in recent years. MicroTransactions, Pay Gates, IAPs, exclusive preorder content, and constant nickel and diming of the players. This is a cancer thats rapidly spreading across every genre.

Shoddy is dead right, we are the proverbial frog in the pot and most don't even realize the water is slowly boiling.

 

[KaOTiK]

To top off everything else from what you said. The game is so damn average/mediocre/generic. They kept the worst part of ES games (the combat) and kept it for the MMO. If it wasn't for the ES theme, you could swear this is some current F2P mmo that no one knows about because it simply isn't good.

I only know 1 person that came away with a positive impressing after playing the beta and well, he is weird to start with. Nearly my entire guild in FF14 tried the beta and all thought it was crap and a lot of them are wanting to move on to another MMO (the weird guy that liked it is in the guild too ).

It is amazing they spent around 200 million on this turd.

 

[Doppel]

I hate to see a lot of work trashed.

However, pay to win--and that is exactly what all this Micropay crap is--I won't partake in. I frankly don't hate myself enough to do it. A proper game has a cost either up from or monthly, but it is FIXED. If it is not fixed the developer obviously is motivated to make the game crappier for those who don't micropay.

If this game nickel and dimes I hope it fails catastrophically. It is interesting to see how much hate this game has already fostered despite it coming out soon. That doesn't bode well.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Honestly did't everyone see the fail boat boarding when they announced this game.

 

[darkewaffle]

It was pretty average imo, a decent world/dialogue/NPCs held back by really boring gameplay/combat/controls. Pretty much how I feel about almost all Bethesda games lol. A few nice ideas were in there, but the core of the game needs strengthened first.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Honestly did't everyone see the fail boat boarding when they announced this game.

lol... I certainly did. I try not to touch any game that uses microtransactions. The only exception has been World of Tanks, however, that has gotten less and less pay to win over time (now the MM just screws everyone anyway). Now really the only pay to win is getting special tanks, but they are all pretty well balanced, and typically underpowered compared to tanks that people can grind for in the same tier (there are some exceptions).

In anycase, I have no intention on getting this game. I would have if it was simply a straight up cost (i.e. non-monthly fee) and didn't have microtransations for race/armor/weapons/skills, etc....

 

[Abakus]

No, I don't think it will.

A lot of people really enjoyed the BETA (lots and lots lol) and a lot more is looking forward to playing it. I personally thought it was fun. I don't really see the big problem with it. As long as it doesn't turn into a P2W and keeps up with the monthly content then I'm golden as a TES and MMO fan.

Honestly most of the complaints are coming from those who 1) didn't play it yet and criticize it just by what they "saw/heard" and 2) because they are "those" fans for the "original" series.

It was pretty average imo, a decent world/dialogue/NPCs held back by really boring gameplay/combat/controls. Pretty much how I feel about almost all Bethesda games lol. A few nice ideas were in there, but the core of the game needs strengthened first.

I agree. It was always the first thing I put in my feedback at the end of each BETA phase.

 

[Markbnj]

I haven't got time to watch a 40 minute vid, but I assume this is an early access bonus, right? They can't possibly keep it exclusive to pre-orders.

 

[KidNiki1]

people with enough disposable income have always been paying to win. just now instead of buying powerleveling, in game currency from a third party, or paying other players in game for getting carried through content for a mount/title/reward, you pay the people who make the game.

not saying i agree or disagree either way, but i dont spend my online gaming time comparing myself to other players and complaining that they have cooler loot than i do, or better gear than i do, or whatever thing it is that they have and i don't. i dont care if people can level faster than me, can have more mounts or pets than me if they want to buy them. i make a decision as to what i feel is worth my money, and i live with it. if i really wanted to play a certain race, or do a certain thing, i would pay for it.

if you dont like it, you wont support the game. but i think quite a lot more wont care. so no, i dont think it will self destruct before it launches at all. a year later and Star Wars is still going. this will last at least as long, in my opinion.

 

[DeathReborn]

3 betas I took part in and so far I will pay nothing for this title. It's so bland and unappealing that I think it may be the worst ES game to date. It's almost bad enough to stop me buying TES 6 when they eventually make that.

My biggest issue with MMO's is paying full price to buy the game then paying again after 1 month to play it, let alone pay to win as well.

 

[Red Storm]

I honestly feel like these WoW clones are just thrown together to make a quick buck and then move on to the next game. Similar to many movies.

 

[Bateluer]

My biggest issue with MMO's is paying full price to buy the game then paying again after 1 month to play it, let alone pay to win as well.

Paying for the box, then a monthly sub is a perfectly acceptable, even preferable, business model for an MMO. Provided that sub gives you full access to all areas of the game, nothing behind pay walls or other P2W content. Having a monthly sub, with paywalls, and cash shops, is obscene.

 

[Markbnj]

I honestly feel like these WoW clones are just thrown together to make a quick buck and then move on to the next game. Similar to many movies.

I don't know that a couple hundred million and a couple of years == thrown together. Honestly I'm not sure what people expect from the game. Innovation is going to come slowly in any area where it takes a quarter billion dollars to get into the market. If the game offers an interesting new world to explore and some fun gameplay then it has a chance to succeed under some conceivable business model. I'm not yet sure it will, but that's yet to be seen. Bottom line: any big money title for a big money brand like this is going to hew fairly closely to the existing paradigms. Zenimax can be given some credit. They blew off the ESRB rating, and they have gone with combat mechanics and story line play elements that are at least somewhat of a departure from the typical MMO approach.

But if we're looking for the next revolutionary idea, it isn't going to come out of a project like this. It will come out of something like Darkfall, and probably get ignored, like Darkfall, until someone figures out how to package it.

 

[Abakus]

Paying for the box, then a monthly sub is a perfectly acceptable, even preferable, business model for an MMO. Provided that sub gives you full access to all areas of the game, nothing behind pay walls or other P2W content. Having a monthly sub, with paywalls, and cash shops, is obscene.

That's what they say TESO offers on their website/reviews. The subs will get you all the content available, and that it won't be P2W.

 

[darkewaffle]

That's what they say TESO offers on their website/reviews. The subs will get you all the content available, and that it won't be P2W.

P2W is really a bit of a misnomer imo for most games that have real money shops of some sort. With the exception of f2p game "mills" (Aeria games for example) where items that are above and beyond those obtainable through the rest of the game are for sale for real cash, I think most implementations do a pretty reasonable job of limiting the shops to shortcuts/cosmetics/convenience type items.

 

[Arsinek]

I honestly feel like these WoW clones are just thrown together to make a quick buck and then move on to the next game. Similar to many movies.

How is this a WoW clone when it has a large objective based open world PVP between 3 factions?

WoW never had anything like that when I played it.

My only problem with this game was I was never able to get to the PVP zone because you cant get in until level 10 which isnt going to happen over a weekend unless youre a lifeless 13 yr old who nevers gets out of your parents basement.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I played it. Thought it was boring. *shrug* Some may like it, but I think most will just see it as another same ol same ol.

 

[Abakus]

P2W is really a bit of a misnomer imo for most games that have real money shops of some sort. With the exception of f2p game "mills" (Aeria games for example) where items that are above and beyond those obtainable through the rest of the game are for sale for real cash, I think most implementations do a pretty reasonable job of limiting the shops to shortcuts/cosmetics/convenience type items.

So in some way TESO is going to be a P2W but not in the same sense as Star Wars: The Old Republic?

 

[Grooveriding]

Played it, it was abysmal. Abysmal maybe is too strong, but it offers nothing compelling that I haven't seen before and doesn't do what it does offer better than the major player in the MMO space.

IMO they should get this out the door as buy the boxed game and no monthly sub with micro-transactions now. Otherwise they'll inevitably have to bear the embarrassment when the game does go f2p in the future.

I don't know if MMOs are just plain stale at this point or if it's truly difficult to come up with something that shakes up the market and is really innovative. GW2 was amazing imo, but fell flat on its face with zero end-game content at max level. WoW is still decent, but the game is really stale and is in a state of devolution at this point and is just being milked dry before it shrivels up.

I don't have the kind of time to sink into an MMO I did when WoW came out, but I could still get into a good one and just progress at a casual pace. Unfortunately every new one that comes out is complete diarrhea. More and more it seems like game development has been aggressively overtaken by a commodity minimal investment and maximum profit mindset. The idea that it is an art has been expunged and we get a greater percentile of complete shovelware every year.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Subscription model = instant fail, no exceptions. 10 years of MMO track record proves it, unless you are Blizzard.

 

[Markbnj]

Played it, it was abysmal. Abysmal maybe is too strong, but it offers nothing compelling that I haven't seen before and doesn't do what it does offer better than the major player in the MMO space.

You're referring to WoW, of course. I'm running an alliance Hunter around for fun on Argent Dawn. Haven't played the game in probably six or seven years. It's a very charming world, but it's looking _really_dated. You'd think with all the money they've made off the game they could have deployed a new client with some updated graphics and environmentals.

So, ESO from my perspective, looks much, much better. Looks aren't everything, but looks plus environmental effects plus better terrain plus three-faction RvR, if they do it right, could be something interesting. The game is not going to be a WoW killer, but I think they basically admitted that is not the goal when they accepted the mature rating.

 

[Newbian]

And yet people still pay for this.

If people stop it might stop and that's a big might.

 

[imaheadcase]

Subscription model = instant fail, no exceptions. 10 years of MMO track record proves it, unless you are Blizzard.

Huh? Most successful games are subscription model. You must be new to the MMO world.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Huh? Most successful games are subscription model. You must be new to the MMO world.

He is kind of right currently it seems like WOW and maybe Eve are the only two that are pretty successful and charging a monthly fee. Tons of games try to bill monthly but nearly all of them in the last few years fail and ultimately go f2p with some kind of cash shop

 

[BrightCandle]

I watched quite a few gameplay videos of this and I wasn't convinced that it was different enough to try it let alone justify a high game price and a monthly subscription. Eve at least is unique in its gameplay, approach, scope etc.