Just realized why i hate PC games (Small Rant)

[djbeatmongrel]

Today I finally bought City of Heroes because I always wanted to run around in tights but never had the money for the custom tailoring. So I went home and installed it on my computer. Everything went smoothly until I got near the end of the registry and was abruptly greated with this:

Choose Payment Method


CHOOSE A PAYMENT METHOD

Credit card payments should take effect once your bonus time or previously paid time expires. Game Card payments are automatically applied to your account immediately and extend the time of your account. You can always check your bill date, in the account management interface.


Credit Card Plans
(Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)

$14.95 per month
3 months - $41.85 ($13.95 per month)
6 months - $77.70 ($12.95 per month)
12 months - $143.40 ($11.95 per month)


Son of a bitch. I happily spent $49.99 in the hopes of beating the shit out of bad guys and saving damsils in distress but theres a monthly fee. I can't even get a taste of the game after I purchase it :angry: . I dont understand how they don't have atleast a monthly trial for first timers. Fucking money grubbing douche bags, trying to rob my damn near broke ass :angry: .

[davidmt]

Wow, $14.95 per month? These types of games used to be 9.95, didn't they? Of course there is the 1 year commitment "deal" but the monthly fee seems to be the going trend these days, doesn't it.

You do get a "free" month included though, or are the game companies dropping that now?

I just got Final Fantasy XI. Never played one of these online games before -- and so far I'm loving it. I guess I just needed to find out if I was missing anything.

[djbeatmongrel]

there's no frickin free month, that truly pisses me off.

[Richter]

no way of returning/exchanging it?

[YoshiM]

DJ: hate to break it to you and I don't mean to sound like I'm an ass but they typically DO print that a subscription is necessary. I think other companies got in trouble by not stressing that years back. Almost got nailed with that when I almost bought Phantasy Star Online for the Xbox but found out you need to sign up to get the Hunter's License (or at least be on Live) in order to play the solo game.

That's one of the reasons why I never jumped onto MMORPGs. I spend $49.99 for the product but now have to fork over $10 to $15 a month in order to play it. I did try it when it was pretty new when I picked up the game Asheron's Call. It was fun for a little while, but players never really "role-played". It was more like "roll playing" (to borrow from pen-and-paper RPGs) as discussions were never in character.

I'm surprised these companies don't offer up a rebate for a good chunk o' cash provided you agree to a 1 year+ subscription. Rebate offer good for say 30 days after purchase.

[Griking]

Today I finally bought City of Heroes because I always wanted to run around in tights but never had the money for the custom tailoring. So I went home and installed it on my computer. Everything went smoothly until I got near the end of the registry and was abruptly greated with this:

Choose Payment Method


CHOOSE A PAYMENT METHOD

Credit card payments should take effect once your bonus time or previously paid time expires. Game Card payments are automatically applied to your account immediately and extend the time of your account. You can always check your bill date, in the account management interface.


Credit Card Plans
(Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)

$14.95 per month
3 months - $41.85 ($13.95 per month)
6 months - $77.70 ($12.95 per month)
12 months - $143.40 ($11.95 per month)


Son of a bitch. I happily spent $49.99 in the hopes of beating the shit out of bad guys and saving damsils in distress but theres a monthly fee. I can't even get a taste of the game after I purchase it :angry: . I dont understand how they don't have atleast a monthly trial for first timers. Fucking money grubbing douche bags, trying to rob my damn near broke ass :angry: .


Why is this any different than Microsoft charging for Xbox Live access?. Actually, I think that there are many more free to play online PC games than there are free to play online console games.

[calthaer]

You didn't at least read a review before buying the game? I'm pretty sure most of them mention the monthly fee...and this is pretty much the model of business for these MMOGs, which is why I think they pretty much suck. I wouldn't judge all PC games based on that, though.

And before going off on all PC games in general - you might want to try the superhero-based Freedom Force, which - for no monthly fee and a down-payment of probably only $10 - will get you at least 15-20 hours of very high-quality gameplay.

PS - Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic for PC just dropped to $20, too.

[Mr Mort]

Today I finally bought City of Heroes because I always wanted to run around in tights but never had the money for the custom tailoring. So I went home and installed it on my computer. Everything went smoothly until I got near the end of the registry and was abruptly greated with this:

Choose Payment Method


CHOOSE A PAYMENT METHOD

Credit card payments should take effect once your bonus time or previously paid time expires. Game Card payments are automatically applied to your account immediately and extend the time of your account. You can always check your bill date, in the account management interface.


Credit Card Plans
(Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)

$14.95 per month
3 months - $41.85 ($13.95 per month)
6 months - $77.70 ($12.95 per month)
12 months - $143.40 ($11.95 per month)


Son of a bitch. I happily spent $49.99 in the hopes of beating the shit out of bad guys and saving damsils in distress but theres a monthly fee. I can't even get a taste of the game after I purchase it :angry: . I dont understand how they don't have atleast a monthly trial for first timers. Fucking money grubbing douche bags, trying to rob my damn near broke ass :angry: .


Why is this any different than Microsoft charging for Xbox Live access?. Actually, I think that there are many more free to play online PC games than there are free to play online console games.

It's different because with Live you pay one fee to play all the games that Live has to offer (except for Phantasy Star Online Ep. 2). Yes, there are plenty of free online games for the PC, but when it comes to MMORPG's, all the big name games have a fee.

[Daria]

My boyfriend spoted city of heroes the other day while I was at Gamespot. Good thing his PC's currently in the shop because he thought it was a Freedom Force clone.


:/

I can't coax myself into MMORPGs which I ought to absolutely love, but the other players always turn the game to shit and I'm not paying someone $150 a year to be aggrevated.

*huggles her copy of UO with free updates and free servers*
________
VAPORIZER AFFILIATE PROGRAMS (http://vaporizeraffiliateprogram.com)

[djbeatmongrel]

to Calthear: in the mags i've gotten this month there hasn't been any reviews.

to everyone else: I assumed that all pc games would give you a trial periond like most software does. i'm pretty ignorant when it comes to pc gaming since i just started back up with deus ex:iw in december. the last pc game i played before that was Diablo 2 x_x

Anyways, i buckled down and picked up the 3 month subscription since i wanted to play it and now i realise it was very worth it. CoH has packed servers full of fully rendered users, npcs, and enemies and they run really fast with little to no lag for decent periods of time.

I still find it bull that theres no free trial period

[GaijinPunch]

Man, that's a rim job. $14.95 for online play? That's fair if the game costs nothing.

I will give respect to Sega of Japan -- PSO licenses here are less than $5/mo.

[kevincure]

Don't take this the wrong way, but you should probably know that City of Heroes is an MMORPG with a monthly fee before you drop 50 bucks on it, y'know?

That said, a bunch of my buds are into CoH now and all love it.

[kai123]

I thought everyone knew it was pay to play that game. :hmm: Every preview I have read mentioned it was pay to play.

[SoulBlazer]

Give the guy a little credit -- it's common knowlegde among PC gamers how MMORPG's work, but someone who is mostly into consoles would'nt know. Not unless they play XBox Live or some of the EA sports games. And although the box DOES say monthly fees, it usually says so in small letters. That's why I always nitpick boxes very carefully before buying anything.

I'm paying $12 a month for FFXI and it's worth it. That's stnadard rate these days. How much is Star Wars Galaxies?

[-hellvin-]

HOLY SHIT

I can't believe all my stupid friends pay that much money to play a damn game. (No offense)

15 bucks a month is just rediculous. I never got into the whole MMORPG scene and doubt I ever will. I was thinking of playing WOW, but thinking about it right now I can't see myself paying 180 bucks a year to level up for days on end and have to put off all my other games pretty much cause what's the point of playing anything else when you're paying 15 bucks a month to play the MMORPG?

I'll just stick to UT2k4. ;)

[DigitalSpace]

@SoulBlazer: A friend of mine has Star Wars Galaxies. I don't exactly remember how much he said he pays per month, but I think it's around $15.

I doubt I'd ever get into online gaming, PC or console. Either way, it costs too much for my cheap ass. LOL

[Lady Jaye]

Regarding reviews: I suggest that you consult the website www.metacritic.com for overall reviews of a given game (current consoles + PC). It tallies all the reviews from mainstream media (mostly print and online)and give an average score based on all these different reviews, with an extract of the review and an hyperlink when the review can be consulted online.

That way, even if you can't find any review of a given game in your gaming mag, you can still make sure that there aren't any bad surprise (such as the situation you're in).

[Kamino]

awww this is just about the fees? dang, i can't go off on my anti-pc gaming rant...lol.
but seriously, i just can't get into the whole online gaming thing. I had SOCOM, TMB:O, and ATV2 on ps2(Still have ATV2) and ATV was the only half decent one...ok TMB:O was pretty cool until everyone else stopped playing it and I couldn't get into a damn game... SOCOM? Blargh. My erratic work schedule pretty much screwed my chances of getting into a clan unless i got 8 am matches, and my sleep patterns screwed that...I can't imagine paying monthly fees to play games though. That'd just feel...weird.

[Mayhem]

I know some people who play CoH... all of them got a free month, so no idea what's up with your copy.

[Nature Boy]

As an occasional PC gamer I appreciate the heads up. Forget reading reviews about stuff - check the box. After all, the reviews won't necessarily mention something like that, whereas the box has to.

BTW: There's no reason to *hate* PC gaming. But you're allowed to have a strong prefernce for non-PC gaming :)

[Ruffie]

On the front of the box, at the bottom, to the left of the Teen rating icon, it says:

FIRST MONTH OF PLAY INCLUDED
INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED
ADDITIONAL ONLINE FEES REQUIRED
MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE GAME

On the bottom of the box, as it is on most PC game boxes, is the system requirement label. There it lists the system equirements and recommended system specs, as well as saying (highlighted in red):

A valid credit card or time card required. NCsoft charges a monthly subscription fee for this product, separate from your ISP charges.

Now, even though the first month is free, they still ask for your credit card info at registration. You CAN give it to them and still cancel before your 30 free days expire, not getting charged for anything other than the box you paid for.

The reason that these games charge a monthly fee is to maintain servers, cover the cost of bandwidth, and fund ongoing content development. They cannot do all this and make a profit just from the box sales. CoH has already announced both a new features patch and a new expansion (City of Villains).

For me, it's worth it. MMORPGs are the pinnacle of gaming evolution, something I've dreamed of since my friends and I played 4-player Warlords on the Atari VCS. I played Ultima Online for almost 6 years and it was a gaming experience (both good and bad) unlike any I've ever known, or probably will know aqain. Almost 3 weeks into CoH and I'm still having a blast, discovering new places, new villains, making friends with other heroes, and gaining new powers.

MMORPGs are not for everyone though. There are a LOT of immature and/or sociopathic people playing them, so you have to be careful. CoH thankfully gives them little power to interfere or grief one's gameplay.

I recommend you give it the 30 day try (again, free) and then decide if it's worth it for you personally to continue playing.

Ruffie

a.k.a. The Silver Spaz, Level 14 Defender, Pinnacle server

[gamegirl79]

The way I see it is like this....you can't put a price on something you love to do. If someone really enjoys MMORPG's and has the time and money to devote to it, they're not going to mind paying the $15 every month....more power to them.

If money grew on trees and all of a sudden I no longer had to work, I'd probably be playing FFXI right now. I played it during the free month and really enjoyed it...I just don't have nearly enough time to devote to it that would justify the $14 monthly fee.

[djbeatmongrel]

I know some people who play CoH... all of them got a free month, so no idea what's up with your copy.

i think the first month was allowed for beta testers/pre orders, i just found out cuase my friend was one. but looking at the e-mail i was sent after paying i think the first month is free anyway since the first payment is to be made on 6/17.

oh well, its worth it for my first mmorpg