Reader Discussion: What Are Your Views On Subscription-Based Games?

When we think of subscription-based games, we typically look toward MMOs. As we grow closer to the release of The Elder Scrolls Online, which will carry a subscription, and EverQuest Next, which will be free-to-play, it’s time to look at the shifting landscape.

EverQuest II, Star Wars: The Old Republic, DC Universe Online, Tera, Lord of the Rings Online, and Rift are some triple-A MMOs that shed their subscription fees in favor of a free model. Those that transition (and most titles that begin their lives as “free”) include content that’s partitioned off behind a paywall. If you want to play long-term, chances are that you’ll be paying, just not on a “use it or lose it” schedule and not in any way that is easily budgeted.

Now that most MMOs are adopting the free-to-play model, is there still a place in your budget for subscription-based play? Did you ever play games with a monthly fee? If so, can you still schedule your gaming for months at a time to take advantage of cost-saving bundles, or are you a spur of the moment gamer that can’t afford the time or money to be locked in?