How do you feel about paid subscriptions?

[Irritablesquid]

I'm fine with flat rate. The only time I think monetization is justified is when it's used to pay for the game, but I still don't like it.

[Frostweaver]

Very true, the old way it was back in classic was what I liked. Once they added more crap it just lost me. Runescape did the same thing, switching from just a monthly cost to both monthly and a shop.

It all started in Wotlk when they introduced the Algalon mount for money in the shop, later pets... It ruined the whole economy and incentive for certain things. Flashy mounts stopped being a thing of prestige and something people aim towards.

[gbullock32]

Most of them do both options... since greed.

Look at wow.

Very true, the old way it was back in classic was what I liked. Once they added more crap it just lost me. Runescape did the same thing, switching from just a monthly cost to both monthly and a shop.

[fenrif]

I would rather pay a subscription for something like an MMO. With the understanding that there will be no cash shop whatsoever. Also I would expect that subscription to go towards monthly content releases/narrative progression/etc. Sure, throw an expansion pack onto that once a year, or even every 6 months.

For anything that isn't an MMO the developer should just let players host their own servers. Too often server hosting is used as an excuse for the worst predatory pricing schemes imaginable. "We need to sell you a £7 hat, otherwise we can't keep the game running!" It's become standard for battle royale games to do this. Whereas if they just let players host their own servers the games life would be extended with mods and custom game modes, communities would form, and it wouldn't cost the devs anything. Though they would lose out on all that sweet whale cash. Which is the real reason they do this.

[Astraea]

If the game itself is free, i'm fine with a subscription each month. But if you paid for the game and then you have to also pay a subscription fee each month like in ESO or FF XIV, that's just too much. I did though, I played both games for a while, but it wouldn't work for me anymore. Path of Exile has the best way to monetize in my opinion.

[Frostweaver]

Most of them do both options... since greed.

Look at wow.