Activision Pushed To Begin Multiplayer Fees

[Dynasty]

So, apparently due to the success (zzzz) of MW2's multiplayer, Activision should be the ones leading the way in making people pay-to-play online. I dont see why not.

If the videogame industry is going to rebound from its decline in software sales, publishers will need to look at monetizing online multiplayer, said Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter in his latest investor report.

Pachter believes one of the main reasons software sales for PS3 and Xbox 360 are down year-over-year is due to gamers continuing to log substantial hours into a handful of online games and not picking up new titles regularly.

"We estimate that a total of 12 million consumers are playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 for an average of 10 hours per week on the two platforms' respective networks, and the continued enjoyment of this game (along with an estimated 6 million Halo online players, 3 million EA Sports players, and 5 million players playing other games, such as Battlefield, Red Dead Redemption, Left 4 Dead and Grand Theft Auto) has sucked the available time away from what otherwise would be spent playing newly purchased games," he said.

..."We think that it is incumbent upon Activision, with the most popular multiplayer game, to take the first step to address monetization of multiplayer," said Pachter....

...Activision will likely continue to offer some form a free multiplayer for awhile, he says, but notes that it's imperative the company capitalizes on the estimated 4 billion hours of time spent online since the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network...

..the average single player game has an expected play time of under 30 hours, suggesting that a staggering 133 million units of equivalent game play have been spent (so far) playing Call of Duty online...

...We've heard that 60 per cent of [Microsoft's] subscribers are principally on Live because of Call of Duty," said Kotick...

http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/110/1106732p1.html

*rolls eyes*

I do believe though that developers need to start selling the SP and MP sections seperately. Most people will have bought MW2 for the MP and not even bother looking at the SP.

I dont see a problem really. Xbox Live members will complain simply because they pay monthly anyway (points and laughs), but the MW2 obsessed will happily reach into their pockets and pay a few of their un-earned coins per month if it means they can continue playing.

Personally I cant stand CoD anymore, I dont see why its so great, I think MP games should be payed for to keep help cover server costs etc, sell your SP and MP seperately...or this could just be another way for Activision to suck dry the franchise.

 

[VirusType2]

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=171131

 

[Danimal]

Well it was cool playing multiplayer, guess I better just move on with my life now.

 

[Dynasty]

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=171131

So thats why it didnt come up on the search.

Well, actually it does. The thread title really gives it away. Forgot where I was.

 

[bbson john]

For a moment I thought they are going to begin Starcraft 2 multiplayer fee.

 

[T-6000]

Well, this topic was brought up when this was surfaced up:

http://www.bluesnews.com/s/112313/more-on-possible-modern-warfare-2-subscriptions

It looked like with some digging around in MW2's programing and code, an option for subscriptions was brought up. Some have said that this looks like fake. I don't think it's fake, but rather an early plan on possibly making the multiplayer pay to play, but the plan was abandon but with some of the code for that "option" left in. Or it could have been an early test for future installments. Personally, I'd never go along with it. I currently have no more interest in the franchise, but even if I did what makes them think I'll go along with this? Dedicated Servers, Mod tools, is it now any wonder why these were left out of MW2? To charge for what I've been getting for free from a dedicated community? No thanks. Unfortunately I know there are alot of COD junkies out there that will go along with a pay-for-play scheme. Already there are a few online who are actually defending such a model on future COD installments, even going as far as to argue that it'll add further value to a title.

 

[kineaesth]

http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=171131



yepppppp