To be perfectly honest, the combined price of the game and the subscription fee is limiting. The game itself will cost $59.99 (54.99 / £49.99) for a standard digital or standard physical copy of the game for PC/Mac, and if you were tempted by one of the next-gen consoles (PS4 or Xbox One) then you'd actually have to pay more in euros or pounds $59.99 (69.99 / £59.99). If you were even more tempted to buy the game and become a hardcore fan then you would have to fork out $99.99 (99.99 / £89.99) for a physical Imperial Edition, which features all sorts of nifty bits and bobs (the digital version of this without the fancy statue would cost you $79.99 / 79.99 / £69.99). So basically, it's an expensive game right from the start, although we should keep in mind that these are the prices at release, and then of course for any of the editions that you buy, you receive a 30 day unlimited subscription-free access to the game after which you'll be forced to pay $14.99/30 days (12.99 / £8.99). Entering into a market and setting such high prices could prove to be a bad move for Bethesda, although looking at some of its older and more desperate competitors, many of their subscriptions range but the biggest of the lot, World Of Warcraft, actually charges a similarly high subscription fee. What Bethesda shouldn't forget however, is that World Of Warcraft is an MMO veteran with over 9 years of experience and a player-base that is as dedicated to their game as a worshipper is to his religion. You could even argue that Guild Wars 2, being a one-time fee paying MMO that is hugely popular, has managed to survive without needing to make their players pay a subscription fee, and they haven't even got the funding that Bethesda can offer to push the game further. Needless to say, if they want The Elder Scrolls Online to survive on a long-term basis, they are going to need to lower their subscription fee to allow new players to join and enjoy the experience that is given to them without having to spend a fortune on a monthly basis. If you have any thoughts or ideas on how Bethesda need to change The Elder Scrolls Online to ensure its survival, comment below.
Video game addict and beer-loving lunatic. He has a passion for games that actually mean something. UK Football follower and admirer of anything that is graphically pleasing. Also, tea.
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