Is Elder Scrolls Online Worth a Subscription Fee?

By: Gavin Childers

The Elder Scrolls series has been a staple in the gaming diets of millions gamers since the original installment came out in 1994. The single player RPG has stolen the hearts of fantasy lovers with its medieval setting, engaging melee based combat, and endless sandbox adventures. However, with its latest installment, Elder Scrolls Online, publisher Bethesda Softworks has turned the Elder Scrolls universe into an MMO. Elder Scrolls Online gives players the ability to interact and explore the game together. Like many other MMO style games, however, ESO is demanding a subscription fee. At $15 dollars a month, the fee is on top of the usual $60 box cost of many games, and it will be required to play the game.

There is a lot of discussion as to whether or not Bethesda made the right decision by implementing this fee. Many people are asking, “is it worth it?” The game will cost $240 for the first year of play, and that is just too much for most people, especially when considering the list of complaints that are being thrown at the game. The main complaint is that the game strays to far from its roots by cutting back on the free roaming and producing a more on rails feel.

While the idea of a monthly fee is disheartening, it has been done before, and with much success. At its peak, the smash hit World of Warcraft had 10 million players shelling out 15 dollars a month to publisher Blizzard. A monthly fee can actually be beneficial to the life a game. Continuous income allows a publisher to continue to put out costly updates for as long as people are willing to play. The fee will also allow Bethesda to create release content for subscribers.  “It’s important to state that our decision to go with subscriptions is not a referendum on online game revenue models. F2P, B2P, etc. are valid, proven business models – but subscription is the one that fits ESO the best, given our commitment to freedom of gameplay, quality and long-term content delivery,” said ESO game director Matt Firor.

Since Elder Scrolls Online is so new, it is hard to tell if the monthly fee is worth it. However, players who are adamant on not a fee may still have something to hope for. Many MMOs have switched to from subscription only to free-to-play in the past when there games were not bringing in enough revenue. An example of this is Star Wars: The Old Republic. However, even if this happens, players can still expect micro-transactions.