On March 17 the PC version of The Elder Scrolls Online ditches subscription fees and gains the subtitle “Tamriel Unlimited.” What are we getting for free, and what does the change mean for existing players?
In a live session streamed via Twitch earlier today, Pete Hines of Bethesda, game director Matt Firor and creative director Paul Sage went over some of the big changes coming to the PC version of The Elder Scrolls Online, along with what’s in store for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 releases in June.
Why make the free-to-play announcement now? According to Firor, with a ton of content in the game and the console versions on the way, the time was just right. There’d really be no point to set up the complicated infrastructure necessary to accept console subscription fees and then take them away a couple of months later. So, responding to player feedback about the game’s pay model, they went to a one-time purchase model with an optional subscription and a cash shop.
The subscription fee isn’t going away completely. As with many games that have made the transition from free to subscription, players will be able to pay a monthly fee for a premium service. ESO Plus, as it’s being called, will give subscribers free access to new downloadable adventure areas, which non-subscribing players will have to purchase separately. These new areas aren’t restricted by levels — the idea is anyone of any level can purchase them and play them immediately.
Subscribers will also receive a monthly allowance to spend in the Crown Store, the in-game shop where players can purchase cosmetic outfits and mounts, special pets and also repair kits, soul gems and health and magicka potions — none of which are more potent than items that can be crafted by players.
There are no powerful weapons or items — the Crown Shop is all about cosmetics and convenience. Firor says “You can’t buy anything in the shop that you can’t acquire in-game.”
Added Sage, “The game is still going to be the best place to get the best gear.”
Here’s a rundown of all the benefits of continuing to subscribe to The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.
Sage stressed that these percentage bonuses were extras for subscribers — they aren’t slowing down progression for everyone else — for non-paying players progression in experience, crafting research, gold acquisition and crafting inspiration will remain the same as it is in game now.
Free players will have access to the full game, sans downloadable content. They will progress a bit slower than paying players, but the experience overall will be the same.
As for players who are either paying customers now or have been in the past, there’s a little money in it for you.
So if you’ve already purchased The Elder Scrolls Online you’re good to go — once March 17 hits you can either go free or continue paying, your choice. If you’re new, you’ll buy the game and choose if you wish to pay or not.
A $US60 one-time charge with no required subscription service sounds much more attractive than the prospect of paying a monthly charge until you get sick of paying a monthly charge, doesn’t it?
Check out the full Twitch broadcast for more information, as well as a look at the upcoming console versions, due out in June.
Comments
7 responses to “How The Subscription-Free Elder Scrolls Online Will Work”
The game was fun up until VR1, then i just felt like a massive grind! Though these new area’s do sounds interesting and I’ll be sure to check out the game agian once it goes F2P, considering I did buy it twice so I could have it on Steam(They should of put it on there in the first place)
That actually sounds like a rather decent business model, as long as they keep the purchases cosmetic
looks very, very similar to GW2 model except that GW2 doesn’t have any subscribe options at all, it’s just pay as you go for cosmetics and in game currency if you like.
However GW2 does have a fully fledged in-game auction house so you can actually pay cash for your gear in a way (even though it’s the least gear dependent MMO I’ve ever played)
May seriously look into ESO for my xboxone now.
this sounds a bit like how DDO is doing things, and it seems to be working well for them.
I still don’t think I’ll play it, the beta just left no impression on me what so ever, but it sounds like they’ve picked a healthy route rather than the panicked ‘we need to make our development costs back before we go broke, just do something and do it fast!’ route a lot of MMOs take.
I think they would have been better off doing a co-op game, rather than MMO. The amount of players makes it decidedly un-Elder scrolls if you ask me. The immersion is broken for me.
Going free will mean they get a bit more time out of me playing though, so perhaps I will change my mind.
Agreed, it felt like Guild Wars or Wow (with better graphics) to me. I love my Elder Scrolls games, played them since Daggerfall, but this did NOT feel like one at all.
I think the co-op idea would be great, taking a friend/s on an adventure would be awesome! Just without the jumping running randoms everywhere.
After getting into one of the last betas this game had before release, i played for a couple hours before not paying attention to the story, getting bored, Hated the crafting system and i started to hate the gameplay. i was glad i decided not to pre order it as i had decided i would pre order it if i enjoyed it. I was expecting Skyrim but multiplayer, which is what the fans wanted, instead of a full MMO which no one wanted