Hellgate London lifetime subscription $149.99

[Major Scud]

Some sleuths over at Hellgateguru.com (http://www.hellgateguru.com) found the Hellgate London Beta Page (http://www.hellgatelondon.com/beta/). On the Page it lists

Eligibility for the Hellgate: London Founders Offer
This limited-time offer allows you to make a one-time purchase of $149.99 USD to upgrade your Live online account to a lifetime subscription*. Please note that this offer expires after November 30, 2007. The Founders Offer will be available to you on your Account Management page once the retail game ships and you log into your Live account.

Anyone jumping on this? I have to think about it myself, 15 months until you break even....hmmmmmm....

[Squidbot]

I would think very carefully before making that decision. I'll say no more.

[NationalKato]

Wait, you only get one month to decide whether you want to pay for a lifetime subscription? Hell, they should give you more time than that - multiplayer games take some time to reach full capacity and work the kinks out.

[Vore]

I wish i had this option with WoW... so much money

[AlmostSente]

Need the game and play it a month or two before making that call. "Limited time offer" is really weak. Why should an offer like that be limited? That by itself makes me not want to get it. ;)

[The Continental]

My interest in this game went from casual to non-existent the moment they announced a subscript model for it.

[Telefrog]

To the people who got it, how is the lifetime subscription to LoTRO working out? I'm genuinely curious to see if any of you think it's been worth it.

[51|RandoM]

I would consider something like this if the following were true:

a) I had experience with the game, thought it was great, and thought I'd play it for a long time.
b) there was a guarantee that the servers would be up for at least 3 years, including tech support.

Even with those two in place you're gambling that the game will be something you play for 15+ months.

[Squidbot]

To the people who got it, how is the lifetime subscription to LoTRO working out? I'm genuinely curious to see if any of you think it's been worth it.

Nah, not at present. I loved the game, but it's just gotten boring for me. It needs more content. And diversity, but then the same could be said of most MMO's.

Hellgate has the potential, although it's arguably not a true MMO, but it needs a lot of work.

[normyk]

I wish i had this option with WoW... so much money

amen to that - a lifetime sub option for wow would be damn nice

[DrHogie]

Has Flagship made any type of announcement for minimum specs on the PCs? I looooooooooved Diablo II, and I'm very very excited for this game, but my machine is rather old (P4 2.66, Radeon 9600, 1GB RAM) so I haven't even considered preordering.

IF the game has that old Diablo II flavor, the lifetime sub would be a consideration. But I kinda need to know if I can run the game first . . . and if it won't suck :)

[Major Scud]

you might need to upgrade that video card drhogie, other then that your probably ok.

[Telefrog]

Woah. Hold it a minute, dammit. I was poking around and found this gem (http://www.hellgateguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4040):

So some new screenshots appeared from some Korean site using some camera, but they show the in-game advertisements, something I'm not sure we've seen before.

The thread then shows a few pictures of the proposed in-game ads in action. A little later, someone else points out that the shots are of an ad demo Flagship ran which may or may not appear in the final game.

Someone tell me why I should pay any money to play this game now?

[DubiousQuality]

My interest in this game went from casual to non-existent the moment they announced a subscript model for it.

yeah same here. Why would anyone want to pay to play diablo with guns?

[Squidbot]

Woah. Hold it a minute, dammit. I was poking around and found this gem (http://www.hellgateguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4040):



The thread then shows a few pictures of the proposed in-game ads in action. A little later, someone else points out that the shots are of an ad demo Flagship ran which may or may not appear in the final game.

Someone tell me why I should pay any money to play this game now?

A valid question. Having said that, the only advertisements I've seen so far are for Dark Horse comics and the Hellgate books.

But then I haven't really looked that closely as I'm used to seeing advertisements on the London Underground.

[digitalErich]

MMOs that offer a life-time subscription option always worry me. I don't really know why...but it's always the impression I get when I see it announced. I see life-time sub, and I furl my brow with a skeptical "hmmm."

[Wyrm]

A friend of mine is in the alpha and claims that it's every bit as awesome as everyone thinks, and then some. He and I have pretty similar gaming tastes, and we used to romp through Diablo 2 back in the old days almost every day after school for over a year. If Hellgate provides an experience that is similarly addicting, I could see myself forking over the monthly fee for awhile.

But to pay 150.00 right from the get go, that's extremely steep. Too much money right from the start for something that hasn't had time to prove itself? No thanks. I'll play without paying and then upgrade if necessary, though my friend claims that Hellgate is actually a better MMO than most MMOs, and it's not even truly an MMO.

[Chris_D]

Wait, you only get one month to decide whether you want to pay for a lifetime subscription? Hell, they should give you more time than that - multiplayer games take some time to reach full capacity and work the kinks out.

It's kind of the point, that they are looking for people to commit themselves to the game and support it in the early stages, difficult stages. I mean, some people are still playing Diablo II.

[NeuroMan42]

Since I have yet to play the game or even see if the subscription is worth it... NOPE.

I liked Diablo and D2 but not enough to pay for it. :)

[ohnam]

Ahh to be poor again and live the life of a hardcore gamer. Damn you adulthood and all the money you throw at me.

[Telefrog]

A valid question. Having said that, the only advertisements I've seen so far are for Dark Horse comics and the Hellgate books.

But then I haven't really looked that closely as I'm used to seeing advertisements on the London Underground.

If there are ads in the beta, I guess it's safe to say the final game will have them. This game just completely fell off my buy list.

[Squidbot]

Well, the adverts are for the Hellgate comics which are by Dark Horse, but if that's a deal breaker for you then fair enough.

I'm still to see anything like the adverts in those screens.

[Spooker22]

Hmm...come on people, it's true, a month isn't enough to know if a game is truly worth it but you can get an idea right? And to be honest it really isn't that much money, there are people out there who spend a lot more money for crap...I'm not a big fan of MMOs but who knows, maybe Hellgate: London will change my opinion, I've been following it for a while and so far it looks like a hit

[jpublic]

Does this game still have an offline component? Or is it all online? If it's the latter, I'm going to pass and spend my money on that new GW expansion.

[Katslover]

Does this game still have an offline component? Or is it all online? If it's the latter, I'm going to pass and spend my money on that new GW expansion.

I find this ironic.

[Exodus]

:\ I've heard hellgate is awesome, i've heard it isn't as good as they had hoped...

*sigh* I can't justify the lifetime subscription without playing the game... what a terrible way to force people to make a choice.

[vivafletcher]

Woah. Hold it a minute, dammit. I was poking around and found this gem (http://www.hellgateguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4040):



The thread then shows a few pictures of the proposed in-game ads in action. A little later, someone else points out that the shots are of an ad demo Flagship ran which may or may not appear in the final game.

Someone tell me why I should pay any money to play this game now?

Because they'll have to make money even if a lot of people are playing for FREE after 15 months. I think this is a great thing for a company to offer. Yes, you're taking a chance. If you don't like it, don't do it-- but don't criticize a company giving you an alternative to getting bled every month for the rest of your life.

WoW won't do this because they don't have to-- you're going to pay no matter what.

Ads subsidize costs. They don't necessarily cover all expenses and provide all profits. Unless the ads really ruin the game atmosphere, what's the big deal? After 15 months, you're playing for free. Every month you play, your "risk" goes down. I'm not saying to get on board, but don't shoot it down because they aren't letting you test the game for a year, taking out all in-game ads and promising years worth of servers. It's geat to evaluate something and decide it's not for you...but I also think people want too much sometimes.

[Chris_D]

*sigh* I can't justify the lifetime subscription without playing the game... what a terrible way to force people to make a choice.

Well it's pretty stupid to offer a relatively cheap lifetime subscription (150 vs 15 per month) once a game is established, proven, and hundreds of thousands of people are clamouring to play it. This is just to get quick $$ into the coffers to help them over the early hump, nothing more.

As for a lifetime WOW sub, you have to be kidding... at this point in it's life cycle, where it's already a run away success? Why would Blizzard want to let the addicts save any money? I mean, unless they were going to charge around $600+ for it, it would hardly be worth their while.

[Derella]

I'm excited to buy Hellgate but am debating the value of the $9.95 monthly sub, let alone a $150 commitment.

Extra character slots, storage space, and the ability to be a guild leader/officer aren't worth a monthly fee to me. I'm willing to sub for content updates though... But they'd have to be regular monthly updates, not every 2-3 months. And they'd also have to be of value, not fluff.

Flagship needs to make it clear how often new content will go live, and provide some examples of what it will be. They need to commit to a schedule if they want me to do the same.

[Project Arcturus]

The videos of this game seem to suggest that the weapons (especially firearms) really lack punch. Actually, the combat in general seems to lack the visceral hit one would expect and, since that's really all there is, I'm extremely worried. If it doesn't feel right, it's not worth buying the game let alone subscribing. Maybe someone who has played it can set me right, as I loved D2 to death and hope this turns out well.

[bryan]

Am thinking of getting this for my brother, but don't even know if his rig will run the game, heh.

[normyk]

I would hope that subscribers wouldn't have to deal with the in-game ads. The people who play for free on the other hand....

It would make the subscription that much more valuable.

I do wonder how well they'll deliver on the content for the "elite" subscriptions.

[Telefrog]

Because they'll have to make money even if a lot of people are playing for FREE after 15 months. I think this is a great thing for a company to offer. Yes, you're taking a chance. If you don't like it, don't do it-- but don't criticize a company giving you an alternative to getting bled every month for the rest of your life.

WoW won't do this because they don't have to-- you're going to pay no matter what.

Ads subsidize costs. They don't necessarily cover all expenses and provide all profits. Unless the ads really ruin the game atmosphere, what's the big deal? After 15 months, you're playing for free. Every month you play, your "risk" goes down. I'm not saying to get on board, but don't shoot it down because they aren't letting you test the game for a year, taking out all in-game ads and promising years worth of servers. It's geat to evaluate something and decide it's not for you...but I also think people want too much sometimes.

I didn't realize I called for a general boycott of the game. I clearly said the game fell off MY buy list.

Are you a marketer? Are you a Madison Avenue ad exec? Are you a game developer or publisher that needs to supplement your income with ads? Are you a member of Flagship Studios? If you are, then I'm sorry that my carefree attitude towards your ads are ruining your averages. If you aren't, then I apologize for mucking up your most favoritest threads ever.

No, wait. Fuck that apology. If you are any of the above assholes then eat my shit. Your inability to reconcile my dislike of ads with your apparent dick-eating consumer fucking attitude is NOT MY PROBLEM. Hey, just like your advice with advertising, if you don't like my posts, ignore them.

[WastelandDan]

I think "lifetime subscription" is a fool's bet when you consider how many MMO games have been permanently discontinued.

[Karkian]

Am I the only one annoyed at those exclusive dye kits? I was looking forward to working my ass off for gold and silver after seeing them in screens and hearing how they're planning to work colours. Now I can't get either as I'm not about to preorder the game from the states after being disallowed the collectors edition and a beta place on similar grounds?

I can understand that EA would want to give away something nice with preorders but in only one territory sucks and surely it's up to Flagship to decide how high they jump. An exclusive weapon or a piece of armour or relic or something, sure, with all the content patches they're never going to run out. How you going to invent new colours, Flagship? Let me know how that goes.

Just seems a hell of a thing to give away to me when they're putting so much focus on customising your character.

[Pluvious]

whoa.. if they have ingame ads then they shouldn't charge a monthly fee to play the game period. (Guild Wars was free with NO ads!!)

[Telefrog]

whoa.. if they have ingame ads then they shouldn't charge a monthly fee to play the game period. (Guild Wars was free with NO ads!!)

Exactly. So we know that it can be done successfully. Granted, their revenue stream is based on the "chapter" expansions, but there's only been two of them (with a third and final one set to go) and none of them were required to play the base game online for free.

[Wyrm]

Am I the only one annoyed at those exclusive dye kits? I was looking forward to working my ass off for gold and silver after seeing them in screens and hearing how they're planning to work colours. Now I can't get either as I'm not about to preorder the game from the states after being disallowed the collectors edition and a beta place on similar grounds?

I can understand that EA would want to give away something nice with preorders but in only one territory sucks and surely it's up to Flagship to decide how high they jump. An exclusive weapon or a piece of armour or relic or something, sure, with all the content patches they're never going to run out. How you going to invent new colours, Flagship? Let me know how that goes.

Just seems a hell of a thing to give away to me when they're putting so much focus on customising your character.

Dude, it's an armor color. I'm sure you'll be able to find plenty of golden AND silver armor when the game comes out. Regardless though, you're getting bent out of shape about something extremely trivial.

[Wyrm]

whoa.. if they have ingame ads then they shouldn't charge a monthly fee to play the game period. (Guild Wars was free with NO ads!!)

This is such an obvious technique, I'm truly shocked that no developers have created a completely free MMO yet funded completely and solely by ads.

In fact, this is the next logical step in the progression of MMOs. Eventually, they're going to be too expensive to develop, and thus too expensive for consumers to pay for. Ads will have to be placed in more games in order to subsidize the rising costs of development.

So, for those of you complaining, I don't think it will be long before you'll see the large majority of games providing in game ad content. It's time to swallow your attitude and embrace the future of gaming, because if you want better games, they're going to cost the developer more and more to make. The reality is this: either they put ads in the games, or the price of games shoots up, it really is that simple.

[Pluvious]

But they want ads AND high price too. Not cool.

[tenchiker]

Hmm...come on people, it's true, a month isn't enough to know if a game is truly worth it but you can get an idea right? And to be honest it really isn't that much money, there are people out there who spend a lot more money for crap...I'm not a big fan of MMOs but who knows, maybe Hellgate: London will change my opinion, I've been following it for a while and so far it looks like a hit

I doubt Hellgate will change your opinion. Considering it's not an MMO.It's Diablo but with a subscription fee for all the features.

[drakkarim]

well, i'm at least glad its not $150.

i guess i'll have to see whether hellgate has the quality of Diablo 1 or Diablo 2...

[walkstheplanes]

Christ. I'll probably be playing this free of monthly charges, and I'm pretty sure I'll still have fun. I doubt the difference in "fun" between elite and peon is worth 150$.

[Telefrog]

This is such an obvious technique, I'm truly shocked that no developers have created a completely free MMO yet funded completely and solely by ads.

In fact, this is the next logical step in the progression of MMOs. Eventually, they're going to be too expensive to develop, and thus too expensive for consumers to pay for. Ads will have to be placed in more games in order to subsidize the rising costs of development.

So, for those of you complaining, I don't think it will be long before you'll see the large majority of games providing in game ad content. It's time to swallow your attitude and embrace the future of gaming, because if you want better games, they're going to cost the developer more and more to make. The reality is this: either they put ads in the games, or the price of games shoots up, it really is that simple.

1. There are free MMO's sponsored by ads.

2. I'm glad you enjoy the ads so much and believe we should all just accept them. Congratulations. You are a marketing team's wet dream.

3. I think we'd all be fine with the ads if the subscribers can turn them off. As far as I know, people who pay (even the lifetime buyers) will still have to look at them. Either have ads and make it free, or have no ads and make it subscription only. With this model, you are fucking the subscribers.

[NeuroMan42]

Extra character slots, storage space, and the ability to be a guild leader/officer aren't worth a monthly fee to me. I'm willing to sub for content updates though... But they'd have to be regular monthly updates, not every 2-3 months. And they'd also have to be of value, not fluff.

Flagship needs to make it clear how often new content will go live, and provide some examples of what it will be. They need to commit to a schedule if they want me to do the same.
I fully agree with you in this area. If it is like the so-called content of Oblivion then hell no. :)

[Wyrm]

1. There are free MMO's sponsored by ads.

2. I'm glad you enjoy the ads so much and believe we should all just accept them. Congratulations. You are a marketing team's wet dream.

3. I think we'd all be fine with the ads if the subscribers can turn them off. As far as I know, people who pay (even the lifetime buyers) will still have to look at them. Either have ads and make it free, or have no ads and make it subscription only. With this model, you are fucking the subscribers.

1. I wasn't aware there was an MMO sponsored and funded solely by ads. If this is the case, I'd like some linkage.

2. I don't enjoy the ads at all, I'm just a realist. I truly believe that most games will have some form of ad content in them because the cost of making a game is simply too high these days for them to make enough money back on sales alone. Really, it's just common sense. It makes a lot of sense for them to start throwing ads up on billboards and things of that nature. How do you think EA has made so much god damned money off of their games? They didn't get as big as they did on the sales and merit of their games alone.

3. I'm not sure what you have against advertisements, but they're a part of our lives as much as anything else. I don't like when they're shoved in my face either, but a cingular billboard in Hellgate London isn't going to completely ruin my gaming experience. In fact, I'd think that things like that would help the world be more believable, because it's a real product.

You jumped to a lot of conclusions after reading my post, but you don't seem to understand that no matter how hard you fight it, it won't change. This is where the industry is headed, and there really isn't much anyone can do about it. You want AAA titles? You're going to have to swallow some degree of advertising in the future to get them.

[ElektroDragon]

My interest in this game went from casual to non-existent the moment they announced a subscript model for it.

Yeah, well mine went from serious excitement to utter disgust. And I still can't believe they're not putting it on 360. Wankers... I wasted my money on the comic books and novel.

[Karkian]

Dude, it's an armor color. I'm sure you'll be able to find plenty of golden AND silver armor when the game comes out. Regardless though, you're getting bent out of shape about something extremely trivial.

I'm not as annoyed as maybe I sounded, it just bugged me.

Last I heard they're working colours oddly. You only have so many dye kits available to you. It's not like other MMO's where you work around in some patchwork clown suit, everything you wear conforms to colours dictated by a dye kit you've previously acquired. When you get a new piece of armour you get the option of adapting your armour to that colour set or having it conform to the rest of your gear. They can ration out the cooler colours. To stop everyone that hasn't pre-ordered from x retailer from having a colour just seems lame.

[Kem0sabe]

Not willing to pay a subscription for a game that offers much less than Guild Wars in terms of servers, quests, content.

This is just an atempt to milk money for a completly instanced multiplayer experience.

[GrinR]

I'm not going to spend one penny until I get my hands on a playable copy.

[Telefrog]

1. I wasn't aware there was an MMO sponsored and funded solely by ads. If this is the case, I'd like some linkage.

Try this link (http://www.gameogre.com/freemmorpgs.htm). Some of the games in the list have supplemental models, but many (ArchLords, Furcadia, etc.) are entirely ad-driven. Check it out.

2. I don't enjoy the ads at all, I'm just a realist. I truly believe that most games will have some form of ad content in them because the cost of making a game is simply too high these days for them to make enough money back on sales alone. Really, it's just common sense. It makes a lot of sense for them to start throwing ads up on billboards and things of that nature. How do you think EA has made so much god damned money off of their games? They didn't get as big as they did on the sales and merit of their games alone.

I understand completely how EA has made so much money off their games. I'm a realist as well. I understand that where there's a buck to made businesses will do what they can to make it. I also understand that I don't have to buy it, and I will do what I can to resist or defy it if I choose to. In this case, Flagship/EA is asking us to buy their game, then pay monthly for a subscription that they tell us is to support planned additions and patches. While I wait for this content, I also get to look at ads. I sure as hell wouldn't pay for HBO if I had to watch a bunch of ads during their shows.

3. I'm not sure what you have against advertisements, but they're a part of our lives as much as anything else. I don't like when they're shoved in my face either, but a cingular billboard in Hellgate London isn't going to completely ruin my gaming experience. In fact, I'd think that things like that would help the world be more believable, because it's a real product.

I've heard this argument before and I don't agree in many cases. Let me ask you this, would you still find it believable if you lived in a post-apocalyptic London and ads were still being replaced and updated to what technically would be old movies and products? Would it be believable if none of those ads got torn or burnt by demons even while the rest of London is being pillaged?

You jumped to a lot of conclusions after reading my post, but you don't seem to understand that no matter how hard you fight it, it won't change. This is where the industry is headed, and there really isn't much anyone can do about it. You want AAA titles? You're going to have to swallow some degree of advertising in the future to get them.

Bioshock, Halo 3, WoW, WarHawk, UT3, Gears of War, and any Mario game say hello!

[Exodus]

Well it's pretty stupid to offer a relatively cheap lifetime subscription (150 vs 15 per month) once a game is established, proven, and hundreds of thousands of people are clamouring to play it. This is just to get quick $$ into the coffers to help them over the early hump, nothing more.

As for a lifetime WOW sub, you have to be kidding... at this point in it's life cycle, where it's already a run away success? Why would Blizzard want to let the addicts save any money? I mean, unless they were going to charge around $600+ for it, it would hardly be worth their while.

I just don't like being forced into the position when the possibilities are still obscure having not even touched the game.

oh well, no worries

[Phanto]

To have the lifetime subscription can we paid the $149.99 in a time limit of 15 months meaning paying $10 per month until reaches de $149.99 ?

[reimomo]

Try this link (http://www.gameogre.com/freemmorpgs.htm). Some of the games in the list have supplemental models, but many (ArchLords, Furcadia, etc.) are entirely ad-driven. Check it out.


Ok, now name one game that isn't
1) a total turd of a game that was subscription based until nobody would buy it

2) catered to freaky furby sex fiends

If you don't know which game is which, be sure to try both!

[Telefrog]

Ok, now name one game that isn't
1) a total turd of a game that was subscription based until nobody would buy it

2) catered to freaky furby sex fiends

If you don't know which game is which, be sure to try both!

What do you expect for free? :D

[Chris_D]

I think "lifetime subscription" is a fool's bet when you consider how many MMO games have been permanently discontinued.

Ok I'll bite... Asherons Call 2, Auto Assault, ... and ?? Hmm, I think maybe even Matrix still has one server running.

If you ask me, it's amazing how many MMOs are still running even despite relatively small player bases. So we're looking at a really small drop off rate so far.

Therefore I'd say your odds are very good if you think you'll actually like this game. It's certainly got a lot more going for it than Auto Assault. And this one is a fair bit cheaper than LOTRO was I think?

(Btw even Auto Assault lasted at least a year, and Asherons Call 2, maybe 2 years?)

[lockwoodx]

Ok, now name one game that isn't
1) a total turd of a game that was subscription based until nobody would buy it

2) catered to freaky furby sex fiends

If you don't know which game is which, be sure to try both!

Sounds like 1 is Anarchy Online, and 2 is Second life.

[lockwoodx]

Try this link (http://www.gameogre.com/freemmorpgs.htm). Some of the games in the list have supplemental models, but many (ArchLords, Furcadia, etc.) are entirely ad-driven. Check it out.


From the link....

ShadowBane
Fantasy MMORPG that is based on a mythic sword. Players can actively shape the playing world. One of the better PvP systems of any MMO.


I would not try any of the games via that link based on their descriptions alone.

[Steele Johnson]

If the multi-player is a lot of fun, I'd pay for it. But considering that this game is not an mmo, I doubt that it'll hold my interest for more than a couple months. I've played a lot of multi-player games over the past 12 years, and there's only one that I would have paid for, and that's Starsiege Tribes. Other than that, most aren't worth paying monthly. Even Guild Wars feels kind of like an mmo, and that's free. So I really don't understand the deal with this game.

[Chainblast]

EDIT: After learning about a possible advertisement scheme I may reconsider based on principle. Yes it's possible I could miss a great game but if everyone just followed what pleased them then the world would...oh, never mind. The truth is if the inclusion of ads in Hellgate: London were designed to fund ongoing development, sans subscription fee, and was placed well I'd be ok with it. But that wouldn't be the reality of the situation.

And it's not about spending money or the amount of money one spends, it's about how that money is spent. By agreeing to these terms you give license to EA/Flagship (and other publishers/developers) to proceed in a similar fashion.

Wyrm has a point that this could very well be the future of gaming, but that future will only exist if you allow it to. Instead send a message by not buying the game that you do not support this type of business model and that companies with similar motives to EA, as well as EA itself, need to conjure a more likable solution to combat rising development costs.

Believe it or not both sides can be content, if not happy, but right now the reality is that 9/10 times gamers/consumers will bite their tongue, come to messages boards and bitch, rant and challenge the opinions of others instead of doing the most effective action. None.

Of course this is all speculative and may not come to pass.
------------------------
I'll pass. In all honesty I'd rather see content packs (or even micro-transactions) sold individually then the subscription like umbrella system. I don't think Flagship will deliver $150 worth of new content and as long as I can boot online with a bud or two and hammer through the campaign I'm happy.

This is just buying product that doesn't yet exist. If I wanted to invest in the company I'd buy stock (if that's even possible).

[surj0]

its bad enough a game which is not a mmo is charging subscription fees, but charging a subscription for it, and shoving ads on my screen...thats an instant no-buy, no matter how good it is. I'd rather cry myself to sleep missing the greatest game of all time than get screwed like that. either or my friends, either or.

[LongStepMantis]

I can see the benefit...but I'd have to know that I would be playing it for a looong time before I thought it was worth it. How much would it suck to drop $150 and play for only another month or two? Trick question...for $150 I'd MAKE myself play it. And the longer it went on the more I would grow to despise it.

[Herold]

The videos of this game seem to suggest that the weapons (especially firearms) really lack punch. Actually, the combat in general seems to lack the visceral hit one would expect and, since that's really all there is, I'm extremely worried. If it doesn't feel right, it's not worth buying the game let alone subscribing. Maybe someone who has played it can set me right, as I loved D2 to death and hope this turns out well.

I think you feel it lacks punch, because it's not a shooter - it's an RPG. Like Diablo the character development is partly based on the equipment you pick up, and every part of equipment has its own stats.

About the ads in the game: They won't be intrusive to gameplay. They are placed on billboards and the likes around London and in the subway. I interviewed Bill Roper at GC Leipzig, and he said that guilds would have the opportunity to get adspace for their guilds. I believe this would be awarded through ingame events.

[Squidbot]

The newbie is right.
As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts; the adverts are on billboards and hoardings that exist in London anyway, so I don't see the problem, personally.

[Exodus]

I think you feel it lacks punch, because it's not a shooter - it's an RPG. Like Diablo the character development is partly based on the equipment you pick up, and every part of equipment has its own stats.

About the ads in the game: They won't be intrusive to gameplay. They are placed on billboards and the likes around London and in the subway. I interviewed Bill Roper at GC Leipzig, and he said that guilds would have the opportunity to get adspace for their guilds. I believe this would be awarded through ingame events.

This isn't entirely true, the sorceress for example had the ability to freeze enemies and when they died they would explode in an implosion of ice shards. And besides that, that feeling is not soley in the province of first person shoots and to be perfectly honest should be standard in all games, you hit/attack something succesfully, you see a result, that's why it's visually appealing when you slash something with your sword across its belly seeing intestines fall out or a lil blood is great.

FPS? nay friend, I'm thinking more along the lines of arcadish games such as god of war, heavenly sword, if that kind of detail were in rpg's today we wouldn't have boredom from combat that we have in most rpgs.

[Dukefrukem]

not for PC? :(

[Telefrog]

not for PC? :(

I believe it's only for the PC.