ESO = B2P

Whether you're an MMORPG fan, a PC gamer, or something in between, you've probably heard about Elder Scrolls Online.

I'm a huge Elder Scrolls fan, and currently own all the PC iterations that have been released. Naturally, I got very excited when I heard about Elder Scrolls Online releasing on PC. I promptly signed up for beta access, and jumped into the fray during the many beta weekends that Bethesda was running as soon as I got my invitation in my e-mail.

As with many MMORPG's, you need a certain level of dedication, time, (and let's be honest, time management) in order to get as much out of them as possible. In addition, for many of these games, buying the game is just the first step in your journey. You may then be asked to fork over a monthly subscription fee which is charged for a variety of reasons. Content, updates, bug fixes, DLC, server maintenance, customer support, they're all things that make a good MMO a great one. And, paying such fees, one starts to expect a certain level of quality. Was it worth it in ESO? I'll leave that part up to you.

I'm not here to debate the advantages and disadvantages that pay to play, buy to play, and play for free have over each other; but it's a worthwhile topic to discuss now that Elder Scrolls Online is BUY TO PLAY. 

Well, not now. It will be as of March 17, 2015. And, on June 9th 2015, you'll be able to play on console as well, with releases coming for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Over the last few months, Bethesda has been making changes to the way their payment and subscription system works. They've been cutting down on subs and making adjustments so that you could no longer buy gametime of a certain length. This was of course in anticipation of the game going either Free to Play or Buy to Play, such as a fan favorite, Guild Wars 2 by NcSoft.

I think it's a step forward to where ESO wants to be. Now dubbed Elder Scrolls Online; Tamriel Unlimited, it will offer much in the way of the content it did when it was a subscription based service, however a few things will change.

Firstly, ESO Plus will be the new subscription model, acting as more of a value added service than an actual subscription; as you will no longer be required to pay a monthly fee to play ESO. That being said, ESO Plus will offer a number of "Benefits":

• An allotment of crowns (premium currency) to spend in the online store for mounts, costumes, pets, and other vanity/convenience items. 
• Access to all DLC as long as you are subscribed.
• 10% bonus to XP, gold, crafting and inspiration gain. 

ESO Plus will be available for 30, 90, and 180 day increments; with crown allotments reaching 1500, 4500, and 9000 respectively for the duration of the given period, awarded in full at the beginning of said period. (For example, if you subscribe for 90 days at a time, your allotment of 4500 crowns will be awarded immediately, and then again once your subscription renews 90 days later, and so on.)

Secondly, it will be nice to know that if you ever stop playing the game, the barrier of re-entry will be small, if there at all. Having played many MMO's in the past with a subscription, I found it to be very difficult to get back into the game after a period of absence; generally because I would play for a week and get bored, thereby losing 3 weeks of paid value while no longer playing the game.

 Thirdly, I have heard that in addition to this change in business model, numerous updates and fixes are scheduled for the near future, improving the game further yet.

I for one am very curious to see if the next-gen launch will be plagued with as many issues as the original PC launch was; but, I hope that Bethesda has learned much from it's ordeal with ESO and will provide a smooth transition into the B2P business model, as well as onto consoles.

What are your thoughts on ESO? Which business model do you prefer? Do you think Bethesda has what it takes to keep this game alive? Let me know!

Until next time, thank you so much for reading. Stay classy!

-Scary