Sony defends DC Universe subscription

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 25 January, 2011

"Players feel they're getting exceptional value."

At £9.99 a month on top of the cost of the game, PC and PlayStation 3 MMO DC Universe Online is too expensive for some gamers. For creator Sony, however, the superhero RPG offers great value because gamers regularly receive free content updates.

"Certainly we want people to feel they are getting the value to that subscription," Sony Online Entertainment spokesperson Ryan Peters told Eurogamer.

"We understand we're asking a lot and the equation I always give to people is that it's similar to DLC - if you were getting DLC from Red Dead Redemption every month, I'd probably sign up for that because I buy every piece of DLC they throw at me.

"We're trying to keep it on par with that kind of experience where it's compelling and you feel like you're getting good value.

Sony revealed to Eurogamer that "a really cool iconic character" will hit the game in February, "Something that casual and hardcore followers of the DC brand are going to have a strong familiarity with - who knows, it may even be relevant to the time of year right?" Who could it be?

"People on the console are a little more hesitant because this is a different scenario for them, whereas an established MMO person would say, 'OK, I play an MMO' Peters added. "I would say two thirds of them are subscription-based and there's certainly a free-to-play marketplace out there.

"It's not so much a re-education process as saying, whatever price you're paying in your country, $15 in the States is a ticket to the movies and I guarantee you're going to get much more time and enjoyment out of this - especially the movie I saw last night which was The American with George Clooney which was awful. It was absolutely awful. 16 Euros to watch it in my hotel was the worst investment.

"I thought, there was a month's subscription to DCUO right there, and I thought that was a better investment."

DCUO launched last week and entered the UK all-formats chart in tenth spot. It is the fastest-selling SOE game ever.

"The players feel they're getting exceptional value for the money they're putting in," Peters continued. "I'm not going to say, 'Hey, sign up for a lifetime subscription' and then drizzle some content in there. I want you to feel there's something constantly for you to access, something that draws you back into the game.

"Our goal is to constantly give you something to do when you log in."

Peters dismissed talk of DCUO eventually going free-to-play, as so many MMOs have done in recent years.

"To be frank, I don't think there's any internal thought about why we would change our model - we're talking about a game that's a week old," he said. "We haven't had an opportunity to prove ourselves to the players on that content delivery.

"Internally, we have some awesome content planned and once people get over that hump of, 'Oh my gosh, we're paying for a game, it's not DLC, it's packaged as something else,' it'll be fine.

"In the PC landscape, sure free-to-play has become more and more popular, it's more competitive from an MMO standpoint. We did something kind of different with EverQuest 2 where we actually have a free-to-play server running in parallel with a paid-for service. It brought a lot of new people into the game and there's a different mentality and gameplay on that server - that works for us and is a different approach in terms of free-to-play across the board."

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (44) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Hunam #1 1 year ago

    No we don't.

  • streetmagix #2 1 year ago

    And this is why I hate MMO's, why should I pay for a game twice? I should either pay for the full game up front or pay a monthly subscription with the base game free/very cheap.

  • Andrefpvs #3 1 year ago

    I sure am glad gaming companies' PRs know what we players want. For example, that Nintendo chap knew what I most wanted from the 3DS was region-locking. What a sport!

    This Sony man sure heard my request when I said I wanted to spend £160 on a mediocre game this year instead of buying a new console.

    Aren't they great?
    Edited by Andrefpvs at 25/01/11 @ 17:32

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #4 1 year ago

    In a year or so the base product will probably be free with just the monthly sub, its only the early adopters MMO makers try to sting, later on there just happy to get anyone on the monthly sub.

  • el_pollo_diablo #5 1 year ago

    Unless I've missed something here, saying "The players feel they're getting exceptional value for the money they're putting in" so soon after launch makes no sense at all - unless the "players" consist of himself and his colleagues.

    I mean, how does he know?

  • Eraysor #6 1 year ago

    How can something that costs more than the largest, most expansive and polished game in the genre per month be "exceptional value"?! That's not even possible...

  • optimusprym8 #7 1 year ago

    The game will soon be very cheap to buy, I expect it comes with 30 days free (MMOs usually do...) but the rest is standard, "old-school" MMO business mode. i.e. the one, apart from WoW, everyone else is dropping for F2P.

  • Hunam #8 1 year ago

    Well, if they had a nice road map we could see of content to come each month, then yes, subs is fine, but if all we get is bug fixes then boo. Not paying.

  • Kujata #9 1 year ago

    None of this matters unless they sort out the broken Voice Chat for PS3. Unless that's fixed before my free 30 days are up I won't re-subscribe.

  • captain_Carl #10 1 year ago

    Seems perfectly fine to me. I don't see why everyone is so against it.

  • SeesThroughAll #11 1 year ago

    "value" = clients like being ripped off.

    It isn't 2004 anymore, Sony. We ain't buying it.

  • mingster #12 1 year ago

    Balls to that. Go F2P and i will be interested. I don't see how you can justify anything else other than a F2P model with micropayments these days.

  • Dizzy #13 1 year ago

    Don't all mmo companies say that?

  • butler` #14 1 year ago

    insert [no has paid the sub yet how does he know] comment

  • ucankurbaga #15 1 year ago

    Green Lantern

  • Silvergun-Blue #16 1 year ago

    "16 Euros to watch it in my hotel was the worst investment.
    I thought, there was a month's subscription to DCUO right there, and I thought that was a better investment."

    Then I thought "The same retail price for LittleBigPlanet 2, and I can play that with a limitless amount of new player generated content forever with NO monthley subscription!"

    THAT, my friend is a better investment.

  • George-Roper #17 1 year ago

    F2P, micro-transaction riddled clusterfuck within 6 months.

  • alcides #18 1 year ago

    "People like being ripped off so shut up about it please EG"

  • paulf #19 1 year ago

    and they won't be saying that once the free months subs are up and user numbers dwindle

  • mattrix33 #20 1 year ago

    Unless voice chat is fixed I won't be "happy" to pay.
    The game is broken as it stands now and needs massive updates and patches to sort out that do not seem to be coming.
    SOE ignore every message you send in and give no info out on the offical pages or forum.

    There killing a brilliant game and a potential cash cow....madness

  • witchdrash #21 1 year ago

    If you play any subscription mmo regularly the value becomes apparent, it's time vs cost, for example you put in 70 hours a month into DCUO you come out at 14.2p an hour, which compared to the cinema (£6 cheap ticket) 400p an hour is a bargain, if however you have several subscriptions and spread yourself thinly the cost becomes stupid.

    It's also about perceived value, I'm sure some of you moaning about the cost of this game are happy to shell out £30 a month to go to the gym, or £60 a month for sky, £9.99 for something you enjoy playing that sees further support isn't exactly bad entertainment value.

    If you feel it's too expensive, don't buy, don't subscribe moaning on Eurogamer, and other gaming websites aren't going to see SOE drop their price while others are happy to pay that amount, if SOE are making money and have plenty of subscribers prices will stay the same, are they being ripped off, no they're happy to pay that price, some people would consider paying a subscription for Sky being ripped off, thousands happily do it each month without a second thought.

    (Edits to correct my inability to spell)
    Edited by witchdrash at 25/01/11 @ 18:42

  • streetmagix #22 1 year ago

    @witchdrash
    But something like CounterStrike: Source is about £14 with no subscription fee. I've put at least 200 hours into CSS and could put another 200 hours in easily. That really is good value, unlike most MMO's. Why don't MMO's come with the server code like most FPS games? It would be cheaper for the devs and cheaper for the end user.

  • Overkongen #23 1 year ago

    (Beware of sarcasm) This is just like stupid cars. Once I buy one, I want to be able to drive it around without having to use more money on gas or petrol.

  • Miths #24 1 year ago

    I'm fine with subscriptions - if I'm enjoying the game (as I currently am with the PS3 version of DCUO, though I'm used to subscriptions from ten years of PC MMO gaming), €15 hardly feels like a big expense.

    The supposed "free to play" MMOs often end up being more expensive in micro-transactions than the subscription based ones, if you're interested in access to more than a basic content or feature set.

  • DjFlex52 #25 1 year ago

    "(Beware of sarcasm) This is just like stupid cars. Once I buy one, I want to be able to drive it around without having to use more money on gas or petrol."

    @Overkongen

    (Beware of sarcasm refund) Hey, you're right since playing DCU gets me to work and back home everyday :-P

  • Shikasama #26 1 year ago

    What I don't understand is some of theser very people expecting free content and complaining about the subscription are the SAME people who think Ea absolutely needs to have Project 10 dollar to maintain servers.

    Interestin.

  • makeamazing #27 1 year ago

    Yeah i dont understand people complaining about subs, its either worth your money or it isnt. Hardware infrastructure, testers and programmers working on new content isnt free, so they need to make their money some how. They can try F2P or paid subs, i am sure sooner or later we will know if that works out for them.

  • Macronx #28 1 year ago

    LOL Sony telling us what we think again.

    I love this game, was in the beta. I ain't buying it though, not at £10 per month. Who's right now then Sony??

    I would play if the monthly sub was MUCH lower or even free and would rather pay for the DLC that I want, not be given a load of junk I don't need and be told I'm getting good value.

    LOTR online anyone

  • jake-123 #29 1 year ago

    i honestly dont mind funding sony if they come up with great stuff like Killzone, LBP, infamous, Uncharted.

    Sony should rule the world, kevin butler.. the master of all things, life would be great :)

  • Miths #30 1 year ago

    @Macronx

    You're seriously denying yourself a gaming experience you enjoyed in the beta, just to save yourself a measly €10 a month?
    I'm struggling to see how that sum of money can be considered more than absolutely negligible for anyone in the Western world, who isn't so strapped for cash that they can barely afford to put food on the table, in which case I wonder how they can afford any kind of gaming in the first place?

    Sure, a lot of small expenses can pile up, but cutting out many hours of enjoyable entertainment to save those £10 certainly seems to me like a bit of an odd way to prioritize expenses. But to each their own of course.

  • WinterSnowblind #31 1 year ago

    @Miths
    Microtransactions definitely do end up being just as expensive most of the time.. But the big difference there is that you don't NEED to shell out for the little things. If you just want to play the basic game, you're free to do so as much as you want. I much prefer having the option of buying the content I want, when I need it, rather than paying a flat rate for everything all at once.

    The best option, in my opinion though, is the Guild Wars route. Keep the game free, but charge for large expansion packs regularly. It makes enough money to keep the developers and game servers going and provides the players with plenty of new content without it feeling like we're being ripped off.

  • madjim #32 1 year ago

    What the fuck is this guy talking about? "The American" is a great movie!

  • Machetazo #33 1 year ago

    @MakeAmazing: I'm not disappointed in the idea of having to pay the sub. What most disappoints me about this, is that they want me to pay to try the game (a £30-40 demo?!!? :o) before the subscription is even a consideration. How can I tell whether the game's worth checking out, with a view to sticking with it, with that sort of solution in place - it's not as if I can claim a refund of the box if I decide DCUO isn't something I want to keep playing, is it. At which point I'm stuck with a coaster - unless I decide to sub. It's just no good way of going about it.

    SoE are trying to have their cake and eat it, here, and I find their tactic to be disagreeable, particularly with their aim surely being to introduce new players, grow and get a firm opening foothold in the console MMO space. The idea of an MMO is to rely upon the subscription, community and interest in the game to generate return. I don't see how leaving barriers to entry at launch is any sensible way to best set about achieving that aim.

    I would - AT LEAST, and consider this a fair situation - like to see a case that a copy of the client is thrown in with a suitable commitment in subscription. There's no lifetime sub option, even, on the console version...Again, I believe that's an engineered situation, more than any other reason, to prevent a desire of a single lump-sum outlay becoming established and accepted, early-on, within that space.

  • Phishfood #34 1 year ago

    Just before this Sony did an in-game survey

    Do you feel like you're getting exceptional value for this game?
    A. Yes
    B. Yes

    Click to Submit

  • MizzouGaming #35 1 year ago

    "free content updates"? lol No, not if you have to pay a subscription fee. Nothing is free, NOTHING!

  • 00.00.01 #36 1 year ago

    Guess SOE have sold about 600.000 copies by now, it has cost them apr. $ 50 million to make. Assuming that sold copies raked in a good $ 25 million and with apr. 5% becoming monthly subs they should see another $ 5 million every month. This game will break-even in a couple of months and anything after that (May 2011?) will be pure profit.
    .
    And this is me just carefully guessing. Like Pachter does.

  • speedjack #37 1 year ago

    I love it when Sony tells me what my opinion is.

    Makes life so much easier.

  • levitate #38 1 year ago

    "Exceptional value" is poor wording but I can see where he's coming from. It's always the choice of viewpoint and what you prioritize to play on your spare time. There aren't many superhero MMOs worth playing and this one might just the best you can get for the money they charge.

    If that makes the value "exceptional" is not for him to decide though; that's our decision to make. Sony will find out rather soon when the 30 days honeymoon period is over.

  • slippysloppy #39 1 year ago

    Stock levels for the PS3 version of this game are still incredibly low. I went into my local Gamestation yesterday who said they only received a few copies at launch and the stock was never replenished. His words were "It was a very half hearted launch, like they didn't really care."

    I have no idea what Sony are doing, are they purposely making stock levels low as part of some 'soft launch' to invigorate demand? Or, more likely, the servers wouldn't have been able to cope if the game had sold extremely well, so it's had to be a trickle release.

  • Murton #40 1 year ago

    The trouble is, some players might remember when SOE said the same of their old flagships, EQ2 and SWG. Both of these, for a time, received monthly content updates. I'm not sure what happened with EQ2 but in SWG we didn't get a content update one month because they "busy" working on bigger, what followed were a series of updates that nobody really asked for. The Jedi Revamp was cool enough, but the Path to Jedi revamp just made everyone grind towards Jedi-hood as that was all there was left, having no new content installed for so long left only that one path, which was a shocking and horrible grind that took even the most hardcore of players weeks to complete.

    Will DCU see something similar happen at some point? If new quests and areas and whatnot are added every month without fail then people will see value in that, but once that stops happening that value is removed and players will go back to resenting that higher sub price.

  • SEVQA #41 1 year ago

    I love DC and obsessed with anything with a batman or supes logo on it - though this game will not go into my ps3 as I cant afford it - Unless the suck ass subscription business model is dumped.

  • comics724365 #42 1 year ago

    I don't think $14.99 a month is really a value or deal. Here in the States people are living off the Zngya games (Mafia Wars, Farmville, etc) for free. Yes they sell cards, but it's optional and not required. I think a simple $5-8 bucks a month is more affordable. I'm not renewing my membership till they work ALL the bugs out. There are problems with voice chat...and right there that debunks the whole paying per month for me.

  • UncleLou #43 1 year ago

    I don't trust someone who thinks "The American" was awful. Let alone uses it as an example to promote a game. Must be aimed at retards.

  • amphigory #44 1 year ago

    Just like they reckon Aussie players are getting exceptional value for $19.99AUD (approx $14.58 Euro and approx $19.86USD) per month????
    It seems aussies have been slugged the most by SOE. Also, the sony station cash is $1.60AUD per 100 points.

    I was curious to see DC Universe, but after seeing those prices etc, I don't want to support SOE at all, even in the future, regardless of what game they may release.