Free DLC after time period?

Mashille · January 2016

Maybe make DLC free after a year or maybe a bit more, of being released, after all, I'm fairly sure people who would've wanted it to buy it would've already bought it by then. Similar to how GW 2 went F2P after it knew it wasn't gonna get many more purchases (Or maybe reduce the price by a decent margin). Will populate 'dead' areas like IC etc and, lets say a new or revisiting player came back to ESO further down the line and saw it had over £200 of DLC it would start a riot and people would yell all over the internet because they hadn't been paying attention to ESO over the time. (Looking at people like Angry Joe etc)

Just an idea. Not saying I'm in favor or against it, but just an idea

UrQuan · January 2016

I don't know that making it free after a year or more would be the way to go (especially since someone can subscribe for a month, get access to all DLCs during that time, and decide which of them they want to buy), but maybe after a certain period of time package up a few DLCs into a bundle at a reduced overall cost.

A similar concept to yours I guess, but slightly different.

AngryNord · January 2016

It would've worked if the obligatory subscription model was still in place, but DLC still had to be paid for (like e.g. DAoC did it). However with the current model I don't see it being feasible.. Those who sub already get the DLC for free... And even full F2P games still have DLC/Expansions you have to pay for (e.g. LoTRO).

DaniAngione · January 2016

I doubt they'll make DLC free.

But they're probably going to gradually lower the price as new content is released - something like LOTRO has been doing since it went F2P.

So, let's say.... 2 years from now there might be new DLC on the 2500~3000 crowns range, but IC or Orsinium might be around 500~1000 (for example)

I think that if they 'ever' merge one DLC into the base game (thus becoming a free DLC) it would be Imperial City. It is the only one that would make sense, being it not so popular and being the whole rest of Cyrodiil part of the base game.

Oh, you should totally expect bundles soon, too. Like "2015 DLC" (IC + Orsinium) for 4000 crowns, etc... this sort of thing.

petraeus1 · January 2016

I do assume there will be sales though, or bundles, as progressively adding DLC make it so that the entry barrier rises. You don't want new customers to be 'thousands of Crowns' behind in content, as it were, even if vanilla ESO is as large as it is. It will create a gap between vets and new players that gets larger as more DLC is released. But this ain't an issue till 2017 I think.

altemriel · January 2016

I hope Murkmire will be free, similar as Craglorn was. But better (not so forced group content)

Tandor · January 2016

If you enjoy playing a game then you're going to have to pay for it one way or another. Restaurants can't afford to give out free lunches and game developers can't afford to run free games. Small content additions will continue to be free I'm sure, but more substantial DLCs will need to be paid for either by subscription or purchase albeit with occasional discount sales and bundled packages etc.

Khaos_Bane · January 2016

They will have to always keep it appealing to start playing the game. It would be really dumb of ZoS to make it cost prohibitive or unreasonable for potential new players.

If they don't reduce the price OF DLCs over the years, which they will, nobody would play this game.

LadyNalcarya · January 2016

altemriel wrote: »

I hope Murkmire will be free, similar as Craglorn was. But better (not so forced group content)

Craglorn wasnt "free", when it was released, everyone had to pay for access to the game.
But I support the idea of dlc bundles and discounts for old dlcs.

xoduspaladin · January 2016

Free? No. Discounted? Sure, yea.

ShadowDisciple · January 2016

never give it free...never...15$ a month is literally 3 pack of cigs...2-3 beers...or i dont know 10 packs of coca cola..

just dont...im currently unsubscribed and i dont mind not having acces to orsinium or ic...when i get the will to play them ill just subscribe

TheShadowScout · January 2016

If they made DLC free after a while, they'd kill all their future DLC sales, since all too many would just wait for it to be free rather then buy the DLC. Not a good business plan.

Special offers after a while though... that would be feasible. Some sort of "IC half price" week perhaps. A "First Year" bundle with IC and orsinium for the price of one, possibly. Things like those.
That would get them the income from the initial buyers, and later another income from the latecomers and undecided ones, while the first buyers keep buying the new DLCs instead of waiting... because free is worth waiting for, reduced cost... not so much when you really, really wanna play it

altemriel wrote: »

I hope Murkmire will be free, similar as Craglorn was. But better (not so forced group content)

Not gonna happen. As has been mentioned, Craglorn was still in subscription-era. Now the whole thing is in B2P ear. -everything- really nifty will cost crowns, the very best we can hope for is for it to cost -less- crowns eventually.
If they did release stuff without payment, they would still have to pay their developers for making that stuff, their balance would show expenses without income to show for it, their company profits would drop into the cellar, and the suits would pull the plugs on the servers. Not the way I would like to see ESO go...
"Free" stuff has a price of its own. Never forget that.
Anyone asking for "free" stuff is basically asking ZOS to cut their own throat. I doubt they'd oblige...

Cabooser · January 2016

SWTOR did this, I believe.

When their second expansion came out the first became free to subs, and when the 3rd came out, both the second and third were free to subs.

Wouldn't work that way here though, since swtor is a f2p game and that's just a bonus for subbing.

Plus, subs for ESO already get the DLC.

vyndral13preub18_ESO · January 2016

Khaos_Bane wrote: »

They will have to always keep it appealing to start playing the game. It would be really dumb of ZoS to make it cost prohibitive or unreasonable for potential new players.

If they don't reduce the price OF DLCs over the years, which they will, nobody would play this game.

Im not sure how it would be. If they keep the current trend of scaling, you will never have to buy any of the dlcs you dont want. Since you will never fall behind or get locked out of the newest dlcs because of level requirements.

Sure it might make you frown looking at a large list of dlcs but with the scaling you could pick them up and do them in any order whenever you wanted or never at all.

Dont get me wrong im sure there will be sales and or bundles, but you will never get 'left behind' level wise because you dont have the last 5 dlcs. Which is the case in many games. If they stay true to the scaling plan anyway.