Topic

Questions for those who are NOT subscribers

I am torn about buying a gift subscription for one of my in-game friends. I thought I'd post here and see what you guys thought.

If you DON'T have a subscription, why not? Are you making a statement about how you feel about the game? Are you purposefully waiting to see what happens after launch? I ask this because I see a huge number of people on my friends list who aren't subscribers, even players who are greeters (who I would think have a bigger personal investment in the game).

Would it be insulting to find out someone had subscribed you without your knowledge as a surprise? 

Could money be the obstacle? Is $30 for a year of gameplay considered expensive? (I honestly don't know what other MMOs charge; I've only done beta testing for them so far.) Or is there a sense that Tiny Speck is already rolling in cash and don't need more of ours, that there are already plenty of subscribers who will keep the game afloat?

Are there other factors that I'm not considering?

And finally, does anyone know whether the gift subscriptions are anonymous, or do the recipients see who sent them? 

Thanks so much!

Posted 15 months ago by Lilith Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • The only reason I haven't subscribed yet is because I'm a poor college student, but no, I wouldn't be offended or anything if someone subscribed me. Far from it actually, I think I'd be pretty excited!
    Posted 15 months ago by Devers Subscriber! | Permalink
  • They are not anonymous.
    Posted 15 months ago by WindBorn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think the reasons can be as varied as the people who have them.  
    Posted 15 months ago by Feylin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i was not a subscriber until somebody bought me a gift subscription, so i feel qualified to answer.

    i had not yet subscribed because i live on a fixed income, and i was trying to see if i cold scrape up the bux for it.

    when the gift comes, the recipient knows who sent it.

    in the case of my benefactor, i have no idea WHY a near stranger would pony up and buy me such a fantastic gift, but they did and i am happy, happy, happy.
    Posted 15 months ago by flask Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I would feel terrible to recieve a gift subscription, because money is not my obstacle.  I am concerned that I already spend too much time here, even when it is closed, and I don't want to have a reason to be here longer.

    Crap, I went ahead and bought myself the sub.  What the heck is wrong with me?
    Posted 15 months ago by Jewel Stoned Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I would be more than happy if a friend bought me a subscription. I really really want to get one but I have not 1 penny to my name atm. 
    If someone plays the game, I don't see why they'd be upset if they received a free gift subscription. 
    Posted 15 months ago by Eye Wonder Subscriber! | Permalink
  • My answer would be the same as Devers. It doesn't seem like much, for an entire year of service, but it's enough to make a dent on my budget for at least a couple of months. But I'm setting aside a little jar to see if in the future I can pick up a subscription! Probably the mid-level, as I'd like the credits. For now, though, I just enjoy playing the game, and I know that once I got my hands on credits, I'd get addicted to wardrobe changes, which already drive me crazy because I can NEVER decide what to WEAR! I've been pretty frugal with the credits I did get as a beta, and I think my Glitch's outfit fits her well enough to not need any crazy changes. My little yellow hoodie will be recognized by ALL!!!

    I guess, if somebody bought me a subscription, I'd feel a little guilty for then spending the money? I would be delightfully surprised and grateful, but I don't usually like people spending money on me just because I'd rather be the one gifting THEM! But I wouldn't be offended, and I don't think your friend will? It's a generous gift that you're considering, so if you really think they might be like me, maybe talk to them? You can always make the excuse of "early birthday/christmas gift" if you really want to do the good deed!
    Posted 15 months ago by Jia-pop Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I rather like my free outfit [though I'm considering dipping into the beta credits for an outfit that's ~120cr] and am not the type to change it up repeatedly which limits the value of credits. As far as teleportation tokens, I don't mind walking and, as I understand it, tokens can be imbued into paper as well which will probably be sold later on. Referendums are interesting, but we lack a clear purpose for them so far.

    Ultimately, what keeps me from subscriptions in general is that time not spent on it is effectively wasted payment. If I'm busy and can barely connect for a month, that month is paid for at a far higher rate per hour. What keeps me from subscribing to Glitch specifically is my concerns over longevity: I tend to flit around quite a bit (participating in betas is sort of my 'thing') and locking in like this irritates me. Ironically enough, if it was like $75 for a lifetime Copper subscription, I'd cheerfully pick it up with no regrets even if my activity declined sharply after a few months (with the end result that I paid more per unit time than I would have under a subscription). The three games I've played longest all permit full access without spending ANY money outside of the initial outlay (if any): [Pay for access and convenience], [pay for credits, but you can also trade currants for credits with other players] and [credits are only required for upper tier gameplay, but can be bought with currants from other players]. 
    Posted 15 months ago by Aoi Subscriber! | Permalink
  • For me... money is the issue... I'd love a subscription but sadly can't afford. The idea of someone gifting me a subscription would be amazing and I'll wait to see if it happens... if not.. I guess it doesn't matter too much.

    Though I do feel stupid when I'm greeting players and they have cooler outfits than me in my free clothing :P
    Posted 15 months ago by VickyAlice139 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Psh, free outfits rock! We are the frugal and trendy! I should eventually activate that free month for betas, though....I keep forgetting that I've got it...
    Posted 15 months ago by Jia-pop Subscriber! | Permalink
  • yeah, i love my free outfits and i usually walk instead of even taking the train places, but SOMETIMES i wish i could afford to teleport, and now i can.

    (and i'm thinking of buying a spiffy hardhat...)
    Posted 15 months ago by flask Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Without going into personal reasons for not being a subscriber, as Feylin said there are varied reasons why someone may or may not be subscribed.
    As far as a gift subscription...I wouldn't say no or deny it...and I don't think anyone would be offended if they recieved one. Kudos to you if you do gift a friend.
    Posted 15 months ago by Sir Mixalatte Subscriber! | Permalink
  • money is the issue here too.  i just can't justify spending money on a game - even one i adore as much as glitch.  i'm stuck chipping away at medical bills instead.  i certainly wouldn't be insulted by a gift subscription though.  and if i had the money to spend and buy gift subscriptions for others, i don't think it would've crossed my mind that anybody wouldn't be happy with that.

    and there are plenty of cool free outfits!  :)
    Posted 15 months ago by peacefulbean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Jia-pop Do we still get that free month? I thought that got replaced with the discounted prices. Maybe my wires are crossed.

    @Lilith Really simple for me: $30 for a year is an extremely reasonable price, but still a little much for me to budget right at this moment. What with Steam deals and Amazon credit and all, I pretty much never pay that much for a game--again, not because the games I love aren't worth it, but just because I have to be frugal.

    As to the other question: I would not be the least bit offended--I'd be fairly delighted, actually--to see that I'd been stealth-subscribed. But I am perfectly happy playing the free stuff. The fact that you can do so much for free is a huge part of what separates Glitch from gray-or-black-hat free-to-play models.
    Posted 15 months ago by Schwenck Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @schwenck: I don't know..I still think we do? It still says I've got a free month when I click on a subscriber only outfit.
    Posted 15 months ago by Jia-pop Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Unemployed.
    Posted 15 months ago by Suzy Spring Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Unemployed here too. Though I did budget 10 bucks for some extra credits, mostly to contribute what little I could. 
    Posted 15 months ago by La_La Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm expecting a baby in a few weeks so all of my spare cash goes on babygros & nappies atm, but once things settle down a bit I fully intend purchasing a subscription.
    I think the thing to remember is that whilst you can play for free, given time TS may need to look at advertising etc to increase their revenues if all players were free, which I personally feel would spoil the game.

    Edited to add - I would personally be delighted to receive a sub from another player, but another part of me would feel incredibly awkward about it.
    Posted 15 months ago by Rubyrox Subscriber! | Permalink
  • While I am employed, I decided somewhere around the 2nd reset that I'd rather live vicariously through the eyes of my own children than play a game to achieve the same end result.

    This game is a fun way to rekindle some of the things we have all lost as we get older (self expression, genuine playfulness and laughter surrounding certain actions), but it's just not entirely for me and is why I have chosen not to subscribe.

    So why am I still here? Two reasons: I'll always have a thing for Beta testing and there's not much else out there at the moment that tickles my fancy enough.
    Posted 15 months ago by c0mad0r Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @schwenck and Jia - You can still get the free month. I activated mine during my subscription purchase debate so I could see the subscriber clothes on my Glitch before I made the plunge to buy. It is completely free and activates whenever you select. Just click on a subscriber only item in wardrobe and you can activate it. :)
    Posted 15 months ago by Avery♥ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i was kinda surprised at the prices for the two top subscriptions. +$50 & +$80(I can no longer see exactly what the Subscriptions cost). In my mind, I am thinking that I can buy an similar game (Animal Crossing City Folk) for $20(Classic Game Price) or when it was brand new $39 and get to play it for as long as i wanted, no subscription needed to get new items. *shrug*
    I would love to be able to gift clothing items.
    Posted 15 months ago by r0gu3 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I play several casual games, and cannot spend $$ every time a new casual game catches my eye.  I am still waiting to see if the game can keep my interest beyond just casual play.  If it can, I might consider subscribing.  $$ is also generally an issue, if I was rolling in $$ I would probably subscribe just to benefit a small developer like this putting out an interesting and different product from most of what is on the market.
    Posted 15 months ago by Jhonn Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I haven't subscribed for a number of reasons:

    I'm wary of spending money on a game which I can't play whenever I feel like it.

    I didn't like the way real-money issues were handled when subscriptions and credits were first introduced.

    The benefits of subscriptions are things I can live without.  The clothes are adorable, but I don't buy real clothes, so buying virtual ones seems silly.  The TP tokens are nice, but unnecessary.  The referendums haven't been implemented yet, and by the time they exist, my single voice will matter very little.  (I'm also not really into the idea of paying to vote, though it does make sense in this context.)

    Many people subscribe in order to show their appreciation for the game.  I'm a greeter and a guide, so I'm basically spending a lot of my in-game (and sometimes out-of-game) time on unpaid customer service jobs.  Even at minimum wage, if I were compensated for the number of hours I've spent volunteering, it would cost far more than a subscription... so I think I've done my part, and then some, in terms of being supportive of TS.  (Lest this be misinterpreted, I am in no way bitter about the lack of compensation.  I have volunteered, and I usually enjoy the work.  When I'm not in the mood for it, I don't have to participate.)
    Posted 15 months ago by glum pudding Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm on a tight budget. I haven't played enough, or looked into the benefits enough, to know if it would be worth it to me to subscribe, even if I had money for it. Apart from that, I don't see any reason not to do it.

    If I wanted to give someone a gift subscription, I would just ask that person if it would be ok to do it.
    Posted 15 months ago by Ferond Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I love the game but don't have the money right now :(
    Posted 15 months ago by Winstin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • If it wasn't in Beta, I would say the reason people didn't subscribe has to do with a lot of people play F2P games more casually than ones they are dropping $15-$30 a month on. I would assume the people that are playing in Beta are typically more active and invested than when it goes live, so I doubt the reasoning behind it has to do with us thinking Glitch doesn't deserve our money. Honestly, I think this is one of the most interesting games I've come by in a looong time. It took me a while to "get it", but I've been hooked since.

    That being said, personally the reason I'm not subscribing has purely budget-based roots. I'm the token broke student and am currently working out getting out of debt. It's hard to save and while $30 doesn't seem like a lot, it can honestly add up for the people who are trying to save their pennies.

    If I wasn't worrying about moneys I would love to support this fantastic game. Tiny Speck is doing a fantastic job and I want for them to continue, so for now I can only give my verbal support rather than monetary.
    Posted 15 months ago by Nerdcore Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Same here. I don't have any feelings that it's too much, or that there's anything wrong with it.
    Posted 15 months ago by Ferond Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It's not the money that's the issue, it's the money all at once that's my issue. The only type of subscription I'd be able to justify to myself is something like $5 a month - then I'd pay for maybe 2 months every year. I don't feel like I can afford a luxury like that all the time.
    Posted 15 months ago by Saro Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't have a sub due to money reasons (my heart is from the free month, btw)
    It is not a case of $30 being a lot for a YEAR of entertainment, but about the brutal fact that it is NOT $30 for a year, it is $30 Right Now, which I could literally eat for a month off of, if I really had to. If it were actually $2.50 per month being removed from my greedy little hands, that might make a difference, but probably not.
    For me, it is not a comparison of what other games or entertainment-type things would cost, but what else I could get with that money. For example, $30 is probably my grand total budget for Christmas this year (probably more like 20). Glitch sub or Christmas isn't much of a decision to me.

    There is also the question of knowing what to expect. This is still in Beta, we don't really know what might happen, and while it would already suck lots of balls if the game closed forever, it would suck a lot more balls if I had paid money and it closed.

    I don't think it would be insulting at all, except for the fact that nobody here really knows me, and I would be totally weirded out if a stranger bought me something. That mostly depends on your level of closeness with the person I guess.
    Posted 15 months ago by Biohazard Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I want to thank you all for your thoughtful responses, and for taking time to explain all your reasons to me. I suspected there would be many different points of view, and I appreciate your honesty. I wish I was rolling in it, so I could get all the broke-but-deserving folks subs, but the sad truth is that I'm not. Also, when I wrote this, we were still in beta and now that we've launched, the cost will increase, which is another factor.

    Thanks again, and happy launch day!
    Posted 15 months ago by Lilith Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I really wanted to subscribe, but I missed the deadline and I can't really afford the $ right now – similar to many of those above.
    Posted 15 months ago by Doctor Barf Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I didn't buy a subscription because the benefits of subscribing are not worth the cost. I am not into designer virtual clothes (although I know many are), I don't need teleport tokens (I prefer walking, taking the train or using whatever teleport skills I have) and I don't care about voting in referenda (if TS changes the game in ways I don't like, I can always stop playing).

    Simply put, the free portion of the game is compelling to me. The paid additions are not.
    Posted 15 months ago by BarryW Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't have a subscription because I don't have a credit card. Plain and simple.
    Posted 15 months ago by Piratice Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't have one because I can't justify the cost right now, being in debt- but as soon as I am well in the black again I'll buy one. Not because I really need one, but because I want to support TS. 
    Posted 15 months ago by Cefeida Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I'm not a subscriber, but if I had any expendable income I most definitely would be! 
    I imagine if anyone bought -me- a subscription, I would be utterly baffled as to why they would be so generous, but also extremely excited indeed.
    Posted 15 months ago by Loki Laufeyson Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Isn't it $50 for a year at Tin level? Or did beta players get some kind of discount?

    If I end up playing a lot, I will definitely subscribe to show my support. Probably on the monthly plan since I go away for a few months a year and wouldn't get to play. 

    $4.99/month is about seventeen cents a day, and I believe I can afford that for a game I'm playing often.

    One issue is that the rewards are not that compelling. However, they don't want to provide rewards that are powerful or too special or else everyone who can't pay feels left out. Thin line, but I think if more vanity stuff like pets and maybe even more effective tools gets added it would encourage people to buy more.
    Posted 15 months ago by Macha Parfait Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think that if I still lived in Vancouver, I would show my appreciation by bringing TS some cookies, it's much more "from the heart" than buying a sub :)
    Posted 15 months ago by Biohazard Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I meant to get one before the Beta specials ran out, but it was a budget thing for me. That and not being certain exactly how much I would want the subscriber benefits. Sure, the credits would be nice and access to subscriber wardrobe options, but I don't really use the tp tokens. I'm sure I'll subscribe at some point. I just haven't yet.
    Posted 15 months ago by Zara Wunderwoot Subscriber! | Permalink
  • the subscription offers nothing of value to me, so i don't subscribe.
    Posted 15 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Lilith, there are some more answers (from other people) to the questions you posed, on the thread I started 5 days ago.

    http://www.glitch.com/forum/general/7556/

    (Btw, I was completely *over the moon* when my boyfriend figured out that we were able to afford subscriptions after all, just before the Beta prices were gone. He gave me mine as a gift.)

    @Macha Parfait, yes, Beta Testers were able to get subscriptions at half off of the "regular" prices. 

    C.J.
    Posted 15 months ago by Carnivale Justice Subscriber! | Permalink