A lifetime commitment to anything, let alone a game, is a heck of a decision to make. While things like marriage are much less important when compared to games, (for some!), seeing developers offer a lifetime subscription for an online game is quite an alluring prospect.
Case-in-point, for a nice one-time price of $149.99 USD, players can purchase and play Hellgate: London till the day the world explodes, or till the game goes under.
So yes, just a one-time price can alleviate any pressure in having to continually pay a monthly fee, but just the mere thought of paying $150 and then having the game go under in, say, under a year, is a heck of a gamble.
Also the terms of use clearly state, "The user acknowledges and agrees that: (a) the Hellgate: London online component, including, but not limited to the online subscription component may be cancelled at any time, without any refunds or other compensation to the user…"
Note that even though you’ll pay $150 to play forever, you’ll still have to pay for any additional content or expansion packs.
So how do you guys feel about a one-time subscription fee for online games? Yes, it can save money in the long run but there’s always the fear of a game going under rather early. But hey, Flagship Studios, the original masterminds behind games like Diablo II, are behind Hellgate: London, so there’s some reassurance there.
