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November 15 2010

Just like a hero, risen back to life, Lifetime Subscriptions are back at Champions Online.

(Feel free to replace “hero” with “villain” in that last line depending on your opinions of lifetime subs.)

Cryptic is trying to cash in on the new pay model for Champions Online… and when I say cash in, I’m not exaggerating.  Cryptic is charging “just” $299.

Fight for Life: Just $299!

Millennium City will always need heroes, and here’s your chance to commit to saving the world forever. After it’s been off the market for over a year, we’re happy to reintroduce the Lifetime Subscription option to Champions Online. With a Lifetime Subscription, you can play Champions Online forever and never pay a monthly subscription fee again!

But the perks of a lifetime subscription extend beyond just a great savings opportunity. We’ve also bundled in special features for Lifetime Subscribers as tokens of appreciation. Here are some of the benefits we’ve extended to our Lifetime players:

• No subscription fee: Play without a monthly fee forever! (When Champions Online goes Free-to-Play, Lifetime Subscribers will receive all the benefits of Gold Members in perpetuity!)
• Free digital copy of the game: No need to purchase a retail key. It’s included in your Lifetime purchase!
• Foxbat Action Figure - A miniature version of Foxbat to accompany you in-game.
• Art Deco/Art Deco Future Costume Sets - Two free costume sets, original to Champions Online’s launch.
• Eight character slots - Create eight different heroes.
• The VIP room - The VIP room in Club Caprice is restricted to Lifetime Subscribers and longtime Champions veterans.
• Exclusive costume piece - Just visit a tailor in-game to add it to your current hero.
• “Vanguard” Perk and title - Show off that you’re committed to Champions Online for the duration.
• Forum goodies - Change the color of your handle and show off that Vanguard title on the forums, too.
• More on the way!

As a point of interest, you can purchase a PS3 for $299.

You can purchase an Xbox 360 for $299.  Or even a 360 with 4GB instead, which will pad your pocket with $100 leftover.

Don’t even get me started on the Wii and handhelds.

Another way to look at this is that at $15 per month, it will take you a year and a half to recoup that $299.

When Star Trek Online made the same offer in February of this year, some folks rationalized their Lifetime Subscription purchase with that logic.

I’d hazard a guess that many of those same people are no longer playing.

With DC Universe Online coming out next year, does Cryptic really expect to sell many of these?  And once again, is this Cryptic trying to take advantage of the few, versus providing a reasonable service for the many?

I don’t believe that three hundred bucks is a reasonable price-point, especially in light of upcoming superhero games.  Three hundred bucks feels far more like gouging the few true fans of the IP, versus offering an incentive to others to invest in the game.

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