Pre-paying for multiple months: why?

[shiznitz]

I really don't understand why anyone ever does this. The savings are much too little to justify the risk in my experience.

1) If you have ever subscribed for more than a month at a time, did you stop playing before your sub ran out?

2) If 1), for the next game, did you repeat this behavior?

Bottom line, what do you gain by committing for more than a month other than saving $1-2 a month?

[cevik]

Pre-paying for multiple months: why?

Because some people have a deep, burning, crippling, self loathing.  They do this so the rest of us can point and laugh.  It's awful nice of them.

[Kail]

Sometimes, it's the only way to play.  Before I had a credit card, the only way I could play WoW was to buy one of their prepaid game cards, which automatically tops you up for two months.

[Shockeye]

Sometimes, it's the only way to play.  Before I had a credit card, the only way I could play WoW was to buy one of their prepaid game cards, which automatically tops you up for two months.

I don't count a game card the same as buying the 3, 6 or 12 month subscription plan to save $2.17.

[Sky]

I do the opposite. I sub for a month then cancel so I don't forget to later. If I'm enjoying myself, I'll resub when I can't login after the month is up.

Some games (I forget which, but I remember getting HULK SMASH angry) instantly cancel, without the month credit. Wish I could remember which cocksuckers did that shit.

[Typhon]

I bought 6 months of WoW because as beta was coming to a close I knew I'd be playing it for at least 6 months more (no other MMO I was interested in was going to be out in that timeframe).  I played  for almost six months at which point I was completely burnt out and canceled a couple days ahead of my re-up period.  I only had to check once (about 4 months in) to remember when in the month the re-up period would be coming up.

I guess my point is, it didn't require obsessive checking of the re-up date, I knew I'd be playing for a long stretch, why not just save the money?  Was I going to make any appreciable interest on that cash that I paid out ahead of time?  Would it have been more then I saved?  I honestly haven't thought about it, and won't think about it, but knock yourselves out.

[Krakrok]

I never pre-pay. My friends always pre-pay. I laugh at them.

[shiznitz]

Sometimes, it's the only way to play.  Before I had a credit card, the only way I could play WoW was to buy one of their prepaid game cards, which automatically tops you up for two months.

I don't count a game card the same as buying the 3, 6 or 12 month subscription plan to save $2.17.

Agreed.

Glad to see f13ers aren't fools in this regard. I would need 3 months free to buy a 12 month plan.

[Numtini]

I prepay for AO. I play it on and off and stop in to see people or go to someone's party at Reet's or whatever else.

It's more than saving a few dollars tho, it drops the price from 15 to 8 a month.

[Signe]

I pay for Righ's WoW either 3 or 6 months in advance, I don't remember which.  Go on.  Mock me and flame me.  I don't care.  You are all dumbasses anyway.  Except Numtini who is lovely.

[Typhon]

you with the blank pic as signature are just hurtful.  I'm in the "pre-pay if it makes sense camp".  HURTFUL I SAY!

[Paelos]

I go a month at a time when I start a game. After 2 months I make a call on the game. If I'm not seeing potential to play for a while, I quit there. No reason to screw with it anymore. If I think I'm hooked I go for a 3 or 6 month payment plan if it knocks off more than 10% overall from the price. I've never had a problem with wasted months in games. Then, again I don't jump around from MMOGs a lot.

[Bunk]

I usually pay three months at a time. I usually can't really tell what staying power a game has in just one month. Plus, I tend to be frivolous with money.

[Yegolev]

My only excuse is that I always think I'll love the game for all eternity.

[cevik]

My only excuse is that I always think I'll love the game for all eternity.

Women and MMOGs are the two things you can rest assured you will not love for all eternity.

[Signe]

My only excuse is that I always think I'll love the game for all eternity.

Women and MMOGs are the two things you can rest assured you will not love for all eternity.

That doesn't sound reassuring.     At what point do men stop loving women?  I guess I should prepare myself for that day...?

[cevik]

That doesn't sound reassuring.     At what point do men stop loving women?  I guess I should prepare myself for that day...?

:p

I of course meant individual women.  We stop loving you right around the time that you put out.

[JoeTF]

AFAIK EVE allows you to get your money back if you quit after before sub ran out.
But then, it took my friend 7 months to get back cash he was double billed for.

Moreover, 3 months isn't that much of a risk. 12 months... I guess people who pay for 12 months could afford paying for 120 months as well...
 

[Sairon]

I usualy go with 1 month plan as well. One some rare occassions I pick 3 months, for example WoW. I was fairly certain that I would enjoy it for atleast 3 months so I thought what the heck, why not. 6 month plans and up is way to far in the future though. Some MMORPGs didn't even last past the free month though.

[Signe]

That doesn't sound reassuring.     At what point do men stop loving women?  I guess I should prepare myself for that day...?

:p

I of course meant individual women.  We stop loving you right around the time that you put out.

Whew!  I have nothing to worry about!   

[HaemishM]

The people you really need to point and laugh at are the ones who not only pay for multiple months in advance, and not only do it for multiple accounts, but who do so for games that CONTINUALLY kick them in the balls. Games like Horizons, or Star Wars Galaxies, or any SOE game. You know, games that continually promise the moon, provide a moldy moon pie and a kick in the chao sack every few months in the name of saving the game.

[Dren]

One month at a time.  I've saved myself a lot of money doing it that way.  SWG (less than 1 month), CoH (2 months), FFXI (2 months), AO (one month), SB (3 months), EQ (2 months), etc.  Games like UO (quit when it went to $15 thankfully) and WoW are diluting the total amount I've saved, but I figure I'm still up over $50.

[Venkman]

I used to think the only people who prepaid for multiple months in an MMOG, particularly a new one, were probably new to the genre, not having yet been burned by redesigns, bugs, "fixes", etc.

I personally don't. It's not worth the few dimes a month I may save to prepay for a game I can't guarantee I'll even recognize a year down the road.

But nowadays I just think it's because people do enjoy games that much.

There are a great many who are not game jumpers though. Many of us here are though. It's hard to maintain exclusive interest in a game when everyone else around is talking about something else. But others get sucked into an experience, be it EQ, SWG, WoW, or GW, and they love it so much it really doesn't matter what else they hear about. Their exposure to alternatives may actually be limited to global chat channels, or maybe in their guildchat. It's still a rarity for people to bother going to their own guild forums, much less meta game forums.

It's these people who buy the 3-, 6-, and so on passes.

And, as evidenced in this thread, even people who do love talking about games can love one enough to know they'll stick with it many months in advance.

[Alkiera]

I used to pre-pay for EQ months at a time, back when I played it.  I had played it for years, and didn't really show too much signs of stopping... at one point I pre-paid for a year in advance.  I think I went to a month-to-month plan after that one, and quit shortly thereafter... to play SWG of all things.

I figure paying that way saved me a decent amount of money, as I was gonna be playing that long anyhow... I was subcribed to EQ for something like 5 years, more or less continuously(I missed probably 3-4 months in that time, spread out over that time).

Nowadays, I don't trust any dev team anymore.  Not enough to pay that far ahead.  In one month they can break the game beyond recognition.  If I'm paid for the next 6... I'm just screwed.  Doesn't make sense.

Alkiera

[Signe]

WoW is the only one I've ever paid for 3 months at a time.  We'll probably switch it to monthly soonish as it seems Righ is playing less and less.  I never pay for more than a month at a time for me, however... I'm much too fickle with games.

[Calantus]

I kicked my WoW sub up to 3 months because I'm not going anywhere soon and the account it's on I have to feed money to from my other account, a task I forgot twice in a row, basically making me just buy the damn 3 month plan so it happens 1/3 as often.

[Soukyan]

Some games (I forget which, but I remember getting HULK SMASH angry) instantly cancel, without the month credit. Wish I could remember which cocksuckers did that shit.

Turbine used to do this with AC and AC2 when they were under Microsoft's billing. I don't believe they do this any longer, but I agree. The first time I was warned about cancelling and losing any remaining time, I was pretty livid. I just made a huge red mark on the calendar for the cancellation day.

[Furiously]

I'm much too fickle with games.

Just games?

[WayAbvPar]

I made my first ever mutliple month subscription last night with Eve. I went for 3 months- I figure that will be enough time to see if I really will enjoy the game long term. It also saved me a few bucks, but I was more interested in A) setting a time limit, and B) not having to hassle with a monthly subscription. When 3 months comes up, I will be more forced to make a decision; it is easy to let things run from month to month, but staring another lump payment in the face is another thing.

[Lordofchance]

I use to prepay for 3 months when playing MMO's but after my last encounter with MxO, and being screwed over with it being sold to SOE, and SOE tanking the game I dont believe I will be prepaying for MMO's anymore.

[Stormwaltz]

I prepay for games I've already spent a couple of months in and like enough to continue. I do it because I don't believe any MMO yet made is worth paying more than $12 a month, and you can often get prices back down to that on the 3 or 6 month plans.

[El Gallo]

I should start prepaying because I never cancel any of my damn subscriptions anyway.  I paid for EQ and AC for years after I stopped playing, just because I'd log in once every few months to look around.  Or at least I thought I might.  I'm the best kind of customer!

[Llava]

6 months or more is kinda crazy.

Under that, I can see doing it.  I can say with a pretty healthy amount of certainty that I'll still be playing City of Villains in April because I have no fucking taste.

That said, I only ever do 1 month at a time lately.

[Evangolis]

I pay longer term for various things because the primary limitation for me in paying bills in general is not so much the money as it is my deeply limited tolerance for paperwork.  And yes, my credit rating does suck as a result of this, but in these days of rampant identity theft, bad credit is probably my best protection against having my identity stolen.  So I've got that going for me.

[Azazel]

Some games (I forget which, but I remember getting HULK SMASH angry) instantly cancel, without the month credit. Wish I could remember which cocksuckers did that shit.

Turbine used to do this with AC and AC2 when they were under Microsoft's billing. I don't believe they do this any longer, but I agree. The first time I was warned about cancelling and losing any remaining time, I was pretty livid. I just made a huge red mark on the calendar for the cancellation day.

Actually, I called in November of '04 to cancel my X-Box Live thing, so thay they wouldn't auto-rebill me (I'd used the 12-month card anyway) and the guy said that the cancel is instant, even if you have pre-paid time left, so I told him not to worry about it..

Moved later that month and never got around to hooking the blue cable of doom across the living room floor from the computer room (open plan living + floorboard doesn't mesh well with hiding the blue cable). I called them in Jan of last year to actually make the cancel and the woman told me that my account had been cancelled since the previous November. While no gerbils were injured since I hadn't actually tried to use XBL, they certainly made sure that I'll never give MS my CC number for any kind of recuring billing. (which I guess also includes Vanguard, though I have no intention of playing that thing).

As far as MMOGs go, I may have had 1 or 2,  6-month prepaid stints on EQ1, and I certainly had a lot of 3-month ones, since it was the best and only game in town with nothing on the horizon for a long time back then. Basically, I knew I'd still be playing EQ in 6 months, and the saving was decent, then later, the 3-month thing was out of convenience more than for the $6 saving, so my card would be charged 4 times a year instead of 12.  Eventually I dropped down to 1-month with the instant-cancel till I stopped last Janurary. Now they keep sending me emails with 3 free weeks attatched, but I just don't care anymore.

With WoW, I use the gamecards. Costs me AU$34 for the 60 days when it would cost me AU$48 to pay online-monthly for 2 months. The first card I used all of, the second I lost interest about halfway through, now I'm playing again and have almost used the full time on it. Much better than being charged on my card, also.