Dragon Quest X has Subscription Fees but Offers 2 Free Hours Daily

[LightyKD]

Unlike previous titles in the series, Square Enix’s Dragon Quest X will have a subscription fee for online play, but you can get two free hours of gaming time every day.

In a surprisingly smart move by the developer, the more casual-focused MMO title will host a certain period of time each day called “Kids’ Time”, when online play will be available without fees. According to Siliconera, there’s no need to prove your age either, but Square Enix is scheduling the free play periods for times that children will most likely be out of school.


source
http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/dragon-quest-x-has-subscription-fees-but-offers-2-free-hours-per-day/

 

[Snailface]

This is an interesting application of the 'free to play' business model. A daily time trail to lure [strike]kids[/strike] adults into being paying customers.
I wonder if Squeenix will try this over here in the Western Hemisphere...

 

[raulpica]

Awesome! This has to be one of the smarted F2P ideas for a MMORPG I've seen around.

I'm sure they'll also include something else other than that (level cap?), but it's a good thing, especially when there are months when you can play a lot less - times in which 2 hours a day are already enough

 

[LightyKD]

The 2 hours a day idea is awesome! I play all of my games episodically so this would be perfect for me

 

[redfalcon]

I'm sure they'll also include something else other than that (level cap?), but it's a good thing, especially when there are months when you can play a lot less - times in which 2 hours a day are already enough

Which doesn't help either if they schedule it around 13 or 14 o'clock and one has a 9-to-5 job. They will conveniently place the free time into a span where kids are at home, but adults with jobs usually not.

 

[SparkFenix]

I'm sure they'll also include something else other than that (level cap?), but it's a good thing, especially when there are months when you can play a lot less - times in which 2 hours a day are already enough

Which doesn't help either if they schedule it around 13 or 14 o'clock and one has a 9-to-5 job. They will conveniently place the free time into a span where kids are at home, but adults with jobs usually not.

It was set for the time when kids are out of school so I doubt it would be at that time.

 

[redfalcon]

It was set for the time when kids are out of school so I doubt it would be at that time.

If they target kids < 14 years, this should be a reasonable time. At least here in germany mid-school (up to 10th grade) usually lasts until then. Don't know about Japan though.

Edit: Duh. Its in the source: 13 to 15 o'clock kids time on weekends, 16 to 18 o'clock on weekdays.

 

[RupeeClock]

That's a great idea for an MMO, but I don't want DQX to be an MMO at all.

I just want a single player campaign, offline.

 

[SparkFenix]

It was set for the time when kids are out of school so I doubt it would be at that time.

If they target kids < 14 years, this should be a reasonable time. At least here in germany mid-school (up to 10th grade) usually lasts until then. Don't know about Japan though.

Edit: Duh. Its in the source: 13 to 15 o'clock kids time on weekends, 16 to 18 o'clock on weekdays.

On what GMT will this be though

 

[chyyran]

I usually don't play DQ anyways..

It's good news for those people who do, but IMO, someone will find a way to bypass the 2 hour time limit somehow, in time.

 

[raulpica]

That's a great idea for an MMO, but I don't want DQX to be an MMO at all.

I just want a single player campaign, offline.

I feel ya brah. I won't ever forgive Square-enix for FF11 and FF14 WHY NOT CALL THEM "FF ONLINE", dang!

someone will find a way to bypass the 2 hour time limit somehow, in time.

Probably a server-side limitation, so no bypass for that.

 

[RupeeClock]

Probably a server-side limitation, so no bypass for that.

Maybe, maybe not, something may possibly lead to unofficial servers or simple cheat codes for forced offline play.
There'll be the Wii version after all.

 

[raulpica]

Probably a server-side limitation, so no bypass for that.

Maybe, maybe not, something may possibly lead to unofficial servers or simple cheat codes for forced offline play.
There'll be the Wii version after all.

Ever tried playing World of Warcraft offline, ALONE? It's one of the most boring gaming experiences EVER. This would be the same thing

Unofficial servers might be a good possibility, but it's all in the hands of the devs. Look at Final Fantasy XI, it took years just to get to a preliminary stage where you can connected, talk and do stuff, as the game was really difficult to reverse-engineer and re-implement - only to be taken down from SquareEnix's massive army of lawyers a while later.

 

[BORTZ]

I like this idea, the only thing that puts me off is its possible the servers will be overloaded during these 2 hours. Almost making it worth paying for if you want decent connection time lol

Its possible. I mean we have all seen how well N has done with online in the past.

 

[RupeeClock]

Probably a server-side limitation, so no bypass for that.

Maybe, maybe not, something may possibly lead to unofficial servers or simple cheat codes for forced offline play.
There'll be the Wii version after all.

Ever tried playing World of Warcraft offline, ALONE? It's one of the most boring gaming experiences EVER. This would be the same thing

Unofficial servers might be a good possibility, but it's all in the hands of the devs. Look at Final Fantasy XI, it took years just to get to a preliminary stage where you can connected, talk and do stuff, as the game was really difficult to reverse-engineer and re-implement - only to be taken down from SquareEnix's massive army of lawyers a while later.

WoW isn't the game I have in mind, actually it's Diablo III.
Cited to be more of a single player experience above all else, but still treated like an MMO with mandatory online play (no subscription though)

If DQX is designed solely as an MMO, then yes, it will be boring played offline.

 

[DSGamer64]

Between 7 and 9 PM would be fine, you don't feel guilty about not playing a game when you don't have time to do so, which is the problem with subscription based games. That said, they need to still offer a lot of content in the game for players to play it regularly even with the non subscription time, and any subscription play would be for those who might be more involved in the game.

 

[pyromaniac123]

Where can I buy those slimes?

edit: Found them on yesasia.com.

 

[chartube12]

2 hours isn't long enough. Often in MMOs you'll be sitting for at least half that time while the group is being formed together for a difficult/long activity. Than the said activity will take 1-3 hours it self to do. These free hours are aimed at solo-ers and the impatient aka people who shouldn't be playing MMOs in the first place. MMOs are all about the team experience.

 

[Bladexdsl]

wow 2 free hours per day definitely getting it now

 

[shakirmoledina]

its a great plan but one thing came immediately onto my mind, traffic. i hope they can manage. maybe backup servers will do.