The next version of insanely popular Japanese game series Monster Hunter for the Wii is going to only be available for gamers who pay a subscription fee. Capcom will be charging Japanese users $8 will for the honor of playing Monster Hunter 3 on the Wii for a month. $15 will pay for 60 days and $20 will buy three months.
I doubt the fee schedule will come to the U.S. for this game, because who would pay a monthly fee for Monster Hunter? But on the other hand, the idea of paying a subscription fee for more than just MMOs might be on the horizon for gaming... and in a way, it could be a good deal.
If you could pay some small fee for a day of gaming and no money at all for the game itself, it would give you a chance to try out a title before you buy it. If it sucks, you're only out five bucks, not 60. And if it's a great game, the people who made it will get paid out higher than that.
On the other hand, a monthly fee schedule would likely change the content of games, as developers and publishers would try to create games designed only to keep players hooked enough to keep shelling out cash. At the expense of things like a satisfying story... if subscription models were adopted, it might mean an end to game endings, as well as an increase in World of Warcraft style grinding.
What game would you pay a fee to play?
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