Sony Plans To Charge Fees For MAG

Unveiled for the first time at E3 and much to the delight of those in attendance, MAG is now firmly on your radar if you're a PlayStation 3 owner. A MMO of epic proportions and designed to completely revolutionize the genre with its fresh gameplay approach, we can't wait to hear more about it.

However, while some of you who aren't used to online fees - after all, the Network is free - you may be surprised to learn you'll have to fork over a little cash if you wish to play. As TheBitBag reports, PlayStation Underground just issued "A Little Survey for an Exciting New Game," and apparently, that game is MAG. They ask you 15 different questions all relating to possibly Payment options for the game, which means Sony probably plans to charge a monthly or yearly fee. Here's a snapshot of the survey, although none of the questions are shown. The survey does include other information; EA, Sony and Activision are all buddying up to handle the server for the game, for example. MAG is a truly colossal undertaking from top to bottom from what we saw, so it's no surprise to hear about the possibility of fees being involved. Some PS3 owners who really never used a PC or Xbox Live certainly aren't familiar with the MMO, and may think charging a fee is just plain terrible...but that's the way MMOs work, buddy.

Yeah, you pay to play. It's what EverQuest players were doing since Day 1. Of course, these days, a game would have to be downright amazing for the console gamer to hand over the cash to play a game (on top of the money he had to pay to buy it). Hence, MAG had better deliver the goods...

Related Game(s): MAG

9/27/2008 Ben Dutka

Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter

Comments (41 posts)

Toggle Scrolling | Reload Comments

JPBooch
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 10:37:52 AM
Reply

I did that survey and made it clear I wasn't going to pay to play a game. I also articulated that not having to pay for psn was a major advantage. They are probably just testing the field, if more people responded the way I did I'm sure they wouldn't want to charge people for it.

0 up, 0 down

jonny_bolton
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 10:39:21 AM
Reply

I used to have City of Heroes on the PC and didn't mind the fee then but I could only use it for a year because, after that the fee was crippling. I'm a poor ass student and I definatly won't be able to afford the game as well as a monthly fee, so it's a miss for me.

0 up, 0 down

Swerve
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 11:05:19 AM
Reply

when you pay to play the developers stay on top of that game with updates i really like it better it makes for a better long term gaame

0 up, 0 down

NEWCL0UD
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 11:12:27 AM
Reply

i dont really want to pay but i do understand that sony must be putting alot of effert into the game and if the price is right and the game runs smooth il get it

1 up, 0 down

Orvisman
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 11:13:24 AM
Reply

Only if the initial game is free. If they charge $60 for the game, then online play needs to be free.

Anyway, MAG is way off. Maybe this poll is for DC Online, which is also way off. Maybe the poll was for a game much closer to coming out, like The Agency. I thought The Agency was coming out this year, but Sony still has not released a date.

0 up, 0 down

Daedusian
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 11:27:49 AM
Reply

If it's $5 a month or $60 yearly, I won't mind. But paying $15 a month for any game is just not worth it to me. I would have to be dedicated to the game to pay that kind of money, and I'm not one of those WoW addicts that plays the game for 3 years and/or 14hrs straight lol. I got to level 70 and that was that. I have no plan on getting the expansion ever either. And I expect this game to not be as big and diverse as WoW. It's not a bad thing, but I'm just saying it seems like MAG is going to be much like Warhawk but far more diverse. So therefore if it's around $10, I think it'll be a little much for people to keep playing.

Last edited by Daedusian on 9/27/2008 11:28:41 AM

0 up, 0 down

akiris
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 11:36:33 AM
Reply

i agree with Daedusian i mean we shouldent but thay say its like a mmo and to pay to keep the servers going i will pay but i dont wanna pay the 12 to 15 thats just to much but i will pay about 5 to 7 that seems more fair to me

0 up, 0 down

ThePoetRazel
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 11:44:07 AM
Reply

The idea of a fee with put off a lot of people. Maybe even enough people to make the game a flop.
If the game's maintenance is that high, just charge more for the game itself. I'd rather just pay the money up front than having them leech it from me constantly.

1 up, 0 down

kreate
Thursday, October 02, 2008 @ 6:39:58 PM

the problem is.. there's a lot of people out there that are willing to pay. and because people are paying, other companies wants to charge. if i was sony.. i'll totally charge the fee looking at the success of the xbox360. but of course, that's why i'm with the ps3.. cuz its free.

0 up, 0 down

RebelExtrm02
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 11:44:57 AM
Reply

If I have to pay to play then I'm not touching this game. If I was willing to pay for online I would have gotten a 360. Unless it's like $10 for a year, count me out. Between the cost of my console, games for it, rent, utilities, car payement, insurance, fuel, etc.... the list goes on and on, I just cant justify another monthly payment.

Last edited by RebelExtrm02 on 9/27/2008 11:45:42 AM

0 up, 0 down

Qubex
Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 1:40:42 AM

I am sure many feel the same way!

Q!

"aLL RoAds LeAd ToO HOmE"

0 up, 0 down

Zapix
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 11:51:27 AM
Reply

Gotta admit, while it's a no brainer that you often pay to play MMOs, isn't MAG more like a super sized CALL OF DUTY or METAL GEAR ONLINE? Plus with 256 people per server as I recall, that kinda takes away from the MMO experience of thousands of people per server. Just doesn't seem right to me for MAG. Too many other games to play that don't cost a thing per month, especially when it's a war game (and there are countless choices there)

Last edited by Zapix on 9/27/2008 11:51:51 AM

0 up, 0 down

MetalHead09
Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 2:44:58 AM

its 256 people per room not server. socom is 256 per server. ill bet that its going to be a much deeper socom type experience. after all zipper did all the socoms till now.

0 up, 0 down

dillonthebunny
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 12:23:48 PM
Reply

if the game is free to download, then fair enough.

but if its not...

0 up, 0 down

Ultimadream
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 12:38:23 PM
Reply

I refuse to pay monthly for anything, It was the main reason i passed on Final Fantasy XI, I just dont like the idea, i'll pay for a game ther & then but thats it, This better not happen to other PS3 features.

0 up, 0 down

djjake
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 12:52:09 PM
Reply

reason for not getting an xbox was because of fees
if playstation do this i will lose all respect

0 up, 0 down

Kiengo
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 1:08:48 PM
Reply

It's an MMO right? Then this is perfectly natural. There's no respect to be lost about it. PSN will always be free, and MAG is a completely different animal. That's how it goes :-)

0 up, 0 down

aaronisbla
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 1:10:13 PM
Reply

just like i figured, people wont like the fees, but you gotta face it, MMOs= Small monthly fees.

0 up, 0 down

LegioN
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 1:30:40 PM
Reply

Bah,not a buy for me now.. What a disappointment.

0 up, 0 down

AceTatsujin
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 2:05:16 PM
Reply

Not buying it. Keep MAG to yourself, Sony. I played MMO's like WoW for 2 years and I did pay, but I played it because it was massive and I've done tons of things (defeated all bosses and Kael'Thus as well, then I quit). I'm not planning to pay to play online, no thank you.

0 up, 0 down

Dingodial
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 4:33:19 PM
Reply

If Sony plans to start charging fees then I won't be able to boast in front of xbox 360 fanboys that I can play online for free with PS3 anymore.

0 up, 0 down

FallenClyro
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 4:36:41 PM
Reply

Not surprised really. I think it would be cool if they gave everyone the chance to download it as a demo and they got to play it for 2 weeks. If they like it they can pay monthly. Of course though this demo would only be available once, like an open beta.

Game sounds good, will wait for reviews.

0 up, 0 down

LightShow
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 5:49:39 PM
Reply

=/ bummer, I guess i wont be buying it

0 up, 0 down

souljah92
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 6:51:16 PM
Reply

that sucks....but everyone has to make money some way or another

0 up, 0 down

www
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 6:57:15 PM
Reply

I don't blame them,MS r chargin 4 xbox live but still got enuff subscribers,why won't Sony allow MAG devs to do sumn of dat sort.The same customers r turnin everythan pay to play

0 up, 0 down

Aftab
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 8:51:20 PM
Reply

I'm sure it's worth it.

0 up, 0 down

Alienange
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 10:13:43 PM
Reply

I was hardly interested to start. If there's a monthly fee then forget it for sure.

I'll just play R2 for free with some friends ... MMOs can go to hell with their fees.

0 up, 0 down

LegendaryWolfeh
Saturday, September 27, 2008 @ 11:41:39 PM
Reply

wow wtf, why is everyone freaking out so hard on this, I mean you can't expect these people to make a game and keep these massive servers up with what you paid for the game in the first place, it's not like psn is suddenly turning pay-to-play the game itself is, if it's really good then why wouldn't you pay it?

0 up, 0 down

Wage SLAVES
Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 1:24:47 AM
Reply

Seriously, if the quality can compare or surpass that of cod4 then Im totally game. As for the price, if it isnt more than equivalent to purchasing another game per year($60)kewl; provided they do keep expansions etc. free....

0 up, 0 down

Zapix
Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 1:27:07 AM
Reply

Paying to pay isn't the end of the world, but MAG is hardly a true MMO. As known, it supports 256 people... That's maybe big for shooter game, but it's hardly 'massive' by any means. World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XI... Those have thousands of people per server. THAT is massive. Also take into consideration that MAG as it was atleast seen at E3 seemed like a large scale shooter. A shooter.... What multiplayer shooter has depth? NONE! Not unless you're playing campaign maybe, but even that gets old fast. MMOs are appeciated for story, things to keep you going back. I doubt the players of MAG will be online bragging at say magplayerforum.com saying "OMFG! I reached level 99, now I'm endgame and can take part in a battle against the super god bosses!" ... Yeah, not gonna happen. MAG is a different type of MMO, one that I can't see the value of paying for, nor does anyone else here it seems.

People like to whine about LIVE! which costs like what... not even $50 a year. Let's just say it's $50 though... That's about $4 a month. That's a happy meal at McDonalds. Nobody is paying PER game though. You pay that $50 for a year, and you play whatever the heck you want. Updates come out they day it's ready, not Thursdays. It's got a chat system that kicks the PSN chat system in the teeth. But that $4 a month is to play whatever you have.

The PSN is free though, and without doubt that's $4 a month saved, which you can use to buy that happy meal, and even get a toy!

How much will MAG be a month though? $5? $10? $15 (which is about the standard MMO costs) or more?

If MAG was more borderline in the same league as WoW or FFXI, I would change my stance on them charging, but for what it is... It's a slap.

Dillon said it best, if it's free to download, then that changes things a bit. Even so though, it better be in the range of $1 to $5 a month. Which we all know it won't be free to download (programmers wanna be paid too you know) $60 a year per player would be less worthwhile than $60 outright for buying it retail.

0 up, 0 down

MetalHead09
Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 2:50:11 AM
Reply

i personally would pay if the price is right. i think a lot of you are jumping the gun a little bit when you start bashing sony for doing what they do best which is bring us gamers absolutely bad ass games. the game is still a ways off so just play it by ear. lets not all start acting like spoiled little children.

0 up, 1 down

Gabriel013
Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 3:05:43 AM
Reply

I think most casual gamers will be giving this a miss. I don't want to be paying monthly for a game which one month I might play for ten hours but the next month I may only be able to play for a couple.

0 up, 0 down

Scarecrow
Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 3:09:29 AM
Reply

This just reassures me that Warhawk is better.

Though this game might be good, but I love Warhawk style. It's like an Arcade take on war and it has a really fun bibe to it.

0 up, 0 down

FallenClyro
Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 9:10:40 AM

Yeah exactly. To me the game seems like COD4 and Warhawk thrown into one. Looks good but will have to wait for the reviews. I like COD4's seriousness and modern warfare style but I also love Warhawk's arcade war style.

Sounds good.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 1:11:41 PM
Reply

I'm with Razel, if the game is awesome awesomeness then treat it like a flat sales tax, take out all you need in one fell swoop. I'm sure MMO lovers wouldn't blink an eye at a 80 dollar price if they played online for free henceforth.

0 up, 0 down

QuasarSquirrel
Sunday, September 28, 2008 @ 8:40:46 PM
Reply

As a 360 owner and XBL subscriber I don't mind paying for my console gaming in general, but I wouldn't feel right paying for just one game on a console. I like to mix it up with what I'm playing. That being said, I don't think we know NEARLY enough about MAG (please god, change the name!) to pass any judgment on it.

0 up, 0 down

DigitalStorm
Monday, September 29, 2008 @ 4:57:58 AM
Reply

^exactly. The greedy buggers at activision et al are gonna bugger themselves up.

As a lifelong ps owner - I'm not adverse to paying a subscription for all online content but having to fork out for each individual game is taking the michael out of their online community. If it happens I'll be defecting that's for sure.

0 up, 0 down

DigitalStorm
Monday, September 29, 2008 @ 4:59:08 AM
Reply

In addition, what if you pay your subscription and then they come out with a bag of ball toss similar of COD4 lobby?

0 up, 0 down

shaydey77
Monday, September 29, 2008 @ 11:06:45 AM
Reply

Everyone prefers the word free.Once you here fee..nope im not interested is the genereal response.im onf of those people.ill pay to buy a game.im not paying for servers. I was quite content playing offline for the past 10 years.I f i have to i will be again!!However..if it was a once off payment like $30 for life..then i might consider it.

0 up, 0 down

bonifidehustla
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 @ 2:44:07 AM
Reply

Lol, 360 subscribers have to pay more for MMOs. Look at final fantasy 11 they have to pay 12.95 plus the xbox live. So i dont know why 360 people coming on here saying they wont pay for one game when they have to pay more for MMOs plus they normal fee.

0 up, 0 down

kreate
Thursday, October 02, 2008 @ 6:35:54 PM
Reply

companies can still make updates without charging us fees. but if they need money.. they can always make a expansion pack and charge for the expansion pack. that way you're paying for a game but not "pay to play".

0 up, 0 down

Please login or register to leave a comment.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories cheats	PSP
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas cheats	PS2
Grand Theft Auto IV cheats	PS3
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 3 cheats	PSP
Star Trek: Tactical Assault cheats	PSP
Growlanser - Generations cheats	PS2
NBA Live 2006 cheats	PS2
Driver cheats	PS1
FIFA Soccer 10 cheats	PS3

Do you plan to buy a PlayStation Vita this year?
	Yes, I'll definitely get one in 2013.
	No, but I'll get one eventually.
	No, I have no intention of buying the Vita.
	No, I've already got one.

Playstation 3

Playstation 4

PSP

Playstation Vita

Playstation 2

Playstation

Other

PSX Extreme

Site Stats

Sony Plans To Charge Fees For MAG

Comments (41 posts)

Leave a Comment

Latest Updates

Popular Cheats

Recent Reviews

Recent Previews

Popular Sections

Extras

Sponsor

Our Poll

Resident Evil: Revelations review	PS3
Metro: Last Light review	PS3
Zombie Tycoon II: Brainhov's Revenge review	PS3
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon review	PS3
Star Trek: The Video Game review	PS3
Injustice: Gods Among Us review	PS3
Dead Island: Riptide review	PS3
Defiance review	PS3
Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 review	PS3
Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel review	PS3

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified preview	PS3
Time and Eternity preview	PS3
Ride to Hell: Retribution preview	PS3
Call of Juarez: Gunslinger preview	PS3
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon preview	PS3
Spartacus Legends preview	PS3
Payday 2 preview	PS3
DUST 514 preview	PS3
Dynasty Warriors 8 preview	PS3
Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness preview	PS3