Champions Online's special subscriptions make a comeback

This is just Cryptic fixing their own mistake, that forum announcement linked here:
http://forums.champions-online.com/announcement.php?f=2&a=7
was "stealth edited", thanks to Google here's the original cached version of the announcement:
http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:gsV1ByDl4k0J:forums.champions-online.com/announcement.php%3Ff%3D5%26a%3D7+http://forums.champions-online.com/announcement.php&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

Make up your own mind but it left a bad taste

Smells like marketing to me, creating false scarcity just when anticipation is at a fever pitch.

That or the 'limited offer' was created to foster a sense of false scarcity but they forgot to mention internally that it wasn't really limited when it comes to turning away customers with money in their hand.

I would be quite surprised if another lifetime sub deal and discounted long-term deal was not available post-launch. Probably continuously.

Whatever their secret machinations, I like the game a lot so I picked up the 6mo.

I don't think it was a big marketing gimmick. I think they just realized that they hadn't worded things correctly, and then decided that it'd be best to give the masses what they'd orginally (loosly) stated.

My theory about retention and revenue was wrong.

I'm impressed, to be honest.

It is always more fun/interesting to assume some kind of conspiracy, I guess.

More likely someone on the sales side noticed that the budgeted limit might be reached before September 1st and alerted that this might be an issue. Initial decision was to notify people trying buy. The people directly involved here probably were not in a position to change/make budget decisions, so would not be able to continue sell even if they wanted to.

Good to see that they have sorted out things and that the company is able to respond reasonbly quick to issues like this.

Sweet just purchased mine. I was kinda disappointed yesterday but I was still going to play regardless. Now Im happy I can pay for basically a year and never pay again.

My gaming partner and I were both very skeptical of CO before the open beta. My friend had never been able to get past level 4 with CoX. It just didn't do it for him. I'd played CoX for a year until WoW came out, at which point our guild switched to that. Since then I've tried coming back several times and I did get a character to max but after that I always got bored quickly and unsubbed before the month ended.

The idea of CO only offering long term subs until launch day felt like the company had no confidence in their product and wanted to get as much money as they could while they could. On the other hand, it could also have meant huge confidence. The problem was that there really wasn't any way to know which it would be.

Our (very limited) enthusiasm took a big nosedive when open beta started and nobody could get in thanks to the patching issues. That was just about it for me. But I had a non-refundable online preorder from GameStop and nothing else to do thanks to the Aion beta being shut down, so gave it a shot.

Both of us were amazed by how much fun we were having. The tutorial was better than CoX. The crisis zones were each interesting to play through. But once past that and the world opens up the game just got better and better. (By the way, for the people who bitch about a 100 person limit per instance -- you obviously never had much experience with other "heroes" swooping in and taking your mission objective while you were fighting the guardian mobs, or camping out waiting for a spawn. That limit is a blessing at times.) We soon realized that this game was different and fun enough that even if it lost its luster at some point it would still keep drawing us back periodically for a super hero "fix". Only 13 months of play are required to make back the cost of the lifetime sub, and suddenly that offer felt like a great idea. Both of us bought one a few days before the quantities ran out.

I avoided posting then because I didn't want to come across as gloating. (Neener, neener. We got ours and you're locked out.) But now that the offer is back and without quantity restrictions I'm pleased to be able to say that CO made believers out of two major skeptics. It was surprising when it turned out that the offer could sell out, although understandable in retrospect given that there were STO beta slots involved. But having played and enjoyed the game as much as we did it was no surprise that it did do so.

People can cry "foul" and "conspiracy!" as much as they want, but I think that this newest move by Cryptic simply demonstrates that the company really does listen to its customers and isn't afraid to say, "we screwed up" when the situation calls for it. After the outcry, I was actually expecting them to bring the offer back, but without all (or at least as many) of the extras. At this point, anyone who originally said, "I loved this game so much I wanted to buy a lifetime sub, but now that I can't I won't play it at all" can put their money where their mouths are. Anyone who doesn't, simply wanted an excuse to bitch and frankly the game will be more enjoyable without them.

In the end, this move by Cryptic just makes me that much happier to have purchased my lifetime sub back in the first batch.

This is really a storm in a glass of water..
If people want it now they have the chance to get it. If not, then don't.

If it was such a huge marketing ploy it wouldn't expire in a couple of days.

I just hope they don't live to regret it coming back to bite them in the **s.. as re-opening the offer they are setting a bad precedent for themselves.

Namely that inccorect, rude and innapropiate behaviour will be rewarded.

I think Cryptic does listen to their fanbase and since they did, i got my Lifetime this morning along with a friend.

Now I'm tempted, when I learned you can solo. It just looks fun.

Of course it makes no sense for me to get a lifetime subscription, given how slowly and intermittedly I play games. I should subscribe for a couple of months and see how it goes. But then - there's that weird logic going on - subscribe once and you won't have to pay a monthly fee! But then - if I don't play, why am I subscribing at all?

I tell you - weird logic - given how I play, but I'm still tempted. For people who know they are going to play, it looks like a great deal.

@ Arrow-Pop

What you say is true, but, I held Cryptic as a fair company that has interest in its longevity and so far I am pleased with their game design decisions, under this, your argument is purely academic in value, since an established studio is there to stay.

So funny. I called this one, as they are once again doing EXACTLY what was done with Hellgate: London. It's Hellgate all over again. Nice one Bill Roper.

I made a mistake once of buying a lifetime on LOTR, now i have a worthless game ran by gutless, anal individuals whos sole purpose in life is to let people know "their station demands respect". Never again.

Are you sure lifetime subs have been reinstated?

When I try to go to the page it says "Page Not Found"...

http://www.champions-online.com/node/450341
http://www.champions-online.com/exclusive_specials