eRepublik - A Pay to Play Subscription Game?
Day 2,136, 17:14
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Published in United Kingdom 
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by
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by Major Lee Hung
Pay to Play?
For a while now, we've been seeing a sure transition in eRepublik, mostly based around the economy model and having a big impact on everything else.
The cost to do anything is increasing, yet most people's earnings aren't. The only way to cover yourself is to put in a minimum investment of at least €200, which is about the amount you need to pay to play actively without needing to invest more.
Is this €200 just a life-time subscription fee? Is eRepublik truly free to play?
The Hidden Subscription Fee
How much does it really cost to fight?
To see the true costs, you need to consider what the average eRepublik player will do each day and what assets they have.
Like me, many try to fit in fulfilling their daily order after working & training. The cost of this has gone up at least 60% in the last 14 days and is showing no signs of stopping. As mentioned above, seemingly the only counter is to pay a significant investment to save yourself € in the long-run.
'Food Fighting'
You have 650 maximum wellness, you're the average player and working & training consumes 150 of your total energy - energy + reserve is now at 1,150.
Tanks: £174.00
Foo
TOTAL: £358.00
If you log on once per day, you can expect to pay out £358.00 per day to achieve a decent result from the missions, without using your bank card.
This Cost in Real Money
Now, after working the above out, I was curious. If we linked that cost to some kind of real-life money equivalent, how much would it cost? Is this some sort of hidden subscription fee to enjoy all of the game's features?
Gold Cost: 1.75 gold per day
Real Money Equivalent: €0.45 (during a gold promotion)
So if you were to count up the above, you're paying €3.15 per week essentially just to do the very basics that eRepublik has to offer.
This is €12.6 per month just to log in, work, train and fight
Hidden Pay to Play Subscription Model?
This is much like a subscription model in your average MMO. Many will operate a model in which you can play limited features for free, but have to pay to do the more 'fun' things. (Or as I like to think of it, to actually play the game and not just a demo) Considering the above, and the fact that your average player won't have the assets to generate that much income, surely they'd have to buy gold if they enjoy the game and what to enjoy all of the features at their leisure.
Consider the above model in eRepublik. If you want to just log in once a day to work and train, that's free. If you want to fight too and get truly involved, you're going to need to pay with real money somewhere down the line.
The War Stash can save you €2.6 a month, and it basically acts as your monthly subscription fee with similar rewards to what you'll find in other MMOs. The ONLY difference is that eRepublik is disguised as free to play. This is actually becoming a common business model in its own right for the online gaming market. Welcome to the not-so-free-to-play market.
So How Does eRepublik Compare?
If we group eRepublik with MMOs based on their subscription fee, assuming that the War Stash is your monthly subscription:
#1. Star Wars The Old Republik: €14.49
#2. World of Warcraft: €12.99
#3. Final Fantasy: €12.95
#4. eRepublik: €9.99
#5. Ryzom: €7.99
#6. Tibia: €7.45
So eRepublik is towards the middle of the spectrum of subscription fees. Assuming that about 20% of eRepublik players are 'subscribers', althought it could be as high as 40%, eRepublik is making a net profit of at least €250,000 per month.
When you include people who pay masses more than the subscription fee, this number can quickly double. When you consider the size of eRepublik's operations compared to the other games (tiny network infrastructure, a fraction of the staff, no split between publisher/developer) eRepublik is the most profitable MMO on the list. If it had the other games on the list have, it would undoubtedly be the highest earning game created.
Now, the average player who pays is going to probably stick around for about 1.5 - 3 years. If you consider how much you're going to spend in the long run, buying a few hundred gold now and setting up your income is actually going to save you a lot of money over the course of your eLife.
I hope this has provoked some thought about eRepublik's current direction as a business, and thanks for reading!
Struggling to buy food each day under high prices? The ESO food bank gives out daily survival packs worth up to 600 energy each for those in need! Click this link for the article for more details.
For a while now, we've been seeing a sure transition in eRepublik, mostly based around the economy model and having a big impact on everything else.
The cost to do anything is increasing, yet most people's earnings aren't. The only way to cover yourself is to put in a minimum investment of at least €200, which is about the amount you need to pay to play actively without needing to invest more.
Is this €200 just a life-time subscription fee? Is eRepublik truly free to play?
The Hidden Subscription Fee
How much does it really cost to fight?
To see the true costs, you need to consider what the average eRepublik player will do each day and what assets they have.
Like me, many try to fit in fulfilling their daily order after working & training. The cost of this has gone up at least 60% in the last 14 days and is showing no signs of stopping. As mentioned above, seemingly the only counter is to pay a significant investment to save yourself € in the long-run.
'Food Fighting'
You have 650 maximum wellness, you're the average player and working & training consumes 150 of your total energy - energy + reserve is now at 1,150.
Tanks: £174.00
Foo
😛£184.00
TOTAL: £358.00
If you log on once per day, you can expect to pay out £358.00 per day to achieve a decent result from the missions, without using your bank card.
This Cost in Real Money
Now, after working the above out, I was curious. If we linked that cost to some kind of real-life money equivalent, how much would it cost? Is this some sort of hidden subscription fee to enjoy all of the game's features?
Gold Cost: 1.75 gold per day
Real Money Equivalent: €0.45 (during a gold promotion)
So if you were to count up the above, you're paying €3.15 per week essentially just to do the very basics that eRepublik has to offer.
This is €12.6 per month just to log in, work, train and fight
Hidden Pay to Play Subscription Model?
This is much like a subscription model in your average MMO. Many will operate a model in which you can play limited features for free, but have to pay to do the more 'fun' things. (Or as I like to think of it, to actually play the game and not just a demo) Considering the above, and the fact that your average player won't have the assets to generate that much income, surely they'd have to buy gold if they enjoy the game and what to enjoy all of the features at their leisure.
Consider the above model in eRepublik. If you want to just log in once a day to work and train, that's free. If you want to fight too and get truly involved, you're going to need to pay with real money somewhere down the line.
The War Stash can save you €2.6 a month, and it basically acts as your monthly subscription fee with similar rewards to what you'll find in other MMOs. The ONLY difference is that eRepublik is disguised as free to play. This is actually becoming a common business model in its own right for the online gaming market. Welcome to the not-so-free-to-play market.
So How Does eRepublik Compare?
If we group eRepublik with MMOs based on their subscription fee, assuming that the War Stash is your monthly subscription:
#1. Star Wars The Old Republik: €14.49
#2. World of Warcraft: €12.99
#3. Final Fantasy: €12.95
#4. eRepublik: €9.99
#5. Ryzom: €7.99
#6. Tibia: €7.45
So eRepublik is towards the middle of the spectrum of subscription fees. Assuming that about 20% of eRepublik players are 'subscribers', althought it could be as high as 40%, eRepublik is making a net profit of at least €250,000 per month.
When you include people who pay masses more than the subscription fee, this number can quickly double. When you consider the size of eRepublik's operations compared to the other games (tiny network infrastructure, a fraction of the staff, no split between publisher/developer) eRepublik is the most profitable MMO on the list. If it had the other games on the list have, it would undoubtedly be the highest earning game created.
Now, the average player who pays is going to probably stick around for about 1.5 - 3 years. If you consider how much you're going to spend in the long run, buying a few hundred gold now and setting up your income is actually going to save you a lot of money over the course of your eLife.
I hope this has provoked some thought about eRepublik's current direction as a business, and thanks for reading!
🙂
Struggling to buy food each day under high prices? The ESO food bank gives out daily survival packs worth up to 600 energy each for those in need! Click this link for the article for more details.
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FIRST VOTE AMAZING ARTICLE 😛
250K per month 😮 😮
I wrote this a while back: http://www.erepublik.com/en/article/just-how-profitable-is-erepublik--2248758/1/20
It shows eRepublik is doing pretty well right now!
WOW Great article
OMFG!
Voted, sub, shout, fav ...everything!
This is an awesome article.
V+S!
V + S
Where did you get the 20-40% of players paying for gold figure from? 😮
The revenue from the 2011 - 2012 financial year divided by 12.
Net profit is the €10 - corporation tax (low in eIreland) and other running expenses. Putting the two sums together comes out to around 25% in 2011-2012 'subscribing'.
Actually, Sheogorath you only have half the picture.
D1/D2/D3 do not require much investment to excel in. Thus plato pulls you in until you reach D4. At that point, you're already hooked and thus will pay whatever is necessary to do well in the game.
Thus, erepublik is like a drug, with the first three divisions being the gateway into true addiction.
Now isn't that something, my Prince of Madness! (Or is it the Prince of Order)
Good point!
And prince of madness indeed, let the insanity ensue!
To be honest, I've been playing for a while now and haven't really invested that heavily into the game. I've bought 1 combat stash and about 20 gold over my entire time playing here. I'd be more than happy to invest more if I felt the admins were actively listening to the community (like removing the buying 10 gold a day rule, revamping the economy, fixing the media module etc) but until then, I'm happy to just play.
Combat is the most competitive part of the game, but there is a lot more to this game than that. If people don't have the funds to invest in combat, focus on other area - like media, politics, trading etc.
Good point!
Politics and media are the only real free to play areas, economy requires 'starting funds' and war requires constant supplies of goods.
Strength and Honour
i have never bought anything for real money here and im not going to...ever...
ban me now you money-sucking bastard xD
Those fortunate enough to start before mid-2011 were able to truly set up for free. 2012 was a bit of a struggle for people, 2013 is becoming very much anti-free players.
since v2 admins have done everything to make people pay to play
i am student and if i cant play for free im not going to xD (beer is more important then erepublik)
x2
So sad
If anyone ever needs extra help (food, tanks, tips) just message me - I will do anything to prevent people from spending money here
Voted, excellent article and opened my eyes
I am something of an expert in making entries open...
i never buy gold and have a lot of cc & gold(even my net profit is 200 cc, without having companies)
I wonder if one day, plato will ban me. XD
I don't know how hidden the payment model is... don't see any adverts either, so I'm guessing eRepublik is not being ran by crazy millionaires after-all?
[removed]
The other thing that makes erepublik different from the other games is that you don't have any guarentee for your "subscription fee" For example, in other games you know if you pay your £12 (or whatever) you will have access to all the features and you will not have to pay any more. In erepublik, people invest lots of real life money (say to buy Q7 companies) and then the admins just introduce Q8 forcing you to buy more or your existing investment is rendered obsolete.
Add on to that the ridiculous inconsistency that comes from markets due to stupid competitions and the stupid numbers of energy bars being given out etc. and you get a game that, in my opinion is simply too unreliable to invest properly in.
I disagree.
It is completely possible to play all features without paying. Paying only gives players a boost, of course.
Like any other service, it is there for you to use... or not. I don't understand all the complaining from people as if they're forced to play.
I totally agree. I am a daily player and have been for nearly 3 years. I have never spent a single penny of real world money - it's not necessary. In fact, I dislike the idea of buying progress in game. Progress should be earned by your actions in game, in my view.
A small proportion of the player base invests heavily which then filters down to the people not donating. Most countries have NHS type supply systems, as well as MUs looking to supply their members so that it is entirely possible for a person to do well without needing to donate. Even in terms of upgrading training grounds etc, most countries have some sort of gold loaning system in place when there are train grounds cost reductions.
iv never payed anything, and im super rich
boom years ftw
I haven't spent any money. 🙂
Of course if I had all training grounds maxed out and trained all every day using gold I'd get over 2700 strength per month. But the thing is, if you don't have a ton of time to play around and don't really care that much, you can play for free. Surely you'll grow far slower but still can kick some ass.
HELL YEAH!!!Worth A Try!!!!!
both star wars game and WWW game hell alot more than these ever make, they make around money these game make in 1 year, in single month, as net profit for WWW and stars wars as in 50million+ mark direct fact
I meant the ratio of expense to revenue, I probably should have clarified better!
The RPU is very high for the 30,000 truly active players, as opposed to including the 180k inactive ones.
Great article, voted
I play a few online games, one of which has a full RCE (real cash economy), that really is an investment. This isn't an investment, paying gives you a boost, it means a group low on people can recruit new players willing to pay to bump themselves to the same point, rather than a game model that supports the singular persons ego and is destined to die as the XP become more so relative to the intake.
It's also quite strange the separation between camps, 'I pay occasionally' seems to be some dirty idea. Where the pious virtuous are 'career clickers' and the payers are cheats. I deem the price of gold to be the effective penalty to place yourself on the same footing as a player with the same gold or equivalent bought resources, nothing more - nothing less.
I never used to pay anything. I now occasionally buy the war stash. I think I want to quit now.