Video game studio Bethesda has caused a major stir by launching a $13 a month subscription service, simply offering improved access to a single game they must already own.
The new Fallout 1st premium membership service for Fallout 76 – the open sandbox first-person RPG online multiplayer game – primarily adds the ability for gamers to play in Private Worlds with their friends (seven, plus you, in total). Ok, cool. That’ll stop potential game-wreckers invading your world.
So what else do gamers get for their $100 a year? Well, not a lot to be honest. You’ll get a Scrapbook with unlimited storage for crafting components and a Survival Tent, which is a placeable fast travel point with a stash, sleeping bag and more.
There’s 1,650 Atoms (in-game currency) to spent per month, and an exclusive Ranger Armour Outfit. Other than that, there’s some unique icons and emotes. Damn, that’s hardly a bounty worthy of a subscription service that costs more than PlayStation Now or Xbox Games Pass, which each offer access to hundreds of games.
Effectively, you’re paying $13 a month for renting a private server to play with your friends, only you can only use it to play one game. At least only one person needs to be a ‘Fallout 1st’ member in order to start a Private World, but still…
You still have to buy the game separately and, for a title that cost £70 at launch and had plenty in the way of micro-transactions already, this feels like somewhat of a slap in the face to players. Naturally, many of them aren’t happy about it.
We're proud to announce Fallout 1st, our $100 per year premium membership that gives you access features that should have been in Fallout 76 to begin with.
Fallout 1st: Fuck You, Pay Us. pic.twitter.com/zJRYCh1UCq
— Mitten Squad (@MittenSquad) October 23, 2019
Bethesda brags that only one person needs Fallout 1st to run a private server, but then notes that if that person leaves, the server shuts down unless there's another Fallout 1st member online.
AKA, your world can't be persistent. Which is the entire point of private servers. pic.twitter.com/7yYENvJ5lC
— Joshua MacDougall ? (@FreakinClever) October 23, 2019
Every time @bethesda make an announcement I shudder. Fallout 1st?You want me to pay MORE money for a game that was already terrible at launch? Interesting.
— Adam McilKween (@adammcilveen) October 23, 2019
Every single Fallout game + DLC is cheaper than Fallout 1st. pic.twitter.com/bhK35aHt0V
— Cheaper Than Fallout 1st (@lessthanfo1st) October 23, 2019
The launch comes after Bethesda delayed the forthcoming Wastlanders DLC – a free update – until 2020, which had already rubbed Fallout 76 gamers the wrong way. Today’s news is adding salt to the wound for some.
In our review, we afforded the game 3.5/5 stars, calling it a “good, but not great” entry into Fallout folklore. Our reviewer added: “Playing with buddies looting collapsed shopping centres and derelict towns is a blast and the robust crafting and character development mechanics are excellent.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
