There are two great reasons of this.
Firstly, Steam is where everybody goes to buy games, now. It’s obviously the leading platform for digital sales. Ol’ Gaben knew exactly how to market, sell and deliver this type of content. Everyone who uses steam has a laundry list of titles they paid for because it’s so bloody convenient to do so. This steam userbase is ready and willing to pay a fee just for the right to start playing. Add in a cash shop that delivers incredibly useful but technically non-essential items that we’re all going to end up buying at some point or another, such as skill and stat respecs, mounts, pets and cosmetics, and the game will be a financial winner.
The second reason is to keep out much of the extreme racism and offensive spams. I have never in my life seen so offensive behavior in a closed beta. An entry fee will dissuade the majority of them, because the majority of these people do not have access to credit cards. It is not necessary to court this crowd for financial success if the game is launching on Steam. Steam users have credit cards, or buy Steam gift cards with cash. They pay for things. Steam is a sales juggernaut. It should be used in this fashion.
I would not in a million years consider playing ToS when it launches if the community stays as it is. I cannot take two steps into any player hub without being blasted with foul language and racism. The people doing this need to be purged from the game, and a pay wall is the best way to do it. I know pay walls are old fashioned, but they can work for you, too.
PS: This isn’t spam. This is my first thread on the subject. Reporting this thread because you don’t like my ideas is an abuse if the community flagging system, and you’re the one who will be punished for it, not me.
