Valve’s digital client could one day manage all your MMO account payments.
Even though World of Warcraft dominates the market, there are still a metric ton of MMOs out there. Between subscription-based games and free-to-play memberships, players have more options but ever, to the point that keeping track of them all is time-consuming. Multiple games means multiple accounts, not to mention the automated payment plans that could be running at any moment. If more than one subscription is active, managing these accounts can be a chore, prompting Valve to adopt a Steam-based solution. The company’s digital games client now comes with a unified subscription management service, handily tying multiple accounts to Steam usernames for your convenience.
At the moment, Steam’s subscription service is only available for the recently launched Darkfall: Unholy Wars. After purchasing the game for $39.95, Steam sets up a monthly renewal payment that will be processed automatically when due. Users can access and change these options at anytime, adding new games, renewing lapsed titles, or canceling subscriptions at their leisure.
Since Steam offers several MMOs through its catalog, account management options are a common-sense direction that I’m surprised wasn’t implemented sooner. If Steam’s subscription plans are anything like its other services, Darkfall will field test its features before other games integrate the model. The subscription-based market may have changed dramatically with the rise of free-to-play games, but the convenience Steam could provide shouldn’t be understated.
Published: Apr 26, 2013 01:00 pm