Just a thought . . . what about a paid premium service for Apex? Would you pay for it? If so, how much?It would have account authentication to prevent smurfs, AI and machine learning anti cheat, and active admins monitoring servers real time. That's what your money would pay for.

My logic behind my answer is that the game is free now and the free to play model just doesn't work for this game. The servers are outdated to the point they slow down when you get into a gun fight, the only income the game has is cosmetic products, which most don't pay for because they don't care how they look in the game as long as they get to play. If paying meant that I got to unlock additional modes, maybe even a PvE side story game or something, plus a more expensive anti cheat software, servers in line with the latest technology, and the company can hire more moderators for the servers with the new profits, then I'm all for paying a small fee each month, or maybe purchasing the game. They are aware people are dying to cheaters in many matches since there were two questions about it in the survey they emailed some players.

Pay for a failed anti cheat system? Speechless. Coming from an official admin.

@espadakillar69 you're new to fps ? counter strike has been doing it for years.

@HappyHourSumwurScenario:Player A signs up and pays his premium. Player A logs on to match, gets obliterated by a good player. Player A launches into a fit of temper about how the cheating is still rampant. Player A cancels subscription. And probably continues to play the "non-premium" version of the game because why pay money to get stomped by a "cheater" when you can do it for free? Plus, apparently, the new AI anti-cheat doesn't ban controller aim-assist players so what's the point? Plus all the pros and streamers are just using their YouTube funny money to pay for multiple accounts so smurfing is same as it ever was. The list goes on.I guess where I'm headed with all this is that EA has a credibility problem and I'm not sure that very many people would willingly give them the benefit of the doubt that their money was actually going to the new game-improving features and not straight into Andrew Wilson's portfolio. It's a nice idea, but I wouldn't be pouring any more money into this game than I already have until someone could offer me some pretty solid evidence that all the paid perks were fully present and functional. And that's a tall order.

@cajky1I love how outraged you got by me just asking that question. I totally expected some people to respond "Are you F-ing out of your mind you moronic idiot?!?!?" LOLI also know exactly how it sounds, that isn't lost on me. Given the state of Apex with cheaters & smurfs running around unchecked, I was just thinking that the free to play model just isn't viable anymore. I was curious what people would pay for if they think like me and won't pay for cosmetics in a F2P game given Respawn's long running lack of attention to the core issues with this game. I was also thinking about the old Battlefield days when clans ran their own servers and the best ones were actively monitored by responsible admins. You paid for the game up front and they allowed you to run your own servers the way you wanted to and that gave certain communities the ability to keep out cheaters and toxic a-holes if they wanted to.@reconzero The outrage filled responses to this post are absolutely awesome. It says a lot about how much people care about Apex (crazy!) and about how lots of the community wants something for nothing, too. Yes, EA has a credibility problem and no anti-cheat will ever be perfect. A premium service would require a level of transparency from EA that I have not seen them willing to give. You'd need to share exactly what you're doing, how it is being done, & share data to prove that it works. I also don't think you can ever take the people out of this equation, as much as EA would want to in order to boost profits (i.e.-less people equals less labor costs equals more profit). The reason I posted is because I feel that Apex is in such a sad state right now, I don't know if it can be saved.

Would you pay for a premium service with active cheating countermeasures?

11 Replies

CCbathwater
Seasoned Ace
2 years ago
@HappyHourSumwur No, I'm on console and only play Mixtape.
E9ine_AC
Hero+
2 years ago
@HappyHourSumwur I would most certainly drop 120 a year on premium servers like some other games have introduced.
AymCTL
Seasoned Ace
2 years ago
Yes, I would be willing to pay if it meant fewer cheaters and a fairer gameplay experience. Also, with the income maybe they could afford better maintenance on the servers.
EspadakillarTTV
Seasoned Veteran
2 years ago
Pay for a failed anti cheat system? Speechless. Coming from an official admin.
WTF_Huitzo
2 years ago
@espadakillar69 you're new to fps ? counter strike has been doing it for years.
reconzero
Seasoned Ace
2 years ago
@HappyHourSumwur

Scenario:

Player A signs up and pays his premium. Player A logs on to match, gets obliterated by a good player. Player A launches into a fit of temper about how the cheating is still rampant. Player A cancels subscription. And probably continues to play the "non-premium" version of the game because why pay money to get stomped by a "cheater" when you can do it for free? Plus, apparently, the new AI anti-cheat doesn't ban controller aim-assist players so what's the point? Plus all the pros and streamers are just using their YouTube funny money to pay for multiple accounts so smurfing is same as it ever was. The list goes on.

I guess where I'm headed with all this is that EA has a credibility problem and I'm not sure that very many people would willingly give them the benefit of the doubt that their money was actually going to the new game-improving features and not straight into Andrew Wilson's portfolio. It's a nice idea, but I wouldn't be pouring any more money into this game than I already have until someone could offer me some pretty solid evidence that all the paid perks were fully present and functional. And that's a tall order.
cajky1
2 years ago
Are you serious? Paying for something that's supposed to be a given?
Biggest joke I've heard in a long time.
And no, you won't see a cent from me!
Unbelievable.
AymCTL
Seasoned Ace
2 years ago
My logic behind my answer is that the game is free now and the free to play model just doesn't work for this game. The servers are outdated to the point they slow down when you get into a gun fight, the only income the game has is cosmetic products, which most don't pay for because they don't care how they look in the game as long as they get to play.
If paying meant that I got to unlock additional modes, maybe even a PvE side story game or something, plus a more expensive anti cheat software, servers in line with the latest technology, and the company can hire more moderators for the servers with the new profits, then I'm all for paying a small fee each month, or maybe purchasing the game.
They are aware people are dying to cheaters in many matches since there were two questions about it in the survey they emailed some players.
E9ine_AC
Hero+
2 years ago
@WTF_Huitzo That they have. It has also been a huge success and def worth consideration on respawns end.

@espadakillar69 its not a bad idea. For one it would net more revenue for both companies which in the end this is a business to make money and provide a service. Every game has cheaters even if people think they do not. CS included. They just have not been detected yet. So asking for premium servers is a viable thing IMO. As someone with over 10k hours in apex id like to see a change with match making. I want to see cleaner lobbies and cheaters will not invest into premium servers because the know they will be banned eventually. Overall helping the health of the game.

Its not that the anti-cheat is failing its that there are thousands of cheat devs for apex who are able to stay ahead of the game at all times. This is for every game mind you not just apex. Its a multi billion dollar industry they will not be stopped not until technology advances with detection systems.
HappyHourSumwur
Seasoned Ace
2 years ago
@cajky1I love how outraged you got by me just asking that question. I totally expected some people to respond "Are you F-ing out of your mind you moronic idiot?!?!?" LOL
I also know exactly how it sounds, that isn't lost on me. Given the state of Apex with cheaters & smurfs running around unchecked, I was just thinking that the free to play model just isn't viable anymore. I was curious what people would pay for if they think like me and won't pay for cosmetics in a F2P game given Respawn's long running lack of attention to the core issues with this game. I was also thinking about the old Battlefield days when clans ran their own servers and the best ones were actively monitored by responsible admins. You paid for the game up front and they allowed you to run your own servers the way you wanted to and that gave certain communities the ability to keep out cheaters and toxic a-holes if they wanted to.
@reconzero The outrage filled responses to this post are absolutely awesome. It says a lot about how much people care about Apex (crazy!) and about how lots of the community wants something for nothing, too. Yes, EA has a credibility problem and no anti-cheat will ever be perfect. A premium service would require a level of transparency from EA that I have not seen them willing to give. You'd need to share exactly what you're doing, how it is being done, & share data to prove that it works. I also don't think you can ever take the people out of this equation, as much as EA would want to in order to boost profits (i.e.-less people equals less labor costs equals more profit). The reason I posted is because I feel that Apex is in such a sad state right now, I don't know if it can be saved.