Paradox Interactive has been quietly testing an EU4 subscription model.
A forum post from Paradox's Product Marketing Manager details a system that they've been testing for Europa Universalis IV, an epic strategy game where you try to take over the world using diplomacy, strategy, and military might.
According to this manager, a subscription service has been suggested by fans many times over the years, so they've finally decided to test it out and see how well it works. However, the company is concerned that there's going to be some misinformation floating around and they've decided to explain things a bit to prevent that.
EU4 Subscription Service Won't Change The Game
One key point highlighted by Paradox Interactive is that the subscription service they're testing for Europa Universalis IV won't affect the current pricing model. If you want to buy the games, you can buy the games and keep them in your account without any changes. (It should be mentioned that there is currently a Humble Bundle going on right now offering up the base game and 17 out of 31 pieces of DLC.)
There's also the matter of the price of said subscription service. Currently, they're testing things out and trying to find what would be the best way to price such a service that works for everyone.
If people turn out to like the subscription feature, Paradox will move forward with implementing it. They were, however, also rather worried about how it would be perceived in the community and had consequently been pretty hush-hush about it, a move that they now seem to regret a bit.
For now, the EU4 subscription service is still in testing. If it's something you'd like to sound off about, you can do so over at their forums.
Would you use the EU4 subscription service or do you prefer to make one-time purchases for games? What do you think about subscription services in general? Let us know in the comments below!