RIFT players will "never" be offered a lifetime subscription option, says Trion

RIFT players will "never" get the chance to purchase a lifetime subscription to the game, according to Trion global brand director Jim Butler.

Speaking with A List Daily, Butler called it a "financial disaster" for the companies relying on subscriptions for funding.

"Nope, never," he said. "I was against the idea when we did it at Turbine, and it won't happen on my watch here at Trion.

"Lifetime memberships are a great deal for consumers that plan to spend the next few years playing the game, and a financial disaster for subscription-only companies that have to continue paying for new feature development, salaries, server costs, marketing, etc. Ultimately, it’s a bad deal for the consumer in the long-term."

Star Trek Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and Champions Online are just some of the MMOs out there which have offered players a lifetime subscription option in the past. Most offers were limited-run, and allowed the player to play a one-time fee in lieu of paying a monthly or quarterly subscription fee.

Players who took advantage of these offers still have to fork over cash for expansions, and for the MMOs which are now free-to-play, lifers still have to pay for items up for grabs via the in-game stores - although many games hand out VIP or lifetime players a stipend of game currency on a monthly basis.

Thanks, Massively.