Cloud Imperium Games, the developers of Star Citizen, are hosting another CitizenCon this year and while it's normal to charge for tickets in order to attend in person, they have decided to do so for watching the livestream as well.
Update: Cloud Imperium games have cut back on the decision since, and the stream will be free for those with Star Citizen account.
Original article:
CitizenCon livestream used to be free to watch online but now it will cost $20, according to the official description on Roberts Space Industries website. The apparent digital ticket will include in-game items to go with, but the problem is that people couldn't initially watch the stream without shelling out the money, not even those who pledged money before, unless they're on Concierge level.
This has caused widespread outrage, but this time with a twist. It's normally just the third parties who get amazed at Cloud Imperium's massive money sinks, such as the $27.000 ship package, while Star Citizen's devoted community vehemently defends the developers of their game.
Not this time, as even the fiercest fans of Star Citizen have turned to Reddit to complain about the company's unfair policies that look just like simple cash grabs at this point. Should you go to , you will find the front page filled with complaints from disillusioned fans who are feeling cheated out on watching the convention for a game that literally wouldn't exist without the money they paid.
Just to put matters into perspective, Star Citizen has raised over for development, all coming from the pockets of the game's players, some of whom are denied CitizenCon livestream now. The absurdity of the situation didn't escape Star Citizen's competitors either, as Rebel Galaxy called Cloud Imperium Games out in a .
After the outrage happened, Chris Roberts addressed the fans and stated that the keynote will be available for free for anyone who has a Star Citizen account but this did not appease the fans as they figured out the free keynote as added only as a result of this PR debacle. They are currently pushing for the stream to be entirely available for those who have a Star Citizen account, but it remains to be seen whether CIG will listen.
Star Citizen by Roberts Space Industries and Cloud Imperium Games
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