Subscriptions for games are not new, but in the era of the "live service" they look set to make a major comeback. With television, music, and physical goods all offering subscriptions, companies want an endlessly drip-fed stream of cash. The idea of in-game subscriptions that offer premium extras may very well become the new microtransactions - on top all the existing monetization techniques - and services like Fallout 1st or the Animal Crossing "Happy Helper" plan offer a glimpse at that potential future. It's not a great future, so I'm going to be pissy about it.