f13.net

Station Access™ subscription
price increase effective April 2, 2007.

Dear Station Access™ Subscriber,

We want to give you some important information regarding your Station Access subscription. Effective April 2, 2007, the new monthly subscription rate will be US$29.99 per month (not including applicable taxes).

We know that rate adjustments are never popular, but the increase is driven by our desire to provide our Station Access subscribers with a consistently high quality entertainment experience, as evidenced by our most recent addition to the Station Access subscription plan, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes™.

You don't have to do a thing; you will automatically be migrated to the new monthly subscription rate under your existing subscription plan when your current subscription plan comes up for renewal on or after April 2, 2007. We appreciate your support and continued participation in our community.

Station Access subscriptions are recurring, meaning you will continue to be billed at the appropriate subscription interval, until you affirmatively cancel your subscription. Subscription fees are subject to tax and value-added tax, as applicable. The subscription charges are in addition to the cost of the games that are part of the Station Access subscription plan. All game software is sold separately.

For more information, please visit: www.stationaccess.com.

Citing Vanguard as a reason for a price increase is hardly fair...less than a year ago they used the same excuse to bump it from $19.99 to $24.99

In order for this to be an even "reasonable" value, SOE would have to have at least 3 games on the Station Pass worth playing.  EQ is getting old, EQ2 is a ways out from expansion, and Vanguard... meh.

Good luck with this one SOE.

But but but, you've also got SWG and MxO and all the wonderful free station games! Surely they're worth the price increase!

Heh, I don't think I could find a shade green enough for the above statement.

SOE politics are a mistery to me.
Did you know that there's no trial program for MxO? Or what about the trial keys that Station Pass subscribers received a while ago and are now expired (yes, they are like cheese or eggs. They expire)?

Seriously, do they expect people to buy MxO without trying?
Based on what then, good word of mouth?

In order for this to be an even "reasonable" value, SOE would have to have at least 3 games on the Station Pass worth playing.  EQ is getting old, EQ2 is a ways out from expansion, and Vanguard... meh.

Good luck with this one SOE.

I still cannot believe they're raising the sub cost for PS....but then also axing the Reserves program...

Dear PlanetSide Subscriber,

We want to give you some important information regarding your PlanetSide subscription. Effective April 2, 2007, the new monthly subscription rate will increase by US$2.00 to US$14.99 per month (not including applicable taxes). The new subscription rates will apply to all PlanetSide subscription plans including multi-month subscriptions (please see new rates listed below).

We know that rate increases are never popular but over the course of the past several years we have invested in technology and resources to expand the game's service and support infrastructure. We have also incurred increases in operational and bandwidth costs – all without a corresponding rate increase for PlanetSide. We are proud of the progress we have made for you, our customers, in the areas of game experience and customer support enhancements and efficiency. This change is driven by our sincere commitment to provide a consistently high quality entertainment experience in our game worlds.

You don't have to do a thing; you will automatically be migrated to the new rate under your existing subscription plan when your current subscription plan comes up for renewal on or after April 2, 2007. We appreciate your support and look forward to your continued participation in the world of PlanetSide.

New PlanetSide subscription rates as of April 2, 2007


Monthly Subscription Plan:
US$14.99 per month

Multi-month Subscription Plans:
$41.99 – 3 Month Subscription
$77.99 – 6 Month Subscription
$143.99 – 12 Month Subscription


PlanetSide subscriptions are recurring, meaning you will continue to be billed at the appropriate subscription interval, until you affirmatively cancel your subscription. Subscription fees are subject to tax and value-added tax, as applicable.

Not only does that suck, I forgot I have 'extra' characters in EQ2 because of the pass. Shit. I guess it's time to get my fix of all Sony games this month, because I'm out next month. Axing half my characters in EQ2 isn't a way to keep me around, eh?

I don't disagree that this is a big jump, but it was inevitable with VG being included. When was the last increase? 3 years ago? Many things have increased in price 20% in the last 3 years. Console prices almost doubled this cycle. $29.99 is jusy low enough to keep me on the hook because I play EQ2, VG and Ps (infrequently).

I don't disagree that this is a big jump, but it was inevitable with VG being included. When was the last increase? 3 years ago? Many things have increased in price 20% in the last 3 years. Console prices almost doubled this cycle. $29.99 is jusy low enough to keep me on the hook because I play EQ2, VG and Ps (infrequently).

You will also lose access to the 3 'Adventure Packs' when you cancel the All Access Pass, unless of course you purchased them separately.

CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTIFICATION

We will be increasing our Station Access subscription rate in June. Effective June 1, 2006, the new monthly subscription rate will be $24.99/month. While this announcement may be unpleasant, we have added several games to the Station Access subscription package and the cost of operating the game service for the games included in the Station Access subscription package has increased significantly since we launched Station Access. This change will help us achieve our goal of seeing that every player has a consistently enjoyable experience in our game worlds. You don’t have to do a thing; you will automatically be migrated to the new billing structure under your current subscription plan when your current subscription plan expires. Subscription rates are subject to tax and value-added taxes, as applicable.

I just wonder who the hell over there came up with this shit storm of a idea, whoever it was he or she is needs to be shown the door in a most unpleasant way. They could not have picked a worse time in my opinion. First Vanguard launches with maybe a quarter of expected sales and is bleeding subs like a severed carotid artery and  Turbine is launching LoTRO which is taking dead aim at the WoW/EQII crowd and giving a ten dollar a month plan for pre orders. What are they trying to do self immolate or fall on their fucking pixilated sword maybe?

Still waiting to hear if EQ2 also bumped up the prices, not that it matters if they axe half my characters...

What really bums me out is that EQ2 has a great dev team. Folks like them will be the ones who take the hit for these bone-headed money grabs. Some suit will probably get an early retirement with a golden parachute for giving it a try.

I just got the PS email: $14.99 for a game who's sub should be decreasing?! I mean, sure they think if people are sticking with that beast now they'll obviously pay anything. But in this age of free MMOs with item-based rev models, the last thing anyone should do is raise flat-fees. That's a great way to show how dated you are and why people shouldn't be supporting you.

IMHO, this just reeks of Smedley

Maybe the $30 pass looks better with PS at $15...

Maybe the $30 pass looks better with PS at $15...

Maybe the $30 pass looks better with PS at $15...

If this works as I suspect, your alts will just be 'hidden', and if you later re-sub to the all access pass, they'll still be there, not deleted.  Something like this happened to me when a server was down; I made a 5th character to play and after my server came up, it (the newest character)  got pushed off the bottom.

Seriously, SOE is in the business of making money. Blizzard is in the business of making games.

Interesting who actually makes the most money.

Definitely an indication where a good chunk of their money is coming from then. No way they could raise it by so much while trying to entice more people to sign on. So they must be happy with how many people have signed on, maybe enough so knowing they'll lose a mere pittance.

We know that rate increases are never popular but over the course of the past several years we have invested in technology and resources to expand the game's service and support infrastructure. We have also incurred increases in operational and bandwidth costs – all without a corresponding rate increase for PlanetSide. We are proud of the progress we have made for you, our customers, in the areas of game experience and customer support enhancements and efficiency. This change is driven by our sincere commitment to provide a consistently high quality entertainment experience in our game worlds.

Planetside is about to start hemorrhaging customers

Seriously, SOE is in the business of making money. Blizzard is in the business of making games.

You make games to make money. They're both in the same business. Blizzard is just better at it because they have both the talent and the business acumen of VUG backing them up.

Fixed that for ya. 

Fixed that for ya. 

Shame really.  I'd play PS for $5-$10 a month.  $15?  Not enough there to be worth it. 

Normally I see green text or some emotes. But I'm missing something here. What did you fix? I'm sure it was more appropriate, I just can't see the difference between what I wrote and what you changed :)

Beeecause Numtini said it ;) not Nebu.  Scroll up a bit.

I guarantee you that they do not expect to lose money from this change.

I find it hard to believe they're doing this in anticipation of it coming out the same in terms of dollars raked in. You'e suggesting they're planing to shrink their subscription numbers  on purpose. And if you're support heavy, why not just move people out of support?  It's not like they've got a great reputation for product service they're trying to protect.

It's stupid of SOE to say that they are going to delete reserve characters considering how quickly you can get up to BR 6 (you used to be able to get up to BR 4 just doing the VR training including entering and exiting all the vehicles). It's basically just a pointless scare tactic to try and get people to subscribe. Yet another sign of how desperate they are for money these days.

Some of those people will sub (I did, for a bit) but get this -- they pre-fucked themselves with the transition. It turns out that on the 23rd, all reserve characters will be wiped; you have to subscribe BEFORE that date to play your reserves character, they currently have no transition plan from reserves->subscribers. That will hurt them. A lot. Without that fresh influx of people, I think the game will quietly drop in numbers once the fodder program stops bringing fresh meat into the system.

Step one: raise price.
Step two: lower number of users.
Step three: pay less to LA for SWG.
Step four: renegotiate/cancel SWG deal with LA
Step five: redo station price...NOW with even more games...Only $21.99
Step six: profit

Might be too conspiracy theory. I'm just not seeing the value of any game from SOE other then EQII right now. I'd maybe give Matrix another try, but everything else is.... rapidly aging. SWG included.

Beeecause Numtini said it Wink not Nebu.  Scroll up a bit.

Money grab. Their service costs go up and they directly transfer that to the consumer. I only think they're going up by so much to prevent microjumps at greater frequency. Easier to dim the noise if it only happens once every three years.

Yeah seriously, have you seen how much "content" was in TBC?  LoL but it was a paid xpack and you still need to buy the original WoW if you are a new player which cracks me up.  Blizzard makes money but they do it with a smile and a wink.  SOE tries to make money but they do it while grunting and drooling all over you while groping around in your pockets.

Big surprise which one people prefer.

At this time last year the price was $21.99, in May 2006 they announced it would be upped to $24.99, now it is $29.99.

Well, there's a war on.

Well, there's a war on.

Very nicely put, although I have wondered if the new beta 'armory'feature on the WoW site will eventually require a nominal charge like EQplayers.   Even for an extra 50 cents you'd have a liscense to print money.

Well, BC being an xpack is really no different to the business model that's been around forever with games and their xpacks.

SOE are desperately scrabbling for subscribers with EQ2, though - compare & contrast the EQ1 expansions from a half-dozen years or so ago.

Pigfucker Smedley

The EQ2 expansion is the same price but includes the base game + all the expansions (3 total).

SOE are desperately scrabbling for subscribers with EQ2, though - compare & contrast the EQ1 expansions from a half-dozen years or so ago.

Unfortunate though it is, the WoW expac is that pricey because it can be, and the EQ2 stuff is not because it can't be.

Please help us make EverQuest II a better experience! Tell us what you think.

  Q: 1 Your subscription is not yet cancelled! Before we close your subscription, please answer a few quick questions relating to your EverQuest II experience How long have you played EverQuest II?
A:  0-30 Days 
 1-3 Months 
 4-8 Months 
 8 Months or longer 
 
     
Q: 2 What level was your main EQII Character?
A:  Level 1 - 10 
 Level 11 - 20 
 Level 21 - 30 
 Level 31 - 40 
 Level 41 - 50 
 Level 51 - 60 
 Level 61 - 70 
 
     
Q: 3 Why are you closing your EverQuest II account? (Check all that apply)
A:  I tried the game and did not understand how to play. 
 The game has too many bugs. 
 I primarily play solo or paired and I ran out of fun things to do. 
 I primarily play in groups or raids and I ran out of fun things to do. 
 I am primarily an Artisan and I ran out of fun things to do. 
 I feel that my character was not advancing fast enough. 
 I do not like the way character classes are currently balanced. 
 I do not care for the changes made with the most recent Live Update. 
 I feel that the game rules are too restrictive. 
 I am leaving to play with friends in another online game. 
 I did not like the quests I was asked to do or the rewards they gave. 
 I did not feel there was enough story or lore in the game. 
 I did not get the level of customer service necessary to enjoy my subscription. 
 I do not want to continue with EverQuest II due to Station Exchange. 
 I was unable to accomplish much in short play sessions. 
 I did not like the art style in the game. 
 I did not like the way my characters looked. 
 I did not like the audio in the game. 
 I did not like the spells or combat abilities in the game. 
 Out-of-game commitments (family, school, etc.) 
 I do not have enough time to play. 
 The game does not perform well on my system. 
 I can no longer afford to pay the monthly fee. 
 None of the above corresponds to why I stopped playing EQII. 
 
     
Q: 4 If we were to add even more features to EQII, which of the following might cause you to continue to play?
A:  The addition of even more content that doesn't require a group. 
 The addition of even more high level zones. 
 The addition of even more interesting and unique loot. 
 Faster combat speed. 
 Faster travel options. 
 The ability to hire NPC group members to assist you. 
 New and unique mounts such as flying creatures, or ships. 
 The ability to create adventures or quests for your friends. 
 Even more plot-lines, in-game events, and holiday events. 
 Expanded player housing options. 
 Broader avatar appearance options. 
 A concentration on fixing the existing game instead of new features. 

Except the whole 'it costs $40' thing. It's a pretty skimpy expansion for the price of a full game, and doesn't include the base game you need to play it.

The EQ2 expansion is the same price but includes the base game + all the expansions (3 total).

EQ2's team is really the premier mmo team in the industry right now, from my limited vantage point.

I agree with you and some here who think EQ2 is a solid game and the EQ2 team a great bunch. However, think back to what it was in the first year: base game plus two for-purchase "adventure packs", a slew of microtransaction-based services on the website and then the first expansion that was sold separately and not with the base game unless you bought the premium gold edition. And that was only 14 months ago.

Meanwhile, if VUG wasn't so interested in shipping an expansion like, someday, the Blizz designers (like the EQ2 designers) probably would have made Draenei and Blood Elf content complete races all the way through 60. It even took the EQ1 team how many expansions to do that (think it was their 13th?).

Let's pretend Kunark is Trammel.

The run into LOIO had to be one of the stupidest most punitive designs in EQ.

Oh god, no kidding. It was even MORE fun as an 'evil' race- having to jump off the boat before the guards aggroed, then race through a ton of high level mobs to get to the zone. I got whacked once by the guards (wasn't fast enough off the boat), and had to get a GM to rez me, since I couldn't get to my body under the boat.

Once I got to the zone, however, I had lots of fun. Being a chanter in the Sarnak fortress was a blast.

In what sense?  That some group liked EQ a lot more pre-Kunark?  Or that Kunark saved the game from dying out completely 9 years ago?

Did they change that? I don't remember my faction getting messed up and Goddess knows, I killed a few squillion of those sarnaks. I was a neutral gnome.

Meanwhile, if VUG wasn't so interested in shipping an expansion like, someday, the Blizz designers (like the EQ2 designers) probably would have made Draenei and Blood Elf content complete races all the way through 60. It even took the EQ1 team how many expansions to do that (think it was their 13th?).

Kunark would be the first expansion with new races and content complete I think. Of course it took 13 more to put out another, though there was a fair bit of content in luclin for the cat race as well.

Kunark changed the game significantly, almost as significantly as Trammel did, just in a different way. It made everything harder, made all the encounters from there on tuned for raider/uberloot types, which made a good bit of the Old World stuff useless.

It also did increase subs a great deal, especially when they released the box with the core and expansion included.

This was my thinking, as well. I never enjoyed EQ much after Kunark came out, I mark that expansion as the death knell of solo mmo play, marking the moment we became second-class citizens and raid-play mindset came to the fore.

I was a Rogue. I never soloed past about lvl 5. Ever.

I think there's a good chance that many Station Pass holders play one of the three BPF games, and have the Station Pass so they can get their FPS ya-yas out in PS every once in a while.