Subscription changes coming for soe

[Ginaz]

I saw this on the EQ2 forums but it applies to all of soe's games I believe:

"Dear EverQuest Gold Members,

We regularly evaluate our offerings at SOE to ensure we are consistently delivering great games and products, while also offering exceptional value to our players. Given that we just started a new year it seemed like the perfect time to add more value!

The week of February 3rd, 2014 we will be making a very important change to the Gold Membership level in EverQuest The current benefit of receiving 500 Station Cash (SC) monthly will be replaced with a new program that allows you to select one single item valued up to 2000 SC each month. Nearly all items within the games’ Marketplace will be available for this selection. Players Studio, bundles and additional exclusions may apply. This new benefit must be claimed each month that you are a member as it will not carry over to subsequent months.

We appreciate our customers, especially our valued members, and therefore are excited to bring you this additional value.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in game soon."

So the 500 monthly Station Cash is going away in favour of a use it or lose it amount of 2000 which you can only use to buy one item AND there will be restrictions on what you can buy with that 2000 sc.  Sounds like they don't want people saving up SC to buy stuff for EQ Next and EQ Next Landmark which makes me think both of those will have a heavy focus on the cash shop.

https://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/index.php?threads/2014-membership-benefit-update.544282/

[eldaec]

I've never really understood why they don't go the whole hog and make their bullshit rmt currency specific to each game.

[Numtini]

This is just classic SOE. The thought never passed through their heads that people who were still paying for EQ2 ten years in might be good ambassadors for their new game and the amount they might get would be trivial. Nope, they're just rubes to be milked of whatever lucre can be extracted.

[Chockonuts]

They also put other stipulations and conditions on the changes. One of which says you must log-in once a month in order to use that 2,000 Loyalty Points. Another is if you don't use it in that month, it's goes poofty.

This is all fine and good but I guess if you're in the military and cannot log-in for a month or if you get busted up and land in the hospital, tough luck. They'll keep taking your $15 or if you had some kind of 3-6 month deal that you're locked into, you don't get that month back.

SOE reminds me of those comic book villains that get locked up and put into Arkham. Yeah, they don't commit any crimes for awhile, say the right things to the doctors to get released and then they get let out and blow up a bus full of tourists or something. It's just in their nature to be greedy beyond belief.

[Paelos]

Guys they are just rewarding you more value for less hassle! ARE YOU NOT GRATEFUL? 

[luckton]

[Senses]

SOE never learns.  Don't screw with your loyal fanbase. 

[tazelbain]

Oops we accidentally gave something value for your money! Yoink!

This highlights my biggest concern about EQ Next and Landmark, will Sony finally embrace subscriptionless models.  I am not messing with this psuedo-sub BS.

[shiznitz]

I get 500SC a month with my PS2 sub.  I wonder if that will change.  If they gave me 2000SC to buy weapons, I would have every weapon in the game within 6 months.  I don't see how that helps them versus my buying pattern now.

[Chockonuts]

This highlights my biggest concern about EQ Next and Landmark, will Sony finally embrace subscriptionless models.  I am not messing with this psuedo-sub BS.

I'd say that's a big 10-4, good buddy.

Given that these are the two most expensive mmos they have made to date and are supposed to be the linchpin of the SOE mmo stable for the next (10?) years will both be released as F2P, it's a foregone conclusion. There hasn't been too many subbers who think this is a good idea, although I have seen a few that claim it is. I think it's SOE attempt to wean their players off the sub teat honestly. Trion did the same thing with RIFT (sub but no monthly stipends for cash shop) and hardly anyone even blinked subwise over there, so I guess SOE saw that and figured these players will go along with it too.

This what they are doing now is just to prepare their fanbase for the coming F2P Overlord situation. All must comply.

[Lantyssa]

You just need to think of the 2000 SC item as a freebie, not as them taking your money.

*cough*

[Chockonuts]

I get 500SC a month with my PS2 sub.  I wonder if that will change.  If they gave me 2000SC to buy weapons, I would have every weapon in the game within 6 months.  I don't see how that helps them versus my buying pattern now.

From what I read, you no longer get SC. The only way to get SC is to buy it with actual cash either from them or time card like things from Walmart and such. If you play DCUO, you earn "Loyalty Points" and lifetime subbers still get the free DLC updates I believe, but not sure.

[Rendakor]

I get 500SC a month with my PS2 sub.  I wonder if that will change.  If they gave me 2000SC to buy weapons, I would have every weapon in the game within 6 months.  I don't see how that helps them versus my buying pattern now.

Well now you only get 1 item/month, at up to 2k.

[WayAbvPar]

Oh yeah, I forgot I had a PS2 sub for a year, so I am going to get screwed by this now. Bugger.

[koro]

From what I read, at least for EQ1 (and it's probably not much different in EQ2), something like 85% of the items in the store are 500 SC or below, meaning that for most of the store, there is no increase in value with the switch, and only like 5% of the rest of the items are actually eligible for this and will use most of the value of the points.

[shiznitz]

Well my PS2 sub just expired apparently.  Saves me the effort of canceling.  I will miss the extra daily exp of a sub a little, but that 2000SC thing is not an attractive feature.

[Rendakor]

From what I read, at least for EQ1 (and it's probably not much different in EQ2), something like 85% of the items in the store are 500 SC or below, meaning that for most of the store, there is no increase in value with the switch, and only like 5% of the rest of the items are actually eligible for this and will use most of the value of the points.

This was my thought as well, except that now there seems to be less value; before if you bought something that cost 300 SC you'd have 200 extra towards something else. You had the added benefit where if you didn't cancel your sub you could come back and have a bunch of SC to play with. Now I'll make sure I cancel because I get no benefit from leaving it running.

[Wasted]

What exactly is the problem with people who rarely spend their SC but still pay their sub saving up huge amounts?

Second - it helps us deal with some internal issues regarding accrual of balances of SC for people who aren't playing or spending. There are a lot of people who play and have SC in their wallets and don't spend it ever.. this accrues over time and it's a problem. Before the jaded among you cry out that this is really the most important reason - please don't judge just yet. It's actually not but I don't want to hide the fact that it's a part of it.

https://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/index.php?threads/2014-membership-update-news-from-smed.544428/

Also they are supposedly 'considering' making the 14.99 sub all access as well, which in their line up of free to play games I'm not exactly sure what that means.  I think that means you get gold level access to all games but you can't take anything for granted with SOE.

[koro]

What exactly is the problem with people who rarely spend their SC but still pay their sub saving up huge amounts?

I imagine they don't want someone who's been paying $15/mo. for EQ2 for ten years and not spending the tens of thousands of SC they've accrued since it went F2P to be able to hop into EQN and be able to buy up a whole lot of stuff for "free" from the market. They want those people to continue paying $15/mo. for EQ2, but also spend $30+/mo. on SC for EQN.

I could see that as being a genuine concern... if not for the fact that the amount of people that scenario would involve (who would not only have to have been subbed to EQ2 constantly, but would have also had to not ever really spend their SC on EQ2 shit beforehand) would probably be miniscule.

[Chockonuts]

Also they are supposedly 'considering' making the 14.99 sub all access as well, which in their line up of free to play games I'm not exactly sure what that means.  I think that means you get gold level access to all games but you can't take anything for granted with SOE.

That changes things then, at least if people were still wanting to play the older games in their lineup at an even cheaper price than it was before (not sure the All Access price before though). But yeah, with the two new mmos I don't really think it will be any significant bonus for doing it, probably a few items for 'subbing' to the package.

[Ginaz]

Looks like Smed is backtracking on the Station Cash for the subscribers:

"Hi everyone,
Thanks for the feedback. We listened.
Here are the basics of our revised plan. Please note - we have not had the time to do estimates of the work involved, and also we're continuing to listen. so this isn't baked just yet. Do not expect that this is all going to happen immediately. We plain don't know yet. we're doing that meeting tmw.
1) We're lowering the price of All Access to $14.99 2) We're going to make it so every subscriber to all our PC games an all access member. Basically there will be one SOE membership for our PC games. Please note there are some minor restrictions around our kids titles (simply put - if you're a 12 year old who signed up for FR you won't have access to the adult games so we'll likely leave the lower priced kids offerings as separate subscriptions for under 12 for the same low prices).

3) We're keeping the 500 SC included with the subscription instead of going to the "pick an item" system. We heard you. You didn't like the change. The only change we are making is that we're now going to make you claim it monthly. You can still hoard it though. I realize this is a bit of a pain but honestly it's the best compromise we could come up with that solves the problems I mentioned in the other thread.

4) we are going to be giving our members a 10% discount in our marketplaces. 5) European players - we have an idea on how to include you in this but we need to discuss with our partners.We have a pretty good idea on this though. give us a bit of time to suss this out. 6) Nothing is changing with Player Studio items - you'll still be able to buy them with your 500SC. 7) Console titles - you'll notice I only mentioned the PC titles. Our goal is to include the PS3 and PS4 games that we have, but I want to be up front and say that isn't a done deal.
In a nutshell that's where our head is at.
As always your feedback is welcomed. Please do us a big favor and carefully think about #3. Our goal is to give you more value in the subscription to make it more attractive and making it simpler in the process.
I really feel like we're making a good decision going this route. It makes things simpler and gives more value to our players.
Thanks
Smed"

http://www.reddit.com/r/Planetside/comments/1ulcav/moving_forward_with_subscription_plan_changes/

Edit: $15 is not a bad deal if you're into the games soe has to offer.  It's already at 8 or 9 games with EQ:Next and Landmark to be added when they go live.

[Senses]

They have really trapped themselves now because anything short of the original arrangement is going to be seen as a money grabbing move.  Are they really suffering so much from people who are paying the sub coming back to redeem a couple months worth of SC?  The only way they get out of this without digging the perceptual hole deeper is saying sorry, and promising not to screw with subscription consumers anymore.  Meanwhile, the guy spending nothing still spends nothing.

[Ginaz]

They have really trapped themselves now because anything short of the original arrangement is going to be seen as a money grabbing move.  Are they really suffering so much from people who are paying the sub coming back to redeem a couple months worth of SC?  The only way they get out of this without digging the perceptual hole deeper is saying sorry, and promising not to screw with subscription consumers anymore.  Meanwhile, the guy spending nothing still spends nothing.

Smed just said they are going back to giving you 500SC a month that you can horde but you will have to log in to claim it.

[Rendakor]

I think the problem they're having is that no one's actually buying SC (and those few that do, do it during double or triple weekends) and the only people spending SC are subscribers getting it for free.

[Jimbo]

PlanetSide 2 has a lot of people buying and using the SC cards. Either for the free SC (buy 15, get 20 worth) or getting the extra item (Gamestop has a free pistol, has had a free AR before). Not sure on the other games. A few of the dev's from PS2 made a couple of off air comments that it wasn't there idea on the changes, they said it came from SOE.

[DayDream]

I think the problem they're having is that no one's actually buying SC (and those few that do, do it during double or triple weekends) and the only people spending SC are subscribers getting it for free.

how much is a monthly subscription fee?

[shiznitz]

$14.99 month to month but as low as $9.99 per month if you go for 12 months, at least for PS2 anyway.  I assume the pricing is the same across the platform.

I just resubbed.  SOE did the right thing.

[Speedy Cerviche]

3)  The only change we are making is that we're now going to make you claim it monthly.

Don't you already "claim" it by sending them 15$?? They act like it's a privilege to send them money in exchange for pixels.

[Simond]

What difference does it make? If you're not logging in once a month, why are you still paying a subscription?

[sam, an eggplant]

Because you forgot to cancel, obviously. Remember back in the day when Asheron's Call switched from Microsoft payments to their own internal system, and they lost like a third of their revenue? SOE doesn't want those people to get those 500 sonypoints or whatever every month and then come back in 20 years and sell them all for enough eurodollars to purchase two holofrappunios at Tacobellbuck's.

They're happy to take your money, but if you aren't playing you won't complain about it so *cough* fuck you.

[Falconeer]

Wizardry, Free Realms and Vanguard closing.

SOE is closing down four of it MMOs. Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures and Free Realms will close on March 31st. Vanguard and Wizardry Online will bow out on July 31st.

"At Sony Online Entertainment, we are always evaluating our portfolio to ensure we're providing players with the best gameplay experiences," the company said via press release. "At times, as part of this commitment, we have to make the difficult decision to sunset a game so we can refocus our resources on other areas in the best interest of our company and player community."

SOE CEO John Smedley will be fielding questions on Reddit at 6:00 p.m. EST. We'll update you with the link when it's live.

This sucks. I am still playing Wizardry with my friends. It was launched only 8 months ago.

Fake edit: Didn't know Free Realms was doing bad. I am surprised, considering it seemed cool for a free kiddie game.

[Hawkbit]

Pruning dead limbs for the health of the tree.

Free Realms was really a lost opportunity.  It was a really fun game that they never were able to realize.  On the player map there are more spots to visit that simply never opened up; that's usually not a good sign for the health of a game. 

I wonder how closely EQ/EQ2 were examined for closure, especially with Next on the way. 

[Venkman]

I wonder how closely EQ/EQ2 were examined for closure, especially with Next on the way. 

The question and answer all in one

EQ is core, probably like PS. Games associated with those two owned brands will likely be last to go.

I wouldn't say any of these announced games are failures though. Sure they didn't meet the targets established by the outsized egos behind their launch marketing hype. But these all have been live for many years and generated much revenue along the way. So they were success enough for a time.

An MMO closing is not a failure by default. That'd be an MMO closing in the same year it launched 

[Senses]

$14.99 month to month but as low as $9.99 per month if you go for 12 months, at least for PS2 anyway.  I assume the pricing is the same across the platform.

I just resubbed.  SOE did the right thing.

Hope you weren't resubbing to play Vanguard.

[Hutch]

Smeddit: AMAA

Among the "what is your favorite class" and "will you give me a job" questions was this little gem:

Q: If you could relaunch a shutdown title which one would you pick and what would you do differently this time?
A: SWG. I would do everything differently.
SWG PLAYERS - OUR NEXT GAME (not announced yet) IS DEDICATED TO YOU