EQII: Charging for Updates?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

I kinda got the drift that SOE is going to be charging for "Large Patch"
sized updates as well as for regular expansion packs (possibly. I would
think probably.) Anyways, here is the link:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/06/news_6115915.html

I gotta wonder about this strategy. I know that I would resent having
to pay for a large patch every month or so. Ok, no one technically has to
buy it, but I know that when I played EQL I didn't like the idea of "being
cut of" content by not purchasing it. I could easily be wrong, but I would
guess that the majority of people who do like EQII will buy the new content
as it becomes available.

I know that CoH has had 3 large updates for free so far. New zones, new
story lines, new features, everything that seems involved with this concept
SOE is trying to sell. I don't know about WoW. Anyone know if they are
planning on releasing any updates yet, or if they will charge for them?

I've long had the sense that SOE is more interested in wringing out
every penny from its player base than in providing a decent gaming
experience for the money spent. I want the people who make my MMOs to make
a profit. I want them to drive nice cars. I want them to be able to tell
their stockholders that things are looking rosy and they shouldn't pull the
plug on the games I like to playing. But it is possible to take this too
far, and I think SOE is doing a bang up job at that.

I dunno. I could be over reacting. Maybe the players of EQII will take
this as a good thing. But if none of EQII's closest competitors are doing
this, (and again, I don't know if WoW is or not) I gotta wonder if this
will do more harm to EQII's overall financial health than to help it.

--
Annie

In EQII:

Unsubscribed

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[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

Annie Benson-Lennaman wrote:
> I kinda got the drift that SOE is going to be charging for "Large
Patch"
> sized updates as well as for regular expansion packs (possibly. I
would
> think probably.) Anyways, here is the link:
> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/06/news_6115915.html

I thought it sounded like they will be charging for additional content
on top of the free stuff. In a big update, they give you the populated
zone, but if you pay a fee they populate it with 'more' quests. Isn't
that sort of what happened on the Legends server - pay more for more
content?

I think the only problem would be if they cut down the normal content
they provide for free and charge you to get it. If they keep the free
content around the same amount per update but charge for a large
increase over it, I don't see a problem. Yesterday's patch gave us two
new dungeons and opened up Lavastorm. If they throw in more stuff than
a normally populated zone, it would depend on the zone (levels, if I am
not going to see it why would I pay for it?), the amount of content,
and the fee before I determined whether or not to purchase it.

I'm guessing it will be a pretty small fee, kind of like the $2.00 (or
whatever it is) to use all the eq2players.com features. As long as it
isn't mandatory, I don't think it will be a problem. It will be
interesting to read the real press release from SOE next week,
hopefully they will expand on this quite a bit.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

Annie Benson-Lennaman wrote:
> I kinda got the drift that SOE is going to be charging for "Large
Patch"
> sized updates as well as for regular expansion packs (possibly. I
would
> think probably.) Anyways, here is the link:
> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/06/news_6115915.html

New info on them:
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=news_announcements&message.id=90
or
http://tinyurl.com/47j3g

In short, the first one is $4.99. The example given is a five-level
dungeon, with the first level free. They are aiming at releasing two
to four a year.

One part I found really interesting is that they are planning on
keeping the development team the same size before release to create new
content. Should be entertaining to see how this works out, either for
the good or ill of the player base.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

"Meaffwin" <suka_@cox.net> wrote in message
news:1105140003.829851.150650@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Annie Benson-Lennaman wrote:
>> I kinda got the drift that SOE is going to be charging for "Large
> Patch"
>> sized updates as well as for regular expansion packs (possibly. I
> would
>> think probably.) Anyways, here is the link:
>> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/06/news_6115915.html
>
> New info on them:
> http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=news_announcements&message.id=90
> or
> http://tinyurl.com/47j3g
>
> In short, the first one is $4.99. The example given is a five-level
> dungeon, with the first level free. They are aiming at releasing two
> to four a year.
>
> One part I found really interesting is that they are planning on
> keeping the development team the same size before release to create new
> content. Should be entertaining to see how this works out, either for
> the good or ill of the player base.
>

Also they will be free for Staion Access suscribers

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

"John Lynch, Jr." <nospam_jlynch@se.rr.com> wrote in message
news:NZGDd.200888$Oc.99631@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
>
> "Meaffwin" <suka_@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:1105140003.829851.150650@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> > Annie Benson-Lennaman wrote:
> >> I kinda got the drift that SOE is going to be charging for "Large
> > Patch"
> >> sized updates as well as for regular expansion packs (possibly. I
> > would
> >> think probably.) Anyways, here is the link:
> >> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/06/news_6115915.html
> >
> > New info on them:
> >
http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=news_announcements&message.id=90
> > or
> > http://tinyurl.com/47j3g
> >
> > In short, the first one is $4.99. The example given is a five-level
> > dungeon, with the first level free. They are aiming at releasing two
> > to four a year.
> >
> > One part I found really interesting is that they are planning on
> > keeping the development team the same size before release to create new
> > content. Should be entertaining to see how this works out, either for
> > the good or ill of the player base.
> >
>
> Also they will be free for Staion Access suscribers
>
>

So what happens if you are a Station Access subscriber and downgrade to a
"regular" subscription plan? Do you lose access to these dungeons?

What if you've already paid for the dungeon and become a Sation Access
member? Do you get your $5 back?

 

[user]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

In article <A_idnYl2XOPQNXDcRVn-sA@adelphia.com>, romulator@adelphia.net
says...
>
> "John Lynch, Jr." <nospam_jlynch@se.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:NZGDd.200888$Oc.99631@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
> >
> > "Meaffwin" <suka_@cox.net> wrote in message
> > news:1105140003.829851.150650@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> > > Annie Benson-Lennaman wrote:
> > >> I kinda got the drift that SOE is going to be charging for "Large
> > > Patch"
> > >> sized updates as well as for regular expansion packs (possibly. I
> > > would
> > >> think probably.) Anyways, here is the link:
> > >> http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/01/06/news_6115915.html
> > >
> > > New info on them:
> > >
> http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=news_announcements&message.id=90
> > > or
> > > http://tinyurl.com/47j3g
> > >
> > > In short, the first one is $4.99. The example given is a five-level
> > > dungeon, with the first level free. They are aiming at releasing two
> > > to four a year.
> > >
> > > One part I found really interesting is that they are planning on
> > > keeping the development team the same size before release to create new
> > > content. Should be entertaining to see how this works out, either for
> > > the good or ill of the player base.
> > >
> >
> > Also they will be free for Staion Access suscribers
> >
> >
>
> So what happens if you are a Station Access subscriber and downgrade to a
> "regular" subscription plan? Do you lose access to these dungeons?

> What if you've already paid for the dungeon and become a Sation Access
> member? Do you get your $5 back?

HAHAHAHA

Keep dreaming.

You only get access to them if you are a station access member -when-
the pack is released, and even then only if you were a member for 60
days prior as well.

So.. if you are an account in good standing (ie up and running for 60
days, you will be given the adventure pack). Any adventure packs that
you got will remain yours when you downgrade. And upgrading will only
get you adventurepacks that come out once you've been a member for 60
days. (So if an adventure pack came out last week, comes out next
months, and comes out 3 months hence, and you upgrade your account
today... you will only get the 3 months hence one. You will still have
to pay for the old one, and the one comming out next month.

Its not as complicated as it sounds, and it is 'fair'. (At least as fair
as SOE ever is, that is.)

 

[Wolfie]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

Rom Gin wrote:

>>> In short, the first one is $4.99. The example given is a five-level
>>> dungeon, with the first level free. They are aiming at releasing
>>> two to four a year.

>> Also they will be free for Staion Access suscribers

> So what happens if you are a Station Access subscriber and downgrade
> to a "regular" subscription plan? Do you lose access to these
> dungeons?

No.

> What if you've already paid for the dungeon and become a Sation Access
> member? Do you get your $5 back?

No.

They'll have some "Station Access" requirement -- member for 3 months,
whatever -- to get them for free. That's it.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.everquest (More info?)

John Lynch, Jr. wrote:
> Also they will be free for Staion Access suscribers

With the 8 character slots, free adventure packs and the ability to
play EQ1 again I'd like to be a Station Access subscriber. I'm gutted
that I can't be because both my EQ1 and EQ2 are from Ubisoft and not
included in Station Access. :-(

steve.kaye