EverQuest II to Test Free-to-Play Waters

[John Funk]

EverQuest II to Test Free-to-Play Waters

Another subscription-based MMOG is jumping on board the free-to-play train: EverQuest II will be launching optional F2P servers.

After Dungeons & Dragons Online and The Lord of the Rings Online went free-to-play, it was only a matter of time before another major MMOG followed suit. This time around, it's the younger brother to one of the grandfathers of Massively Multiplayer gaming, EverQuest II ... sort of.

You see, EQ2 will still continue to operate its normal servers as per usual, with a traditional subscription-based model as its background. But SOE will also be launching special servers for EverQuest 2 Extended, a version of the game that will let players download and play the entire game through The Shadow Odyssey expansion for free.

Naturally, it's not all free: Certain races, classes and spell tiers will be locked from those free-loading F2P-ers, and you'll need to plunk down cold hard virtual cash if you want access. The item shop will also have the standard goodies we've come to expect from F2P titles like potions and accessories that give you a small extra boost.

Obviously, the most interesting part of the change (and what most glaringly sets it apart from contemporaries DDO and LotRO) is that it separates F2P gamers and subscribers into what are essentially separate games. This isn't a bad idea, really, as it means that you'll only have to balance subscribers against subscribers and free players against free players rather than cross-pollinating. If there's a downside, it's not immediately obvious.

A game going free-to-play is traditionally seen as an indication that it is foundering financially. Of course, given that DDO started raking in the bucks [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98683-Free-Dungeons-Dragons-Online-Revenues-Up-500-Percent] after it went F2P, and given that SOE isn't abandoning the subscription model entirely, this could just be a case of testing the waters to see if they're full of sharks, or money.

(PC Gamer [http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/07/27/everquest-ii-launches-free-to-play-servers/])

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[The_root_of_all_evil]

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

*ahem*

That looks quite good.

 

[Miumaru]

I like the idea of seperating. If I had my own comp, I would probably try it. Plus it would be nice to not be jealous of the payign players doing all the stuff I cant.

 

[oppp7]

I thought it wasn't possible for MMOs to be free because of server costs. WTF?

 

[WNxSajuukCor]

I thought it wasn't possible for MMOs to be free because of server costs. WTF?

It's "Free to Play" not "Free to experience everything under the virtual sun." You have to pay premium to unlock extra things that normal subscribers would get.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

Yeah, at first glance, the whole "separate the players" thing doesn't sound good, but I suppose that entire system is like testing out a demo. When you find some stuff that you think is worth the price of admission, you can pay the premium and then get access to a ton of new shit.

Still, I'd be more than willing to try out Everquest II, seeing as that will be my first MMORPG.

 

[Jeronus]

It is about time I say. EQ2 came out before WoW became the unkillable god of MMOs. They should have done this years ago.

 

[hazabaza1]

Well, that's DDO, this, and the Start Trek online trial I need to try now.
I know what I'll be doing over the rest of the holidays! Or, at least, spending one hour on each game during the summer holiday.

 

[dillirgaf]

Why don't they make EQ1 Free to play??? if they did I might think about possibly playing again. Although this is a good start.

 

[John Funk]

It is about time I say. EQ2 came out before WoW became the unkillable god of MMOs. They should have done this years ago.

Okay, in all fairness EQ2 DID come out before WoW, but it was like... what, a month before?

 

[Fensfield]

'Best way to do it, if you ask me. RO did it, it crashed the number of botters and spammers on the core servers and made the demo way, way more appealing a proposition in the process.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

If anyone needs any EQ help, I have an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Norrath

 

[Therumancer]

I'm not a big fan of the so called 'free to play' or 'pay as you go' model for a number of reasons:

The biggest one is that I do not like the idea of real world wealth giving people advantages in MMORPGs, a level playing field is part of the appeal of these games. It comes down to your skill as a gamer and how much time you can invest, not how much money you have IRL. I'm not one of the most elite players out there, but the idea of someone plopping down money to avoid work and actually earning a reward in the game irritates me.

Another issue is of course the fact that I think 'free to play' games are actually more expensive than subscription based ones. While the early/developmental levels are typically fairly easy, as you advance in the game and become 'hooked' real money increasingly becomes nessicary in order to remain competitive and have the game continue to progress at a reasonable pace. This is the same kind of trap that games like "Farmville" use, but is also very common in various asian MMORPGs.... and if there is a PvP mechanic, even if it's just competing for spawns and resources, well... that makes things even worse. I've actually been there.

I like the basic idea of Everquest 2 providing both ways of paying for the game. I do however have concerns that it's going to result in either the prices of subscriptions being raised, or that option removed all together. The very existance of gold farmers, account sellers, and other businessmen around the fringes of the MMORPG community pretty much demonstrates that there are a lot of people who are willing to invest substantial amounts of real money into the game so they don't have to really work at it, play seriously, or earn anything. There are people who have literally blown thousands of dollars buying characters and massive piles of gold so they could two box with differant combinations of characters. What's more as efforts to truely remove the gold farmers and such become increasingly impotent I think the demand for these services actually increases as new players coming to established games don't want to deal with the frustration of being an actual newb and instead pay their way to the endgame (so to speak).

With the increasingly corperate mentality of the gaming industry, all it takes is a few more successes like DDO and the companies will figure that turning MMORPGs into a rich man's hobby is in their best interest if a comparitively smaller group of players who are willing to dish out big bucks to the point where they make more money than by having a larger pool of $15 a month subscribers.

At the risk of sounding like "Chicken Little" I will also point out that a few games like "Sword Of The New World" and arguably "Star Trek Online" are basically charging subscription fees AND running a cash shop, basically your paying them a subscription to play and have the right to buy things from them. STO for example released the last level of ships (a Dreadnaught) for cash only, basically if you want the ship for the last level of play you need to give them $25. Amazingly, people have been doing it too. This is to say nothing of other things like tougher than normal bridge officers and the like.

I guess what it amounts to is that I don't like the trend. I'd prefer to pay my $15 a month for full access to the game. I think cash shops are a bad idea, especially as an additional feature added to the subscription service. I understand a lot of people, especially younger people on a shoestring budget, like the idea of "free to play" but that isn't going to be how it works out in the long term. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

 

[viranimus]

I second the notion, Why EQ2? Why not EQ?

Im guessing the ideology is that EQ2 has a more graphically appealing presence, and by giving away the original, it may not be able to keep up with others such as DDO because of lower graphical quality.

Perhaps it is that EQ1 still has a larger fanbase than Eq2, and if your going ot give anything away for free you wouldnt want to give away your largest slice of the pie.

I was just predicting that they would be f2p EQ less than a week ago. Im really surprised and actually dissapointed in forgoing EQ for f2p, but I guess there are some semi logical reasons to do it.

 

[Jared]

Well, seems to be the way to go as of recent. I dont mind at all...Just all the microtransactions which are bull!

 

[8bitmaster]

I play eq2 paid on occasion and this seems like an interesting idea for those on the fence about an mmo since eq created the mold, and eq2 is just great.

 

[MaVeN1337]

I play, Global Agenda right now and they've gone through 3 models since release.

I definitely want to be separated from the F2P servers, Tends to be an immature crowd.

 

[laserwulf]

...It comes down to your skill as a gamer and how much time you can invest, not how much money you have IRL. I'm not one of the most elite players out there, but the idea of someone plopping down money to avoid work and actually earning a reward in the game irritates me.

With RL responsibilities like work/school/family, not everyone gets excited about spending dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of grinding to get to the 'fun part'. With any persistent game, you're "paying" in either time or money. The idea of someone demolishing me in PvP simply because they have the time to grind for better equipment irritates me.

Another issue is of course the fact that I think 'free to play' games are actually more expensive than subscription based ones. While the early/developmental levels are typically fairly easy, as you advance in the game and become 'hooked' real money increasingly becomes nessicary in order to remain competitive and have the game continue to progress at a reasonable pace.

Why not just buy $15 worth of credits each month? Besides, how many MMOs have a level-advancement scale that's a straight line?

The very existance of gold farmers, account sellers, and other businessmen around the fringes of the MMORPG community pretty much demonstrates that there are a lot of people who are willing to invest substantial amounts of real money into the game so they don't have to really work at it, play seriously, or earn anything.

If you're an aforementioned person with responsibilities (kids, work, etc.) how can you play competitively with your friends who do nothing except play MMOs 24/7? I may not have killed murlocks for six hours today, going to work IRL allows me to acquire an equivalent amount of loot.

...all it takes is a few more successes like DDO and the companies will figure that turning MMORPGs into a rich man's hobby is in their best interest if a comparitively smaller group of players who are willing to dish out big bucks to the point where they make more money than by having a larger pool of $15 a month subscribers.

If you played WoW since it first came out, you'd have spent around $855.00 just on monthly fees. Ask me how much I've spent on Guild Wars since 2005, or any other F2P MMO, go ahead...

...a few games like "Sword Of The New World" and arguably "Star Trek Online" are basically charging subscription fees AND running a cash shop, basically your paying them a subscription to play and have the right to buy things from them. STO for example released the last level of ships (a Dreadnaught) for cash only, basically if you want the ship for the last level of play you need to give them $25. Amazingly, people have been doing it too. This is to say nothing of other things like tougher than normal bridge officers and the like.

Don't forget the $25 Celestial Steed in WoW. You pay for the game, pay for the privilege of playing, and pay for a flying pony.

I think F2P is a great way to try out games that you wouldn't otherwise try. I had no intention of playing DDO, LoTRO, or EQII, but now I plan on trying all three, and possibly spending money on them. I like MMOs, but never play one consistently enough to warrant $15/month. As long as we have both subscription-based and F2P games, I don't see why choice is a bad thing.

 

[Don't taze me bro]

I like the idea of EQ2 going F2P, as it means I might actually try it out. As for the game making money, I'm sure they will. From my own personal experience from 2 recent F2P games, I have certainly plonked down cash for them.

1. League of Legends. League of Legends is F2P, but if you wan't to go this route you'll have to play an awful lot to unlock everything. I've already bought characters and 'boosts' that have been added and might need to buy more 'riot' points after a new character 'Vladimir' was added today that looks rediculously fun.

2. Lord of Ultima. This started out with me trying out this free to play browser based game. It then became apparent that I could by $5 worth of 'diamonds' and get access to 'ministers' that made the game a 'rediculously amount easier' and reduce the frequency that I had to log on before capping out my resources. While I don't actually play anymore, for a free to play game, I would have spent about $20 on diamonds.

 

[mattaui]

It is about time I say. EQ2 came out before WoW became the unkillable god of MMOs. They should have done this years ago.

Okay, in all fairness EQ2 DID come out before WoW, but it was like... what, a month before?

It was a week or two at most, and that was probably the best decision they ever made, getting that game released before WoW. My brother and I picked up EQ2 because we'd had some fun in EQ1, but as soon as WoW hit we switched games and never looked back, but at least they got the initial client costs out of us.