Sony Online Entertainment New Subscription is All Access

[roseofbattle]

Sony Online Entertainment New Subscription is All Access

The modified Sony Online Entertainment subscription will allow users to access all SOE games under one payment.

Sony Online Entertainment will amend its current subscription model to allow users to access all of SOE's PC titles under one payment. SOE president John Smedley announced the new subscription model in Reddit's PlanetSide 2 subreddit.

The all access model will cost $14.99 per month and includes all of Sony Online Entertainment's online offerings for PC. Every subscriber to SOE PC games will be an all access member. Smedley noted in a follow-up on the subreddit [http://www.reddit.com/r/Planetside/comments/1ulcav/moving_forward_with_subscription_plan_changes/] that the company's goal is to include PS3 and PS4 SOE games, but it isn't "a done deal." For now, All Access will cost $14.99, and when a player subscribes to one game, all SOE online offerings will be available. Members will also have a 10% discount in marketplaces.

"That's a benefit most companies simply can't offer because they don't have our portfolio of games," Smedley wrote. "The goal would be to let you pick an item in each game you play... We've got a great lineup of games, some of which aren't announced yet that cater to a lot of players."

Smedley noted that a disparity exists for what SOE can do for promotions on PS3 and PS4 compared to PC. Promotional options for PS3 and PS4 are limited because the consoles don't use Station Cash, a virtual currency for SOE. When SOE has a sale on Station Cash for PC, "it's a pain in the neck" to deal with how to give a different promotion to consoles.

The All Access plan should be great for people who play several SOE titles on PC and want to keep payments simple. For members who do not prefer the new subscription model, Sony will offer refunds for the remainder of subscriptions.

Source: Polygon [http://www.reddit.com/r/Planetside/comments/1ukdxb/regarding_the_changes_to_our_subscription_plans/]


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[Angelous Wang]

I wonder if that means you get all the subscriber rewards for all games too?

Because most of the SOE game give you free market place cash each month for subscribing, and with he amount of games they have you might easily be getting $14.99 or more back in marketplace cash.

Of course SOE still gets all the money but getting double (or more) your moneys worth is always a good thing.

 

[DTWolfwood]

Damn now i'm sad Pirates of the Burning Sea is no long under the SOE clout. Grats to anyone who still willingly pay a subscription to any of the SOE MMOs.

 

[nekoali]

Well, the big kerfluffle last week was that Sony was no longer going to be giving station cash each month for it's subscribers. Instead you would get a choice of a couple of items that you could get for free each month. But if you didn't log in or claim your free item each month, it was gone. No banking it like with station cash. Soooo.. yes. You still get free stuff for the game, but not what it used to be.

I think this was a good idea for them to announce in this order though. People were feeling pretty stung about the loss of station cash rewards for subscribers. But with this announcement I think a lot of them will be mollified. And some people would be interested in signing up that weren't before. Sony currently charges $30 a month for all access pass, or $15 for a single game. So depending on how you look at it, the subscription fees are being cut in half, or as they put it, if you pay for one game, you can play all their games at subscription level.

 

[Falterfire]

You guys are usually pretty good about adding useful ancillary details, but you know what this article really really wanted? A list of the games that qualify under this umbrella.

For reference, here they are according to the SOE Website:

Clone Wars Adventures
DC Universe Online
Everquest
Everquest II
Free Realms
Planetside
Planetside 2
Vanguard Saga of Heroes.

 

[Ticklefist]

So happy that they not only reversed their direction, but they also went the extra mile.

 

[gigastar]

I wonder if that means you get all the subscriber rewards for all games too?

Because most of the SOE game give you free market place cash each month for subscribing, and with he amount of games they have you might easily be getting $14.99 or more back in marketplace cash.

Of course SOE still gets all the money but getting double (or more) your moneys worth is always a good thing.

Last i checked, the free SC (for PS2, at least) is being replaced with the ability to claim any one weapon or non-Player Studio/promotional cosmetic a month in that game worth up to 2000SC.

Could still be worth it, but given what i know of the upcoming changes to vehicle camo, its going to drop off in value fast once you claim all the NS-B and NS-G weapons.

 

[KiKiweaky]

The only one of those I play is Planetside 2 (not that often anymore) does this mean if I want to play it again I'll have to pay money? Its free to play at the moment.

 

[toomuchnothing]

The only one of those I play is Planetside 2 (not that often anymore) does this mean if I want to play it again I'll have to pay money? Its free to play at the moment.

The "all access" they are referring to is the memberships each of those F2P games has so if you subscribed to one you'd now be subbing to all of them for the same price. If you didn't pay for a membership in PS2 then this change doesn't affect you at all although it would encourage people who sub to one game to try out others since they are now technically subbing to them as well.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Well, the big kerfluffle last week was that Sony was no longer going to be giving station cash each month for it's subscribers. Instead you would get a choice of a couple of items that you could get for free each month. But if you didn't log in or claim your free item each month, it was gone. No banking it like with station cash. Soooo.. yes. You still get free stuff for the game, but not what it used to be.

Yeah, I got an Email from them since I had a lifetime sub to DCUO from Day 1. When it went F2P and my "sub" became instead a "permanent gold status" or whatever the heck they call it, one of the perks gold/vip subscribers got was a points stipend.

They sent me an Email however saying that henceforth they'll give out a different virtual currency instead of whatever I was getting before. Worse however was that this new stipend is only given out if I log in once every 30 days (unlikely since I haven't played since some months post-release).

I believe this to be abhorrent and despicable on Sony's part quite frankly. I am for all intents and purposes, a subscriber. I should get the stipend whether I log in or not as part of my subscription. It's paid for regardless of whether or not I make use of it. For them, it means a lot less points will be given out and for customers, legitimately paying (or paid upfront in my case) customers can and will lose out. Sony pocket the real money and don't pay out any virtual money, win win for them, lose lose for customers. Grrrrr...makes me mad just thinking about it. Outright evil practice and that's all there's to say on that.

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On topic, I would say $15/month for access to multiple titles seems like a pretty great deal. Considering many games still charge that per month for a single title, getting many for the same price is undeniably very good value (assuming one plays >= two of their titles). I personally have no issue paying that for a single game per month that I enjoy since I CBA with restrictions, micro-transactions, buying piecemeal and virtual currencies.

That said, I can't help but wonder if it's "a sign" of a struggling market, a dangerous gamble (since once they've gone down this road, they cannot go back) or an indicator of the direction that the MMO marketplace is heading. Games struggling individually may prosper in a group. Since players of one SOE title means they can soon play all others, it's extremely likely all of their games will get a boost in player numbers as subscribers try out other offerings already covered by their sub. Higher player numbers = more players who experience a game, some of whom may enjoy and continue playing, investing money and/or time and thereafter becoming committed/loyal fans. More players means more teaming up, more PvP, more in-game loot trading, etc and that's vitally important for any MMO.

 

[misg]

Well the lack of station cash gives me no more reason to sub any of their games. I did from time to time for Planetside2 mostly cause of the station cash. No reason to do this anymore.

 

[Nocturnus]

They restored the 500 SC per month stipend, and are going even further than what the article stated.

https://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/index.php?threads/2014-membership-update-from-smed.544446/

 

[KiKiweaky]

The only one of those I play is Planetside 2 (not that often anymore) does this mean if I want to play it again I'll have to pay money? Its free to play at the moment.

The "all access" they are referring to is the memberships each of those F2P games has so if you subscribed to one you'd now be subbing to all of them for the same price. If you didn't pay for a membership in PS2 then this change doesn't affect you at all although it would encourage people who sub to one game to try out others since they are now technically subbing to them as well.

Oh right, thanks for clearing that up I was sort of scratching my head for a bit there haha.