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Station Cash - Welcome to microTransactions

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  • Jeff44Jeff44 Member Posts: 459

    $5 for 500 Station Cash

    $10 for 1,000 Station Cash

    $20 for 2,000 Station Cash

    $50 for 5,000 Station Cash

    $100 for 10,000 Station Cash

     

    user
  • Daffid011Daffid011 Member UncommonPosts: 7,945
    Originally posted by raizzeen

    Originally posted by Daffid011

    Originally posted by raizzeen


    its not as if this offer anything above raiding gear so i could gear less

     

    Give it time.  Honestly, as long as people don't stand up to this SOE will continue to push the envelope. 

     

    I am sure SOE will promise that is won't happen, but they already promised they wouldn't introduce microtransactions in everquest and here we are.

    Just like they promised they would fight against gold sellers... until they introduced goldselling themselves.

    Just like they said so many other things they would never allow.

     

    The only thing you can 100% count on from SOE is that if they think they will make a buck off of it, they will do it.  It does not matter in the slightest if they trample upon their customers experience to do so as long as they think it will improve their bottom line.  It has been that way for years and will continue to be that way.

    People who make the comments that you just did is what empowers this kind of behaviour from a company.  I hope when [not if] SOE finally does something to this extreme that affects your gameplay it isn't to late. Turning a blind eye now is the worst thing you can do, because selling items that everyone wants is the next step.

     

    maybe they did promise but then 90% of the mmorog community are retards who cancel sub for every new mmorpg that comes out and a company cant run on cookies and milk you know



    Maybe people wouldn't quit their games if they actually focused on making a decent game.  Instead they continually force money grabs on their customers and their products that usually end up taking a big old bite out of their user base.

     

    You will have to forgive me if I don't just excuse them for not retaining customers and feeling justified in nailing the what is left of their shrinking customer base just to make more money. 

     

    The fact that they just patched this in live and didn't even bother to communicate with thier customers tells the whole tale.  Even SOE knows this is a shameless rotten insult to their players.

  • Jeff44Jeff44 Member Posts: 459

    The fact that they just patched this in live and didn't even bother to communicate with thier customers tells the whole tale.  Even SOE knows this is a shameless rotten insult to their players.

     

    It was pointed out in another thread over at the EQ2 boards that if SOE thought that this change would be met with delight, they would have been advertising it for months. It sure *seems* that they might have guessed that this would be a bog stink with their players and simply rolled it out without announcement or discussion.

    user
  • WootNationWootNation Member Posts: 244

     Way to FAIL SoE...

    I was actually picking up the new all-in-one expansion yesterday, I got Mines of Moria instead and was considering buying EQ2 within the next week. This DEFINATELY killed it for me.

     

    I would honestly rather be paying $30 a month than $0 in a micro-transaction game... 

    ___________________
    Give me a good skill based sandbox game, and i'll give you a cookie!

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    more info -- I do wish they would remove microtransaction

     

    Smed may not think RMT and microtransaction are the same thing, but I do

    forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m



    Geothe wrote:

    Yep. RMT on Non-Station Servers.

    The very thing we were promised would NEVER HAPPEN.

     



    Originally Posted by Smed [View Post]

    I've been a regular lurker on this site for a while but I wanted to step in here and dispel something that's just plain not true - I don't have my name highlighted here, but anyone that doubts it's me can email me at jsmedley@soe.sony.com and I'll happily reply.

    We aren't going to be allowing RMT in any way, shape or form on the non-exchange enabled EQ II servers. Period. End of statement.

    In any event, I wanted to stop in and at least set the record straight - you aren't going to be seeing RMT allowed on the non-exchange enabled servers.

    John Smedley

    President, Sony Online Entertainment

    To put it simply - I absolutely said that, and stand by it. Allowing RMT transactions (i.e. player to player sales) is not happening on the non Live Gamer servers. That was specifically what was being discussed. I guess I can see how that quote can be taken out of context, but the truth is that discussion was specifically around when we launched Station Exchange and that is what I meant. I consider RMT to be player to player stuff and what we're doing here to be microtransactions because we are directly selling things. But I certainly don't mean to split hairs.

    I don't think that changes the fact that us adding this is a move that not everyone is going to be happy with. I think we're being careful to make sure nothing is game imbalancing. We aren't trying to put things in here that people "have to have". The idea was fun and convienence. Level up an alt quicker.. that kind of thing.

    Is this a slippery slope? I don't think so but only because you the players will simply not let it ever be a slippery slope.

    We intend to do a lot of cool stuff with Station Cash. I just posted in my blog with some of the future plans. i would only ask that you please see how it's going to be used and see what you think after a few days or weeks.

    Here's a link to the blog

    stationblog.wordpress.com/

    Smed



     

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    I went to the blog link - here's an excerpt

    Our long term plan for Station Cash is to give a flexible currency to be used in many of our games, particularly our future games. But we have big ambitions to do some really cool stuff for both our current and future players. Imagine being able to have a photo of your guild physically mailed to members of your guild, or get a t-shirt or poster of your character mailed to you.

    We’ll also use it to do things like Character moves or Character renames over time. Think convenience, not necessity.

    sounds innocent but their method of implementation with zero notice to players is plain wrong

  • John.A.ZoidJohn.A.Zoid Member Posts: 1,531
    Originally posted by Nadia


    I went to the blog link - here's an excerpt
    Our long term plan for Station Cash is to give a flexible currency to be used in many of our games, particularly our future games. But we have big ambitions to do some really cool stuff for both our current and future players. Imagine being able to have a photo of your guild physically mailed to members of your guild, or get a t-shirt or poster of your character mailed to you.
    We’ll also use it to do things like Character moves or Character renames over time. Think convenience, not necessity.
    sounds innocent but their method of implementation with zero notice to players is plain wrong



     

    Just sounds rather sad to me I mean people should get some fashion sense and real life friends. Also character moves and renames should be a service that comes under the subscription charge. What SOE have done so far is ruin core gameplay mechanics just so they can make a shit load of cash because they know mmorpg players even though they hate this stuff will give up and buy this stuff because they HAVE to have everything.

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    Originally posted by John.A.Zoid
    Just sounds rather sad to me I mean people should get some fashion sense and real life friends. Also character moves and renames should be a service that comes under the subscription charge. What SOE have done so far is ruin core gameplay mechanics just so they can make a shit load of cash because they know mmorpg players even though they hate this stuff will give up and buy this stuff because they HAVE to have everything.

     

    I'm with you 100%. I would never pay monthly fees to a game with a cash shop, it is goodbye for good this time EQ2

  • ZunathZunath Member Posts: 10

    Well, I was considering returning to EQ2. But I guess I'll just go back to FFXI where they don't promote RMT.

  • JeroKaneJeroKane Member EpicPosts: 7,098
    Originally posted by RedwoodSap


    So the players that chose to play on non station exchange servers were lied to. Nothing new. Smedley has excelled in the art of deception.
    "We have no plans what so ever to do actual sales of in game items, and I'm personally very opposed to the idea for EverQuest. I think microtransations can be a valid business model if planned from the ground up for a game, but it would be very very bad for EQ."
    and
    Originally Posted by Smed

    I've been a regular lurker on this site for a while but I wanted to step in here and dispel something that's just plain not true - I don't have my name highlighted here, but anyone that doubts it's me can email me at jsmedley@soe.sony.com and I'll happily reply.Lies.
    We aren't going to be allowing RMT in any way, shape or form on the non-exchange enabled EQ II servers. Period. End of statement.
    In any event, I wanted to stop in and at least set the record straight - you aren't going to be seeing RMT allowed on the non-exchange enabled servers.
    John Smedley"
    Lies.
     
     

     

    I always said John Smedly would run SOE into the ground sooner then later.

    Appereantly it will be rather sooner then later.

    Shame really, as I kinda like the devs of Everquest 2.

     

    So at this moment I really hope this is going to be the downfal for SOE, because if they are going to get away with this and especially with this pretty much NGE 2 on EQ / EQ2...

    ...then it's the end of the MMO genre for me. Especially now it more and more seems like Bioware is going to put a similar system in their new Star Wars MMO.

    What a crap! And a very sad day for the MMO community.

     John Smedly trully is a disaster within the MMO industry.

    Cheers

  • MoiraeMoirae Member RarePosts: 3,318

    Oh for gods sakes... the items are worthless and I'm betting that, with the economy, SOE is getting just as desperate as everyone else for getting as much money as they can. I don't like it either but its not like its going to be a game breaker. Only morons will spend their money on that crap. Especially since all it is is either pretty stuff that means nothing and xp potions.

  • Smed is the master of the art of deception and obfuscation.  Whenever they say they have "no plans" to do something that people despise, he says it in such a way to make them think that it's a NO, they aren't going to do that.

    But somehow they end up "planning" that unwanted thing sometime in the future.

     

  • JeroKaneJeroKane Member EpicPosts: 7,098
    Originally posted by Moirae


    Oh for gods sakes... the items are worthless and I'm betting that, with the economy, SOE is getting just as desperate as everyone else for getting as much money as they can. I don't like it either but its not like its going to be a game breaker. Only morons will spend their money on that crap. Especially since all it is is either pretty stuff that means nothing and xp potions.

     

    You remember LoN and that the loot cards would only be fluf items... nothing more?

    If you think it will stay with fluf then you are very naive.

    And AA potions is pretty much affecting the game and no fluf.

    Cheers

  • boognish75boognish75 Member UncommonPosts: 1,540

    So far it is fluff items like house pets, and small xp potions which you get for every anniversary claim gift, and clothes for your appearance slots that do not do anything except for looks, i hope it stays that way as eq2 is my favorite mmo atm, i would hate to see something in the cash shop that would cause a regular paying customer feel dissed, so far that is not the case and with the economy in the dumps and sony laying off 1000 people this may help somewhat save there loss somewhat, but if the cash shop gets stuff thAT BREAKS THE GAME for subbed customers then i will say goodbye.

    playing eq2 and two worlds

  • Originally posted by Daffid011

    Originally posted by raizzeen


    its not as if this offer anything above raiding gear so i could gear less

     

    Give it time.  Honestly, as long as people don't stand up to this SOE will continue to push the envelope. 

     

    I am sure SOE will promise that is won't happen, but they already promised they wouldn't introduce microtransactions in everquest and here we are.

    Just like they promised they would fight against gold sellers... until they introduced goldselling themselves.

    Just like they said so many other things they would never allow.

     

    The only thing you can 100% count on from SOE is that if they think they will make a buck off of it, they will do it.  It does not matter in the slightest if they trample upon their customers experience to do so as long as they think it will improve their bottom line.  It has been that way for years and will continue to be that way.

    People who make the comments that you just did is what empowers this kind of behaviour from a company.  I hope when [not if] SOE finally does something to this extreme that affects your gameplay it isn't to late. Turning a blind eye now is the worst thing you can do, because selling items that everyone wants is the next step.

     

    You are absolutely right.  This is a "thin end of the wedge".  What SOE will do is establish this RMT thing, start out with stuff that isn't the best you can get by working for it, then one day, BOOM! they will put stuff out for sale that is on par with or BETTER than you can get in game and make it an exclusive.

    They did this with SWG and the card game, first introducing trivial in game loot items then coming out with an "expansion" that introduces items perceived as "must haves" by a couple professions and a poke in the eye of the profession that MAKES buildings that hasn't gotten a new one to make in over 4 years.

    SOE is absolutely comitted to getting more money from you and will do anything they have to do to accomplish this.  Except actually improve their games of course.

     

  • JeroKaneJeroKane Member EpicPosts: 7,098

    EDIT - moved to seperate topic.

  • DavrynDavryn Member Posts: 39

    I don't see anything they're offering for Station Cash that would make me want to spend my real cash to get it. I play EQ2 from time to time, and this isn't going to get me to stop hopping on and playing my Fury every once in a while. Unless it gets obnoxious and SOE does a lot of in-game item advertising and such. I don't wanna log in and have some GM message spam every 15 minutes telling me to buy something.

  • Kevyne-ShandrisKevyne-Shandris Member UncommonPosts: 2,077
    Originally posted by Calintz333


    Just a sugestion Guild wars-
    Free 2 play No hidden fees no bull shit, fair good company. Buy the game and your done. Its also got a nice story, and Its a good game to keep the protesters busy playing it until SoE fixes this Cash shop fiasco



     

    Little cash strapped after buying TSO, but at this rate I'm so sick of EQ2 that playing The Sims would be better (and I don't like EA much, but I at least was treated better with the Battlefield series than EQ2!).

    Anymore decent MMOs while watching the meltdown at the SoE forum?

  • JeroKaneJeroKane Member EpicPosts: 7,098
    Originally posted by Davryn


    I don't see anything they're offering for Station Cash that would make me want to spend my real cash to get it. I play EQ2 from time to time, and this isn't going to get me to stop hopping on and playing my Fury every once in a while. Unless it gets obnoxious and SOE does a lot of in-game item advertising and such. I don't wanna log in and have some GM message spam every 15 minutes telling me to buy something.

     

    It started all innocent with Legends of Norrath and look what it is today. The loot cards aren't just fluff anymore!

    You cant turn off the feature to prevent you from constantly downloading LoN crap patches almost every day.

    They spam regularly ingame in chat about Legends of Norrath events and loot card stuff.

     

    It's just a matter of time till Station Cash will be turned into a fully fledged Item Mall with everything in it!

    And you can count on they gonna advertise that ingame!

    Cheers

  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 44,059
    Originally posted by xcopymmo



    Go spend more money.
    Wow never thought I'd see this from this company.
     
    http://www.station.sony.com/en/stationcash/

    This is the future of all MMORPG's I think..... RMT/Microtransactions in all games...

     

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  • saint4Godsaint4God Member Posts: 699
    Originally posted by Jeff44


    $5 for 500 Station Cash

    $10 for 1,000 Station Cash

    $20 for 2,000 Station Cash

    $50 for 5,000 Station Cash

    $100 for 10,000 Station Cash
     



     

    If you can't beat the goldsellers, join them?   (platinum same same)

  • quaikyquaiky Member Posts: 566
    Originally posted by Guillermo197

    Originally posted by Davryn


    I don't see anything they're offering for Station Cash that would make me want to spend my real cash to get it. I play EQ2 from time to time, and this isn't going to get me to stop hopping on and playing my Fury every once in a while. Unless it gets obnoxious and SOE does a lot of in-game item advertising and such. I don't wanna log in and have some GM message spam every 15 minutes telling me to buy something.

     

    It started all innocent with Legends of Norrath and look what it is today. The loot cards aren't just fluff anymore!

    You cant turn off the feature to prevent you from constantly downloading LoN crap patches almost every day.

    They spam regularly ingame in chat about Legends of Norrath events and loot card stuff.

     

    It's just a matter of time till Station Cash will be turned into a fully fledged Item Mall with everything in it!

    And you can count on they gonna advertise that ingame!

    Cheers

    i don't agreee with the item shop and also not happy about the lon loot items, but as far as i can see i there was nothing from lon yet that was really needed to play eq2 (been playing eq2 all the time and never bought any lon card).

    the advertising in game for lon can be a pain (luckily they don't do it that muuch on eu servers anymore or at least not at the times that i play), but the patches did not affect me since i usually start the game not through the patcher but instead direct with the Everquest2.exe, this way you can log in without updating lon and you will only get a message when your actual game client needs to patched.

    i really hope they don't start selling things that go further than what they do now in the itemshop, but if it stays with xp potions, housepets and some clothes for apearance then i could live with this. (other than beeing angry on them that they actually did this without telling us first).

    adding itemshops to existing games is really no good idea, if you really want an itemshop in a game then make a new game for it.

  • jemsmckjemsmck Member Posts: 46

    Right now everything is Fluff items (i.e. pets, furniture, and fashion clothing).  But looking to near future (next 6 months or so) I can picture SOE adding all the uber items into it.  Especially as a way to recruit new players or even attract old ones back after we leave because of this.

    Advertisement

    Come back to Norrath and buy a new fabled "Tunica of Norrath" for only 100 Station cash.

     

    (or some such garbage)

     

    No thank you.  I think I will add my name to those who have already canceled.

  • raizzeenraizzeen Member Posts: 185

    Microtransaction Game the new word of the day or?

  • Daffid011Daffid011 Member UncommonPosts: 7,945
    Originally posted by Moirae


    Oh for gods sakes... the items are worthless and I'm betting that, with the economy, SOE is getting just as desperate as everyone else for getting as much money as they can. I don't like it either but its not like its going to be a game breaker. Only morons will spend their money on that crap. Especially since all it is is either pretty stuff that means nothing and xp potions.

     

    Funny how SOE is the only company that seems to constantly to this kind of thing year after year.  People like you always have an excuse to forgive SOE.  It is the economy, every other company is doing it, blah blah blah.

     

    No, every other company is not doing this.  In fact I can't think of one company that comes even close to how SOE operates.  Strange how just about every other MMO is surviving off of box sales and subscription fees, but somehow SOE is acceptable to squeeze as much money as they can out of people.  Yeah, that is great game design philosphy there. "Much much money can we make if we put this in the station store instead of in the game as a quest reward."  

    It is time to open your eyes.

     

     

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