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EverQuest II: Going F2P For Real This Time
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
That's right. Everquest II is going free to play, not with separate servers for F2Pers and subscribers. SOE has a full-blown F2P revenue plan in mind for all EQII players. We've got the details for you from MMORPG.com Associate Editor Suzie Ford who spoke with SOE's Dave Georgeson yesterday. Read on!
SOE wants to be in the forefront of innovative companies taking the F2P revenue model to new places. They have done their homework, Georgeson told us. They have done a lot of research. “We really like to give players lots of ways to pick how they want to play or pay.” By going F2P, Georgeson believes that the development of EQII will be better and more intriguing than ever. “If developers don’t keep quality up, they don’t make a dime. We’re excited about this.” Georgeson said. “We haven’t been this excited in a long time. We’re breaking the ‘rinse and repeat’ development cycle and will be more flexible in what we can do.”
Read more of Suzie Ford's Everquest II: Going F2P…For Real This Time.
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Comments
"SOE wants to be in the forefront of innovative companies taking the F2P revenue model to new places."
A bit late to the party for that, yeah?
Sounds like they're doing a nice number for the gold subscribers, though.
I was excited to rejoin EQ2 for a year or so, when the new expansion comes out... now it's completely dead to me. Does SoE not realize that people don't take free games seriously? Most players don't invest into free games or care for their characters; they are just "throw away" games, as the player waits for a subscription game that doesn't suck.
""But Coyote, you could learn! You only prefer keyboard and mouse because that's all you've ever known!" You might say right before you hug a rainforest and walk in sandals to your drum circle where you're trying to raise group consciousness of ladybugs or whatever it is you dirty goddamn hippies do when you're not busy smoking pot and smelling bad."
Coyote's Howling: Death of the Computer
Haha, that's a good point. You'd think that they would have only a skeleton crew running EQ1 but that thing still gets one expansion per year.
I like the changes in the cash shop. I hope they won't reimplement gear and crafting items later. I might give it another try or not.. if the engine is still as bad.
I think EQ1 has more subscribers. I have nothing to back up that statement but I thought I have read somewhere that it's true. Anyone know?
Well it was obvious weeks ago with many articles on some websites like Massively, 'probing' ground with thesis like 'why separate P2P and F2P servers?' and simiar sort of articles.
Good I read that and I did not went for EQ2 as I was looking for new mmorpg. I was suspecting that full F2P conversion may be soon with SOE not giving players a choice by having separate P2P and F2P servers.
Really glad I did not put my $ into this game.
Since Lotro transition (I was player in p2p Lotro then for many months VIP in f2p Lotro) I found out I cannot stand freemium model so I am glad I did not spend money to buy boxes and subscription to EQ2 Live because I would be SO pissed atm.
Well anyway *crossing EQ2 from my possible to play list*.
Seems I will have to wait till GW2 and ArcheAge (depending on it's business model since now it is tba) for my mmorpg fix.
Well it makes sense that it would go ftp since $oe has proven incapable of producing or running a game WORTH a sub. The article doesnt address how they plan to reconcile old accounts with the ridiculous restrictions of eq2e.
now the real question, as eq2 and by extension soe are large pieces of trash, will vanguard finally go f2p
Clicky for Rift trial
I would certainly hope so..
Eq1 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Eq2
:-p
Sounds like you and I are of the same mind on this one:
http://sorcsandsabers.com/games/everquest-ii-free-to-play-who-here-is-surprised/
uh, been smoking wierd stuff eh ?
vanguard should go free to play it is crazy to keep that sub based
I think this WAS the case, but now there are so many GOOD F2P options I'm not sure that will be the case anymore. I can't believe EQ2 is going completly F2P. I am rly excited to logg back in and have some fun, maybe, play around a little, get a feel for main char again, then I'll log back into SWTOR and when MoP comes out ill move back to WoW for a bit - - - wait....
I'm sorry, but EverQuest II is a fantastic MMO. I hope for the best. In fact, I might even up playing - how great to relive the experience with a fresh server and fresh economy.
My stance on the entire F2P is simply this: either game is good enough for me to play, then I am willing to pay. Or it isn't. In the case of Eq2, I just played it 5 years, had fun in those years, but that was it for me.
Still, I wish them luck, Eq2 is a good game. I just have seen it long enough.
People don't ask questions to get answers - they ask questions to show how smart they are. - Dogbert
I can only hope they change the model if they do go F2P fully. Right now, the subscription world is vastly better then the EQ2X in terms of value for your buck. I know they want money, but they really force subscribers to play such large amounts of cash extra, comparing alone to their very own game.
hmmm...
Im thinking this also may signal the end of the station all access plan as well. Matrix is gone, SWG will soon be gone, EQ2 is going FTP and PotBS went FTP some time ago. What's left? Planetside and Vanguard? Oh, and EQ1. Hard to imagine many people sticking with it, even if its only 20 bucks. That's just not enough options anymore to make it worth it. I imagine that all access option wont be around too much longer... at least not until EQ Next and PS2 release, and those will likely be FTP models as well, if this article is any indication.
they should go f2p on all their games..they are old and past it..one thing that really annoys me is that it's took this long for those idiots at sony to start listening to peeps.p.s vanguard f2p ftw.
This is a very good move. The whole extended thing made me laugh so hard when i saw it. SOE has never been known to be competent but the whole EQ2 Extended thing was just awful.
Playing: PO, EVE
Waiting for: WoD
Favourite MMOs: VG, EVE, FE and DDO
Any person who expresses rage and loathing for an MMO is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae.
eq2 is one of the more fun games actualy, its pretty much loaded with content and many features and I think this is a good move. I will proly look into eq2 once more
all this means is its now truely free to level up, then have to subscribe and buy expansions as always, but atleast they removed the limitations compared to the current servers - have a hard time to see how they can charge for the next expansion, they also released pre-orders today.....had really thought they would give it for free since the real game will be released through out the year, which get me worried they wont release more content than the live updates we ve been used to get for free before.
either way free leveling might be a good way to get in new customers...just hard for me to see how it is free to play for real this time, when you still need to subscribe if you want to do instances....both group and raid.....and have to buy expansions, if you want the current content
EverQuest II feeling Lineage II F2P breath and fears competition..?
Odly enough, with the coming of L2 GoD, I decided to drop L2 and return to EQ2... Lets hope this new F2P will be worth it in the end. I do like the Dungeon Builder feature coming a lot already *grabs old AD&D DMG*
man I hope this never happens. the reason I love vanguard so much is because it doesn't pander (nearly as much) to EVERYONE. If it was f2p, the community (whats left of it) would become the same crap as other games, which imo is one of the only reasons to play vanguard past 2-3 months.
LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity.
I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already
I really like Vanguard now, but I have no desire to return and invest time in it, only to have it go "F2P" down the road and completely ruin the game. Of course, Smedley said this would never happen, but of course Smedley said the same thing about EQII.