SOE launches Station Cash microtransaction system in EQ and EQII
by Alexis Kassan 
Dec 9th 2008 at 11:50AM
Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Economy, News items
Items shown on the site include the Seafury Buccaneer Armor Crate and Flask of Achievements. US players can access this feature today and Europe should have it tomorrow. For information on how to fill your wallet, purchase items from the marketplace, and much more, visit the Station knowledge base.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Revrent said on 12:03PM 12-09-2008
Fuck this , No warning no explanation , they just post this on notes right before the servers go live. I really enjoy EQ2, and so far most of the items are crap , but the 50% to AA and 50% EXp pot are bullshit.
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Mr Angry said on 12:17PM 12-09-2008
OK Mr Angry is gonna wade into this one too....
So what the hell have customers been paying for for the last four years?
The answer : For SOE to build an infrastructure with a third party so they can be fleeced for additional money to customize and advance their character, rather than bringing these same assets to faithful customers who work hard to distinguish themselves by their efforts, not their bank balances.
I imagine there is going to be problems for EQ2 as a result of this, they are already pushing their luck a bit and the newest expansion didn't fare too well.
It just proves that shitty card game was a thinly veiled attempt to do this before, at least you got additional content. They subsequently decided to just go direct and sell the stuff to players without dressing it up.
What's the worst thing about this, well they decide to pull it off with absolutely no warning, no testing or no feedback, just bam, get over it. John, I don't understand why you would pull this same trick twice, you said sorry for the NGE, then use the same tactics for EQ2 fans by 'surprising' them too. While it's not directly impacting their gameplay, you've decided to treat your customers as the enemy rather than your most valuable asset.
While I was tempted to look to get the new expansion for my old EQ2 account to explore a bit and see the world (which is very well designed) this sort of 'business practice' pretty much has turned me off this.
It's not so much the items, it's the manner of deployment, the fact that they should inform players where the hell their subs are going and work to increase player volumes, rather than to try and fleece those who have stuck with them for so long.
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Skypp said on 12:22PM 12-09-2008
SOE does this when their Everquest titles start reaching the end of their "cycles". In Everquest, when EQ2 was in the works, the game became a test bed for new concepts for EQ2. Instances, item augments, point systems and the like were thrown in through a series of downloadable expansions. They screwed up EQ1 really bad, so bad that it caused the boycotts and mass exodus of uber leet guilds like FOH.
So now Everquest 2 becomes just an additional beta test for whatever new products SOE is about to shove out the door. Its all happened before, and before you think complaining can do anything about it, how about you EQ2 guys ask the SWG guys how much SOE likes to listen to their player base.
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Lunazen111 said on 7:19PM 12-10-2008
That's the truth. What was it.. something like 400+ pages of people saying they hated the NGE, begging for a normal server, begging for the return of TK and CH... but all for nothing.
I've given some feedback on the official forums, but it's more as a way of venting. I know nothing good will come of it, especially since Smed himself felt the need to chime in.
Arkanaloth said on 12:34PM 12-09-2008
Not surprising in the slightest. I left EQ2 when the "cheat servers" went live knowing it to be merely the tip of the ice-berg of things to come.. Glad I did.
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Mr Angry said on 12:36PM 12-09-2008
Skypp, exactly, all they are doing is trying out Free Realms technology on EQ2 players. Guinea pigs pure and simple for a game they are going to push out for kiddies to nag their parents to buy them stuff in game.
While we can all claim our tin hats aren't working here, it looks like the fairly recent Sony restructuring is now directly impacting players experiences.
Mr Smedley made a very interesting statement regarding RMT in EQ2 on non station exchange servers some while ago, I thank the EQ2 player who reposted this, I'd like to share it here :
================================
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
================================
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Matt said on 12:38PM 12-09-2008
Wait, so every server is going to be a Bazaar server now?
I know that Sony's on hard times (having to lay off 7000 people and all - that's company-wide, so who knows if any were from SOE) but unless they're planning on going the F2P route that's just not a good idea. It's not worth the bad press.
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Steve said on 2:50PM 12-09-2008
My problem with this is the fact they are still making their customers shell out the monthly fee plus adding the microtransactions. It's one or the other...leave it to Sony to attempt both and be greedy pricks they are known to be.
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torak said on 3:33PM 12-09-2008
LMAO,
Ah, gotta love SOE.
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PeterD said on 3:27PM 12-09-2008
The author's take on 'reasonable' prices seems a little odd. $10 for a set of appearance armor you can keep forever is too much, but $10 for a 4 hour potion that gives +50% xp is just right?
If EQ2 had no monthly fee, than $10 for a 4 freaking hour long potion MIGHT be ok, but it does have a fee, so that's nothing short of highway robbery.
I can't wait to see them release horse armor . . . the irony will be delicious.
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Mr Angry said on 4:26PM 12-09-2008
Interestingly, Mr Smedley is raising a point that RMT is different from a micro transaction model. What do you guys think?
I think when he says in 'any shape or form' that was pretty definitive, I guess it wasn't.
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CM said on 7:44PM 12-09-2008
The only difference (to Smed) is that RMT usually means another company is getting the money while with their new microtransaction scam it goes directly to SOE.
Other than that there is absolutely no difference...you are paying real money for in-game items and/or gold.
ArrA said on 10:03PM 12-09-2008
SOE, the greed never ceases to amaze.
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CM said on 7:42PM 12-09-2008
Anybody who stills plays a SOE game after what they did to SWG deserves whatever they get now. Microtransactions...wow Smed is getting desperate.
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BaronJuJu said on 10:29PM 12-09-2008
Reminds me of when they released the last SWG expansion, then turned around shortly after and changed the game. Now EQ/EQ2 players get their NGE.
They just can't leave well enough alone can't they?
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Wjowski said on 1:01AM 12-10-2008
Another not to come back. Not only do they refuse to fix the game's most underlying problems but now they're adding more problems into it.
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Mr Angry said on 1:05AM 12-10-2008
Players have the ability to stop this very quickly and in such a way it would cause a lot of bad publicity and allow SOE to rethink this model.
PvP server, we all like ganking right, camping, ooooo even better!
Well why not try hunting opposing faction with 'fluff' items relentless and in such a way that it causes SOE customers to complain and demand changes. This in turn will make people think twice about buying anything other than the xp pots (which are a bit of a waste of cash) and SOE will see a direct drop in their bottom line.
As for PvE servers, make it very clear that guild will not stand for RMT items and remove people who decide to use them. They can play elsewhere and form their own guilds or join more sympathetic guilds. This might sound harsh, but 2 or 3 weeks of this, SOE will act fast and sales of these items will plummet.
Once this changes the dynamics in game, SOE will be a lot more compelled to act.
Might sound like bullying, but players do have means to make this a lot more of a contentious issue than 'bah I'm quitting'
Just an idea, and it would be very much fun for those who were truly on a crusade to decisively stop this type of business model...
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Wjowski said on 1:10AM 12-10-2008
It'd be better to simply vote with your wallet and cancel your account. SOE'll notice that long before they notice the childish griefing.
Mr Angry said on 1:26AM 12-10-2008
I disagree, they are much more quick to act to events like this, and the more players get behind it, the more people will think twice before deciding to RMT. The more it happens, the more chance there is of it appearing on affiliate sites and then once there is a story there, that's when the execs at Sony really take notice. /feedback is all well and good, but it hasn't yet stopped one major change in an MMO I can remember.
I'm surprised you used the term 'childish griefing' I think that's not really accurate in this instance as I carefully explained the purpose of the protest. If you feel my idea is childish, then you are welcome to say that, but the principle is designed to appeal to those who are fed up with being spoon fed this type of crap, who pay their monthly subs for many years and don't want this to perpetuate a new expense.
Remember some of us paid in advance for subs, so voting with my wallet will only take effect in about four months in my case. I feel that the propensity to move towards effectively charging more for MMO's needs to be seriously countered at this early stage and for developers to realize that they can't take the best of both worlds and take subs and RMT cash.
Look at all that canceled SWG, still going right and in the exact same direction as it was when the mistakes were made? This is a wider issue on RMT and so I feel it's more than appropriate to make a story out of this, let people understand the campaign behind disenfranchised players and for MMO companies to realize that they just can't stealth charge more for content that people have been subsidising for years.
While these RMT enhancements have been worked on, where are the many fixes that have been requests so many time, why isn't PvP improved in EQ2.
So I feel this idea is more than a childish one, I wanted to demonstrate that players are not helpless, and using in game assets to demonstrate that really proves that if you feel strongly enough you can effect change in the game world, the same way companies like SOE decide to on a whim.
Hope that clarifies my position a little?
Wjowski said on 2:23AM 12-10-2008
Honestly, maybe 'childish griefing' was a bit harsh (I take a dim view about that sort of behavior in general) but...I still just don't see the logic.
Obviously you're angry. I'm ticked off about it myself. I used to constantly point to EQ2 as a sign that SOE wasn't *entirely* bad and then...well...here we are.
But none of what you're suggesting will affect them. They don't care about how long you've played. They don't care that you're hunting down and/or making pariahs of other players using RMT items (until it gets to the point where you go too far and end up banned, anyways). What they do care about is the bottom line.
I mean, try to think like a corporate exec thinks. What's going to attract your attention more? That players are angry and raising a stink (albeit a very public think) over RMT? Or that players are *leaving and not coming back* because of RMT?