SOE announces new staff being added to support microtransaction items

by Michael Zenke Dec 15th 2008 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Business models

Last week's unveiling of Station Cash resulted in a number of strong statements from the community, but our discussion with SOE CEO John Smedley made it sound as if the company considered the service launch a success. Followup announcements have now confirmed that, with Senior Community Relations Manager Craig "Grimwell" Dalrymple stating new staff members will be brought on specifically to support future Station Cash items.

In forum posts to both the EverQuest and EverQuest II communities, Grimwell says that the "initial response to Station Cash has been a success" in as many words. He says they're looking to bring new items to the microtransaction marketplace in the not too distant future. To that end, the EQ and EQ2 "game teams are adding new employees dedicated to Station Cash, to allow us to continue to add new and exciting items to the marketplace, without having to pull from the core development." He goes on to ask players to participate in the newly opened threads, to let them know what new items to add to the store. For ongoing discussion of the Station Cash announcement, he offers up a link to an enormous forum thread and you can find plenty of details on the project in our Unoffical FAQ.

Tags: breaking, eq, eq2, everquest, everquest-ii, soe, sony-online-entertainment, station-cash

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Mark said on 7:35AM 12-16-2008

Simply a standard PR response to the outcry on the forums. I'm sure this was pre-planned, even if every single subscriber had cancelled we would still be hearing what a great success smedbucks are. The decision has been made, there is no going back, SOE will claim this is a success no matter what happens. How they can judge the impact in less than a week I'll never know. It's almost like SWG all over again, SOE will just stick their heads in the sand as the game burns around them.

And the floodgates are now well and truely open to all sorts of crazy items to purchase thanks to the thread on what people would like to see for sale in the future. Some of the early suggestions are just mind boggling.

The game is dead for those against RMT, it will become a haven for those willing to spend stupid amounts of money, will force out a lot of the original players and more and more overpowered items will become available as SOE caters to the people willing to spend smedbucks.

I've already cancelled my sub and used the money to fund a second WAR account on the US servers until such time as a real replacement for EQ2 fits the bill. Very sad though to see EQ2 go this way after I've been with it since Beta :(

Lateris said on 9:54AM 12-16-2008

Sadly this is typical SOE spin. I wonder if these games were not under the Sony label if this would of ever happened?

Leshrac said on 10:45AM 12-16-2008

When your games cannot gain any more attention or attract new subs this is what you do = generate more revenue from what you do have. Its easier for them to generate cash from their current base then it is to go out and advertise for newer customers.

Smedley is the anti-Christ of MMOs. He is a one-trick pony, EQ, and he is a self appointed god of games.

Sean Mikel said on 2:45AM 12-17-2008

It's not like Sony will ever admit they made a bad decision...with most of their MMOs on lifesupport at the graveyard that has become the Station pass.

Will they ever stop ignoring and screwing over their veterens for their support and reliable cash flow?

Will they ever stop trying to change their games completly just to make a quick buck from new users?

Why do other games on the market make SOE change their games completly to cater to those who play other games? Stealing some ideas is ok, but changing your game focus to solo grind just to grab a few WoW quitters is not.

In real life it's similar to a hotdog stand selling off their 2 ketchup and sauce bottles just because they can. What about the regulars that come to his shop everyday and finds they don't get their usual sauce? What about casual customers who want to get a full product for their money? Does'nt take a genious to work out it effects alot of people, and those people will go elsewhere at this sort of poor treatment.

Stationcash is just the next development in putting EQ and EQ2, the highest quality MMOs that SOE provide, in with the graveyard of their other collapsed failed MMOs.

This will more than likely infect Vanguard and SWG in the smedley blitzkreig warpath to the microtransaction reich that will emerge once Freerealms rears its cutesey face and sucks in a few million pennyless kids.

Changing your market and all your games from roleplaying games for organised and social adults, to whining kids begging their parents for more stationcash is not what I would call an evolving business.