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EverQuest II News - New Items in Station Market Place
Posted by Keith Cross on Dec 17, 2008 | 44 comments in our forums
SOE has announced the addition of several new items to the Station Marketplace for EverQuest II, a week after Station Cash was implemented for the game.
New Items Available in the Station Marketplace for EverQuest II
Five new items are available now in the Station Marketplace for EverQuest II: The Potion of Quickened Steps, Ironforge Parade Armor, Phantasmal Skulls, the Mage of Shadow’s End, and Pegleg, the Scourge of the Ykeshan Sea.
Station Cash was released last week for EverQuest and EverQuest II. Would you like to learn more about it? You can learn more at the Station Marketplace, and by reading the Station Cash FAQ.
If your account was in good standing on the day Station Cash launched, don’t forget that you have 150 Station Cash in your wallet to check the items out!
Read more here.
I'm glad I never liked any of Sony's MMOs.
SC was so successful they had to rush out and create more items to try and bait people in again. Hey don't forget you have 150 free, fun, iconic, and exciting SC's to get your habit started!
Hmm, depends on what you call succesful, EQ2 went down more than 15% on X-fire just after they implemented it... So right now they are getting cash but if they get 15% less players they are shooting themselves in the foot.
If it really sells so well they should make EQ2 F2P, in that case they should be making even more money since EQ2 is far better than any F2P game and should get 10 times the subs they have now.
But back to the topic: Do they plan to sell high end gear in the cash shop later?
I failed at sarcasm.
I meant them adding new items already, tells me they are desperate to cram this down everyone's throat because it's not working so well for them. SOE is famous for releasing statements hailing their failures as a success, look at SWG's NGE, they hailed that as a success despite losing a huge percentage of their population. It wasn't til a year later they started admitting that success "didn't work out so well".
Won't be long before you can't play any SOE game without purchasing RMT items. Smedley is desparate to fund his sinking ship.
Anyone attempting to defend SOE on this can expect tons of ridicule and they will deserve it.
OMG $medley's not been fired yet ?!?
Too bad SOE goes on screwing EQ/EQ2 more and more and there's nothing else like EQ out there
Yes and from next month you can buy the Flaming Excalibur of the Uberness for just $50
The I.W.I.N. button will cost only $100.
We are getting there............SoE is like an open book
Gogo IGE............sorry I meant SoE.
Wife and I just started our LoTRO trials last night. Our Station Access Pass expires in February. We are finished with SOE games after 10 years.....Smed screwed the pooch with this one.
Yes and from next month you can buy the Flaming Excalibur of the Uberness for just $50
The I.W.I.N. button will cost only $100.
We are getting there............SoE is like an open book
Gogo IGE............sorry I meant SoE.
Sadly this is what I expect to see happen as well, although I expect it to take about a year before before they do it.
Cash shops are never supposed to be about purchasing functional weapons and armor and I am not at all against item malls given the correct circumstances (no or next to no monthly fee). SOE, on the other hand, is SOE.
We'll see comments like, "Don't have time to raid? Buy that breastplate / weapon for $100!", and excuses such as "We've had a lot of demand for this service from people who want to experience the content but who don't have time to..." blah blah blah.
Yeah. Maybe I'm just too tired to think straight at the moment, but I fully expect this to happen.
Sadly this is what I expect to see happen as well, although I expect it to take about a year before before they do it.
Cash shops are never supposed to be about purchasing functional weapons and armor and I am not at all against item malls given the correct circumstances (no or next to no monthly fee). SOE, on the other hand, is SOE.
We'll see comments like, "Don't have time to raid? Buy that breastplate / weapon for $100!", and excuses such as "We've had a lot of demand for this service from people who want to experience the content but who don't have time to..." blah blah blah.
Yeah. Maybe I'm just too tired to think straight at the moment, but I fully expect this to happen.
it won't be a year. They have limited time to make this work and they know it. There are two forces at work here with a fine line of balance. They have to balance the profitability of this new market with the eventuallity that enough subscribers will quit playing to negate it's value. They will need to make as much profit in a short time because that's all they have. The game may last another year, or even more, but the question is, will it make them profit. There is also one other issue they have....SOE is a stock holder owned company. Unlike Blizzard or Turbine, they can't have non profitable products on their balance sheets. The stock holders would scream bloody murder.
All you EQ2 players should try out LOTR , it's not perfect but at least it's not full of lies and rmt .
I dont regret switching one bit and having a blast , not trying to sell the game but i dont give EQ2 et sony much time in mmo's tbh the way it's going .
** no /pizza either :P
So you get a pretty suit of armor with no stats
Two pets that if they fight for you is a benefit but in a PVE game does it really matter. Yes there is PVP in EQ2 but most players in the game are not on PVP servers.
Some glowing skulls that it looks like you can put in your house.
And an EXP potion which is nice but only last for 30 minutes so no big deal there.
Who cares.
Does Lotro have a trial atm? I may give it a whack...
I can say that I care..anyone else???
Exactly right...it's junk
The items that SOE currently has for sale are fluff, almost all useless...How many people do you think will buy them? Not you? Not your friends? Not your guildies? Then whom? Not many people...but they want it to be profitable right? SO you tell me, how are they going to make it profitable?
OK time's up...
They add items people will WANT!....and what are those items? Well...Would you buy a REAL flying mount? One that can actually fly in the air, over cliffs, between islands in the sky? Over water? in any zone in the game? A pegasus that can FLY at 60% run speed? or a DRAGON that can fly at 65%? Or how about food that gives you the ability to float in the air for hours, no taking falling damage? or drink that gives you a damage shield and everytime something hits you they take damage and you get healed? or armor and weapons with decent enough stats that you don't need to buy it from the tradeskillers...Eventually they will HAVE to add items people want. Those items WILL affect game play. There isn't any way around it. NO I doubt that it will be fabled or anything really impressive...BUT it will affect the game in a negative way.
Now get back in there and lick SOEs boots! that WAS the purpose of your post right?
Does Lotro have a trial atm? I may give it a whack...
Yes, but I don't think it's downloadable. I think it's by invititation only. I might be wrong. When I bought my accounts last night each came with 3 additional Invite keys.
I liked the /pizza...too bad it was a terrible company that deleivered a bad pie...I think an interactive "time out" zone would have been cool. Zone in, take a break, start the in game browser and search for delivery places in your area. I can remember raids in EQ1 where that would have been a godsend...18-20 hours in Fear anyone? Hit up Papa John's or the local Chinese place....That would have been GREAT!
www.trylotro.com
As far as I know the LOTRO trial is working atm, if not it should resume soon.
Doesn't say if it suspends in-combat. Hmmmmm, wonder how PvP will look now!
I used to be a super EQ2 fanboi, but after RoK, no thanks. I quit just 3 months ago and not planning on ever coming back. Shame really, as i liked that game SOOOO much. Now i'm MMOless *cry*. Ah well.
Sadly this is what I expect to see happen as well, although I expect it to take about a year before before they do it.
Cash shops are never supposed to be about purchasing functional weapons and armor and I am not at all against item malls given the correct circumstances (no or next to no monthly fee). SOE, on the other hand, is SOE.
We'll see comments like, "Don't have time to raid? Buy that breastplate / weapon for $100!", and excuses such as "We've had a lot of demand for this service from people who want to experience the content but who don't have time to..." blah blah blah.
Yeah. Maybe I'm just too tired to think straight at the moment, but I fully expect this to happen.
it won't be a year. They have limited time to make this work and they know it. There are two forces at work here with a fine line of balance. They have to balance the profitability of this new market with the eventuallity that enough subscribers will quit playing to negate it's value. They will need to make as much profit in a short time because that's all they have. The game may last another year, or even more, but the question is, will it make them profit. There is also one other issue they have....SOE is a stock holder owned company. Unlike Blizzard or Turbine, they can't have non profitable products on their balance sheets. The stock holders would scream bloody murder.
Thinking about it it becomes clear that for instance if xp-potions don't sell well they nerf the xp gained in the game so people need to buy them or face an endless grind.
Most likely yes, just not right now. Wait about 2-3 months til they for some stupid reason think we have forgotten they had said that they wouldn't sell highend gear. It will pop up on their completely unannounced.
Oh wow another SOE game that went RMT shocking. The thing with SOE that pisses me off is the fact they have a cash shop and yet still making you P2P. I think SOE games present and furture will fail because of this and i am positive they will do this to all of their games and it shows they did RMT to SWG and now EQ and EQ2 now only time will tell when SOE goes under due to one mans greed.
Free Realms and Agency will do fine, this is no indication of SOE's ability to make games, just their decisions on how to keep said games profitable after they've been out a few years.
They aren't the only company that get desperate when games start to die.
it won't be a year. They have limited time to make this work and they know it. There are two forces at work here with a fine line of balance. They have to balance the profitability of this new market with the eventuallity that enough subscribers will quit playing to negate it's value. They will need to make as much profit in a short time because that's all they have. The game may last another year, or even more, but the question is, will it make them profit. There is also one other issue they have....SOE is a stock holder owned company. Unlike Blizzard or Turbine, they can't have non profitable products on their balance sheets. The stock holders would scream bloody murder.
Thinking about it it becomes clear that for instance if xp-potions don't sell well they nerf the xp gained in the game so people need to buy them or face an endless grind.
They already did that to alternate advancement. After 140 AA points, your AA EXP gain is cut by something like 50%. They just released AA EXP Potion through this marketplace. Coincidence? I think NOT.
What happens when SOE does add items that you consider innapropriate for cash sales?
I sure hope people don't take your attitude of 'who cares', because that just allows them to take it one step further next time.
For the record SOE is in discussions about adding armor and weapons to the store. Read the interview for yourself.
www.tentonhammer.com/node/51153
Ten Ton Hammer: You mentioned you won’t be selling “uber armor,” but what about armor or weapon sets that aren’t overpowering, as an idea for returning or casual players?
Bruce Ferguson: I don’t know that I can say yes or no to that to be honest with you. It’s an ongoing discussion here as to whether we could do something like that or not, and I don’t think we have a final decision. But as I said, what we don’t want to do is make 80 percent or 100 percent of our customers unhappy with us. Obviously we’re trying to give people a little bit of fun without impacting significant core game play.
I get teh impression that SOE is using any profit they might make from this new market to fund development of these two new games. I know they aren't released yet, but when they are, and they become profitable in their own rite (if they do) do you think they will be pulling the plug on EQ1 and EQ2? There are several articles in various places online about an EQ3.....One such says they would never release EQ3 while the other 2 are still being played...Sure would be interesting to see how their fanboy botlicker base would feel if they went to log in one morning and found the game gone...It would be just like SOE to do it with no notice too...
LOTR sucks big time, I would rather play EQ2 as it is than play a crap game like that.
LOTR sucks big time, I would rather play EQ2 as it is than play a crap game like that.
Thanks, Smed, seems like you are getting around a lot these days.
Another SOE bootlicker heard from.
I get teh impression that SOE is using any profit they might make from this new market to fund development of these two new games. I know they aren't released yet, but when they are, and they become profitable in their own rite (if they do) do you think they will be pulling the plug on EQ1 and EQ2? There are several articles in various places online about an EQ3.....One such says they would never release EQ3 while the other 2 are still being played...Sure would be interesting to see how their fanboy botlicker base would feel if they went to log in one morning and found the game gone...It would be just like SOE to do it with no notice too...
I get a similar impression about SOE right now. They have 3 major projects underway and I think a fourth for the asian market. All of these projects were started a number of years ago when SOE was doing much better than they are currently.
Fast forward a few years and they have 7 MMO that generate the revenue of maybe one decent game when all combined and all of their projects still require funding. Their marketshare is maybe 20-25% of what it used to be. Sony prime is cutting and slashing unprofitable projects and divisions.
This is just a suspision, but I would not be surprised if Smed got a mandate to show that all the money being invested in the new projects is a worthwhile investment. SOE might be doing fine with their PS3 initiatives, ringtones and all the other widgets they do, but on the MMO side the books have to show they are not sustainable currently. Since SOE can no longer hide in the motion pictures division it makes sense that they are now having to account for their time, money and manpower. Compound that by the overall state of Sony and it become a scary picture.
The way the EULA and Station Cash changes were ushered suggests that SOE might be in some real trouble.
Daffid, I have been saying that all along, there is big trouble in SOE city. They can put any kind of face on it they like, but it is a desparate cash grab by very desparate people. It is about time Sony woke up to the consistent poor performance of this group.
Personally, the best thing Sony could do is clean out the entire executive suite at SOE. Those people have to be the most bumbling inept group in the gaming industry including those yahoos at EA. To go from an industry leader to a fading also ran is pretty good indicator that the SOE execs have lost touch with the industry.
Sorry to step on toes of those looking forward to their upcoming games, but it will get much worse. I would recommend you pass on anything coming out of SOE for now until something changes.
I'm terribly disappointed that they've implemented this in game.
I've always enjoyed EQ2 and think it does offer quite a variety of things to do in game as well as having a wonderful story line etc., BUT this past year I've honestly felt a a bit used after last summers 'come back and play for free crap'. Then an expansion that rolls the whole game in to one for new subscribers, but existing we have to pay the same for a game we already own? Oh yea we got a bear mount and a few new toys.
Now with this in game $$ systerm - you know its only the tip of the iceburg and SOE will keep adding a bit more and a bit more if the community doesnt 'mind'.
I'm seriously going to consider re-upping my subscription when it comes due. There are too many other MMO's out there competing for people's time and money.
Treat your subscribers right SOE or watch them disappear
Smedley said he wants to achive at least 1 Million boxes sales of DC Online and The Agency.
I just can't stop laughing.
I might concede that DC Online could actually sell 1 million boxes but that's because the IP rather than the quality of the game.
What I am sure they cannot do is to retain 1 million subscribers, which is not just going to happen, I give it a couple of months and DC will have 100K subs top.
Any other Console developer with an IP like DC Comics, could have made a game which could have sold more than 1 million boxes.
So it will be hardly an achievement for SoE.
As for The Agency, to me it will end up like The Matrix, it looks pretty much the same thing to me.
What SoE is doing is slowly leaving the MMO market and entering the more wild and difficult market of the console.
I don't think Smedley knows what he is doing.
Firstly he is overlapping the other Sony game division, which has more experience in the sector.
Secondly they are leaving a market which in few years time will be worth Billion of Dollars.
WoW is just the tip of the iceberg, and SoE is getting it wrong going toward the more mainstream game market.
Sony Pictures (which SoE answer to) should have a look at what Smedley is doing, I think they are too busy producing movies to have a good look at SoE business.
If Sony Pictures actually wants to convert SoE to a more mainstream game developer, then Smedley is not the man.
They should poach executives from EA or Blizzard if they want to make SoE a powerhouse.
Either way Smedley is just a nuisance.
Actually SOE got moved into the SCEI and are no longer part of the movie division.
Now that they are part of a division that knows something about games, they will have to explain their plans and their performance to people who understand the gaming market.
Actually SOE got moved into the SCEI and are no longer part of the movie division.
Now that they are part of a division that knows something about games, they will have to explain their plans and their performance to people who understand the gaming market.
Well if that's true, I find it funny they allowed SoE to make games which are tailored more for console than for PC.
SoE is supposed to be specialised in the MMO market, they actually started it with UO, so they should use their expertise (if they have any left) to make quality MMOs.
The Agency and DC online are closer to Guild Wars than then they are to EQ/EQ2, not sure what's going on there, but someone has to wake up.
Well if that's true, I find it funny they allowed SoE to make games which are tailored more for console than for PC.
SoE is supposed to be specialised in the MMO market, they actually started it with UO, so they should use their expertise (if they have any left) to make quality MMOs.
The Agency and DC online are closer to Guild Wars than then they are to EQ/EQ2, not sure what's going on there, but someone has to wake up.
Sony is looking for anything to boost PS3 marketshare. If I recall right there is an interview where Smedly thinks they can make an MMO that gets 20 million subs through the PC, but mostly though consoles. I have no doubt Smed oversold his ability to make games for the PS3.
Well if that's true, I find it funny they allowed SoE to make games which are tailored more for console than for PC.
SoE is supposed to be specialised in the MMO market, they actually started it with UO, so they should use their expertise (if they have any left) to make quality MMOs.
The Agency and DC online are closer to Guild Wars than then they are to EQ/EQ2, not sure what's going on there, but someone has to wake up.
Sony is looking for anything to boost PS3 marketshare. If I recall right there is an interview where Smedly thinks they can make an MMO that gets 20 million subs through the PC, but mostly though consoles. I have no doubt Smed oversold his ability to make games for the PS3.
Its rumored that EQ3 is a title being bounced about for the PS3 but won't be released to compete with EQ or EQ2. If they are already talking EQ3 and only on a console AND not until EQ1 and 2 are history, it tells me there may already be a deadline in place for the PC versions. As I said before they have a relatively small window in which to make this Station Marketplace profitable. It looks to me like this is a "Last Lunge" before dying sort of attempt. Like a Hail Mary pass at teh end of a football game, except even if they score, they still don't win...
Smed Lied and EQ Died....
I don't think SOE is giving up on the PC market, just the subscription PC market. Also I think they are getting away from any demographic that has a history with them and trying to start fresh with younger players. Not that they won't take those players, but they are resigned that they have burned down most of those bridges and need a new base of customers.
It sounds like they really want to get in bed with kids who think RMT is the bomb. As can be evidenced by this article and the new cash shops.
I can say that I care..anyone else???
I very care. the moment they expand the 'item availability' to include non-fluff i'll be trying to find another game. unfortunately LotRO made my wife motion sick :s
fixed typos... sigh
Great plan, alienate your 26-45 demographic. We are only the ones with more money to spen on both games AND top of the line equipment that is apparently required to play new SOE games. Lets make teh teenagers our target. They have the attention span of a melting ice cube and will jump ship at a moment's notice if the game gets too slow or something that looks better comes along....
Again, Way to run the company into the ground Smed...
:cough: PS3 :cough:
Have a funny feeling that Sony Entertainment (not SoE) is what's funding their MMOs, as SoE obviously doesn't make enough to fund it's MMOs plus the cash shop.
The 15 to 21 year-old male bracket isn't a profit generator for MMOs. It's great for FPS games as it's about buying boxes, but the MMO market it's the older players who keep these games afloat (the most disposible income).
It's more likely they're using their MMOs as test beds, as they can't get enough testers to stay on the test servers despite the incentives (more character slots, for example). The cash shop was released with zero beta testing (which means the devs had to test it somewhere else, which isn't a good sign for players that the dev team is THAT secretative [and it didn't help what that EQ2Flames founder and member did with outing the devs publicly, which spooked the devs further]).
It's just a complete mess.
This doesnt really bother me at all right now. The items for the most part are useless. The only ones that give an advantage are the exp potions.... and if someone really wants a high level character, they can just buy an account.
If they start adding items like high end gear, then there will be a problem, but for now it is just there to allow people to move through the game quicker, I find it bringing leveling difficulty down to WoW's level, for people that want it easy.
They also add items that just give ya cool things to stick in your house etc. show off how much you love EQ2
Well, with attitude the stereotypes that will come to this genre -- that all or most MMORPG gamers are cheaters and buy their epics on mommy and daddy's credit card -- will be the genre's scarlet letter.
Now which gamers likes to be labeled a cheater (and that it will be true, since so many claim even buying accounts is the status quo)?
In BF2, if you're caught buying an account your butt was lamblasted up and down the gamesphere as a cheat, as it takes a long time to become an officer and busting one's butt to get good stats (which is broken down in so many ways to make a RPGer cry), even.
Seems the cheats from FPS games got tired of that pounding, and just came over to MMORPGs as it's more acceptable to the stereotypical MMO game image.
Shame.
So you don't mind that they are using your subscription money to develop items that you would have to pay for to get? You are a kid aren't you. This is EXACTLY the attitude SOE is hoping for from the teenies. Although from your post count I would think you are probably an SOE employee....