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Sony Online Considering One-Price Subscription For All Its Games
Soon, you may be able to get premium access to all of Sony Online's stable of games, including Planetside 2 and the upcoming Everquest Next, for one monthly fee.
On Reddit, SOE head John Smedley detailed the company's possible plans:
"We are considering (and are likely going to move forward with) a plan that means if you subscribe to one of our games you are a subscriber to all our games (this applies to PC titles only btw).. all for the current $14.99 a month. That's a benefit most companies simply can't offer because they don't have our portfolio of games. The goal would be to let you pick an item in each game you play. Some of you might say "well who cares..I only play Planetside 2. How is that a benefit to me?" My answer is simple - we've got a great lineup of games, some of which aren't announced yet that cater to a lot of players. We have EQN and EQNL coming along with other..... games... that PS2 players might just like."
It's important to note this would not affect players ability to play the games for free if they like, only offer more flexibility for premium subscribers to choose to get perks across multiple games. Smedley also said, because of business restrictions like the inability to use SOE's Station Cash currency, this new subscription model would not be coming to PS3 or PS4, only offered on PC.
Our Take:
This sounds like smart business to me, and a win for both SOE and consumers. I like it because it doesn't change the price of a subscription or force players to pay for anything extra they don't want. However, allowing them premium access and items in other games for no extra charge might encourage a Planetside player to check out DC Universe or vice versa.
Also, did anyone else notice this quote? - "We have EQN and EQNL coming along with other..... games... that PS2 players might just like." I wonder if this means a new Champions of Norrath game is coming?
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