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[Interview] General: SOE's Smedley on Re-Imagining the All-Access Pass

BillMurphyBillMurphy Former Managing EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 4,565

This past week John Smedley of SOE has been talking about some moves towards an open price model with a flat fee for players. SOE has been a solid part of the MMO world since EverQuest and continues to host loyal fans to this day. With such a huge slate of games under their mantle anyone playing an SOE game on the PC will soon have a chance to open a library of games. Whether it is PlanetSide 2, EverQuest, DC Universe, EverQuest 2, or even the upcoming EverQuest Next, you will soon get a lot more options for your money. If you subscribe to one game in any of the SOE catalog, you'll be subscribed to all with the newly re-imagined All Access Pass.

Read on for more of Garrett Fuller's Interview with John Smedley.

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Comments

  • FinalFikusFinalFikus Member Posts: 906

    Good Luck Smed.

     

    "If the Damned gave you a roadmap, then you'd know just where to go"

  • ste2000ste2000 Member EpicPosts: 6,194
    Originally posted by FinalFikus

    Good Luck Smed.

     

    Yes he really needs it..................... he is scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

  • JJ82JJ82 Member UncommonPosts: 1,258

    The only problem with it for me is that if I am willing to pay a monthly fee for a game, I am not going to care at all about any other game. if an MMO isn't good enough to hold me, I wont pay for it. So its mute for me.

    But it may be great for others.

    "People who tell you you’re awesome are useless. No, dangerous.

    They are worse than useless because you want to believe them. They will defend you against critiques that are valid. They will seduce you into believing you are done learning, or into thinking that your work is better than it actually is." ~Raph Koster
    http://www.raphkoster.com/2013/10/14/on-getting-criticism/

  • DaranarDaranar Member UncommonPosts: 392
    This is awesome.   Now I can play EQ and EQ2 without being item and AA restricted with one price and check out some of the other hybrid type games without stupid restrictions.   Seems kinda pointless for games like Dragons Prophet and PS2 that don't really have sub options.

    If I want a world in which people can purchase success and power with cash, I'll play Real Life. Keep Virtual Worlds Virtual!


  • FinalFikusFinalFikus Member Posts: 906
    Originally posted by ste2000
    Originally posted by FinalFikus

    Good Luck Smed.

     

    Yes he really needs it..................... he is scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

    C'mon now.  Let's hear what he has to say.

    "If the Damned gave you a roadmap, then you'd know just where to go"

  • RattenmannRattenmann Member UncommonPosts: 613
    Im gonna jump on that payment model for sure. Just need to pray that it applies to EU as well...

    MMOs finally replaced social interaction, forced grouping and standing in a line while talking to eachother.

    Now we have forced soloing, forced questing and everyone is the hero, without ever having to talk to anyone else. The evolution of multiplayer is here! We won,... right?

  • UhwopUhwop Member UncommonPosts: 1,791

    Would be nice if that would carry over to DCUO on playstation. 

     

    I sub to DCUO on PS3, but I'm planning on getting a PS4 once sony gets around to releasing them for real.  I'm not really sure if I would have to keep paying a sub once I start paying for playstation plus, something they said they didn't want people to do on the PS4. 

  • aspekxaspekx Member UncommonPosts: 2,167
    i think the subscription model is about to make a comeback and in the form described above. something like amazonprime that offers a package of benefits while not excluding others from basic services.

    "There are at least two kinds of games.
    One could be called finite, the other infinite.
    A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
    an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play."
    Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse

  • aspekxaspekx Member UncommonPosts: 2,167
    Originally posted by Zaradoom
    Im gonna jump on that payment model for sure. Just need to pray that it applies to EU as well...
     

    SOE said they are trying to work that out. i hope you folks do get this deal as well.

    "There are at least two kinds of games.
    One could be called finite, the other infinite.
    A finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
    an infinite game for the purpose of continuing play."
    Finite and Infinite Games, James Carse

  • UhwopUhwop Member UncommonPosts: 1,791
    Originally posted by Torvaldr
    Originally posted by Uhwop

    Would be nice if that would carry over to DCUO on playstation. 

    I sub to DCUO on PS3, but I'm planning on getting a PS4 once sony gets around to releasing them for real.  I'm not really sure if I would have to keep paying a sub once I start paying for playstation plus, something they said they didn't want people to do on the PS4. 

    This came up on the EQ2 forums when discussing Gold status changes. They want to work something out for the console players as well. I'm not sure why it's so tricky to figure that part out.

    Don't really get it myself, especially when they said that they intend to release every game here on out cross platform. 

    Didn't they even merge SoE With the console division? 

     

    I know I'm not going to keep a sub to DCUO if I have to pay for PS plus as well, especially when I can $15 and play everything they offer on my PC without restriction. 

  • KnyttaKnytta Member UncommonPosts: 414
    This is a great business idea and it creates a very good incentive to Subscribe to a SoE game, watch for other studios to follow soon. This is in line with the current online business trends. And as a EQ2 subscriber I think its a great value.

    Chi puo dir com'egli arde é in picciol fuoco.

    He who can describe the flame does not burn.

    Petrarch


  • zellmerzellmer Member UncommonPosts: 442

    Remember when they "pretty much" did this before with games like Infantry online..?  Remember how little they cared about the less popular games?

    I guess it can't hurt as it stands with the selection of current games, but something to keep in mind..

    Anything that detracts them from doing the "Buy a max level character for 50-60 bucks, we don't care!" stuff for their upcoming games..

  • ShezziShezzi Member Posts: 126

    This is excellent news. I'm pretty psyched. I heard about all gold subs becoming all access passes, and immediately jumped into a year-long Vanguard sub (I've wanted to get into that game for a while). Once the new all access membership goes into effect (soon hoperfully), I'll still be able to enjoy my gold benefits in EQ2 (which I also play). I'm glad about the 500 station cash coming with all access gold membership.

    I hope we still get good 12 month subscription discounts with all access - it helps me get around the spouse.

    I'm curious about what kinds of benefits all access gold subscribers might get in EQ Landmark.  Maybe access to an extra EQL race at launch? (Neverwinter did this with the Drow race.) My favourite for a second EQLandmark race would be the cat race; Kerrans - they look fab.

    Gotta say I'm very happy that the new EQ games will be part of the new all access gold membership. I'm looking forward to those games, and I sure hope  EQL (and Next) totally invigorate online gaming. I hope they include some of the more innovative elements we've seen in other games, like the mount/pet breeding with rare and ultra rare mutations, or the ability to build and run our own shops, or even mounts that can carry a group of players, plus I reckon the Landmark world should have some dangers to increase the suspense while out there exploring the world etc.

    It sounds like there'll be no difference in benefits between players who sub with credit card, gamecard or krono; this is great cuz it means everyone who subs is equally valued by Sony. :)

    I'm pretty keen on hearing some release dates for the new EQ games btw, even official roundabout dates would be good.

  • GeneralWulfGeneralWulf Member Posts: 3

    sorry, NO.Just No.

    Smedley/SOE ? 

    once bitten, twice shy

    (even i can't believe i'm taking this attitude so many years after SWg/NGE.

    I guess it still hurts too much)

  • Blazer6992Blazer6992 Member UncommonPosts: 642

    This would be good if they had more than one good game to play. But for me they don't have any right now, and wont have any for quite some time. Plus the fact how they screwed over SWG still rubs me the wrong way. That wound may never heal.

     

  • Lord-KronkLord-Kronk Member UncommonPosts: 38
    I love how people say this is a great idea for gaming companies to pick up.  How it's the future plan for MMO's (being the sub for full game access).. But what company can really do this other than SOE?  99% of the MMO companies out there only have 1 game.  I could maybe see CCP doing this with EVE/Dust/Valkyrie/WoDO... And I guess Funcom with AoC and TSW, but that's pretty much it.
  • mmoguy43mmoguy43 Member UncommonPosts: 2,770
    For someone that plays a few of their F2P games this makes becoming a subscriber really enticing...more than any other F2P would. The thought to individually subscribe to 2 or 3 of their F2P games sounds terrible but this new model makes it a pretty good deal.
  • firefly2003firefly2003 Member UncommonPosts: 2,527
    Originally posted by Zaradoom
    Im gonna jump on that payment model for sure. Just need to pray that it applies to EU as well...

    Different publisher...but who knows they may choose to do it as well


  • Ramonski7Ramonski7 Member UncommonPosts: 2,662
    I'm also a Prime member so a package like this could be right up my alley. Especially in a family of gamers where I play one game while the other three can play something entirely different. While we all enjoy the benefits of gold status from one flat rate. And 500SC to boot? Yeah, I'm going to have to keep an eye out on this, hopefully they'll add their Playstation library to that list, then I'll really be set.

    image
    "Small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas."

  • OmaliOmali MMO Business CorrespondentMember UncommonPosts: 1,177
    Originally posted by mmoguy43
    For someone that plays a few of their F2P games this makes becoming a subscriber really enticing...more than any other F2P would. The thought to individually subscribe to 2 or 3 of their F2P games sounds terrible but this new model makes it a pretty good deal.

    This isn't a new model. For quite a long time now, you could subscribe to all access for $20 which was great if you wanted to play at least two games in their library. What this does is lower the price to $14.99.

    image

  • firefly2003firefly2003 Member UncommonPosts: 2,527
    Originally posted by Uhwop

    Would be nice if that would carry over to DCUO on playstation. 

     

    I sub to DCUO on PS3, but I'm planning on getting a PS4 once sony gets around to releasing them for real.  I'm not really sure if I would have to keep paying a sub once I start paying for playstation plus, something they said they didn't want people to do on the PS4. 

    Well considering SOE and SCE are owned by Sony im pretty optimistic that playing SOE  MMOs without having PS Plus shouldnt be that hard to workaround with. :D


  • firefly2003firefly2003 Member UncommonPosts: 2,527
    Originally posted by Omali
    Originally posted by mmoguy43
    For someone that plays a few of their F2P games this makes becoming a subscriber really enticing...more than any other F2P would. The thought to individually subscribe to 2 or 3 of their F2P games sounds terrible but this new model makes it a pretty good deal.

    This isn't a new model. For quite a long time now, you could subscribe to all access for $20 which was great if you wanted to play at least two games in their library. What this does is lower the price to $14.99.

    Lower prices are always better :D


  • OnomasOnomas Member UncommonPosts: 1,147
    SOE has always had this option, not sure what they are getting at. Only difference is it went from 29.99 to 24.99 to 19.99 now 14.99 per month................... Every few years they drop 5 dollars..............
  • darkhalf357xdarkhalf357x Member UncommonPosts: 1,237

    Wait. Someone help me understand whats going on here.  I am SOE All Access today and I can play any SOE game (except EQN because its not out) for 19.99.  I get 500 SC ever month that stacks.

    Then I got an email saying 500 SC was going away and I was getting 2000 SC which I could use for 1 item.  This sounded stupid and there was a backlash but didnt hear the outcome.

    Are we NOW saying that I pay 14/15.99 per month for SOE All Access (4-5 dollars cheaper than now) and I get to keep my 500 SC?

    Their position is very confusing.

     

    image
  • RinnaRinna Member UncommonPosts: 389

    You now get to pay 15 bucks a month and pick an item worth up to 2000 credits instead of letting station cash build up.  So you can't buy the new EQ games with built up Station Cash or buy several items with 2000 credits.  

    Why hasn't Smedley retired yet?  /shakesfist

    No bitchers.

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