Edit: I'm not sure if this is bogus or not, im inclined to think it is, because I haven't gotten any kind of email from sony saying they're increasing the rate. Also nothing about a rate increase at Station.com, in fact they're still advertising the 24.99, and I'm sure there would be legal ramifications if they kept the adverts up for the 24.99 rate then told everyone it would change after they sub. Something tells me someones up to something.
Lol, this board attracts the paranoid folks... As if a whole bunch of folks would make this up, say they are cancelling their accounts, and no one would disagree.
Yeah, thirty bucks just makes no sense whatsoever - VSoH is struggling to drum up the interest and acclaim they'd hoped for, and of the rest of their ageing lineup it's VERY unlikely that anyone will find more than one game that piques their interest more than passingly. If anything, given the dated & neglected status of games such as Planetside, Matrix and SWG I'm surprised they even get ppl subscribing at the current rate. Surely the "shiny newness" (or what they're passing off as "shiny newness") of Vanguard is simply offset by the withered decrepitude of the rest of their lineup to create a zero-sum. Desperate times, I guess... /shrug
I have to say it's really still a pretty good deal, even with Station Access going up $5 a month. Where else can you subscribe to that many games, with the additional perqs SOE provides to Station Access members? Nowhere. And how much would it cost if you wanted to play V:SoH and EQ, paying each individual monthly subscription? $30. And there are many players doing that. But if you're only playing V:SoH, and there's no additional perqs worth an extra $15 per month, Station Access wouldn't make any sense for you. Same with any of the other games, although I know people who play EQ2 only, but pay Station Access because of the extra character slots per account, and the other less noticeable perqs. And, if they were charging $25/mo before V:SoH, why would anyone think they're not going to raise the price after adding a new game to the lineup? Makes pretty good sense. And that's the way the business model works, after all. Works for Cable and Satellite TV, works for "wholesale club" stores, works for all kinds of other businesses. So, it looks to me like they add V:SoH to their lineup, and only charge Station Access members $5 per month for it. Right? Regrettable that they can't give Station Access members that new game for free, after purchasing the software. Right? And they may lose a bunch of Station Access accounts, lots of people may finally break down and choose one game they want to play, instead of dabbling in 2 or 3. So maybe SOE finds that this hurts the Station Access program, right? We'll see. And this gives all the "SOE haters" something new to bitch and whine about, a new completely irrational reason to flame SOE. All good. Kalmenicus the Rational p.s. I cancelled Station Access also. I was spreading myself too thin anyway, trying to play hardcore in 2 or 3 big MMORPGs at the same time. This allows me to focus. Or, I'll find out I just can't live without all the games, and come back to Station Access next month. Only time will tell....
i'm sorry but this is a good LOL post. it's closing is classic.
could we please get correspondent writers and moderators, on the eve forum at mmorpg.com, who are well-versed on eve-online and aren't just passersby pushing buttons? pretty please?
hmm.. soe all a$$cess pass for 30 bucks a month.. or LOTRO for 10 bucks a month or 200 bones forever. sony just became a dinosaur.
On top of that you are going to need to invest a small fortune in expansions for everything they make. When I played EQII, it raked up to quite a bit of money plus that stupid station pass which all it really gave me a few extra character slots and access to all the wonderful titles like SWG-NGE and the Matrix I'm glad I come to my sense when they increased the price the first time. 21 a month was one thing for a bunch of crappy games that I hardly ever bothered to play because they were all such tedious, dull, garbage games but once it went higher I cancelled. The only SOE game I ever really liked was Planetside.
I have always thought that the Station Pass was a good deal, because you can play 2 mmos at a discount. This was a big selling point for SOE - one of few. But I have never played more than 2 mmos at a time, and would not even want to. I can't imagine there are very many people out there actively playing 3 or more mmos at a time.
So what we see is SOE doing what it does best. Instead of making games that are popular and making money off of a large number of subscriptions, they have games that are bad and then try to milk their smaller subscription base for every nickel they can.
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
I will add my voice to those that have canceled my station access plan over this money grab. I enjoy Vanguard (bugs and all) and will simply subscribe to it instead. So in that vain I would like to thank Sony for helping me help myself.
Before the first price increase i said its a good deal.
But i am ready to say its an awful deal now.
Remember while you have access to all games you cannot play them at same time.If i log into say planetside i cannot log into any of the other games on the plan unless this been changed.
Meaning say i took the plan because my GF loves EQ2 and i wanted to play planetside .I cannot play while she is on EQ2 and till she logs.
Considering its $15x2= $30
So i rather pay for 2 games(doubt i ever touch more then 2 in same month anyhow) and have freedom of playing at same time.
Sure they threw some bonuses like more slots in EQ2 but hardly worth it for me.
As so many have stated before me, this makes no sense! I have an access subscription to play EQ2 and Vanguard. But from now on I could as well subscribe to them individually. Instead I will simply subscribe to Vanguard only! Very stupid decision on Sonys part.
This is THE dumbest thing SOE has done. In a pervious interview, Smed touted the Station Pass as a reasonably priced option for gaming. He then went on to add that most Station users play 2 games, one regularly & one occasionally. He claimed this offered savings.
Now what does it offer? Jack. This is the death of The Matrix, Planetside, SWG & maybe even EQ. Just check their Forums, they are HILARIOUS. People are pissed.
WTG SOE... you've pissed off your remaining player base. Let us know how that Greed is working out for ya, LOL!!!
I'll start my own SWG... with Black Jack... and Hookers!!!
SOE has probably estimated that enough of the Station Access subscribers play 2 of SA's MMORPGS actively enough to keep their SA (with just enough added features to not change to 2 single subscriptions to save a nickel or in protest).
More conspirational(sp)&loony theories include:
a) SOE wants to axe one of their MMORPGs and with lower SA subscriber numbers they can do it by saying there are not enough players for the MMORPG in question.
b) SOE is out to force Sigil to sell VG and trying to get VG's revenues low enough to make it happen.
That is really some sad news it was really a great deal even when it hit 24.99 but now this ! like many others here my budget would be a limit of 25.00 usd but there no way in hell Im giving 29.99 so next year they can put it up again
John Smedley is really killing it soe I hope when day they change him and put in someone better then him! this is extremely ridicule's. sony's name wasn't what it used to be anymore.
It all depends why you want Station Access. Some people do play more than 2 games and jump from one game to another and for them the deal is still good. Also for players interested in both EQ2 and Vanguard who also want more slots, it can still be a good deal.
But for players who just played for slots, it is now a better deal to get a 2nd account. EQ2 12 slots vs 10, Vanguard 16 slots VS 12 and EQ1 16 slots per server vs 8 per server. Plus if you pay for single games you can profit from the multi month deals.
Same for the person who just plays 2 games and hasn't maxed his character slots. 2 subs will permit him to take advantage of the multimonth deals and gives him a better choice of games, since he can now choose 2 non SOE games (or 1 SOE and 1 other) for the same price.
In my experience a lot of people fit in to these 2 categories and the Station Access is no longer a great deal. Like anything else each has to look at his personnal situation to decide if it is a good value for them.
Edit: I'm not sure if this is bogus or not, im inclined to think it is, because I haven't gotten any kind of email from sony saying they're increasing the rate. Also nothing about a rate increase at Station.com, in fact they're still advertising the 24.99, and I'm sure there would be legal ramifications if they kept the adverts up for the 24.99 rate then told everyone it would change after they sub. Something tells me someones up to something.
Look right under the 24.99, there's a footnote now about the 4/2 price increase.
You are right. Either I missed it this morning or it wasn't updated yet. Very upsetting considering the only reason I got it was so I could fiddle with VG and play EQ2 at the time; SWG and MXO were just an added bonus but not likely to be played any time soon.
If I had never seen this thread I would have never know, I do hope they are still sending out the emails because as of right now I still haven't recieved one about the price increase. So thank you OP for making the thread and I apologize for doughting you.
I understand that many folks are upset. Money is not something we easily part with (except for the likes of Bill Gates) and each of us must decide if there is value in Station Access at this price. I think there is. Yes I am an SOE employee, but No I don't have to say that. Truth is that I don't have to say anything on this. I am jumping to help dispel some rumors and help to add some perspective.
I am not going to give the entertainment value speech. That has been used enough in this thread (but it is true=P ) What I want to point out is the value in the plan itself. Most folks who have Station Access (SA) play two or more MMO's and for those folks, I believe this is still a very good deal. Yes the price is now about the same as subscribing to two MMO's seperately but there are other added perks that raise the value, character slots, adventure packs etc. . . And if you plan on continuing to play two SOE MMO's then I think it worth the cost to stay. We also have other games in the works, most of which have not really been announced yet and those too will be included in Station Access, with additional perks.
Some of the theories out there are interesting and you folks never cease to surprise me with your ideas. No this is not due to Vanguard. And No, noone is driving home in a new Lexus/BMW/Rolls Royce thanks to the price increase, I will still be driving my 4 year old Hyundai Sonata. This is not to pay for bonuses or houses or to finance affluent lifestyles.
So yeah I know this is upsetting and I am not going to sit her and try and spin it for ya. I just ask each of you to consider your own reasons/motivations and perceptions and decide whether you will subscribe to, or continue to subscribe to SA on your own opinion, not forum feedback.
Mentioned above was the fact that if you subscribe to the Station Access pass you cannot subscribe to the multi-month discount schemes.
So, a fact that Brenlo forgets to mention, if you only play 2 games then you are better subscribing to both individually. You can even play them at the same time as well.
I quite like the conspiracy theory about forcing Sigil's hand. This may well force some folks to ditch EQ or EQ2 and opt for VSoH but it can work the other way as well. This may be good / may be bad for Sigil; depends how many cancel - a lot it looks like, this is not popular - and where they jump. They mey even jump to LotR or PotBs or .... or ... or one of many.
Folks may even start buying a PC or console game every month. OK the brand new ones are more than $30 but a few months after they are out theprice has usually crashed. Indeed VSoH is now 16.99 UK pounds including postage in - you guessed it - the UK or about $33.
A better idea for SOE would be to keep the Access fee at 25$ or heck even lower it to 20$ and allow participants to select say 2 or 3 games that they want to play.
_____________________________ Currently Playing: LOTRO; DDO Played: AC2, AO, Auto Assault, CoX, DAoC, DDO, Earth&Beyond, EQ1, EQ2, EVE, Fallen Earth, Jumpgate, Roma Victor, Second Life, SWG, V:SoH, WoW, World War II Online.
Games I'm watching: Infinity: The Quest for Earth, Force of Arms.
Well i use to have SA and i thought it sounded like a good deal at the time i played eq2 and wanted to try out SWG and mxo so i gave it a shot realised the other two games were a totaly pile of shite and canceld it and now this hike im glad i dont play soe games anymore.
I think this is going cause a lot of trouble for soe in the short term.
Awfull release of Vanguard ontop of a price hike for the SA basicly forcing anyone who plays another soe game to cancel a account as its just not worth the extra cash (most only play two anways)
Im mad now. Ive had Station access for at least a couple years. I was ok with 24.99. Got 2 accounts. Was playing VG, eq2,and eq1. Now i guess Ill just have to find something else to play. Sony I think this is gonna back fire on you. I think you ought to come up with a different plan. A package to pay for only the games you play. Well gonna go back to DAOC I guess or find something else. Man Im stunned! If Sony used their heads they would see that they are already losing customers so what sense does it make to raise the price and make more people leave. Oh well, cancelling my accounts. Just dont understand this at all.
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Final Fantasy 7
hmm..
soe all a$$cess pass for 30 bucks a month..
or LOTRO for 10 bucks a month or 200 bones forever.
sony just became a dinosaur.
i'm sorry but this is a good LOL post. it's closing is classic.
could we please get correspondent writers and moderators, on the eve forum at mmorpg.com, who are well-versed on eve-online and aren't just passersby pushing buttons? pretty please?
I have always thought that the Station Pass was a good deal, because you can play 2 mmos at a discount. This was a big selling point for SOE - one of few. But I have never played more than 2 mmos at a time, and would not even want to. I can't imagine there are very many people out there actively playing 3 or more mmos at a time.
So what we see is SOE doing what it does best. Instead of making games that are popular and making money off of a large number of subscriptions, they have games that are bad and then try to milk their smaller subscription base for every nickel they can.
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
Before the first price increase i said its a good deal.
But i am ready to say its an awful deal now.
Remember while you have access to all games you cannot play them at same time.If i log into say planetside i cannot log into any of the other games on the plan unless this been changed.
Meaning say i took the plan because my GF loves EQ2 and i wanted to play planetside .I cannot play while she is on EQ2 and till she logs.
Considering its $15x2= $30
So i rather pay for 2 games(doubt i ever touch more then 2 in same month anyhow) and have freedom of playing at same time.
Sure they threw some bonuses like more slots in EQ2 but hardly worth it for me.
- How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
- I don't know, but some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't they?
This is THE dumbest thing SOE has done.
In a pervious interview, Smed touted the Station Pass as a reasonably priced option for gaming. He then went on to add that most Station users play 2 games, one regularly & one occasionally. He claimed this offered savings.
Now what does it offer? Jack. This is the death of The Matrix, Planetside, SWG & maybe even EQ. Just check their Forums, they are HILARIOUS. People are pissed.
WTG SOE... you've pissed off your remaining player base. Let us know how that Greed is working out for ya, LOL!!!
I'll start my own SWG... with Black Jack... and Hookers!!!
In fact, forget the SWG!!!!
More conspirational(sp)&loony theories include:
a) SOE wants to axe one of their MMORPGs and with lower SA subscriber numbers they can do it by saying there are not enough players for the MMORPG in question.
b) SOE is out to force Sigil to sell VG and trying to get VG's revenues low enough to make it happen.
It all depends why you want Station Access. Some people do play more than 2 games and jump from one game to another and for them the deal is still good. Also for players interested in both EQ2 and Vanguard who also want more slots, it can still be a good deal.
But for players who just played for slots, it is now a better deal to get a 2nd account. EQ2 12 slots vs 10, Vanguard 16 slots VS 12 and EQ1 16 slots per server vs 8 per server. Plus if you pay for single games you can profit from the multi month deals.
Same for the person who just plays 2 games and hasn't maxed his character slots. 2 subs will permit him to take advantage of the multimonth deals and gives him a better choice of games, since he can now choose 2 non SOE games (or 1 SOE and 1 other) for the same price.
In my experience a lot of people fit in to these 2 categories and the Station Access is no longer a great deal. Like anything else each has to look at his personnal situation to decide if it is a good value for them.
It's official and it's on Station.com now.
http://station-access.station.sony.com
Look right under the 24.99, there's a footnote now about the 4/2 price increase.
You are right. Either I missed it this morning or it wasn't updated yet. Very upsetting considering the only reason I got it was so I could fiddle with VG and play EQ2 at the time; SWG and MXO were just an added bonus but not likely to be played any time soon.
If I had never seen this thread I would have never know, I do hope they are still sending out the emails because as of right now I still haven't recieved one about the price increase. So thank you OP for making the thread and I apologize for doughting you.
29.99 just isn't worth it.
Mentioned above was the fact that if you subscribe to the Station Access pass you cannot subscribe to the multi-month discount schemes.
So, a fact that Brenlo forgets to mention, if you only play 2 games then you are better subscribing to both individually. You can even play them at the same time as well.
I quite like the conspiracy theory about forcing Sigil's hand. This may well force some folks to ditch EQ or EQ2 and opt for VSoH but it can work the other way as well. This may be good / may be bad for Sigil; depends how many cancel - a lot it looks like, this is not popular - and where they jump. They mey even jump to LotR or PotBs or .... or ... or one of many.
Folks may even start buying a PC or console game every month. OK the brand new ones are more than $30 but a few months after they are out theprice has usually crashed. Indeed VSoH is now 16.99 UK pounds including postage in - you guessed it - the UK or about $33.
I'm still logs in SWG, EQ, EQ2... but i play VG. All good for me.
eqnext.wikia.com
eqnext.wikia.com
A better idea for SOE would be to keep the Access fee at 25$ or heck even lower it to 20$ and allow participants to select say 2 or 3 games that they want to play.
_____________________________
Currently Playing: LOTRO; DDO
Played: AC2, AO, Auto Assault, CoX, DAoC, DDO, Earth&Beyond, EQ1, EQ2, EVE, Fallen Earth, Jumpgate, Roma Victor, Second Life, SWG, V:SoH, WoW, World War II Online.
Games I'm watching: Infinity: The Quest for Earth, Force of Arms.
Find the Truth: http://www.factcheck.org/
I think this is going cause a lot of trouble for soe in the short term.
Awfull release of Vanguard ontop of a price hike for the SA basicly forcing anyone who plays another soe game to cancel a account as its just not worth the extra cash (most only play two anways)
In the long term i think it will blow over .