In the latest “move your old(er) title over to free to play and reap the financial rewards,” move, SOE has announced that their long running EverQuest II title is now going this route. However, this isn’t just your standard “flip it” conversion, as Sony Online Entertainment announced that EverQuest II Extended will be released via Sony’s new “free adventure service.”
It looks like Sony has finally adopted an idea I through out there a long time ago – parallel servers. Meaning, the EverQuest II Extended title will operate alongside the EverQuest II subscription model, thereby giving players the choice if they want to pay for a subscription, or pay piece by piece, i.e. free-to-play and microtransactions.
“As the digital entertainment market evolves, SOE is focused on continued innovation in content delivery that best fit the needs of the growing consumer base,” said Sony Online Entertainment President, John Smedley. “Our goal with Extended is to offer players an alternative to our current subscription program that gives them the option to choose a program that best fits their play style.”
And it’s not just the game that’s getting new options. Players will now have access to download the application via a completely revamped web-based interface, thus providing players with (almost) instant access to the game, foregoing the extended client download and installation.
“The very nature of an MMO is change, and the decision to create Extended was fueled by evolution of the industry landscape,” said EverQuest II Producer, David Georgeson. “By offering two services side by side we have given the power to our players to determine the program that best fits their game play style.”
Extended players can access all areas of the game up to and including The Shadow Odyssey, the 5th expansion pack in the series. Additional armor, classes, races, weapons, mounts, etc. will be available via the standard in game item shop.
Adding to the “nice!” factor, EverQuest II has recently undergone a user-interface upgrade that’s designed to improve game navigation and functionality. Also featuring a new and improved character progressions throughout the game, players are sure to appreciate the updated graphics and “Storyteller” adventure journal that visually displays quest details.
The EverQuest II free-to-play kickoff is scheduled on or around the 17th of August. For more info, please visit eq2extended.com.
No further details were included about Sony’s “free adventure service,” but something tells me, this isn’t the last we’ve heard of it. In fact, if you think about the number of older titles that Sony could very easily integrate into this service…well, let’s just say that’s a whole lotta new users, as well as a boatload of additional new revenue Sony could tap via microtransactions. Let’s keep an eye on this one and see where it goes.
Tags: john smedley, soe, Sony Online Entertainment
