Regarding the changes to our subscription plans

"Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a Happy New Year! we're here back working hard to make cool stuff.
I wanted to give a little more insight into our thinking regarding the changes to the upcoming subscription plan.

I have been personally reading every post I can find about it and I understand there is a lot of FUD out there around it. So let me clear some things up and let you in on some of our thinking process.

Goals
The goals of our plan are very simple. Let players buy anything they want up to 2000 SC. It's fair to say that there aren't a lot of high priced items in the Planetside 2 shop, but that's kind of a good thing too. It's just when you look at it from the perspective of someone who's plan is changing they are right to ask "why is this good for me?".

We are discussing the feedback we've been getting and we are making some decisions regarding this today. Particularly around Player Studio items (yeah that was a bad idea) and we're talking about bundles as well. I promise that we are listening.

Why did we make this change? There were a few reasons really. First and foremost we wanted to let players get some of the larger items on the marketplace. People complain the other way on this all the time - they complain that the 500SC isn't enough for them to buy enough stuff. So we thought this would be a positive change.

Second - it helps us deal with some internal issues regarding accrual of balances of SC for people who aren't playing or spending. There are a lot of people who play and have SC in their wallets and don't spend it ever.. this accrues over time and it's a problem. Before the jaded among you cry out that this is really the most important reason - please don't judge just yet. It's actually not but I don't want to hide the fact that it's a part of it.

Third - we have a problem with a disparity between our console titles (which can't use Station Cash) and our PC Games. We can't do the same kind of promotions as easily on the PS3 and PS4. We're a lot more limited because we can't use Station Cash on there. So when we have a 3x sale on SC we have to do something different for our console titles. It's a pain in the neck to deal with this.

Forth - And this is very important -
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

I will do my best to keep up with this thread and answer questions as much as I can (a bit AMA style).

Smed"

Originally posted: http://www.reddit.com/r/Planetside/comments/1ukdxb/regarding_the_changes_to_our_subscription_plans/

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* Please keep all discussion regarding the PlanetSide 2 Premium Membership changes to this thread, so we can easily monitor all feedback. Thank you in advance!

Original Customer Service Announcement:

"Dear Planetside 2 Premium Members,

We regularly evaluate our offerings at SOE to ensure we are consistently delivering great games and products, while also offering exceptional value to our players. Given that we just started a new year it seemed like the perfect time to add more value!

The week of February 3rd, 2014 we will be making a very important change to the Premium Membership level in PlanetSide 2. The current benefit of receiving 500 Station Cash (SC) monthly will be replaced with a new program that allows you to select one single item valued up to 2000 SC each month. Nearly all items within the games’ Marketplace will be available for this selection. Players Studio, bundles and additional exclusions may apply. This new benefit must be claimed each month that you are a member as it will not carry over to subsequent months.

We appreciate our customers, especially our valued members, and therefore are excited to bring you this additional value.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you in game soon.

Best,

Sony Online Entertainment"

Curious as to why people who don't spend are a problem ? Even if they are not even playing the game they still need to be paying a membership fee ..

If they are not playing but paying for membership .. isn't it a plus for SOE that they do not spend the bonus SC ?

And how is it any different from a non-member who buys SC but doesn't spend it ( such as during a x2 sale ) ?

I am also curious. Why does it matter if they have not spent their SC. They have already paid for it either through a direct SC purchase or through membership. You already have the money, why does it matter if thy have yet to spend it?

Also one of my main concerns is with the limit of up to 2000sc, it will give SOE a reason to introduce more 2000sc items into Planetside 2 and use the membership as a "look at these cool items that are otherwise overpriced, but look how much cheaper it could be if you bought membership and got them as a perk"

From the outside looking in it looks like a sly way of sneaking in more higher priced items and flogging membership. I think that the 700sc items are themselves pushing it for value as it is

Now please understand I am not adverse to spending money on PS2 I had until the end of December a 6 month sub which expired and I have yet to decide to renew.

Why not give the player the choice of either choose the item or 500sc for later use?

I'm confused... are they putting a limit on total SC you can have(2000) or are they gonna have items that cost 2000 SC?

Playerstudio comes to my mind.

Before playerstudio: everyone got 500SC and no one cared
After playerstudio: everyone gets 500SC but SOE doesn't know if they have to share their money or not.

With this new system, if you have a recurring membership, we are granting you one free item of your choice that costs up to 2000SC. (There may be some restrictions as noted in the original Customer Service Announcement, but there will be very few and we are working on more details in regards to these restrictions.)

In Smed's post, he stated that they are looking into the Player Studio restrictions.

Yeah no. 2 sounded like the most important reason to me. I'm personally fine with the change but I can see that some people having all this SC and not spending wouldn't be great for SOE's accounting division. Actually the whole tone of this from SOE to me seems like they're saying "We want to give you guys a great playing experience and reward you for subscribing, but we can't if this enterprise is no longer profitable."

EDIT: BTW SOE, if you guys do decide on doing a universal membership (ie. my $14 a month goes to all SOE online games on PC while maintaining the same benefits applicable to a member in all those games) I would definitely get in on that. I think it might boost player volume on oldy-but-goodies like Everquest II.

But that 500SC has still been payed for .. SOE are not losing out in any shape or form .. Technically they lose more by having a x2 sale than they do by any membership " free " SC

Neither. What they are doing is replacing a current benefit that subscribers get for the 14.99 monthly subscription. What they have been getting is 500sc monthly as part of the benefits. SOE has decided to replace that benefit with a one time purchase that may be up to 2000sc but only works once. IOW, if you get one 250sc cammo or one 700sc weapon or one 1000sc gold weapon you have used up your single purchase for that month.

I think that the 2000sc limit was just placed there to cover pretty much any item that you may want in current or future purchases.


If you are not a member than this does not affect you in any way. If you are the effects could be either negative or positive depending on what you already have what you want and what you were using that 500sc for before.

Now my concern is will you give us a option to select just ONE game, instead of forcing it down our throats. I do see you trying to advertise for these games, but i have interest or any intention to ever pick up any other game from SOE due to i dont have the time for any other game but only for PS2.Because PS2 is my crack.

My guess is due to reports or something that has to do with logs on there end.

They are allowing people who have a membership to buy ONE item of my choosing up to 2k SC each month.

EXAMPLES :: I can buy the golden commissioner(which is 2k SC) for one of my months of free purchase because im a member or i can buy a TR Jaguar for 500 SC but Not able to use that 1500 SC that is left over. Because its just pick 1 free item.

Its an accounting thing HadesR

Think of this way, they receive 10$ from me monthly. 5$ of this goes to earnings, 5$ of this goes to some sort of *Accounts Receivable*.. and stays there, in some sort of $>SC converted format, until I spend it. What this means is they can't really claim this as earnings//don't look as profitable on paper.
Also, like Smed/Luperza said, legally (for whatever reason), they can't use Station Cash on the PS4 title of Planetside2.. so to save their marketing people a BIG headache, they are trying to equalize all their platforms as best they can.. which also saves them money, hence them *trying* to offer greater value (500SC to 2000SC) monthly... because it's actually worth it for them to do it.. as long as the players want whatever the final format is.

To correct this slightly, this is a RECURRING membership, member, ONLY.

There is a difference between:
A. Member
B. Recurring Member


Do not ask me WHY there is a difference in their rewards system, but there is.

Reading the Reddit post Smed said you guys will be offering refunds for memberships?

sinistral_83 32 points 1 hour ago

Will you be offering refunds for the remainder of our subscriptions for those of us who do not prefer the new system?

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[–]j_smedley[S] [score hidden] 1 hour ago

yes.

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This is a lot better than the original post. Good to see more thought being put into this idea. Upon second thought, a purchase of an item up to 2000 SC is enticing. My concern is, that 500 SC I get when my sub renews can be used for multiple items and not just 1. maybe include a 7 day EXP. boost with the new plan? Dunno, just a thought. You might see more subs that way. Boosts are always a good thing!

I'm sorry Luperza...but this is a looking a lot like you've looked at the 50 pages of people complaining about this change and then made a post which implies that you've listened and made changes and then gone ahead with the exact same plan that everyone was so annoyed with in the first place.

The only concession you seem to have made is the multiple games thing which...quite frankly, is worthless to me and I'd warrant the vast majority of your players. No offence but while your upcoming portfolio does look strong, your current portfolio with the exception of PS2 is mediocre to put it mildly.

So what? Are we supposed to just put up with this sudden change in the product than many of us have already paid for for the sole reason that in a year or two those of us who want to play EQN might get some extras for our money?

It isn’t.

Personally, I think that they are looking to future purchases and the stockpiling of SC affecting that. Essentially, you could be a member of PS2 and have everything that you want (though I don’t know why you are a member than) and stockpile that SC for future purchases in other games. SOE would rather that you spent more money at that time rather than dipping into an automatic savings from current subscriptions. Further, that very same 500sc could have been used in sales increasing its value but decreasing SOE’s vale of the sale itself. IOW, SOE puts on a sale for a single purpose only – to get you to spend more money than you were planning on by increasing the value of that dollar. Currently, members spend nothing in impulse purchases through sales – they take advantage of them through stockpiled SC. Under the new system, members are now just as susceptible to dropping a few extra bucks in order to get that shinny on sale item (and not waste the single purchase that can get anything) as F2P players. IMO, that is the line of thought that they are pursuing.

The real question is whether or not those people’s spending are going to outnumber the current players that find the loss of that stockpiling unpalatable and stop their sub. Essentially, SOE has de-incentivized long term players who have made the purchases that they want to from continuing a subscription. In that situation the price has basically been increased from 10 to 15. I am willing to bet that SOE is going to make out rather well in the move though as the majority of members (I believe at least) are members because they are actively getting more crap. This move really does increase purchasing power even if you can’t get that 24 cammos a year and I don’t see many stopping the subs to counterbalance the influx of members spending even more to get in on the 50% off sales.

It’s a good move on their part – just would have been better if they started this way. Then so many would not have felt like they rules were changing to take away the cookie they thought they were getting.

Thank you for the honest and candid response. While I would undoubtedly not benefit from most of your planned changes, I appreciate that you aren't doubling-down on your previous adage that the change is absolutely superior to your former offering. I'll consider reactivating my account - however rhetoric is one thing, action is another. Please consider revising your new plan to compromise between the old system and the new. Doing so will mitigate alienating your subscriber base and provide increased revenue over the long-term.

OK. so you have standardised (or near as damn it) the ingame currency, we will have access to most games.

now please hear this.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD (OR WHOEVER YOU PREFER) MAKE THE GAMES PLAYABLE CROSS PLATFORM.

Do you know how many ps4's would be sold, if our consoles buddies could actually hook up with us, and how many more subscriptions we could get, and how much more populated the servers would be, and how much more exposure the games would have, and how much more effective each advert campaign would be because it would be targeted at a joint community, not a split one through platform difference, and how much i would actually shut the hell up if.....

you get the point.

fantastic game, sorry you get idiots flaming it on FB etc that dont have a clue.

Honestly, I think this is a move by SOE in general and the PS2 dev team has absolutely no control of this change whatsoever. The only things that they control are within the game itself. I agree with you (PARTICULARLY about the already paid memberships) but if you want to be constructive in a board pertaining specifically to the PS2 devs you need to give them suggestions that work within that game’s framework. IOW – the SC is gone, is there something that can be given to the members within the game itself that would make members such as yourself content with the change?

Do you understand the complaints from the players that this is not a better deal than the original because being forced to pick one item is not a better value to some of us than being able to get several items? The pefect example i see a lot is that currently i can have 3 resource boosts after 2 months currently (with some left over sc) but with the new plan i could only have 2.

Also the no rollover thing is a huge deal to me. I get you guys want people to spend their sc or whatever it will be in the future but the thing is i am supporting soe with a guaranteed $20 (had the all access pass forever) every month. That's money you can count on, you dont have to hope i decide to buy sc this month or not, you know that 20 is yours, put in the bank. I dont care what you do with my 20 once i give it to you, in return i dont think its unreasonable to expect the perks i recieve, sc in this case or the new version of it, to be mine to decide when and how to spend.

Also what about multiple character issues? Currently i could buy a small item for 2 or maybe even all 3 different factions each month. With the new plan if i bought something that wasnt ns or crossover camo it seems like id be lossing out because it would again take 3 months to get the equivilent items on all 3 factions as opposed to currently depending on the item i could have it all in 2 or maybe even 1 month.

As a veteran PS2 player (and eq1,eq2,vg,ps1) i want to support these games because i really enjoy them but this new deal doesnt seem to give me as a veteran much incentive to continue to subscribe. It seems that i will actually be better off going ftp and that seems bad.