2014 Membership - Update from Smed

I feel that being able to claim items is way better. You can claim that cool gold NS weapon or even the expensive camos without feeling like your wasting money. Without the claim feature I just have to wait 4 months to claim a 2000 sc item, who knows if I will even want to play by anymore by the time I get my item that I had to wait a third of the year to get.

I guess you need to do your calculations again... How did you find the old plan better e 500 SC / month or 2000 SC voucher / month !?!!?!

And please don't say that you are saving for cool items / weapons... By the time you get new items you will have a voucher to buy them or u will have to save 4 new months

It seems you did and truly thank you.

Ya know I had my doubts that such a company side decision would be changed so fast..... it seems you really do listen

I think this will in the end benefit everyone and I am pleased with the revised plan

Thanks

Wow really? Well I apologise if I insulted you, however, I stated my case with examples, please provide me with yours.

Absolutely not. That will make PS2 a pay-to-win game.

Hi Luperza, Piestro, whoever!

Can you please shed some light and explain a few things for us?
(If you are allowed...)


1. The PS4 not compatible with SC problem.
Isn't the PS4 made by Sony?
And isn't SOE a branch of Sony?
So why is getting PS4 players / customers using SC a problem?
It's all digital data, so where does the problem lie and why can't it be overcome?


2. PlayerStudio items problem.
I don't know the % or $ involved, but assume it goes something like this:
a. Customer buys a PlayerStudio item for $5.
b. Sony pays the artist $1 (20% is a plucked figure) as per their agreement.
c. Sony keeps the $4 remaining.
versus:
a. PlayerStudio never existed.
b Customers never spend money on PlayerStudio items.
c. Sony doesn't have to pay the artists, but crucially, misses out on the remaining amount. ($0)

Would Sony rather $4 or $0?
I don't understand the thought process here...
How does the PlayerStudio represent a 'loss' for SOE/Sony?


Thanks for any clarification!


3. The SC rolling over from month to month problem.
Okay so 'Smed' explained the dark magicks woven by those nefarious creatures called 'accountants' are responsible for this.
It seems the 'work around' is for customers to now 'claim' the SC, which somehow changes its tax status. (?)

Why not just make most of the items for sale in the shop 500 SC or less?

Then customers won't tend to hoard the 500 SC they get monthly, in order to buy most of the items which are priced at 700 SC...
Re-iterating:
- Hoarding of SC is linked to the high prices of the items for sale in the game.
- Lower prices = more sales, more marketing data, better sales tactics and most of all, less hoarding / partial solution to that problem.

What do ya reckon?

I'd personally prefer being able to pick an item as opposed to 500SC but only if it included Player Studio.

I realise that obviously that means SOE having to pay the cost of the player studio items but could it be the done that Player Studio is only offered every other month or maybe only items that have been in the studio for X period of time?

If you don't voice your opinion, it's your own fault. Take part in the game!

lol it says they are making all subscribers an all access member, but for 12 year olds, they won't get all the access because they have minor restrictions, lol irony, but dude what are they talking about adult games? are they talking about sexual games? I don't see any inappropriate games out there made by SOE.

This might have been asked or answered already but, I havent used the 2k deal since feb the 3rd and I haven't got the 500sc deposit yet either, when will this change become active?

If I was able to chose between "one 2000 SC item voucher" and "500 SC to spend as I like", the value of membership would be so good I would never ever unsubscribe, given I can use the subscription to any SOE game and I am locked in 30$ per 3 months subscription. It would also appease everyone, those who want 500 SC and those who want the voucher.

If you gave the option to chose, you could even exclude Player Studio items and Bundles from the voucher, but it would make everyone so happy if you could use the voucher for anything up to 2000 SC.

The " 2000 SC item voucher" is actually really good offer, but only if it's an option, because you can get more than one item for 500SC during sales, in extreme cases over 10! (like the Holiday 1 SC items) The voucher also gives a "guilt-free" purchase of something very expensive and not at all needed, which you would normally consider waste of money, but if you have one item to chose than it's really cool one to have! (like Golden Commissioner - cool to have but unnecessary to have).

Thanks for listening, keep up the good work, make something out of this subscription change and make it so good people are feeling dumb for not subscribing!

Now some questions: I am an European player who has account created through Sony, not prosieben, and I pay subscription to Sony directly in dollars, not prosieben and euros. I take it I will be treated as I always was, like an American customer who just happens to live and play in Europe(an servers), am I right?
I am locked in 30$ per 3 months subscription, I take it I will still have 30$ per 3 months sub but for all SOE games, am I right?
If I log into Planetside 2 and claim my 500 SC, will I be able to use those SC in another SOE game, like DCUO?

Thanks for everything!

Love, Umrtvovacz/Viktri - Woodman

In your opinion, which you are entitled to. However, in the original post, 50 pages of (in the main) reasoned and well balanced discussion on the negatives as well as the positives is hardly a "screaming minority". Couple that with the same reaction over at EQ2 and it is even less a miniority, more a vocal majority.

Up until yesterday, unless I am mistaken, the new all encompassing standardised pass hadn't even been announced. For you to have benefited as you say above from the extra items on all games you would have had to have subscriptions on all the games or had the existing all access pass to begin with. Again, this is a boon for some, clearly you, but not everyone. This wasn't even on the table at the time of the original announcement Friday.

People weren't arguing over the amount that was being received, across one game or multiple. They were vocally demonstrating against being limited to one single purchase, with a host of exclusions, with a use it or lose it restriction, on a game that doesn't have the high value items that other games like EQ2 does have (and even then, the EQ2 fans were in uproar). No taking advantage of multiple sales during a month, no taking advantage of having currency stored for when you really NEED that weapon. It simply was not a fantastic deal in its original guise for long standing players of Planetside 2 - since we are on the Planetside 2 forums, the priority discussion is how the deal affected Planetside 2.

To call people shortsighted and stupid because you feel personally hard done by from a decision reversal is laughable. Think about it for a minute; is a company the size of SOE going to almost fully reverse a (lets face it, massive) decision because of a screaming minority of shortsighted, stupid members? Or are they going to listen to the feedback and make an informed, intelligent, wise business decision based on the collected data from reasoned discussion and interaction between the gaming communities and public relations staff? Staff like Piestro, who was in over the weekend gathering the comments, allowing opportunity to expand on reasons, and ensuring that we knew he was a keen gamer too who was also affected by the change in the games he plays (specifically EQ2 from what I gather).

I'm sorry it hasn't worked out as well for you as it could have. For a huge number of others though, SOE has seemingly come through for us.

1st. please read all my posts
2nd. I am lv20 with my first character and untill now I only spent 2 E on a PDW and I never felt frustrated, never the less I hope I will get premium tonight since it's all back to normal

See? Talking to the customers can be beneficial for both sides

Good idea!

Not sure if dumb or just trolling...

BRAVO, BRAVO! This is one of the rare times where SOE announced something, then backtracked due to player feedbacks. Usually when SOE announces something, it's because they had already done it and there's no looking back. Ahh the power of customer's bank accounts.

But, got to give credit where its due. This is a great attitude change from SOE, and I for one as a long time SOE fan since EQ1 days (1999) am happy to see. $14.99 for all access pass that will allow me to play EQ & Planetside 2, and still get 500SC a month? Count me in.

BRAVO!

It was 2000SC limited to a single non bundle, non player studio, and other exempt item a month on a use it or lose it basis. Planetside 2 just doesn't have that many 1500-2000SC items for it to be considered worthwhile value. You can put your 500SC to far better use by taking advantage of daily sales, bundles, or player studio items. Sure, you have to save 2 months to get the top end player studio items, but that is still better than having to shell out for additional station cash because the 2000SC voucher didn't cover it.

The above points all seem like very reasonable and equitable changes with respect to the way the system was prior to the originally announced changes.

I was very happy to see a valid explanation on how the mass hording of SC and the current tax legislation (with regards to virtual sales) causes balance sheet issues for SOE. That explanation should have been included in the original communication to the community regarding the changes, rather than the ultra-spin we were given when the changes were first announced here.

That being said, I think SOE should be looking at the in-game marketplace and asking the question, "why are so many people not spending SC?" In comparison to what cosmetic items cost in real money on the Steam marketplace for Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike, and the like, the SC marketplace items are terribly overpriced and I would never be able to rationalize purchasing anything on it. I am considering getting a subscription for the progression speed boosts (XP, certs, passive certs, extra resources) but I have zero incentive to buy anything from the marketplace. I admit, the 10% discount for subscribers is a positive step in the right direction here, though.

Also, please stop using Reddit to engage the community. You have forums here that everyone gets access to with the game. I don't want to go around to Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit to collate responses just to get a whole picture; especially considering I don't use any of those services because I think they're all terrible.

Fantastic news. A big thank you to Luperza and Piestro for their gallant efforts with their reporting.

One observation, a question and a suggestion.

Firstly, EVEN SMEDLEY isn't using the official forums?! Reddit Master Race again :/

Secondly, Smedly refers to his comments 'in the other thread' - can we get a link/quote? I'd like to see his reasons for not allowing SC to roll over, because...

Thirdly, I'd suggest allowing a single month of roll-over. It provides a larger incentive to return in what feels like the natural development oscillation to see each stage of game development, but more importantly, means players will have a useful amount of SC when they do return. Having 1000SC means you can buy a weapon for the new aircraft ( :O ?! ), tank, or whatever, or a camo for a new continent, or the better cosmetics. In my mind, anything that makes a paying member more likely to be happy on logging in for the first time in two months is something that should be prioritised - it's the same as giving triple credits to people on poker sites etc; sweeten the deal on day one, and people will stick around.

• Daily sales
• Bundles
• New content
• Appealing for some but not everyone, the ability to use the accrued SC in other games.

Your suggested change would turn PS2 into a Pay-2-Win game, giving us, the members, a clear in game advantage over the free-2 -play players.

On the other hand, what I would like to suggest is to have more frequent x2 and x3 sales on predefined dates (e.g. at the end of each month we get a x2 and every holiday we get a x3). It is kind of sad we are getting the smallest end ot the stick just because of the PS3-PS4 version of the game. This is a burden that should not drop on our shoulders in the first place and in my humble opinion it should be dealt by SoE internally. We would like to give you our money, as we already do, although a x2-x3 sale would motivate us further to invest in our beloved PS2 - hobby, by basically hoarding SC for future 'good' deals.