2014 Membership - Update from Smed

Amazing. They actually corrected every wrong thing they were planning with a right thing, then added some on the top of it.

THIS is when you call it "additional value".

Of course, it shouldn't take an exodus of subscriptions on par with SWG NGE to spur this type of thinking. I know that no one that reads the forum is high enough in the company to make these decisions, but you really need to change the type of people you're putting in upper management to keep from creating these problems in the first place.

See above.

Question: Will this end the current model of having to log in just before midnight to actually get the certs?
Today we have to log in just before the next day begins to receive the full allotment of certs.
If we log in early in the day and not late at night, we currently don't receive the full days allotment.
It's bad karma, misleading, even deceptive and not respectful of the players.

$15 a month is standard pricing for memberships, no problem what so ever paying this.

People from all over the company read your feedback. It's luperza's and my job to post.

Nothing is changing regarding the cert grant for logging in.

Indeed until then i will hold comment, as an EU player its not 100% clear what the situation is.

What i will add, is that it was good of SOE to take on board our comments and views but in hind site it was all unnecessary.

If Smed had said from the start, that the changes were needed to happen due to the way accounting and invoicing were done, then most members would have dealt with the situation differently and would have probably took the offer that was mentioned but with a better value to us, but when someone sells you a line, but without the detail to why all the changes were being composed in such a short duration, then you are naturally going to question and protest.

The lesson that SOE should take from this is, just be honest to WHY changes need to happen. We are not 5 year olds with an IQ to match. Simple business facts were all that was needed to explain why changes had to happen. Its just a shame that a lot was made of this when it had no need to be. Also when changes do need to happen and you think customers may not like it, take in mind you need to make the changes so the customers still get value and that was the crooks of the matter.

Lack of communication and poor offerings as compensation is something that SOE still continue to fail on, more so the communication which is always lacking for the members on this site.

To finish, i think you have done a sterling JOB mediating, which im sure has bled into your personal time, so thank you for all your reply's to all the members and helping them with there questions, it is appreciated, this is more of what the forum would like to see, so thank you and mags as well

I've read most of the 3 threads concerning this topic. My question is about the membership pricing. As it stands now, if you buy a month, its $15, if you buy a year, $10, and it varies in between for planetside 2. Will this be the same scheme they use for the all access pass? If I understand correctly, if you purchased a year, the $120 a year rate will be grandfathered pending confirmation?

As far as feedback goes, both the suggested and the currently implemented systems have their flaws and strengths. From what I have read, the idea that appeals the most to me is the one where members may either pick sc or the voucher per month. It places the burden of how we wish to utilize the special privilege SOE gives us as part of our membership upon the member who is best in determining whether the 500 sc or the voucher is more favorable. It also resolves SOE's problem of determining the system as now we are seeing several individuals speaking up who favored the proposed over the implemented.

Finally, Piestro and Luperza, a big thank you for your avid attention in this pr quagmire. This is the reason I purchased a year membership 6 months ago and spent so much on sc, the public relations is excellent along with the kickass game.

You asked for feedback
Certs to me are much more important that station cash. Buying something with station cash doesn't make the item functional. Applying certs and specing into that items tree is -to me- much more important. I like to play support roles, this means I don't make the certs others will, I don't get the K/D ratio others do because I am supporting others, repairing their weapons and vehicles, reviving the dead and healing, which means I die at a much higher ratio that others. That's me, I like to help others, that's my fun zone. To be on par with others the membership Certs that I can purchase become an important part of the game. My request is that the 500 certs that come with membership, should simply be granted across the accounts on the first day of the billing cycle. No additional hoops should be required such as logging in on each account just before midnight, every single day.

I was really excited for this new system... why did everyone hate it? Instead of just a measly $5 a month for just one game every month, you would get up to $20 for one item for every game every month. It's objectively superior.

LET ME OPT INTO THE NEW SYSTEM.

Awesome. Thanks, Piestro!

After reading a lot of postings this morning, I want to say that a lot of people here need to go back into the previous threads and re-read the reasons given for the changes originally, Such as listed in this thread, https://forums.station.sony.com/ps2...the-changes-to-our-subscription-plans.166580/

Also read here: https://forums.station.sony.com/ps2...subscription-plans.166580/page-5#post-2388186

Having taken some Business management and contract law classes, and having dealt with some monetary issues regarding taxes, the issues stated can be and are near nightmares. You have to think on the way most businesses handle their accounting and taxes, such as in quarterly and monthly reports. When you have to pay taxes quarterly, this issue really screws with the books. You have to move numbers around, you have to report earnings and spending's, and with states and some nations wanting sales tax on virtual items sold, such as buying something in the SOE marketplace in your favorite game, then this just makes things more complicated when these scenarios come up. Sure, SOE COULD pass on the sales tax burden to its customers each time they buy SC or an item in the market place, but think on this, would you, the customer really want to do that? You are wanting 1000 SC, that is $10 USD. Based on what state you are in, you could be paying anywhere between 4% to 8% or more on top of that $10, so now you are spending $10.80 for that 1000 SC. Now, you go and get that nice new item that cost 700 SC. You now have to also pay sales tax on that 700 SC item, so at 8%, that becomes 756 SC or $7.56. so instead of 300 SC left of that 1000, you now have 244 SC left.

So would you say that was a fair and clear cut deal? Or would you be in a rage and say you are being ripped off? SOE is a business that knows that its customers would be ticked off at having to burden the sales tax issue, so instead, SOE takes on the burden and incurs the additional cost of sales tax, and with some magic of moving numbers around and adjusting prices for taxes, able to keep that $10 for 1000 SC, just that.

Remember folks, SOE is not like your Mom and pop store, and the way commercial business is ran is vastly different than how you or I handle our own taxes and income reporting. Some who do own and run their own businesses can attest to what I just wrote above and understand exactly what SOE is going through. SO please, think carefully about what is going on, look for and read all the information that is being provided, because SOE IS being transparent here, just as we requested, and are being honest and are NOT trying to scam us/rip us off/ use extra fine print to use loop holes around us. I know other companies do that as per their policy and are out to get your wallet and not give a rats rear about the customer. I've been through that before with other games that were not SOE.

Also, this isn't to belittle anyone, this is just to help others to better understand what is going on and to encourage others to go and read and research for their selves. So in the inspired phrase of the WWII british posters, "Keep Calm, and Game On."

I suppose the problem is that most people only play PS2 and the initial deal was not communicated fully. If the full proposals was explained at the beginning I would have been all for it as I am now.

Based on the initial facts I was also against it based on what I knew then, now I would not mind the initial deal although as I too only currently play PS2 I prefer the revised changes.

I was Honestly considering buying a membership with the idea of getting an item every month. but when most of the new items are 700+ SC or (630 with a discount) I feel that paying $15 bucks a month is not worth it. yeah you get the extra xp but to buy a new item its a 2 month wait and i end up with 370 left over. IF you can combine the idea and make it somehow where the non-player studio items are worth 500 SC with the membership while the player studio items are normal price (not even discounted 10%) makes more since. (better since then raising the SC to 700 per month)

Have two prices.
non premium member 700 SC
Premium Membership 500 SC
which is approximately a 28.6% discount (if you round down by .2 SC)

Now there could be some downsides to a large discount. Theoretically if a person purchased a membership at 14.99 for a month. they would receive the 500 SC. Now if a person bought 5 items @ 500 SC (Total of 2500 SC) they could recoup the cost of the membership in savings (200 SC savings each Purchase with 5 purchase is a savings of 1000 SC or $10). But on top of that the person would have spent an extra $20 for the extra 2000 SC totaling $35. now if it was 5 items at full price it would be 3500 SC....or $35 dollars non-member. you break even. with a 6th purchase it would be $40 and $42 respectively a 7th purchase $45 and $49, 8th 50$, $56
So by the time the player buys 20 items it would cost the Premium member $115 or non member $140 with a savings of $25 dollars. (assuming this was done in one month)


But then again if this system was not in place then this person would not spend any money and thus SOE will lose out anyway.
I know there is going to be some sales tax issue but that is what accountants are for and they can probably adjust the numbers accordingly
Feel free to adjust the idea or call me crazy

Why are you reverting on this?, I would rather get a choice of any item in the game. This would allow me to buy some of the higher tier 2000 gold items, this revert only helps people that are not actively playing a game at this time, thats terrible give me my 2000SC I just resubbed thinking I was getting 1 item a month for free on top of all the benefits.

That all being said the subscription as it was is more than enough for $15 I can't count how many times I have been 1st in Que for indar because of all the peasants that refuse to pay for the game that benefit alone is worth the $15.

Are you able to confirm if all SOE accounts will be converted to play any game including the people in Europe who have a SOE account?

Many thanks.

I'm an EU based player & love the revised change. However I had to create a ProSieben account to subscribe to DCUO but my PS2 account is SOE as I'm a former PS1 & beta player. How will this effect me? Do I need to merge my 2 accounts (if this is even still possible) & if I do will I have to go with the ProSieben account & then miss out on the extra goodies my old SOE account afforded me?

I stopped subbing to DCUO as I was spending much more time & money in PS2, being able to play both for one cost with all the access a subscription gives you would be fantastic, as would being able to spend SC on either game but something inside me is telling me that's very unlikely to happen with me being an EU subscriber which is a shame.

It was mentioned here:

In terms of a store:
The 500SC is like walking into a store and being given 5$ giftcard for spending 15$.

+ Bankable if nothing you want that month, Use them when you want, combine the savings later
+ Can be combined with sales for multiple items in a sitting (More potential return if your can wait, 2+ free items a month)
+ Can buy bundles, player studio items
* 5$ Value * 12 = 60$ value a year (HOWEVER, can be stretched with Sales + proposed 10% additional discount)
- Only 500SC a month (and will require a once a month log-in to claim in the future)
- One payment of 500SC for all SOE games across the board, a month

The voucher is being given a coupon that gives ONE item upto 20$ in-value, free for spending 15$, any item with a CLEARANCE label.

+ If you play multiple SOE games, 1 token for each game
+ Get 1 item upto 20$ made by Sony ONLY, free
* Perceived value is higher, 8 games * 20$ maximum = 160 a month, 1920$ for 12 months if you buy 20$ items across the board, Sony items only of course, will vary from game to game and what you token it on, doesn't include future games. If you only play one game, 240$ value, if you use 12 tokens a year, on one, 20$ item, consecutively. Keep in mind, this is Sony only made items.
- Expires 30 days from issued, rather you use it or not
- Limited Selection, Excludes player store, bundles, possible some other items clause
- Not Bankable

That is the fundamental difference.

I'm glad that I'm giving this guy money, Smed for president

I'm completely happy to take back what I said in the thread where the original changes were announced. I accept the need to log in every month to claim my SC and can happily say I will be keeping my subscription going. You truly have, I feel, added value to my subscription and for the first time in a year I can happily consider it will be worth the money. Thank you.