Customer Service Announcement: Premium Membership

It means that not all items will be available - ie. player studio, bundles, and certain other items might be excluded from the list of purchasable items.

TL/DR - SOE is ripping everyone off.

You cannot buy bundles, Player Studio items and other items SOE chooses to exclude from purchasing with this "tocen SC".

I bought a 1 month subscription just to gain access to the Holiday item sales. I was considering another 6 month subscription, seeing as I liked the increased Xp, and could use the SC to buy item bundles for alts of other empires.

But if this new model does not allow bundles to be chosen as the "members' free item", what item could I possibly choose that would even approach 2000 SC? A golden Commissioner? Are you kidding me?

If I could get helmet / camo bundles or item packs with this deal, I would do it. If they're EXCLUDED, then SoE can say goodbye to my potential 6 month membership.

$29.97 plus applicable taxes (Scheduled For 3/2/14) - Not anymore, just set a reminder to cancel on 2/3. (only because I know they would somehow screw me if I canceled earlier than that.)

As a rule of thumb Faykid, anytime you see wording like this from any financial department of any business replace "additional exclusions may apply" with "Anything you might be interested in".

In other words, its bad.

It means that bundles, player studio items, and select items, will NOT be purchasable with the once a month free purchase.

He did mark that, but the wording is wierd: +$20 per month, only 1 item per month.

I don't like this adjustment.

At first I was excited, reading that I would be able to get a 2000 SC item for free each month, but then I realized that there are only 2 types of item worth that, outside of the excluded bundles and player studio items. I already own one of these two items (albeit the 700 SC variety) and the other one is a side grade that I've only passively longed for, plus I can't justify getting the gold variant for it.. I can patiently wait and save up SC if I really wanted this other item. I am probably one of the few paying members who doesn't already have both the commissioner and underboss, so it's safe to say that I'm not going to be getting a 2000 SC value from this change.

What I would and have been spending my SC on is the daily sale. There are several benefits from this sale:
1: it keeps me logging in, keeps me playing on a day-to-day basis, and makes your numbers look good for your stockholders (thousands of active players!).
2: it keeps me satisfied with the current allowance of 500 SC; a $5.00 value on a $15.00 membership.
3: It allows me to 'save up' making me feel more vested in this game since I likely wouldn't be using the SC until EQN comes out if I were to suddenly stop playing planetside. Since I don't see EQN coming out anytime soon, the SC vested in this game is keeping me interested in planetside 2 at least until it's gone. You take that away, and suddenly I am no longer trying to use this SC, and suddenly I don't feel like playing Planetside 2 as much.

I believe that instead of changing the member benefits company-wide that changing the pricing model would result in greatly increased profits, as you would have thousands more players able to make purchases if you were to do something like HALVING ALL PRICES across the board for your SC purchased items. This would leave you with the following:
1: Members would be receiving 1 item per month, as EVERY item at half the current price is 500 SC or less. They would be left with some leftover SC on most items, resulting in them feeling vested to stay for another month to benefit from another item next month.
2: Newer players would be more enticed to purchase an item, as $3.50 sounds like chump change for people, while $7.00 is a meal.
3: Low-low cost items suddenly get sold in massive amounts. That 100 SC composite helmet is now only $0.50, so now even I can't deny that item is appealing to me.
4: You would not only have an influx of players purchasing items with SC immediately, but you would see continued sustainable profit as people would buy items at the lower prices going forward as they are now affordable.

Next point: Membership bonuses aren't as good as SC cards anymore:
I would buy my SC cards from wal-mart, because they give an additional 500 SC. This means that I get 2000 SC for $15.00.
I subscribe with the 3 month subscription, (currently) giving me 500 SC, +50% resources and +50% experience.
So, basically, I'm paying $13.00 a month for +50% resources and +50% experience, at the expense of 1500 SC. There are some other benefits, such as being priority for queues, which are only situational benefits since I CAN STILL find fights if I'm not picky about participating in alerts, or if I'm so inclined, I could just wait for the queue.
Lets look at it this way, with 2000 SC and the current prices I can buy
2 guns at 700 SC
4 guns at sale price
4 camouflages at 500 SC
8 camouflages at sale prices
20 daily boosts (I think this is correct.. I don't usually buy boosts)

Are you trying to lose memberships SOE?

but does it mean that certain items from player studio and certain bundles will be available, while some of them won't?

should i read it as: Players Studio, bundles and other exclusions may apply?

basically, does it mean that PS and bundles are all exclusions? or only some of them?

What!? No! I literally just bought a 12-month sub based on the "old" member benefits!!

My decision to subscribe AT ALL really did take into consideration the value of the resource and exp boosts coupled with the little SC that I could save for the next time I buy SC.

I would suggest asking for a refund, you certainly have a great case for it.

I guess they just want more micro transactions (i.e. spend $20.00 to get 2000SC) than subbs. Based off the OP I see NO reason to subb this game. If I want a vanity item I'd be better off buying some SC and then paying for it that way; which absolutely seems like their intent.

Appalling.

O:

This sucks. The 500 free station cash was the main reason for the membership for me. No reason to renew my membership now.

SOE, Don't take us for idiots. The new improved customer value is crap!
Go on and test our pain threshold, you will see.

Was about to purchase a year membership as a new year gift to myself but I won't now. This is not good value for money as the market is not big enough to support large worthwhile spends each month.

Furthermore, I do not like the way you have not honored the agreement you made with your existing subscribers. Changing something so fundamental without consultation. I am sure your lengthy legalese terms of service protects you but this is not the way you treat your customer base. It is acts like this that kill the community, which is holding together a game that offers nothing else for the long term player.

You can buy items from certain list of things with this "token" SC.
Items that are EXCLUDED from that list:
-All Player Studio items
-All bundles
-other items SOE finds fit to exclude

And he'll get that refund - totally sure about it. Such a radical change is like breaking a contract.

I find it interesting that SOE chooses to market this as an enhancement. I can't find anything about this new program that's an enhancement. First, changing a program for which I've already paid is deceptive. If this is the new business model, SOE needs to be willing to refund anyone who paid for more than one month. Telling me how to spend my station cash once per month is not why I'm a paying subscriber.

I'll be cancelling my membership today and once my current station cash is gone, I won't be buying anymore. I think I also have to consider whether EQ is something I'm willing to support.

This is an interesting way to take more away from players while still trying to say "Hey, we're providing value!". Cash grab and a way to force players to spend more money each money rather than the former idea. Leave it at 500SC a month, and apologize, or give us more SC a month. This new idea will force me to let my current subscription lapse and never resub.