Customer Service Announcement: Premium Membership

Discussion in 'Official News and Announcements' started by Piestro, Jan 2, 2014.

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  1. NovaAustralis

    ^This.
    Bear in mind it would take FOUR months to save 2000 SC with the 500 SC per month allowance.

    SOE please review your PS2 sales / marketing strategy.
    I say that in the nicest way possible.

    1. LOTS of the items are too expensive.
    $7.50 of real money for ONE faction-specific helmet !?
    No SOE no.
    Make everything cheaper across the board and watch in amazement as your sales actually go UP!
    Counter-intuitive I know, but it's basic economics.
    (Many customers buying lots of cheap items vs a few customers buying a few expensive items)

    2. The Membership deal should allow access to ALL of the SC promised for the time of the membership.
    I paid for a 1 Year Membership, that deal included 12 x 500 SC.
    Therefore I should have got 6000 SC up front to spend as I please, not eked out over that time.
    (BTW - This would actually encourage more spending, because most customers will have spent the initial amount well before their membership expires and therefore will be looking to get more SC... $$$)

    3. If you are having problems moving the 2000 SC / $20.00 and other expensive items,
    ask yourselves WHY?
    (Hint: Because they are too expensive!
    That's why players aren't buying them.)

    This change is not the solution and just sorta screws over the members you DO have...
    • Up x 41
  2. MeveM

    Sweet! Good job SOE.
    • Up x 1
  3. Borusa

    It does sound good on paper, however with all these exceptions - what exactly sells for more than 700 SC? I can think of maybe some helmets and the black NS guns (I know right?).
    This deal sounds pretty good for new players, who don't feel like waiting for a specific item to be on a daily sale, but I have a feeling you'll lose quite some veterans on this.

    Other than that, it's a pretty good marketing move, I guess this'll make a lot of fresh players get a subscription.
    • Up x 1
  4. Famif

    I really like this idea. That means you all can actually drop 20$ worth on that golden pistol and/or possibly seasonal weapons (though I bet those are the exceptions) and new weapons or camou. They simply say no Player's Studio or Bundles. I highly highly doubt this will exclude NEW WEAPONS. If they disallow the purchase of new weapons, that would be silly, which some of you seem to think. New weapons don't go on sale for weeks and weeks. If you play on the PTS, then you'll know when a new weapon is going to come out for a class or vehicle and you can save your score point up until the end of your month subscription. This is a way way better system in my opinion, as 500SC only allowed you to afford one weapon when it went on sale in most cases. Who would blow SC on a 100-500 cert weapon?

    Do the math. This new way is better by a potential margin over 300%

    There are already quite a few 2000SC items. Now you can buy them guilt-free. Those of you who have been playing for well over a year MUST have a majority of the best weapons unlocked for all classes and vehicles. Right?
    • Up x 1
  5. Shoopuf


    I mean no offense to you, NovaAustralis, but have you worked in Marketing for a video game company? And I mean video games specifically. Preferably a video game company that follows a freemium model. I know it doesn't make any sense at all, but those "outrageous" prices we see in-game actually make the company the most money. It's counter-intuitive to a lot of people, but the fact is that SOE already knows they will make more money with the current pricing than if they lowered the prices on everything.

    That aside, as a Premium Member from day one and a PS1 vet since June 2003, I will gladly keep giving my $15/mo to SOE for the great game they've made. It's a wonderful $15 spent in my mind. I didn't get anything in return in PS1, so to get 500SC each month or a 2000SC valued item each month makes no difference to me.

    Thank you, SOE, for giving back ANYTHING at all to us for paying for a freemium game.
  6. Forkyar24

    horrible ,I don't support this,i like my 500 sc a month,thats the biggest reason I got the membership.
    • Up x 10
  7. Sathayorn

    I too would like to know this, as an all access subscriber.
    There already are... Bundles.
  8. 6098


    Usually the hot new thing will cost around 700sc, since they allow you 1 item per month instead of 500sc you could get that item in one month instead of having to collect your SC over a few months. I dont think they will go cheap on us and not allow us to get the new items since even if an item costs 2000sc you could still get it (ie you can even get the brand new gun in gold colour), so they got your back and wont let you down.
    I trust them, im sure this is not a move to be cheap but to make things even better for us members.
    Have some faith buddy :)
    • Up x 1
  9. Mustarde

    Well I don't like the fact that this takes away from the extra SC I would keep on hand to buy sale items. Sure, there is a theoretical increased benefit in getting up to 2000SC value items each month, but with the previous system I could buy two 250SC camos that go on sale, or buy a hood ornament plus a decal (or other multiple small items). I like the freedom of the SC benefit, and would rather you increase that amount or just leave the system as is.
    • Up x 20
  10. Kamikaize

    This is not a good deal for the customers.

    You got more by saving up your 500 SC every month and spending them on holiday sales when everything is half off. SOE saw this and was pissed. Now, you get a $20 valued voucher that can be used on any item within that limit. The kicker? You can't save them up every month like you could SC. You have to spend them each month.

    So, don't be deceived into believing you're getting more now. If there were items worth buying that were $20 (where are they?), then this would be okay. But since most stuff is 500-750, the customer loses out.

    500 SC x 12 months = 6000 SC
    50% of 500 SC items = 250
    6000 / 250 = 24 items

    $20 SC voucher that can only be used on 1 item each month = 12 items a year.

    This sucks.
    • Up x 30
  11. Hot Pockets

    Wait-
    I've got a question for SOE.
    Do the recurring membership benefits carry over from station cash game cards?
    Being a younger player I don't have access to a credit card so I bought my first month of membership through a card at gamestop.
    If I buy another month of membership, will I get the benefits?
    An answer would be appreciated.
  12. cronoss

    oooohhhhh yeahhhh babyyyyy
  13. Call-Me-Kenneth

    as a long time member, i am offended by the claim of this being a "good deal", this is not a good deal in any way. people have to be brain dead to think the "free pick item" is better than the 500SC, even if you still need 200 SC for a 700 item, you cant get the SC for use on other SOE games. not to mention you can't save the SC and buy items on release.

    this change makes it so i have to wait for the last day of every month to pick the item i want, since i don't know beforehand when they will be made available unless as a consumer im also expected to follow every patch announcement, and changelog to plan the picks.

    also having the 700 SC items in the same category as a 250 sc deal camo or helment is just plain stupid and completely kills any benefit from picking the 700sc items...
    • Up x 14
  14. Borusa

    Well, you're naive.
    The other side of the coin is:
    a.) They get to pay part of the player studio. If people can pay for those with the subscription 'reward', then it possibly reduces the income from the subscriptions.
    b.) By eliminating the monthly 500 SC from subscription, the only source of getting more SC will be directly buying it. Where does that lead now? Oh! An item you really want is on sale for members? Believe it or not, the majority who don't have it will be tempted to get it and they'll have to purchase further SC for it.
    If they'll ever make a sale like this last one during the holidays, then it'd encourage people to get subscription AND buy SC.

    It's quite simple change, but very brilliant with all the PR context. (And I mean it without any sarcasm, I'd probably make the same move).
    • Up x 1
  15. Ixiawn

    I do not like the sound of this.

    As others have said, 1 item? So no longer can I grab a couple of sale items with my 500SC, I instead have to pick one single item a month? Yeah, I'm sorry but that does not sound like increased value to me. Couple that with the upcoming resource changes, membership is starting to sound far less appealing.
    • Up x 12
  16. ScrapyardBob

    Bad change, I'll be turning off my annual subscription once this takes effect.

    I'm not interested in something that is "up to 2000 SC":
    1. It limits what I can buy, and will probably be something that I either already have or am not interested in.
    2. The 500 SC was one of the main selling points of the premium membership.
    3. I was able to save up that 500 SC across a few months until I found something that I liked.
    As other have said, all of your prices are about 2x to 3x too high. Especially on cosmetic items like camo, helmets, decals, etc. You would sell far more cosmetic items at 100 SC then you ever will at 500-700 SC.
    • Up x 13
  17. Gavyne

    Station cash is the most valuable asset in SOE games. It's universal and can be used to purchase anything for sale on the marketplace, in any SOE games, player made or not. This change is a bad deal for subscribers, I hope people are smart enough to see it.

    By the way, they're making this change to ALL SOE games. This means they want to get rid of giving players Station Cash, in preparation for Everquest Landmark/EQN launch later. Playing SOE games just got more expensive, because you'll for sure spend more money on station cash in the future.

    Speak with your wallet, cancel subscription if you don't like this change. I see the same disappointment on EQ2 forums where they also announced this.
    • Up x 20
  18. eatcow0

    Interesting change. Not sure how I like it yet. We will find out in a couple months how well it works. As an individual who makes enough certs, I save my sc for cosmetics going on sale. With no sale, 500 sc means 1 camo, a helmet depending, or a random vehicle cosmetic. Depending on how you spend that sc, you get anywhere from 12 items minimum and up. The new system you are stuck with 12, but it is 12 items of your choice excluding the already noted. The new system you receive at best equal to the minimum number of items of the old, but the items themselves together can be much higher in sc value than under the old system. Lumifiber is always one I'm looking to go on sale but its > 500 sc. Regardless, a lot of things are greater than 500 sc. Gun-wise, any gun 500 certs or lower your pretty much better off just grinding for it and saving the sc for something better. For me then, it seems to be an incentive to premium members the new change. They can pick up that sexy magrider gold trim, or the golden underboss AND NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT TO GO ON SALE if it ever does. They get the item immediately which is a major perk to consider. A newish player can pick up the lancer, or the sva 88. Tools any vs ha should have but it would take 3 months under the old to obtain both w/o sales, 2 with the new.
    • Up x 2
  19. Illectron

    Thanks but no thanks, I will be cancelling my premium subscription which I have held active since the game was first released (I played Beta as well.)
    • Up x 9
  20. NovaAustralis

    I also forked out $120 (I think it was) for the 1 Year Membership deal.
    (I saw the potential in PS2 back in November 2012 and wanted to support it too
    *where that potential is headed is another thread...)
    I totally agree that the current Membership deal is a bargain for the entertainment value PS2 provides.
    (Especially considering you can get it for free, or 'try before you buy', which you can't with lots of the 'big' video games)

    PS2 is F2P.
    So potentially, SOE could have made ZERO money from the game at all, if players were content just playing it for free.
    This is the risk when releasing games as F2P (versus an actual full-price purchase, and some sort of guaranteed return for the company - minus any pirating *let's not go there...)
    But to make money on a F2P title, you have to make the micro transactions as micro as possible to entice players the most.
    (Example:
    The latest 1 SC and 99 SC deals - I've gone for nearly every one of them, despite not always needing the item.
    It's the '"you can't beat that price!" attitude.
    A single factions helmet for $7.00 doesn't create that attitude.)

    Think of this:
    You have a 50,000 seat stadium with a 'Red vs. Blue' match coming up.
    Fans can watch the game for free at home on the TV, but that's not the same as going to a live game.
    So do you charge $1 per seat or $10 per seat?
    Which charge will most likely give you a full stadium and which one will likely result in the fans watching the match on TV from home for free?
    I'd gladly take $50,000 nearly guaranteed, with the good word of mouth and fan participation any day over $10 seats and a nearly empty stadium...
    (Then there's the food and drink sales to factor... ;) )
    In SOE PS2 case, the 'food and drink' sales are these 'micro' cosmetics items.
    But a lot of companies see the "50,000 x $10 = $500,000!!! OMG!!!", not realising they won't sell all the seats at those prices.
    • Up x 4
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