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Sony & Microtransactions!

The recent announcement of Sony to offer triple the conversion rate for Sony Cash only all to well shows their real ambition and intention with the player base. To loyal players, they have shown their willingness to extend a hand of genuine concern and a valid peace offering.

If Sony is truly interested in re-building their fractured relationship with their paying customers, they are offering gifts that are truly worth a second look. Take the money and run, is my motto.  I encourage you to take a death breath, step back and see what they are offering as a way to amend the situation. It is bad, but it is worth a second or third look.

To be honest, I am not a big fan of microtransactions.  I never was, nor will I ever be. I would rather have had you just give me more free time to play — perhaps even allow me to take this free time whenever I wanted, so that if I did want to take a break from the game, I could come back at a later date and use it.

Goodbye Sony, For Now!

I logged into my Sony accounts last night and blankly looked at my characters within EQ and EQ II. I had actually no reaction — it was like how you would watch a commercial on TV, almost complete disconnect and indifference. It was then that I decided to end my relationship with the game. I just didn’t care any more.

Will I ever want to play again? Perhaps. Each time I left, I came back and played some. But each time I came back, the need and desire became less palatable and my exit was quicker and longer.

So how long will I be gone this time? Who knows?

For me, Sony just seems to have lost its way in the world of MMOs. It is no longer the top dog, something it enjoyed for several years in 2001. It is not the most graphical any longer,either,  as it was for a time with EQ II and Vanguard — perhaps even SWG for the day. It seems to have fallen into this need to whore itself out for every possible penny, as if somehow the more money they can earn, will make the feel better.

They need to return to their roots. Get rid of the microtransactions in their games. They need to get back to making great games with great visions.

Not this year, and perhaps not next year. They need to do something that just blows open the MMO market. What it is, is everyone’s guess — but taking the dimes from kids selling them imaginary glitzy mounts isn’t it.

For now, I will say: “See you later…maybe much later, Sony!”

Sony is still down

Ten days and counting. When I say Sony, I mean SOE — the division that maintains and develops the IPs: Everquest, Everquest II, Vanguard, Star Wars Galaxies, and their other assortment of MMOs.

I am hearing so little out of them, it is almost as if they do not exist any longer.

I fear my days playing their games are over.

Everquest II’s 3-Day Pass

OK, everyone knows I am at heart a Sony fan, though I admit I get angry at them on a regular basis.  I had been on a high over the last several months railing them for a horrible expansion and lackluster quests.  I thought I was finally over my anger and the itch to play the game was returning.

I have not played since really early April, though my account did continue until May.  I told myself I was going to take a break for awhile and let my Everquest battteries recharge.

In the past I had received an email proclaiming Sony’s new alternate subscription plan, a 3-day passport that was non-recurring.  It sounded like just the teaspoon of Everquest deliciousness that I needed — nothing long term and nothing too expensive.  This morning I woke up extra early so I could update the game and get all my characters fielded for the weekend to play.

After charging my credit card and receiving a notice that Sony had accepted payment, I tried to log in.  I was met with the error: “You Have No Subscription to This Game!”

I went back to my accounting page and sure enough I was active, so once again I reloaded Everquest II and put in my credentials.  Again, I was told I had no subscription.

I did learn from the Forum (before my post was blocked and deleted) that they were experiencing problems linking accounts to the 3-day passport.  Strange, they didn’t have any problems TAKING my money but they do have a PROBLEM giving me the services I purchased!

I also learned that for us East coast players we have to wait until 1 pm to get any sort of customer service support via phones.  Now I have to spend my day trying to get through to someone over there to make sure my account is updated — since you know they don’t work the weekends (unlike some of us).  If I don’t specifically call them, I know what will happen. I won’t have access for the entire weekend and basically flushed 5 bucks down the drain.

Again, I wish this could have gone over better so I could start healing my Sony wounds, but now they have been scratched open again.  I must say I am livid right now that they screwed me like this.

Perhaps tomorrow I will update this post, if things go better tonight.

After waiting an hour, I finally got through to them (to a nice guy named Victor) and he honestly told me that the service is broken and there was no ETA but that my passport would be pro-rated for the full three days.  We shall see. . .

Troy

Check out Episode 19 of EQual Perspectives

Head over to the EQual Perspectives tab and check out episode 19 of the show. This installment Karen and I really dish some tumultuous discussion on the new expansion and the battlegrounds.

Also check out Karen’s blog: http://www.journeyswithjaye.com/

Head over to Twitter and listen to my rants and raves by subscribing to my feed: ShalimarTroy.

Troubles in Paradise

I invite everyone to listen to my new show coming out in the next day or two. EQual Perspectives 19 will ding this weekend sometime assuming everything goes well tonight when Karen and I record my show.

Tonight’s show will all be about the new Everquest II expansion, Sentinel’s Fate. Although I don’t want to ruin the surprise for everyone, both Karen and I are going to grade the new expansion.

Both of us have been playing the new game since it debuted on the live servers and although I have not talked to Karen extensively about her opinions, I bet there will be some difference in opinion.

I for one have made it well known it was not the best expansion that Everquest II has released. And perhaps I will go as far as saying that it may be the worse expansion that they have produced, aside from the Free updates.

So for all the low down on my opinions stop over at the EQual Perspectives tab and listen to show number 19

Join me on Twitter

Twitter
Although I have been on Twitter for close to a year, many of you may not know this. I am constantly twittering (tweeting?) about my gaming experiences and my rants and raves about games.

Go to http://www.twitter.com
sign in

Go to “Find People” and type my handle: “ShalimarTroy”.

I have close to 1400 tweets, though most of them you will not be able to read. I am currently running my rants and raves about Everquest II and would be thrilled for you to read along with my thoughts and exploits.

EQual Perspectives: Episode 17

Welcome all to the exciting return of EQual Perspective, the podcast that talks about Everquest II. Each episode is hosted by Troy and Karen, with special guest appearances from players and designers.

This week on the show we get caught up on what our characters have been doing in Norrath and then jump right into discussions on the new Battlegrounds expansion, WoE looting, Shards and the tiring grind, and finally talking a bit of Guild talk.

I hope you enjoy the show:

EqualPerspective17

Finished Recording EQual Perspectives 2010

Just finished recording an hour long show with Karen, otherwise known as Jaye Wizziefingers — also to many she is the cohost to the podcast “Shut Up We’re Talking”. Karen and I had allot of fun podcasting tonight and talking about a dozen Everquest II topics.

We touched only briefly on the new Battlegrounds expansion coming to Everquest II. Battlegrounds is the PVP expansion that will go live with the next series of updates. Some cool extras is that you can play against and with folks from other servers.

We also touched on the exploitation of WoE looting and the farming that is running amok on both the Guk and Kithicor servers. We both agreed in the end that it is a nice ability to sell the fantastic loot — it is just too bad that Sony just doesn’t make it lootable and dropable. Use the broker, that is what its there for.

Karen and I also briefly talk about what are characters have been doing since the last show — can you believe it has been more than a year!

I am off to try and edit the show into something cohesive and intelligible — I am all over the map like normal and it is pure chaos.

I will post the show notes and where its live when I get the information.