Interesting development here: Sony Online News Release
SOE seem determined to get and keep their customers, and while I remain adamant that they are the ‘McDonalds’ of online gaming, I’m actually quite interested in this deal, as I already own four of the games included in this scheme.
Individual subscriptions for each would add up to about £50 a month, or thereabouts, so typically I am forced to be a little selective about what I’m currently subscribed to. This deal opens up all four for about £10 a month instead…much more palatable, and will let me pick and choose on a whim.
Very clever, as it does also mean I’ll think twice about playing a non-SOE game now…EVE Online, Anarchy Online, Asheron’s Call and the like.
There is one minor snag though:
“Station Access does not include subscription services for non-SOE published titles, versions of EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, EverQuest Online Adventures or PlanetSide published outside of North America, or SOE's wireless or handheld games.”
Rather than leap to the obvious ‘Yanks hate Europeans’ conclusion, a bit of digging reveals that this is actually about some minor ruck between SOE themselves, and Ubisoft, their European publisher. Still, with any luck this will be resolved some time soon, and I can save a bit of money…who knows, maybe even pick up my trusty hunting rifle again and go snipe ignorant shotgun-monkeys in Planetside once more!