EverQuest series moves into item sales

By Oli Welsh Published 10 December, 2008

SOE launches real-money marketplace.

Sony Online Entertainment has made the bold move of introducing micro-transaction item sales to its subscription-based fantasy MMOs, EverQuest and EverQuest II.

The game operator has launched StationCash, a virtual currency similar to Xbox Live's Microsoft Points or Nintendo's Wii Points. One hundred SC costs USD 1, EUR 1 or GBP 0.80. It can be used at an in-game marketplace to buy armour, potions and other benefits.

"The EQ and EQII development teams have chosen items carefully in an effort to avoid a disruption in gameplay balance," reads the StationCash FAQ.

"Rather, Station Cash (and items purchased with SC) are intended to allow for convenience and added customisation. Such items provide players with a unique gameplay experience for nominal fees."

Items for sale in EverQuest II, according to Massively, include potions that increase the speed at which you level for four hours (USD 1-10), and cosmetic items such as "appearance armour" (USD 10) or pets for in-game housing (USD 1-5);

The move hasn't proved very popular with the games' communities thus far, although we predict that the experience-boosting potions will sell like hot cakes.

SOE has already expanded the ways it makes money from its games with online card-trading games for EverQuest II and Star Wars Galaxies, and is looking to explore new business models in the future with Free Realms and The Agency. However, introducing item sales to a full-price subscription game is a move few have dared to make to date. It will be interesting to see how StationCash performs.

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (8) Latest comment 3 years ago

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  • skullstorm #1 3 years ago

    Looks like RMT is gaining ground on the western front, turns out SWTOR is going to be RMT based with no subscription fee's.

  • Eraysor #2 3 years ago

    Experience boost potions are the dumbest idea in the universe.

  • iokthemonkey #3 3 years ago

    Experience boost potions are the dumbest idea in the universe.

    ----

    In EQ1 you lost experience when you died and in EQ2 you had an experience debt you had to pay off before you started earning proper XP again, so unless this has changed, I can understand why somebody would want to recover from the death penalty faster...

    Secondly, if EQ1 is still as slow as it was when I played, it takes you weeks to earn a level toward the end game, so again, I can totally understand why somebody might want to speed that up.

    Of course, they may have since changed both games, but even so, it's no different to somebody logging out in a Tavern to increase their rested XP...

  • skullstorm #4 3 years ago

    EQ1 needs all the boosting it can get imo, far too slow to keep new casual players interested. In EQ2 I don't think it matters if they are available to purchase, xp boost have been available in one form or another for ages and alot of the community still disable combat xp completely. Fluff items are no harm to the game at all and I don't have a problem with it personally if it remains that way, you still have to work for the good stuff.

    SWTOR on the other hand might just sell everything, but then it's not looking to be a real mmo anyway.

  • iokthemonkey #5 3 years ago

    EQ1 needs all the boosting it can get imo, far too slow to keep new casual players interested.

    ---

    It amazes me when I look back now at how much time I invested in EQ that was spent sitting around for 20 minutes waiting for my Health to recover before wandering out to kill the same creature over and over. Only 200 more and I'll get a bubble of XP!

  • Nill #6 3 years ago

    Of course, they may have since changed both games, but even so, it's no different to somebody logging out in a Tavern to increase their rested XP...

    Of course there's a difference, and a big one at that: You pay for this with real world cash.

    I don't find the money milking very appealing at all; they should design their game better instead of trying to get more money out of already paying customers - that's the point with the subscriptions to begin with.

    Not that I care for Everquest 1 or 2 anyway. SoE is not a company that I care for at all and this further proves why. Hopefully this practice doesn't become norm elsewhere, but then again, I'd be astounded if Blizzard for example picked this up.

  • Nill #7 3 years ago

    "Rytan_the_Wyrmlord wrote:

    We have no plans what so ever to do actual sales of in game items, and I'm personally very opposed to the idea for EverQuest. I think microtransations can be a valid business model if planned from the ground up for a game, but it would be very very bad for EQ.

    -Ryan"

    Haha! Looks like they are getting desperate then?

    As a quick look on Google reveals, Ryan holds the position of Asst. Lead Designer on EQ.

  • iokthemonkey #8 3 years ago

    I'd be astounded if Blizzard for example picked this up.

    ---

    They already offer such "premium" services such as character renames (as most do) Blizzard said a while ago they were going to start including additional "pay to use" services for "character customisation."

    EDIT: And what's the lead story on http://www.massively.com/ today?

    As for the potion vs tavern rest, I was speaking about it as an in-game mechanism, not the "free" vs RMT concept - sorry if it appeared otherwise.
    Edited by 1 at 11/12/08 @ 09:29