Revolutionary MMO Everquest Goes F2P

On the 13th birthday of the game that started it all (or at least the game that took RPGs to the next level), Everquest, is going Free-to-Play (F2P). When Everquest II went F2P back in December of 2011, there was hopes that the original would be soon to follow. That indeed is the case and Everquest producer, Thom Terrazas has made the official announcement that in early March of 2012, Everquest will be going F2P.

What Going F2P Means

Now going F2P may sound like the game is now open to all players for free, but thats not entirely true. Like most free games these days, there is going to be a limit to how much free content is available to the player that pays nothing. As Terrazas states,

"...Recurring subscriptions, non-recurring subscriptions, Silver or Free memberships, item unlockers, and more. The game will now be setup to be flexible so that *you* can decide how much to pay, based on how much fun you're having."

So that means, if you are willing to spend some money, then you will be able to get more features (like having access to all classes and races, character slots, spell tiers, AAs, etc...) There will be limits on several aspects of the game (limit on money, bag slots, bank slots, customer service, and more) and therefore will require players to buy subscriptions if they wish to experience everything Everquest has to offer. For the scoop on what is free and whats not, check out their player matrix.

Bonus Welcome Packages at F2P Launch

For new starting players, continuing players or for any returning nostalgic players, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and the Everquest team are offering welcome packages at the F2P launch that includes a unique Mercenary, some Bayle Marks, Experience Potions, a unique in-game item to display in your home, and a Weapon Ornamentation!

No Timeline for PlayStation Network Restoration

So, if you have had any part of your ear in the gaming industry news recently or if you are a PS3 owner and avid online gamer on it, then you have undoubtedly noticed that the PlayStation Network, or PSN, is down and you will have also heard that the reason for that is because the entire service got hacked by one very crafty hacker.

The attack has left the PlayStation Network offline since May 2nd and also leaked millions of users' personal data. Sony Online Entertainment, or SOE, has yet to provide a clear timeline for exactly when the PlayStation Network will be restored to full working order. The PlayStation Network is supposed to be up, partially, sometime this week, however, SOE has only stated that services would be back up "soon".

Sony is notifying customers who may have been affected by the hack via email sent by a third-party distributor. Sony has stated that emails from SOE will contain either "soe.innovyx.net" or "soe.sony.com" in the sender field.

To go into more detail about the attack Sony has stated that the SOE incident was not a new attack but rather another similar attack that was discovered in the course of investigation into the PSN breach. SOE originally reported that no customer data whatsoever had been extracted in the attack but then, however, changed their story in a statement released on May 2nd.

SOE has stated that the hackers used sophisticated techniques in order to cover their tracks. SOE also stated that this was the reason that Sony did not initially know that SOE data was also stolen.

Both the PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment have announced "make good" gestures for their customers in the form of a month of some services to all members as well as additional free days for subscribers to make up the days lost while the company investigates the incident.

Sony Online Entertainment has also outlined a plan to compensate players utilizing its DC Universe Online game. In addition to 30 days of subscription credit and compensation for days the network is down, players will also be able to receive a Batman-inspired mask when the game is up and running again.

The seriousness of this attack speaks for itself and I do not think that Sony is doing enough in terms of compensation. The free 30-day subscription for DC Universe Online players is nice.....for DC Universe Online players, however, they seem to be the only ones getting anything worthwhile out of the deal. The PS3's online services may be free but I, for one, am more than willing to pay the $60 a year for Xbox Live, so stuff like this DOESN'T happen to me.

Source: The Washington Post - Sony details PlayStation Network attack, but no timeline for service restoration

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