Comments on: Station Access – A Postmortem http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/ Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:06:51 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: ryanj http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/comment-page-1/#comment-127203 ryanj Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:20:28 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/#comment-127203 why does it tell me i have a subscription to games like vanguard with the access account, 29.99; yet i can not activate them? please help!! Really new to gaming...but went all out to start..lol Ryan why does it tell me i have a subscription to games like vanguard with the access account, 29.99; yet i can not activate them?

please help!!

Really new to gaming…but went all out to start..lol

Ryan

]]> By: mister slim http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/comment-page-1/#comment-6510 mister slim Tue, 03 Apr 2007 00:18:50 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/#comment-6510 I assume SOE is adding more games to Station Access. They have stuff in development, they've mentioned the spy-themed game, and it's certainly possible they're buying more MMOs. What they really should be adding is casual games. Give subscribers access to a bunch of smaller games as well, and most players will find themselves sucked in even more. I assume SOE is adding more games to Station Access. They have stuff in development, they’ve mentioned the spy-themed game, and it’s certainly possible they’re buying more MMOs. What they really should be adding is casual games. Give subscribers access to a bunch of smaller games as well, and most players will find themselves sucked in even more.

]]> By: Sigma7 http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/comment-page-1/#comment-6491 Sigma7 Mon, 02 Apr 2007 16:14:27 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/#comment-6491 Vanguard was the game release that finally broke the proverbial camels back on my decision to take advantage of station access. I am a fan of EQ2, but I was not about to pay for another game when vanguard came out. One of the two had to go. I decided to bite the bullet and go station access. Now two weeks later, they hike the price up. Personally, I don't care what they are offering unless it boils down to either: 1. I get to play EQ2 and Vanguard for $24 a month or less. or 2. I somehow get to play WoW, FFXI, and other non SOE games for that $30 a month. ( yeah, right ) I am canceling my station access now and I will just pay for vanguard. The problem now is that, before, it would be hard to justify shutting down station access for one single new game, unless that game was really really good. Now I am back to having to decide on a per game basis what I shut down when the new stuff drops. If you play all, or hell, even 3 or 4 station access games, the $30 is worth it. However, who has the time to PLAY 3 or 4 MMO games? If you are splitting your attention between 3 or 4 MMOs then I would say that you are either spending WAY too much time playing games, or that you are not heavily investing yourself in any of them enough to really get "hooked." Vanguard was the game release that finally broke the proverbial camels back on my decision to take advantage of station access. I am a fan of EQ2, but I was not about to pay for another game when vanguard came out. One of the two had to go. I decided to bite the bullet and go station access.

Now two weeks later, they hike the price up. Personally, I don’t care what they are offering unless it boils down to either:

1. I get to play EQ2 and Vanguard for $24 a month or less.
or
2. I somehow get to play WoW, FFXI, and other non SOE games for that $30 a month. ( yeah, right )

I am canceling my station access now and I will just pay for vanguard. The problem now is that, before, it would be hard to justify shutting down station access for one single new game, unless that game was really really good. Now I am back to having to decide on a per game basis what I shut down when the new stuff drops.

If you play all, or hell, even 3 or 4 station access games, the $30 is worth it. However, who has the time to PLAY 3 or 4 MMO games? If you are splitting your attention between 3 or 4 MMOs then I would say that you are either spending WAY too much time playing games, or that you are not heavily investing yourself in any of them enough to really get “hooked.”

]]> By: Mandrel http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/comment-page-1/#comment-6328 Mandrel Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:28:06 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/#comment-6328 Great writeup, you covered much of what my reaction was. One thing you also didn't mention that may keep people paying the increased price is EQ2's extra character slots for Station Exchange subscribers as well. I wonder how canceling the SE will affect those people. Great writeup, you covered much of what my reaction was. One thing you also didn’t mention that may keep people paying the increased price is EQ2’s extra character slots for Station Exchange subscribers as well. I wonder how canceling the SE will affect those people.

]]> By: Bhagpuss http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/comment-page-1/#comment-6288 Bhagpuss Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:13:21 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/#comment-6288 Very well writtn and well-argued thesis, but to my mind it misses the point that $30.00 a month is peanuts to anyone who can afford the hardware to play these games in the first place. I've had a continuous EQ1 account since 1999 and Station Access since EQ2 launched. I have also paid for a second account for my girlfriend over the same period. We are in the U.K. so we also pay 17.5% tax on top of that. Our combined annual income is under $50k and we have two kids still living at home and a mortgage, so we are certainly not awash with disposable income, but the combined Station Access fee for two accounts is a trivial expense. On the other hand, in order for us to play Vanguard, we had to buy new PCs each at a total cost of around $3,000. That was a very significant outlay that we could only really justify if we make these new machines last for at least 3 years with no significant upgrades. I find it almost impossible to believe that anyone who actually wants to play more than one SoE game in the first place would even blink at a $29.99 monthly fee. If my girlfriend and I walk to our local pub and have one round of drinks and a basic pub lunch it would cost us considerably more than Station Access costs for a whole month. I expect services to increase by around 2-3% a year above inflation. Just about every other service I use does. The current increase on SA is higher than that, but then I don't remember having a previous increase since we took it out when it began. If there was one and I missed it, that just shows what a trivial expense it has been. Very well writtn and well-argued thesis, but to my mind it misses the point that $30.00 a month is peanuts to anyone who can afford the hardware to play these games in the first place.

I’ve had a continuous EQ1 account since 1999 and Station Access since EQ2 launched. I have also paid for a second account for my girlfriend over the same period. We are in the U.K. so we also pay 17.5% tax on top of that. Our combined annual income is under $50k and we have two kids still living at home and a mortgage, so we are certainly not awash with disposable income, but the combined Station Access fee for two accounts is a trivial expense.

On the other hand, in order for us to play Vanguard, we had to buy new PCs each at a total cost of around $3,000. That was a very significant outlay that we could only really justify if we make these new machines last for at least 3 years with no significant upgrades.

I find it almost impossible to believe that anyone who actually wants to play more than one SoE game in the first place would even blink at a $29.99 monthly fee. If my girlfriend and I walk to our local pub and have one round of drinks and a basic pub lunch it would cost us considerably more than Station Access costs for a whole month.

I expect services to increase by around 2-3% a year above inflation. Just about every other service I use does. The current increase on SA is higher than that, but then I don’t remember having a previous increase since we took it out when it began. If there was one and I missed it, that just shows what a trivial expense it has been.

]]> By: Aspendawn http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/comment-page-1/#comment-6275 Aspendawn Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:22:28 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/#comment-6275 Really nice summary and dead on. Had they offered the Station Access pricing that you proposed, I likely wouldn't have cancelled. But once people cancel, you've already permanently lost a percentage of them regardless of what you try to offer later. The timing of this whole thing on their part was just odd. Really nice summary and dead on. Had they offered the Station Access pricing that you proposed, I likely wouldn’t have cancelled. But once people cancel, you’ve already permanently lost a percentage of them regardless of what you try to offer later. The timing of this whole thing on their part was just odd.

]]> By: Cuppycake http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/comment-page-1/#comment-6254 Cuppycake Wed, 28 Mar 2007 05:56:42 +0000 http://www.mmognation.com/2007/03/27/station-access-a-postmortem/#comment-6254 Thanks for the link! I too don't understand the justification for the price hike. With all the fantasy MMO's on the horizon, it seems like this can only do more harm than good. Thanks for the link! I too don’t understand the justification for the price hike. With all the fantasy MMO’s on the horizon, it seems like this can only do more harm than good.

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