EverQuest 2 player counts jumps 300 percent since going free-to-play

It looks like going free-to-play was a good decision for the world of EverQuest 2, as Sony Online Entertainment has said the game has seen "amazing growth" since making the switch last month.

Among the stats released for the game is the staggering 300% "increase in new players." Daily logins have also jumped, seeing a 40% spike since going free-to-play.

SOE's recent strategy has been to offer free-to-play options to its current crop of MMOs, including DC Universe Online, which switched to the model less than one year after the game's initial launch.

EverQuest 2's shift was slightly different than that of DCUO, combining a preexisting free-to-play model used in EverQuest 2: Extended with the standard version of EverQuest 2 in order to minimize complaints from its divided community.

Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley revealed the stats via Twitter, adding that the change came "during the time that some really good competition hit the market," referencing the release of Star Wars: The Old Republic.

EverQuest 2 has also seen a 200% "increase in item sales," plus SOE says that the game has added "a lot of new [subscriptions]."

After going free-to-play, DC Universe Online had similarly good fortune, with daily revenues seeing a 700% jump within the first few weeks. SOE's next title is Planetside 2, which will launch as a free-to-play title later this year.