EverQuest going free-to-play after 13 years

The original EverQuest is finally succumbing to the free-to-play trend, turning subscriptions optional in "early March" after 13 years. As is customary for F2P MMORPGs, there'll be tiered memberships and a microtransaction store.

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Though EverQuest II's initial free-to-play offering launched in August 2010, the original EverQuest still clung to the classic monthly subscription model. To live is to change, the saying goes, and Sony Online Entertainment's iconic MMORPG will turn those subs optional "early March," welcoming in new blood as the thirteen year old EverQuest goes F2P.

EverQuest and seventeen of its expansions (all bar the newest, Veil of Alaris) will be able for all players to explore up to the level cap, but it'll follow the typical free-to-play route of tiered membership.

"EverQuest players are some of the most loyal, long-standing players of any MMO in existence. With the gaming landscape changing every day, we want to ensure we continue to evolve the game to keep players engaged and bring in even more new players to further expand the community," producer Thom 'Phantom' Terrazas said in the announcement "With no up-front costs or required membership, we might see a new player or two along the way, and more people is always a good thing!"

Free players will have limited races, classes, character slots, bank space, access to trade and chat, and other restrictions. A one-off payment of $5.00 gets you a Silver membership to raise some of those, while Gold members paying a $14.99 monthly subscription get all the best stuff.

And, of course, there'll be a microtransaction store, selling "everything from mounts, illusions, house items, clothing, experience potions and more" for Sony's Station Cash currency, which you must buy with actual, real pennies (or get a little free each month with Gold membership).

Active subscribers will automatically be converted to Gold members, while players with lapsed subscriptions get Silver membership. SOE All Access subscribers get Gold membership.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    January 30, 2012 1:30 PM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, EverQuest going free-to-play after 13 years.

    The original EverQuest is finally succumbing to the free-to-play trend, turning subscriptions optional in "early March" after 13 years. As is customary for F2P MMORPGs, there'll be tiered memberships and a microtransaction store.

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 1:32 PM

      EverQuest is still alive?!

      • reply
        January 30, 2012 1:42 PM

        Watch your fucking mouth!

      • reply
        January 30, 2012 1:42 PM

        That was pretty much my reaction.

      • reply
        January 30, 2012 1:46 PM

        [deleted]

        • reply
          January 30, 2012 1:54 PM

          Latest one released just in November 2011, no less.

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        January 30, 2012 2:25 PM

        STFU...Asherons Call 1 is still online.

        • reply
          January 30, 2012 2:53 PM

          Yep.... I'm wondering if since EQ has gone f2p if it will be just a matter of time for AC.

          I would seriously get way into that again if so.

          • reply
            January 30, 2012 2:58 PM

            It doesn't age well and they upped the complexity of AC1. So it would take some dedication and a band of friends to get back into it.

      • reply
        January 30, 2012 2:56 PM

        What, was the "Ever" part not enough of a clue for you?

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 1:44 PM

      nice knowing you plat2on1

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 1:46 PM

      hahahaha oh god

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 1:48 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 1:50 PM

      I wonder if my shitty halfling warrior is still around

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 1:51 PM

      Anyone want to log in with me and grind to...what the is the cap now? Level 90 or some shit?

      • reply
        January 30, 2012 2:04 PM

        let's own this shit!

      • Ebu legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        January 30, 2012 2:05 PM

        95. Supposedly you can do it in a day or two.

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          January 30, 2012 2:44 PM

          Sure but would still take you 5 months of 24/7 camping to get jboots right?

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            January 30, 2012 4:34 PM

            I got jboots incredibly fast, but I had to kill about 2039458230528 of those vampire things in POF to get the dust to get my epic :(

            • reply
              January 30, 2012 4:45 PM

              [deleted]

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                January 30, 2012 5:35 PM

                jboots were the bomb

              • reply
                January 30, 2012 5:40 PM

                you couldn't really "camp" jboots because it spawned randomly

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                  January 30, 2012 5:43 PM

                  Haha yeah, but I remember there was this ridiculous guide to get the giant to spawn. Like you had to kill certain enemies that were said to be on the same spawn table or some shit. Everyone did this and it never proved to be true.

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                    January 30, 2012 5:50 PM

                    Though actually now that I remember, you could camp at one point as they used to drop off of some dark elf which is where I got mine. They later moved it to some quest where people were trying to dick with understanding the spawn tables.

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                      January 30, 2012 8:04 PM

                      When I played there were two locations. One was off the giant in ocean of tears on some tiny island off the boat path. The other was in the dungeon next to the dark elf area. Najena or something. Both mobs had some super low retarded drop rate and like 30m/60m respawn timers. Stupid.

                  • reply
                    January 31, 2012 3:13 AM

                    [deleted]

                • reply
                  January 30, 2012 9:56 PM

                  You most certainly could camp jboots before they moved them out of Najena.

                  Fuck I'm old.

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 1:51 PM

      woo hoo!

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 2:08 PM

      LFG: Frenzied, Exec, Lord

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 2:14 PM

      Train to zone!

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 2:17 PM

      next, daoc f2p! whatever it takes to get population imo~

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        January 30, 2012 3:14 PM

        If DAoC goes f2p, my GPA will tank so hard.

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        January 30, 2012 3:20 PM

        ^^^ This. I want that game to go F2P so bad.

      • reply
        January 30, 2012 3:22 PM

        Now everyone gets buff bots!

        • reply
          January 30, 2012 5:52 PM

          YOU get a buff bot! And YOU get a buff bot!!!! EVERYBODY GETS A BUFF BOT!!!!

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 2:23 PM

      Who wants to help me camp the wood plank in east wastes for the BFG?

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 2:57 PM

      PYZJIN TO ZONE

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 3:18 PM

      wohoo! I can finally try it now!
      I knew that all that waiting would pay off.

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      January 30, 2012 4:26 PM

      It's been so long since I've played this game. The last time I tried to login, the game had changed so much I couldn't figure out any of the new features, or even figure out what zone my toon was parked in (someone else was using him to rez).

      Man, after so many expansion, how many gigs is the client now?

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 4:36 PM

      EQ2 went f2p before EQ1?

      • reply
        January 30, 2012 5:54 PM

        EQ1 continued to be more profitable than EQ2 for a while.

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 5:20 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 5:52 PM

      [deleted]

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      January 30, 2012 7:31 PM

      EA should bring back Motor City Online as F2P. It would work great, could buy parts and stuff, or have a chance to win them in certain races.

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        January 30, 2012 9:23 PM

        Wrong, Earth and Beyond is what EA should be bringing back.

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 7:32 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 8:11 PM

      [deleted]

      • reply
        January 30, 2012 8:17 PM

        suffering not optional

        • Ebu legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
          reply
          January 30, 2012 9:26 PM

          You fall unconscious!
          *regen*
          *wiff*
          *wiff*
          *regen*
          *wiff*
          You stand up!
          *crunch*
          You fall unconscious!
          *wiff*
          *regen*
          *wiff*
          *wiff*
          *regen*
          *wiff*
          You stand up!
          *crunch*
          You fall unconscious!
          *wiff*
          *regen*
          *wiff*
          *wiff*
          *regen*

    • reply
      January 30, 2012 8:49 PM

      Wait a sec. Maybe I'm having trouble interpreting this...

      "Previous EverQuest subscribers who did not have an active subscription at the time of the free-to-play conversion will automatically be converted to the Silver membership."

      Silver membership is $5 / mo. This couldn't possibly mean SOE is planning on reactivating all inactive subscriptions so they can start collecting $5 / mo off them? Not that my credit card with SOE is valid or anything.

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        January 30, 2012 8:50 PM

        Nevermind. Read it again. 1-time $5 payment. Weird.

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      February 1, 2012 8:16 PM

      I don't think I will ever enjoy an MMO more than I enjoyed the original EQ. I've never felt the same accomplishment, the same friendship, or the same difficulty ever since. MMOs nowdays are amusement park rides, or summer blockbuster movies. The same danger, difficulty, and quite frankly skill level just isn't there anymore among the average MMO player. It's nice to see EQ go free to play, but unfortunately I can't time travel back to that age to play it again.

    • reply
      February 2, 2012 12:17 AM

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