Sony/news

==Sony News==
==Some users may experience difficulty logging in to game==
January 17, 2012
Some game players may experience difficulty logging into Everquest II. They may receive instructions to contact Customer Support.
 Users may use the old Launchpad to access the game's servers during this 
 time and may check back periodically to see when the new launchpad issues 
 are resolved.
 
Watch this space for updates and more information as it becomes available!
During periods of downtime you are welcome to join us in the GSC Guild chat lobby.
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===Everquest II Goes "Free-to-Play"===
This is a pretty lengthy letter, but this new letter from Dave Georgeson for EverQuest II's free-to-play transition covers all the important topics on EQ2's new shift. Let's get to it!
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Many of you reading this letter are long-time EverQuest and EverQuest II players. You've been part of the SOE family for a long time (earlier this week was EQII's 7-year anniversary!) and our aim is to take care of you and keep you entertained for years to come.
Part of caring for our customers is listening to you and hearing what you have to say. Additionally, we need to be aware of changes in the industry, changes in player expectations, and larger economic trends in general.
We've listened to your concerns about the complexity of the subscription structure, how the separate forums between EQII and EQ2X divide the community unnecessarily, that the Live Gamer servers are under-populated, and that many people want more flexibility with payment options so they can better manage their personal budgets.
We believe the key to meeting your expectations is to provide more flexibility and to deliver what you want when you want it, whether it's basic game content, full subscription access to the game, or something in-between. So in early December we're going to change things to be "Free to Play. Your Way." Let me explain what that means…
Membership and Pricing Changes
There will no longer be an up-front fee for downloading and installing the game. You no longer have to buy the software in order to use it, and game content through the Sentinel's Fate expansion will be available to all players without charge. You simply download, and then launch and play the game for free.
Last year, we created a successful, but separate, "free to play" service for EQII called "EverQuest II: Extended" (EQ2X). However, now that all servers are becoming free-to-play, we are combining both services together and EverQuest II (including the EQ2X servers) will operate as a single game with a single membership structure.
The new membership structure for EverQuest II is simpler and easier to understand than the one we used previously, and we've adjusted the model so that Gold members in EverQuest II will get everything that current EQII subscribers do currently.
Here are the differences between the new EverQuest II membership model and the prior EQ2X membership model:
*Gold membership in EverQuest II will provide access to all races and classes (except the Freeblood race and the Beastlord class) and is identical in all ways to the current subscription status on EQII Live servers.
*The free membership level will be called "Free" instead of "Bronze."
*Silver membership now costs 500 Station Cash instead of 1,000 Station Cash. (If you purchased a Silver membership in EverQuest II: Extended within the 60 days before the launch of this change, 500 Station Cash will be refunded to your Station Wallet.)
*Players can no longer purchase a Platinum membership. Existing Platinum memberships will continue until they expire.
*A matrix showing the details of the three new Everquest II membership levels - Free, Silver, and Gold - is available here. So basically, you can play at the Free level (with restrictions), upgrade to Silver to remove a bunch of those restrictions… or sign up for Gold membership and remove *all* of those restrictions, depending on which expansions you have on your account.
Additionally, Gold memberships are no longer required to recur each month. We will have non-recurring memberships that you can purchase with Station Cash or real-world currency. Recurring and non-recurring Gold memberships will be available for 1, 3, 6, and 12-month durations. Recurring memberships are still available for those of us who don't like having to remember to pay each month, and recurring memberships also get the perk of a Station Cash bonus grant each month.
The aim is to give you as much flexibility as possible, without drowning you in a sea of confusing options. Free, Silver, or Gold at whatever duration and recurring state that you desire. It's up to you to play EQII your way.
How Does this Affect Me?
For EverQuest II players, at the end of the day all we're basically doing is making your subscription optional. For EQ2X players, we're simplifying the membership model and adding benefits to the Gold membership. That's about it.
If you're an existing EQII subscriber and you keep your subscription active then the change will be in name only. We will simply call you a "Gold" member instead of a subscriber.
The conversion will be seamless; at launch, your current subscription status will roll over directly to an equivalent recurring Gold membership. The cost is the same, and all your benefits are exactly the same, including veteran status. There is no difference in service and you don't need to do anything unless you desire to change your membership status.
If you're an existing EQ2X player, then you will not be affected, except that Gold members will actually get a bonus.
If you are a Bronze member, you will simply be called a Free member instead. 
Silver members will carry on as if nothing had changed.
Gold memberships have been improved! They now have access to all races and classes (except the Freeblood race and the Beastlord class). (If you purchased a Race Pack in the 60 days before the launch of this transition, we will refund the Station Cash for that purchase.)
Platinum membership is going away. If you are an existing Platinum member, your Platinum membership will continue until normal expiration with all of the original benefits. That membership is currently set to recur, so if you don't change it, you will stay a Platinum member and continue to get those benefits. However, if you drop Platinum membership, you'll be unable to re-subscribe to it. You'd have to rejoin at a Gold membership level for continued full access to the Game.