everquest-2-extended
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Ask Massively: Switchover edition
If there's one thing I learned from last week's Ask Massively, it's that our opinions are all wrong! Except Jef's. Even so, we're back this week to answer two more burning questions from the minds of our readers. Ironically enough, they both have to do with free-to-play, clarifying the switchover for Lord of the Rings Online and EverQuest II Extended. Follow along below for our answers to these questions, and if you'd like your inquiries resolved on a future installment of Ask Massively, send it along to ask@massively.com or leave it as a comment to this post.
The Tattered Notebook: F2P bombs and views from the fallout shelter
Well, this week takes the proverbial cake when it comes to the least amount of time spent head-scratching over a column topic. Thanks to Dave Georgeson and the executives at Sony Online Entertainment, I pretty much had this little opus sketched out by dinner-time last Tuesday. Anywho... a week ago tomorrow the bomb dropped. It wasn't a stink bomb, a 50-yard bomb, or even an F-bomb (though there were no doubt plenty of those uttered in some circles), but rather a Hiroshima/Nagasaki type of bomb that changed the world and effectively ended the war between P2P and F2P, at least as far as Norrath is concerned. Or did it? Turn the page to find out.
'EverQuest 2 Extended' bringing free-to-play to EQ2
SOE has announced a free-to-play version of EverQuest 2, called EverQuest 2 Extended. Yes, a free-to-play version. Rather than switching its business model as some MMOs have, SOE is actually going to operate Extended in parallel with the existing, subscription-based version of EverQuest 2. Extended uses a smaller web-based application instead of EQ2's full download, and offers both free and optional paid membership content, as well as the option to purchase equipment. It includes access to all the game zones available in the "real" game, including those added in expansions up to "Shadow Odyssey". In other words, everything but the stuff added in "Sentinel's Fate." Find all the confusing details about the membership options after the break, or check the FAQ. EverQuest 2 Extended is expected to launch in beta form "on or around August 17, 2010." Along with it, UI improvements will be released for the current version of EQ2.
