In An Industry Precedent Setting Move, SOE Grants Access To All Premium Games
for One Low Monthly Fee
LOS ANGELES, E3, May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Online Entertainment Inc.
(SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming, introduced
plans for SOE All Access(TM), an all-in-one subscription service that will
allow gamers access to all of SOE's premium entertainment content -- from
EverQuest(R) to PlanetSide(TM) to EverQuest(R) II -- for one low price of
$21.99 a month. The SOE All Access subscription offer will begin on May 19,
2003, just in time for the launch of PlanetSide, SOE's latest premium online
game.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20011203/LAM002 )
"We have grown our business to the point where our fans have several
different types of gaming options available to them and we want players to be
able to experience everything we have to offer," said John Smedley, president,
Sony Online Entertainment. "The SOE All Access subscription provides an easy,
cost-effective way for an SOE fan to play all of our games. Once again, Sony
Online is setting a precedent that will affect the online gaming entertainment
industry on a global scale."
The SOE All Access subscription will give players access to all current
SOE content, including EverQuest, PlanetSide, EverQuest(R) Online
Adventures(TM), the Station Pass(TM) and EverQuest II, which is scheduled to
launch this Fall. Subscribing to SOE games will be streamlined through the
SOE All Access subscription, giving players a single account to use across all
titles.
Currently, SOE charges separate amounts for each of its titles. EverQuest
carries a $12.95 monthly subscription cost, while the upcoming PlanetSide will
cost $12.99 a month. EverQuest Online Adventures for the PlayStation(R)2
computer entertainment system runs $9.99 per month. The Station Pass, which
allows access to casual online games Infantry, Cosmic Rift and Tanarus, is
$6.95 a month. By activating the SOE All Access subscription, players now
have access to all of these games for $21.99, a potential savings of more than
$15 a month. When EverQuest II goes live, the SOE All Access subscription
will grow in value even more. Players will still have to purchase each title
individually, but the SOE All Access subscription will provide them with a
single account to use across each of the SOE titles they own.
The SOE All Access subscription offer is only good for recurring SOE
subscribers playing SOE published games. The SOE All Access offer will not be
available for non-SOE published titles, such as LucasArt's Star Wars
Galaxies(TM): An Empire Divided(TM) or versions of EverQuest or PlanetSide
published by SOE partners outside of North America. In addition, the SOE All
Access subscription cannot be used in connection with SOE's wireless and
handheld games or Game Card subscriptions.
For more information about the SOE All Access subscription and SOE's
current roster of premium titles, please visit http://www.station.sony.com .
About EverQuest
Developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), EverQuest
launched in 1999 and has since become both a gaming and cultural phenomenon.
The game has sold more than 2 million copies while continuing to grow with
award-winning expansions The Ruins of Kunark(R), The Scars of Velious(R), The
Shadows of Luclin(TM), The Planes of Power(TM), and The Legacy of Ykesha(TM),
making it the largest online 3D fantasy world ever created. During peak
periods, more than 118,000 simultaneous adventurers have explored the fully
detailed world of Norrath, filled with monsters, magic, adventure and more.
The active global EverQuest subscriber base of more than 430,000 players is
comprised of people from 40 different countries including North America,
Europe, Asia and Australia. Sony Online is committed to bringing EverQuest to
various entertainment platforms, releasing titles such as EverQuest Online
Adventures for the PlayStation(R) 2 computer entertainment system, EverQuest
for the Pocket PC and EverQuest: Hero's Call for wireless phones. This Fall,
SOE will launch the highly-anticipated sequel, EverQuest II, on PCs around the
globe.
About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures
Digital Inc., is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online
games. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the
personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its
blockbuster franchise, EverQuest(R), SOE continues to redefine the business of
online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing
new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego,
CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX and St. Louis, MO, SOE
has an array of cutting-edge online games in development such as
PlanetSide(TM), Star Wars Galaxies(TM) and the highly anticipated EverQuest(R)
II.
EverQuest is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America
Inc. SOE and the SOE logo are registered trademarks and PlanetSide is a
trademark of Sony Online Entertainment Inc.
SOURCE Sony Online Entertainment Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.station.sony.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20011203/LAM002
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, +1-888-776-6555 or +1-212-782-2840
CONTACT:
Chris Kramer, +1-858-577-3481,
ckramer@soe.sony.com, or Christy Fritts, +1-858-442-9570,
cfritts@soe.sony.com, both of Sony Online Entertainment
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