Sony
Online Entertainment have announced that the running of many of their
games is transferring to German publisher ProSiebenStat.1 Games Group in
Europe. Games affected include EverQuest II, DC Universe Online, Star
Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, Free Realms, and this year’s Planetside 2.
While SOE will continue to manage the European servers for their
games, European players will no longer be able to play with friends in
the US. The two providers will use separate account systems and virtual
currencies, effectively splitting each game in two.
Existing European players will be asked to create an account with the
new provider, and SOE will be offering a way to transfer characters and
progress as well as any virtual currency in their possession. European
EverQuest II players, meanwhile, will be able to use their SOE accounts
as normal after the handover is complete. All new European players will
go through ProSieben, however, meaning that Planetside 2 will be region
locked.
SOE’s FAQ
on the subject says that “generally speaking, prices for game content,
in-game items and services will remain similar.” We’ve contacted SOE for
comment on what this means in practical terms, and whether European
players should expect a price hike. We’ve also asked what measures are
being taken to ensure that patches and updates are localised quickly.
We’ll let you know what SOE have to say.
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