How EverQuest Next Landmark plans to make money without annoying you

Director of Development for the EverQuest franchise at SOE David Georgeson has laid out the five phases of EverQuest Next Landmark’s monetization strategy.

“First of all, we are free-to-play,” Georgeson said. “That means we have to entertain you before you decide whether to pay us or not. We like that burden of responsibility. We think it’s cool and the right thing to do.” Georgeson said that the majority of players in free-to-play games don’t buy much, but that players who do will not invalidate the in-game economy to those who don’t.

In its current, first phase, EverQuest Next Landmark is selling Founder’s Packs, giving those who are willing to pay early access to the game and some bonus items.

In the second phase, which begin later in the alpha, SOE will start selling outfits and resources.

Phase three, which will also start in the alpha, will introduce the option to buy shortcuts, allowing you to buy some useful items instead of crafting them.

In phase four, starting in the closed beta, SOE will launch Player Studio, where players can buy and sell templates to other players.

Finally, at the end of the closed beta, SOE will add more, “bigger-ticket” items like cosmetic pets, sound and music packs, name and gender changes, extra claim flags, and more.

“There will be additions/subtractions from this plan as we go, but we strongly believe that we can support the game well in these positive manners without compromising the game’s balance, economy, or fun,” Georgeson said.

You can find more details on the game’s monetization plans on the official forums, where Georgeson has also responded to several questions from fans.

For more on EverQuest Next Landmark, make sure to read our preview of its creation tools.