On Tuesday May 17, the anticipated price changes for EVE Online went live with increases to both the price of PLEX and monthly subscriptions (Omega). These changes were first announced over a month ago, with the price for a direct-monthly subscription rising by $5, the first such change in the past 18 years.
The following table compares the old pricing for Omega with the new rates, effective today:
Old Omega | Per Month | Total | New Omega | Per Month | Total |
1 Month | $14.95 | $14.95 | 1 Month | $19.99 | $19.99 |
— | — | 2 Months | $17.99 | $35.98 | |
3 Months | $12.95 | $38.85 | 3 Months | $15.99 | $47.98 |
6 Months | $11.95 | $71.70 | 6 Months | $14.49 | $86.95 |
12 Months | $10.95 | $131.40 | 12 Months | $12.49 | $149.90 |
24 Months | $11.29 | $270.99 | |||
CCP has introduced a new 2-month cycle option to bridge the gap between month-to-month and quarterly subscription renewals. PLEX has also seen new price tiers introduced at the entry, middle, and high tier price points.
The table below details and compares the new tiers and pricing for PLEX with the former schema:
Old Pricing | New Pricing | ||
— | — | 50 PLEX | $2.49 |
110 PLEX | $4.99 | 100 PLEX | $4.99 |
240 PLEX | $9.99 | 250 PLEX | $12.49 |
500 PLEX | $19.99 | 500 PLEX | $24.99 |
1,100 PLEX | $39.99 | 1,000 PLEX | $44.99 |
— | — | 1,500 PLEX | $64.99 |
2,860 PLEX | $99.99 | 3,000 PLEX | $124.99 |
7,340 PLEX | $249.99 | 6,000 PLEX | $239.99 |
15,400 PLEX | $499.99 | 12,000 PLEX | $419.99 |
— | — | 20,000 PLEX | $649.99 |
Ostensibly, these changes seem intended to increase revenue. They set a base fee increase across the board, and in theory drive more entry-level purchases by aligning PLEX packages with SKIN prices. In addition, CCP clearly hope to capture more of capsuleers’ spending by introducing a mid-line price point and adding a larger PLEX package at the high-end for whales (high-spend accounts).
On the topic of skins and novelty items, it is not uncommon to have skins priced at 60, 120, and 300 PLEX. These are odd amounts that always left players with a short defecit or a small surplus of PLEX that failed to align with novelty item pricing. This is intentional, and designed to drive more sales, however surpluses are often sold off or sit in wallets until one has more PLEX to make up the difference. Especially at the low-end.
By adding in a 50 PLEX tier at the bottom of the scale, and tweaking the number of PLEX at different price points, CCP may be able to realize more spend by incentivizing microtransactions (under $5). Similarly, adding a $65 tier helps to cut the spread between what used to be the $40 and $100 price points, which has widened to $45 and $125. This may capture the spend of middle-earner capsuleers who want to buy vanity items but aren’t prepared to spend another $125 on EVE that month.
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