Transition
Questions
When will the transition from WBIE to SOE take place?
The transition is scheduled to occur on August 15, 2005. When you
attempt to log in to the game on or following the scheduled August 15th transition date you will be notified that MxO is moving to SOE’s Station platform. The notification window will carry a link
to the Sony Online Entertainment
(SOE) Station web site at
which you will be offered the opportunity to create a new Station
account. In order to continue to play
MxO as of this date, you will need to register with SOE by creating a Station account, submitting
billing and other subscriber information, and agreeing to SOE’s End
User License Agreement, Terms of Service, and other rules and policies. You will only need to complete this full
process of re-registration once. Once
you have re-registered with SOE,
you will be credited with any remaining subscription time for which you
pre-paid prior to August 15. Remember
that just like the current policy, your pre-paid and unused subscription time
will continue to run whether you log in on August 15 or some date
thereafter. If you choose not to
re-register with SOE, you
will not be able to continue to play MxO.
Why is this
happening?
SOE has acquired the
MxO game from WBIE and SOE and WBIE have entered into licensing agreements to collaborate on several online game
projects, combining the two companies’ expertise. As part of the new
relationship, SOE will
take over operations of The Matrix Online, including live support,
customer service and development. SOE’s
commitment to and extensive experience in online gaming will benefit the MxO
community and the game itself.
Do I have to sign
up again?
Yes. In order to continue to play
MxO as of August
15, 2005, you will need to register with SOE by creating a Station account, submitting
billing and other subscriber information, and agreeing to SOE’s End
User License Agreement, Terms of Service, and other rules and policies. You will only need to complete this full
process of re-registration once. Once
you have re-registered with SOE,
you will be credited with any remaining subscription time for which you
pre-paid prior to August 15.
MxO players will have 45 days (until September 30th)
to transfer their accounts to SOE. Any player who does not transfer their
account to SOE by
September 30th will have the unused portion of their pre-paid
subscription automatically refunded to them. Please allow up to 60 days after
September 30th for any such refunds to be processed. If you choose
not to re-register with SOE and you need billing support you may contact WBIE Customer Support at 800-422-4514. Also, once your existing MxO account is
closed, should you decide to return to MxO your in-game assets will remain
intact for a limited period of time.
After September 30th, if you have not
re-registered your account with SOE,
it will be closed. Also, please be
aware that you will need to transfer your account on or before September 30th in order to qualify for any relevant Transition Bonuses for which you may
otherwise qualify as discussed below.
Do I need to have a Station account to
play MxO?
Yes, as of August 15, 2005.
All customers must create a Station account to continue playing MxO.
Players can sign up for a Station account by visiting http://www.station.sony.com.
Can I use my current Station account or
Station Access pass to play MxO?
Yes. If you already have either a Station account or
Station Access pass, you can add MxO to that account by following the billing
and registration instructions, but the game software must be purchased
separately.
Account
Management and Billing
How do I manage my account after the
transition takes place?
As of August 15, once you have re-registered with SOE and created your Station account, you
can manage your MxO game account from the Station website. Just go to http://www.station.sony.com and use the sign in/change user link to log in, then click my account to manage your account settings, and you can also
click the Account button on The Matrix Online game launch screen
to get to your account settings page from which you can modify your account.
I still have time left on my current MxO
subscription. Do I get to keep it?
Yes. If you re-register with SOE on or before September 30th, subscription time
remaining on current players’ accounts in good standing will be honored. Your
first billing period will begin after your existing time expires.
Do I have to pick a billing plan when I
set up my Station account?
Yes. However, your first billing cycle won’t begin until
any remaining time expires.
Will I get
charged twice because this change is happening?
No.
Will the monthly
fee for The Matrix Online be
increased?
No. There are no plans to increase the price of a stand
alone MxO subscription at this time.
If you are in a territory where VAT is applicable, different rates
than you are currently being charged may apply
Will I be able to use the existing
game cards to pay for my account after the transition?
Yes. Unused game cards already in circulation will be
honored after the transition. In order
to use a game card after August 15, you will need to re-register with SOE as described in this FAQ and indicate in
your billing preferences that you are using a game card.
What if I am not already an MxO subscriber
but I now want to play?
As of August 15, in order to play after you have purchased
the game software, you will need to register with SOE and set up a Station account as described in
this FAQ.
Station Access
Plan
What is the Station Access plan?
Station Access is SOE’s
all-in-one subscription plan that includes access to EverQuest®, EverQuest®II,
Star Wars Galaxies™, PlanetSide®,
and EverQuest® Online Adventures
for the PlayStation® 2. Current MxO subscribers will be able to select this
billing plan, which offers continued access to MxO plus SOE’s other subscription games. Station
Access is $21.99 a month. Please note that all software must be purchased separately.
Will MxO be offered on the Station Access
pass?
Yes. The Matrix
Online will be offered as part of the SOE Station Access plan.
Do I have to get a Station Access account
to play MxO?
No. You can use a regular Station account to play MxO.
Transition
Bonuses
Transition Bonus: 30 Days of Additional
Service at No Additional Charge
When/how do I get my 30 days bonus?
You will receive 30 days of additional service at no
additional charge as our thanks for transitioning your account. This bonus time will be added to the end of
your first paid billing cycle with SOE.
In essence, you will receive an additional 30 days with whatever billing plan
you choose at the end of your first paid period. Please note this bonus applies only to
accounts that transition their MxO subscription service account on or before September 30, 2005. After September 30th, existing
MxO subscription service accounts that have not transferred over to SOE will be closed and refunds initiated by
WBIE for residual prepaid
service time.
Additional Transition Bonus: In-game Items
What are the other transition bonuses?
Following successful transition of your account to the SOE Station platform on or before September 30, 2005,
players will be able to choose one item from a selection of two exclusive
in-game bonus items. The two exclusive
items are: a pair of sunglasses and jacket specially designed for the billing
transition bonus. Both items have the following enhancements, which can be
activated from the hotbar or Action panel:
- +5 Combat Tactics
- +5 Viral Transmission
- +5 Viral Deflection
The effect lasts for 10 seconds after activation—just
enough time to finish off your opponent—and can be used once every 10
minutes.
How do I get the bonus items?
After the billing transition is complete, all characters
will get a token placed in their Inventory. This token can be taken to
Loripor (the Collector near the Mara Central hardline) and exchanged for
either the sunglasses or jacket.
Do I have to wear the bonus clothing items
to use them?
No. While the bonus clothing items will have special
effects attached to them, you can use them even if they’re not equipped. Just
drag the item (sunglasses or jacket) into your hotbar and use it from there.
Other Questions
Will I be able to
use Station Exchange to
buy and sell The Matrix Online items?
Station Exchange will
not be offered for The Matrix Online immediately, but is something
being evaluated for the future.
Is The Matrix Online being shut down?
No. The Matrix Online game will continue to offer exciting
adventures to all who enter The Matrix.
The development team will continue looking at ways to enhance the game
play, reduce bugs and improve the overall experience with the additional resources
of the Sony Online Entertainment
organization supporting them. Many of the people that have been working on
MxO have transitioned over to the SOE team.
Is there going to be a character wipe?
No. Your MxO log on
ID will simply change to the one created with the new Station account activation.
Players who re-register with SOE will not lose any in-game assets.
How do I save my current buddy list?
If you want to save your existing AIM buddy list to a text
file, you’ll need to get an AIM client (www.aim.com).
Once you have AIM installed, do the following:
- Log in to your game
account via AIM.
- Your username is: mycharacter@thematrixonline.com
- Your password is the
same as your game password
- Click My AIM
- Click Save Buddy List…
- Make sure your Buddy List and all your groups
are selected in the scroll window
- There’s a lot of
information you could save, but may not need. You probably want to
de-select everything but your Buddy
List and associated groups.
- Click Save
- Type in an appropriate
name and click Save
To open the file:
- Right click the file
- Select Open with
- Select Notepad
Will events
continue after this change takes place?
Yes. While some aspects of live events will change, we understand the
value of live events in The Matrix
Online and plan to continue them. Details are still being worked out, and you can look for more information
about live events after the transition is final.
