On this last Tuesday, Sony Online Entertainment brought all of its games and services down for approximately 14 hours. While we did everything we could to make people aware of the pending downtime as early as possible, some SOE gamers have expressed confusion about what exactly we did that day.
Upgrading The Account Management System
On Tuesday, we converted all of our prior account management systems into one unified system. This unified system replaces multiple systems that have been created over the years at SOE as new games came into the family. With this new account management system, we now have a single unified system that spans all SOE games and lends us great efficiency in upgrades for all of our games as future needs arise.
What Does That Mean For You?
While the new account maintenance system creates no appreciable change for you in terms of gameplay in your favorite SOE game, it does offer many benefits to you. For instance, the new account management system allows for a much more straightforward set of options to manage your Station account and your individual subscriptions.
Account functions such as password and username recovery are now much easier to use. You can view and edit your Station account information, payment information, and email settings through the new interface. You can also create a new Station Handle in the account management system. This handle will allow you to publicly identify yourself without exposing your Station ID to others.
Another exciting thing to know is that the new account management system works in conjunction with the upcoming Station Launcher. The information in the newly updated account management system will be used by Station Launcher to make it easier to communicate with your friends through Station Launcher, and will make it possible to see what content is available for purchase and download through the Station Launcher without having to go to an account maintenance page to check first.
Was This All Just For Station Launcher?
While Station Launcher is slated to go into beta next month, the new account management system adds functionality and features beyond those that are going to work together with Station Launcher. With a single unified system that covers all SOE games, we will be able to create new options, services, and features that roll out quickly to all of our games as there is no need to adjust it for each different game system.
This added efficiency means that we will spend less time in development as we pursue new account options for you, and more time working on new ideas and refinements for the system. The end result for you is increased functionality without extended waits.
Thank You!
SOE would like to thank each and every SOE gamer who waited patiently during the upgrade process. We work hard to minimize downtimes and maximize your gaming time, and we know that an extended maintenance and upgrade affects SOE gamers everywhere and we appreciate your understanding during this recent downtime.
Many hours were put in behind the scenes to deliver the new account management system for you in as quick of a time as possible. Thank you for your patience while it was on; we hope you find the new account management system to be of great use to you in the future.