Have you ever wanted to create items for a game? What if you could not only create items for a game, but also get paid for selling those items? Sony Online Entertainment is letting you do just that for three of their titles: Everquest, Everquest II, and Free Realms.
The Player Studio program, launched in Oct. 2012, just completed the third quarter with great success for item creators. There are currently close to 200 Player Studio-created items available for purchase on Sony’s Marketplace and creators are taking home a share of those profits.
So What is Player Studio and How Can You Get Started?
Player Studio is a program allowing players to download sample geometry and then use 3-D modeling and texturing programs to design, develop, and personalize items for submission to be included in the Sony marketplace. Originally, Player Studio only accepted Cloak and Furniture submissions. Those categories quickly expanded and in February of 2013, Weapons, Shields, and Hairstyles were added to the submission list.
Not an experienced 3-D modeller? That’s ok! There are free 3-D modeling programs available, such as Blender or Hexagon, that have online tutorials to get you started on making your designs a reality. The Player Studio discussion forums are also a great place to discuss projects and receive feedback from other creators. Items are then submitted for SOE to review and suggest any changes to the item. Once an item is approved and accepted, it will then be processed to make an appearance in a game’s marketplace to be purchased by players.
What’s the incentive to create?
For aspiring designers, this is a chance to start building a professional portfolio. In addition to having the in-game glory of an item bearing the creator’s name, SOE will also issue quarterly checks for 40% of the net sales profit from item sales. If the creator is owed less than $50.00, the balance is rolled over to the next quarter until the threshold is met. When the first quarter came to a close, the smallest check issued was just under $250. Talk about some nice extra pocket change!
So what’s next for the Player Studio Program?
The Player Studio program is currently open to U.S. residents and accepting item submissions for Everquest, Everquest II and Free Realms. Future plans include extending the program to non-U.S. residents and other SOE title games, such as Vanguard and Planetside 2.
A new category for submissions is also in the works that will allow players to submit game-decorated houses for marketplace listing. Opening the program to include housing is sure to spark player interest and generate more revenue for aspiring artists.
Join us as we gather more information from the Player Studio panel at SOE Live this August.
