Sony has sold the MMO division responsible for 'EverQuest' and 'Planetside 2'

Sony has sold its online gaming division Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). SOE has been making games since the late '90s, and is probably most famous for developing the EverQuest series. Most of its games have been released for both Windows and Sony platforms, but as a result of the acquisition it'll apparently be bringing future titles to Xbox and mobile platforms as well. The buyer? A relatively unknown investment firm called Columbus Nova.

SOE has been working on a few big titles recently. PlanetSide 2 -- the sequel to its 2003 MMO -- was supposed to be a big PlayStation 4 (console) exclusive, as was EverQuest Next and H1Z1, a free-to-play zombie survival game in the same vein as Day Z, Rust and State of Decay. While Columbus Nova isn't exactly a household name, it does already have a stake in the games industry: it bought Harmonix (of Rock Band and Dance Central fame) back in 2010, re-establishing it as an independent developer. According to SOE -- which will now be known as "Daybreak Game Company" -- the acquisition will not affect the development of its upcoming titles, and there are no firm details on whether Planetside 2 and its ilk will be coming to Xbox One, or if the multi-platform goodness will come later.