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Free Realms impressions from CES 2009
Sony Online Entertainment had a presence at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, and offered a hands-on demo of their much-vaunted title Free Realms. For those who haven't previously heard of this game -- and why it's already caught the attention of the gaming press -- it's a massively multiplayer online game geared towards younger players (E10+ ESRB rating) with parental controls providing another layer of security from evil netizens. Despite this target demographic, and perhaps because of the sweet simplicity of the game's concepts and unique art style shown off thus far, a fair number of adults are eager to play it as well. Added to its appeal is that Free Realms will be playable on both PC and the PS3; it's one of the three upcoming PC/Console MMOs on the way from Sony -- along with The Agency and DC Universe Online. Free Realms will have most of the trappings of your standard fantasy MMO fare -- which might seem like the kiss of death coming from a company already offering multiple fantasy MMO titles -- but Free Realms will have its own unique twists that differentiate it from most other MMOs on the market. Free Realms is slated for release in Q2 2009, free of charge, and will be funded through microtransactions, purchasable extras, and in-game ads. Matt Casamassina from IGN has written an excellent preview of Free Realms and nails down some details which were hazy until CES 2009. While the IGN Free Realms preview is short, it's simply packed with details about the game and worth checking out if Free Realms appeals to you.
A big list of MMOs to watch in 2009
Over at The Vault, they've put up an exhaustive list of all the MMO titles you should have your eye on throughout the new year. While they sort of term it as thought it's a big list of games coming out this year, we think they know it's unlikely all of those games are going to be released in the next twelve months. With that in mind, if you aren't sure what games you should have on your radar (and you haven't clicked our handy "upcoming MMOs" widget above), this massive list will bring you up to date.Here at Massively, of course, we've been doing our own level best to keep you updated on a lot of these titles, be they AAA superhero games like Champions Online or DC Universe Online. We've talked fervently about Star Wars: The Old Republic, and given you the skinny on under-the-radar titles like Aion, FreeRealms, and Jumpgate Evolution. We've even walked away from our precious fantasy to talk about games like APB or The Agency. The Vault's list is a great one to run down - check it out to see what game you should be obsessing over today!
Developer resolution for 2009: Beat Warcraft
Our friends at GameDaily have a nice set of resolutions for game developers next year, and it's definitely worth a read if you're interested in seeing where they think the game industry might improve in 2009. But number three is the most interesting one for us: they suggest that game developers (and MMO devs in specific, we'd imagine) should make this the year that something else beats World of Warcraft.It seems much more unlikely than last year: last year, we were looking down the barrel of Age of Conan and Warhammer Online, and wondering if either one of those might cause a road bump in WoW's traffic. Age of Conan was called the steak to our game's McDonald's, but in the end, WoW players didn't do much more than give it a cursory glance. And while Warhammer seemed like a good contender to the throne, it hasn't come close to taking a bite out of Azeroth. This year, it doesn't even seem like there will be any MMO contenders. GameDaily cites Bioware's Star Wars MMO, but that's not coming out in 2009, and while The Agency and DC Universe Online might be getting close to finished, it's unlikely we'll see them on the shelves this year either.This might be a year of recuperation, for both Blizzard and their competitors. Lord of the Rings Online is doing well, so their big task is just to keep the content moving, and unlike last year, Blizzard has no real impetus this year to really push their playerbase to stick with the game. As with everything, we'll have to see what happens, but I'd expect a much more subdued year this go-around for the MMO market. When the MMOs in progress now come to fruition in 2010, then things will likely get more interesting.
The Digital Continuum: Five MMOs to watch out for in 2009
Out of all the games coming out or possibly being announced in the coming year, which are the ones everyone should train their eye on? What games -- or announcements -- should be watched more closely than others, and why? These are the questions that I'll do my best to answer in this week's The Digital Continuum. Of course, I'll also probably say some crazy things that may or may not come true, as per my usual agenda. So it's a win-win for everyone involved!
The Digital Continuum: Five MMOs to watch out for in 2009, part 2
The next few years are certainly going to be interesting, especially when we get to the point when three superhero MMOs are on the market with a fourth (CoH2) on the way. Anyhow, getting back to the point: DC Universe Online is especially lucky for its IP, which is most definitely the strongest of all the superhero MMOs currently known to be forthcoming. Although, the rather unfortunate SOE stigma may cause a little turbulence in the formative months that come after any MMO is released.
The Digital Continuum: Looking back while moving foward
This last year has seen a lot of things happen in our beloved MMO-world. Things like the launch of Pirates of the Burning Sea and Age of Conan delays seem long lost in the fog of summer and winter. It was all buried underneath the revelations of DC Universe Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic. And the noise created by the build up to Warhammer Online's launch seemed squelched by the silent wall that was the Wrath of the Lich King launch. It was all a gust of insanity that blew through our brains, creating ebbs and tides in our attention and interest faster than any of us probably thought possible. And just when we all thought it was over, Atari bought Cryptic.But it seems safe to leave our homes and wonder about the great precipice of 2009. At least until the next massive storm rolls in and knocks an oak tree into our recently mended skulls.
SOE CEO John Smedley explains the Station Cash service roll out
The decision to deploy the new SOE Station Cash service in EverQuest and EverQuest II was as unexpected as any of the eyebrow-raising announcements this week. That it was the first microtransaction-related news to drop, and arrived into two long-running games, made it especially dramatic. Player reaction has been fierce on both sides of the discussion, and as we so often try to do we sought out some background on where this decision came from.We sat down earlier this week with SOE's CEO John Smedley for a talk about the whys and wherefors of the Station Cash service. More than just a novelty incorporated into their flagship games, Station Cash is an important new service vital to the future of Sony Online Entertainment. Whether as backing for their upcoming free-to-play title Free Realms or as a venue for 'extras' in other in-development titles, microtransactions are here to stay in the SOE empire.Whether you've already read our Station Cash FAQ or not, you're sure to have lots of questions. So join us as we speak to Mr. Smedley about why the rollout was so fast, what they intend to use Station Cash for in the future, some of the services they intend to provide, and a few hints at why you might be ordering a Station Cash product for a friend next Christmas season. Read on.
No love for Final Fantasy XI on PS3
Square Enix's MMO title Final Fantasy XI has been popular on PlayStation 2 for years, but despite its availability for Xbox 360 and PC, it seems FFXI won't be making an appearance on the PS3 anytime soon. While some of the older PS3 models boasted PlayStation 2 emulation, moving forward gamers purchasing the PlayStation 3 won't enjoy this backwards compatibility.Given this limitation, and the simple fact that many gamers are leaving the PS2 behind as they look ahead, why hasn't Final Fantasy XI migrated to the PS3? You'd envision this being the logical next step for the title, particularly given the new breed of console-based MMOs coming to PS3 -- namely, superhero MMO DC Universe Online, spy-centric The Agency, and of course Free Realms. As it turns out, Square Enix did intend to move up to the PS3, according to a recent report from Kris Pigna over at 1UP.
The Agency's character advancement stays true to skill-based gameplay
In most MMOs, we're used to our time investment leading to a character that is overwhelmingly powerful, compared to a player that is fresh out of the gates. For example, a level 30 is going to thrash a level 10 in World of Warcraft or Warhammer Online, barring gross incompetence from the higher level. However, The Agency's developers are making sure that a ranked-up character isn't guaranteed to beat down a rookie in PvP combat, as SOE Seattle game designer and writer Matt Staroscik detailed in a recent interview.This doesn't mean that there's no point to leveling up a toon -- Staroscik reminded us that players will gain new skills and weapon techniques as they play, and the ability to equip different gear. These perks will make an experienced player a tad more deadly, but a newcomer that takes quickly to the shooter gameplay should be able to hold their own. It sounds quite similar to Call of Duty 4's multiplayer advancement.Staroscik also mentioned the "alias" outfits that we've heard about in the past. The system sounds like it could provide a nice change from being a heavily-armed bad-ass, provided that there's some variety to the missions that come up.
The Agency will not charge a monthly subscription fee
In an interview with Kikizo, Kevin O'Hara of SOE announced that the MMO shooter The Agency will not be utilizing a monthly subscription model. He wasn't sure of the exact way the game will bring in revenue, but it sounds like it is going to be a combination of micro-transactions and in-game advertising."We're acutely aware that shooter players are not used to paying monthly fees, so I doubt we'll go for an outright $15 a month ... So we're checking out Free Realms to see how they're going to do with their micro-transactions, and we might incorporate some of that. We'll definitely have some ad revenue models." For the entire interview with the Senior World Designer of The Agency, head over to Kikizo.[Via Massively]
The Agency opts for in-game advertising instead of monthly fees
In a recent interview with Kikizo, Sony Online Entertainment's Kevin O'Hara revealed that the upcoming spy MMO The Agency will not incorporate the traditional monthly subscription model, but will instead turn to in-game ads and micro-transactions."We're acutely aware that shooter players are not used to paying monthly fees, so I doubt we'll go for an outright $15 a month, which works on some of our other projects. So we're checking out Free Realms to see how they're going to do with their micro-transactions, and we might incorporate some of that. We'll definitely have some ad revenue models. The Agency's the perfect place for some in-game product placement," O'Hara stated in the interview.
Massively week in Review
Joystiq's sister site Massively.com has all the news you'll need about MMOs. Here's the best, brightest, and most interesting stuff from the last week, all in one convenient place for your MMO minute. Massively's exclusive pre-launch Moria interview with Jeffrey SteefelMassively chats with Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer for Lord of the Rings Online the night before the release of LotRO's first expansion. Mines of Moria is now live, and from the sounds of things the servers and players are having a great time of it. Massively's ArenaNet interview: The past, present and future of Guild Wars PvP Massively catches up with ArenaNet Game Designer Isaiah "Izzy" Cartwright for a brief interview regarding the past, present and future state of PvP in Guild Wars. Follow along after the cut for the full interview and some exclusive PvP screenshots supplied to us by ArenaNet. Massively checks in on The Agency with Lead Designer Hal MiltonMassively talks over the current state of The Agency's development with the animated and always-interesting lead designer Hal Milton. Hal shares with us a bit of insight into what they're currently working on, give us a few fun facts to chew on, and makes us actually look forward to next year's summer con season.
The week in Massively features
Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria launches!Today the expansion finally goes live! The official patch notes are up on the forums, and the servers went live at midnight with all the new content! We've collected up all of our best pieces of news and information on Turbine's latest ... check it out! EverQuest II: The Shadow Odyssey Launches!Massively has been following the expansion's lifecycle since it was announced at this year's SOE Fan Faire, and today we've put together the best of all our content touching on this brand-new chapter in the EQ2 saga. Read on for all the details! Massively checks in on The Agency with Lead Designer Hal MiltonJoin us as we talk over the current state of The Agency's development with the animated and always-interesting lead designer Hal Milton. Hal shares with us a bit of insight into what they're currently working on, give us a few fun facts to chew on, and makes us actually look forward to next year's summer con season. Behind the Curtain: Why we play World of WarcraftThere's never a bad time to take a look behind you and examine your past. This is as true for MMOs as it is for anything else in life. With Wrath of the Lich King now up and running, we at Massively were wondering about some of the reason people have stuck with the game thus far. The Digital Continuum: Why must MMOs die?Sitting on my desk are copies of Earth and Beyond and Auto Assault. In fact, I've even got a CE box for Auto Assault (that thing cost me 80 bucks). Unfortunately, these games are just dust collectors now. I keep them to remind me of the possibility of sunset and how much it can suck. Even if you didn't play Tabula Rasa, there were thousands of people who did, and that's all that really matters.
Massively checks in on The Agency with Lead Designer Hal Milton
As we noted yesterday, The Agency isn't canceled. Despite that mixup from Gamefly's automated notification system, the FPS/spy title from the SOE Seattle studio is still going strong. Joystiq spoke with the SOE subsidiary briefly yesterday, and we had the chance to do so as well. Being the MMO nerds that we are, we just had to go a bit outside the scope of this latest mixup - mechanics are far more interesting than drama!Join us as we talk over the current state of The Agency's development with the animated and always-interesting lead designer Hal Milton. Hal shares with us a bit of insight into what they're currently working on, give us a few fun facts to chew on, and makes us actually look forward to next year's summer con season. We didn't think anything could do that. Spy social engineering at work!Read on below the cut for our full discussion.%Gallery-12934%
Joystiq interview: An update on 'The Agency'
Following The Agency's unfortunate and incorrect "cancelation" by GameFly yesterday, SOE reached out and asked if we'd like to talk to the game's lead designer, Hal Milton. Considering the title had been dark for quite some time, it certainly seemed like an opportunity to ask a couple direct questions about the current development state of The Agency.Joystiq: So, what's going on with your game? It keeps popping up on radar, but it appears like nothing seems to be going anywhere.Lead Designer Hal Milton: (laughs) Well, it's going a lot of places in our studio. We announced the title rather early, showed some pre-alpha last January. It's really important that we did this. But, if we have the team in different places around the world talking about the game, how are they supposed to be working on the game?So, you've got your heads down right now making the game?Yeah, since we showed off some stuff in January, now our designers are fleshing out about six or seven locales. Working on Operative functionality, backstories, story lines. It's a lot of content. Between content and feature support, there's a lot of work to be done. We don't want to keep having hype sessions just showing movies and crap. We need to make the game and not just keeps promoting it. After we went dark in January, it's been a really, really, blessed thing.
Rumors of The Agency's death have been exaggerated
Rumors abound that Sony Online Entertainment's MMO-in-development, The Agency, has been cancelled. This stems from a GameFly email sent out that the title is now removed from GameQ's, with the explanation message that "For unreleased titles, the game has been canceled by its publisher... We apologize for any disappointment this may cause. If you have any questions, please contact us." Well that's exactly what our sister site PS3 Fanboy did. Only they went right to SOE, not Gamefly, to check on The Agency's status. Andrew Yoon from PS3 Fanboy confirmed with SOE's Katie Hanson that the project is, indeed, alive. So there you have it. The Agency has not been targeted for assassination. You can check out the declassified intel over at PS3 Fanboy.
SOE dispels rumors: The Agency isn't canceled
SUBMITTED FOR YOUR APPROVALOn November 18th, PS3 Fanboy HQ received a tip that the PS3/PC online spy game, The Agency, had been reportedly canceled. GameFly listed the project as dead, but we doubted such an ambitious game would be killed by SOE. We did some further investigating.According to SOE's Katie Hanson, there's no reason to believe that The Agency is canceled. Why GameFly would list the project as canceled is beyond. Perhaps ... there's foul play involved?! (cue dramatic music)Evidence is presented, after the break.Update: Yet another official statement: "Sony Online Entertainment's game, The Agency™, is still in development for release on both the PLAYSTATION®3 and PC platforms. The game sku has been reinstated to GameFly's website. Feel free to add The Agency to your GameQ!"
The Agency 'canceled' according to GameFly notice [update]
We've received several tips alleging that game rental service GameFly has sent out e-mails, claiming that Sony Online Entertainment's The Agency has been canceled. According to the notice from GameFly, the title has been removed from the service because the game has been "cancelled by its publisher" (yes, apparently written by a Brit). The full GameFly email can be found after the break.We've contacted both GameFly and SOE for clarification. GameFly only carries console games, so, if it holds up, the cancellation may only affect the PS3 version. We'll update as soon as we hear anything. Update 2: SOE's official quote to Joystiq: "Sony Online Entertainment's game, The Agency, is still in development for release on both the PlayStation 3 and PC platforms. The game sku has been reinstated to GameFly's website. Feel free to add The Agency to your GameQ!"Update: SOE has confirmed with PS3 Fanboy that The Agency is not canceled. GameFly has yet to issue an explanation. GameFly has now reinstated the title -- feel free to add it (back) to your GameQ.[Thanks to Tracy, Vagabond99 & Nut Man]
The Digital Continuum: Fantasy's upcoming vacation
Is the MMO fantasy genre finally ready to relax and take its long overdue vacation? It does seem to be the case, as nearly all of the highly anticipated titles in the coming years are exceptionally not high fantasy or even really general fantasy. So while the sun is setting on the age of fantasy, a new dawn appears to be rising elsewhere. With it comes a tidal wave of new genres into the industry, some new and others a bit more familiar. Don't believe or agree with me? Keep reading and maybe you'll change your mind.
Will Sony's push for console MMOs help sell the PS3?
Over the past few weeks, Sony Online Entertainment's President John Smedley has spoken candidly about his company's plans to bring MMOs to the console platform. More specifically, Smedley says that all of their future projects will release on both PC and the Playstation 3, even with some hints of MMOs coming to the PSP.These future projects include some highly-anticipated titles such as The Agency, Free Realms and DC Universe Online. While we've talked about other companies announcing MMOs on the console coming soon, would the inclusion of future SOE titles on the PS3 be enough to persuade dedicated PC/MMO fans to buy the poorly-received Sony console?
