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Fan Faire attendees get Free Realms beta access right now
Did you head to Las Vegas last August for SOE's annual Fan Faire event? You did? Well this is your lucky day! SOE CM Ashlanne has announced via the offical forums that all attendees of last year's event have access to the Free Realms beta as of, well, now!So what exactly are you waiting for, you lucky people? Your Station ID should have been automatically upgraded so all you need to do is visit the official site and click on existing user. If however you find yourself having problems, Ashlanne asks that you post in the thread on the official forums so they can check the listings and get the account upgraded 'in a jiff'.
BlizzCon and Fan Faire: A comparison of corporate conventions
On the surface, one might think that there's no major differences between Blizzard's BlizzCon and SOE's Fan Faire. Both events are there to bring players together in the interest of geeking out on their favorite games from the two respective companies. That said, there are some distinct variations in purpose: Blizzard has stated they'll only do BlizzCon when they have something to show. Meanwhile SOE has been hosting Fan Faire since 2000. For the first three years there were multiple Fan Faires each year. As we attended both events this year, we thought it would be interesting to compare and contrast some of the good and bad from both weekends. Curious as to how the two events played out? Check out our gallery tour of some of the common experiences from these two conventions and see how they stack up.%Gallery-35466%
The Daily Grind: How's EQ2 treatin' ya?
A while back we checked in with players of The Lord of the Rings Online to see how their experiences were going. Most responses were positive, with a few folks saying they had quit due to boredom. Now we'd like to check in another game -- this one a little older. EverQuest II went head to head with World of Warcraft. It's clear that if we're just counting subscribers, WoW is the winner. But maybe quality trumps quantity.So how is the quality of one of the world's only surviving MMO sequels these days? SOE has certainly had time to refine the game. There have been four expansions to date, with another one coming up very soon. Do you go to the Fan Faires? Do you already have four level 80s? Will the mid-level experience boost bring you back for more?Tell us: how's EQ2 treatin' ya?
Fan Faire 08: Exploring Hoth and the Star Wars Galaxies heroic encounters
SOE's Fan Faire had a number of excellent events and panels that had nothing to do with the new EverQuest expansions. One such panel was a chance for the makers of Star Wars Galaxies to lay out some background on the high-end experience for all players in the game: Heroic Encounters. These unique missions were added in Chapter 7, and feature some of the most 'Star-Warsy' moments players can experience inside the SWG game world. They pit players against everything from the assassin droid IG-88 to the deadly Sith Lord Exar Kun ... and there are more on the way. The newest of these Heroic Encounters will be released to the game soon, and is centered on one Star Wars lore's most epic battles: the Battle for Echo Base on the planet Hoth. Portrayed countless times in single-player videogames, the SWG designers are thrilled to be able to bring that experience to players within the next few months. Join us below the cut for a lengthy look at designing and developing the Heroic Encounters, and a look ahead to the upcoming Hoth Encounter!
What you need to know about The Shadow Odyssey
The Shadow Odyssey, EverQuest II's fifth expansion, is not just the usual bump to the level cap, a couple of new raids, and a reset for all the armor you already got. It's none of those things. What SOE has done with this expansion is go through the level 50 to level 80 portion of the game and say, let's make an expansion that has something for pretty much everyone. Let's make an expansion where even if no upgrades drop, you can be working toward some awesome stuff just by playing.The original EverQuest started out as a supremely casual and social game. It was the players that pushed SOE to make the game more raid focused, but sometime after the heavily raid-oriented Planes of Power expansion, the casual players asked when they'd get an expansion for them. SOE came out with the Lost Dungeons of Norrath, which offered three or four variants at each of six dungeons, meant for single groups of averagely-equipped players. The difficulty and mission type could be selected, and every time you completed a mission, you got points with which you could buy hard-to-find spells, armor of near raid quality, adornments which would push that armor into the quality of raid gear, and some cool stuff only available through the LDoN merchants.The Shadow Odyssey is EverQuest II's Lost Dungeons of Norrath -- and more. Click on through to see why TSO might be the best EQ2 expansion yet. Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest!
DC Universe Online interview with Executive Producer John Blakely
Sony Online Entertainment's (SOE) upcoming MMO DC Universe Online (DCUO) was well-received at Comic-Con '08 and has the potential of connecting with gamers and comic fans on a whole new level -- allowing them to play alongside the heroes they grew up with in comic books and cartoons. Christian Donlan from Eurogamer has an interview with John Blakely, VP of Development at SOE Austin and Executive Producer of DCUO, from the 2008 Fan Faire in Las Vegas. Eurogamer spoke with Blakely about keeping underperforming titles alive, remaining flexible in terms of DC Universe Online's vision vs. its evolution over time, and the fan reception to DCUO at Comic-Con '08. The interview touches on the choice to bar gamers from playing established heroes in the DC Universe like Batman and DCUO's payment model as well.
One Shots: Sunday on the seas
For the people who attended SOE's Fan Faire this weekend, today is a day to relax and enjoy the company of good friends -- or in several cases, the day to travel back home. But if you want beauty and travel all at once, you have to admit Flying Lab's Pirates of the Burning Sea does an excellent job of it. Sadly, we didn't get a note with server name, location, or any backstory on the image when Phil A sent it in to us, but it certainly doesn't detract from the beauty of the scene at all.Do you have a lovely screenshot you captured while traveling in your favorite game? If so, we'd love to see it. Just send it in to us here at oneshots AT massively.com along with whatever information you'd like to give us about what's going on in the scene. It's fun, it's easy, it's free! %Gallery-9798%
EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction teaser trailer released
In conjunction with the deluge of EverQuest II news we've given you from Fan Faire today, there was also the announcement of an expansion to the original EverQuest as well. EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction features twenty new zones, a new Mercenaries system, a level cap raised to 85 and much more.To help highlight this new contest, we present a brand new teaser trailer for Seeds of Destruction shown right after the cut which showcases new zones, new rewards and the new Mercenaries in action. Don't forget to check out the exclusive interview with the Seeds of Destruction design team, and let us know what you think of this new content. Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest!
EQII: The Shadow Odyssey teaser trailer released
As we reported earlier from our ongoing coverage of SOE's Fan Faire in Las Vegas, a new expansion has been announced for EverQuest II entitled The Shadow Odyssey. The details of this expansion can be found in the original announcement post, as well as an extensive interview with EQII's Senior Producer, Bruce Ferguson.In addition to this, we have some fantastic new video footage to present as well. This footage shows some exciting new content such as a few new goal-based dungeons, as well as some old favorites like Ruins of Guk and Befallen, plus new creatures and much more. Check out the complete video after the cut and let us know what you think! Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest!
Exploring Seeds of Destruction with the EverQuest design team
Sony Online Entertainment's Fan Faire event is in full swing, and John Smedley's community address this evening has been the epicenter of news for SOE MMO players. New expansions for EverQuest and EverQuest II are freshly announced, and we've already talked out the EQ2 expansion with its senior producer. Join us now for another chat, this time with the heads of the EverQuest development team. EQ's Senior Producer Clint Worley and Lead Designer Ryan Barker chatted extensively with us about the new content.Talk of a level increase, all-new zones, old zones revamped, and tons more awaits you below the cut. Click on through! Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest!
SOE announces the next EverQuest expansion: Seeds of Destruction
Alongside the announcement of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey, Sony Online Entertainment CEO John Smedley has just announced the next expansion for the venerable EverQuest Live. To be named Seeds of Destruction, it's a lore-rich extension of the game's past into a whole new realm. Turning inward to address much of the compelling story the game already possesses, Seeds of Destruction will allow players to reach a brand new level cap of 85!Other expansion features include: Twenty new zones to explore, with many re-imaginings of old and familiar fan favorites! New zones bring to life lore elements never before seen by players, like the battle at the Field of Bones or Rallos Zek's invasion of the plane of Earth! A new Mercenaries system that will allow PCs to hire AI-driven NPCs to aid them in battle. Never play solo again! Lots more, including new tie-ins to Legends of Norrath and all fourteen of the previous game expansions in one box. For full details on this compelling new content, be sure to check out our in-depth interview with the EverQuest design team.%Gallery-29751%
Exploring The Shadow Odyssey with EQII Senior Producer Bruce Ferguson
SOE just announced the newest expansion to their EverQuest II title, and we've got plenty of answers for your burning questions. We had the chance to sit down with the game's Senior Producer, Bruce Ferguson, to talk about what makes this such an important product for Sony Online. Join us as we talk through some of the fantastic new content coming to the game. Some of it is "old content", revamped and updated areas from the original vision of Norrath the company created back in 1999. Befallen and Guk are fan favorites, and are making a comeback with a vengeance. Some of it is distinctly new, like the shard system that will allow players to customize their loot for the first time ever. And some of it is a mix of both! Read on for full details on this interesting new product. Well met, fellow Norrathian! Make sure to check out all of our coverage of the next EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey as well as Seeds of Destruction, the next expansion to EverQuest!
SOE announces the next EverQuest II expansion: The Shadow Odyssey
Just moments ago in Las Vegas, Nevada SOE CEO John Smedley took the stage to announce the next expansion for the company's flagship product, EverQuest II. The fourth expansion to reach the game will be entitled The Shadow Odyssey, and is slated for release to players on November 18th of this year. The expansion will seek to expand on themes begun with the best-selling Rise of Kunark expansion, returning a number of nostalgic elements to the shattered world of Norrath. Players familiar with the Lost Dungeons of Norrath expansion to the original EverQuest may find several similarities in this newest content release, which is slated to include a number of instanced dungeons.Other feature highlights include: Brand new zones with some old favorite names. Innothule Swamp? Wall-to-wall dungeon crawling, revisiting some of the highlight real best of the original EverQuest. Guk, Mistmoore, and Befallen are all ripe for the picking. No new level increase, but a big bump in the number of Achievement points you can get - up to 200. Additionally, the expansion will feature brand new class-specific AA lines! Tons more, including new deities, new Heritage quests, and a new 'Shard' system that will let you pick your loot rewards instead of hoping for drops! Read on below the cut for the full press release, and be sure to explore our exclusive interview with EverQuest II Senior Producer for Bruce Ferguson all about the upcoming expansion.%Gallery-29748%
Fan Faire 08: Liveblogging John Smedley's keynote
The buzz coming into this evening's Fan Faire keynote is palpable. All the players know something is going on, but nobody is quite sure what's in store for this evening's festivities. As a service to our devoted readers, both old and new, Massively is on-scene and we'll be liveblogging John Smedley's keynote this evening. Curious about what SOE has in store for the future of their various MMOGs? Join us behind the break for the up-to-the-minute news from the front lines!
The Daily Grind: Going to Gen Con or Fan Faire?
Later this week gaming fans have a hard choice: will they be going to Gen Con in Indianapolis, Indiana? Or will they be attending Sony Online Entertainment's Fan Faire in Las Vegas, Nevada? It's just the first of several hard choices you're going to have to make this month, as nerdcore convention season officially swings into high gear. All month long events like Dragon*Con, Leipzeig, and PAX will vie for your attention. And guess what? Massively will be at almost every event, reporting on the MMO news as it happens.But right now we're focused on this week. We've got bloggers going to both the palace of tabletop gaming (Gen Con) and the dark heart of SOE fandom (Fan Faire). Will you be there as well? Shout out below, and let us know what you're most looking forward to. Maybe we'll see each other there!
Star Wars Galaxies Producer Letter previews upcoming content
Dotakuni, the relatively-newly minted Producer for Star Wars Galaxies, dropped into the forums in anticipation of next week's Fan Faire event to let players know a bit about what's coming down the pipe. He talked up the panels aimed at SWG players next week, singling out the Galactic Assembly on Saturday night as the must-see event for the Faire. The TCG, Champions of the Force, is also mentioned, and he goes over a few of the 'types' of loot cards players will be receiving in their regular booster back ration. Speeders, Wearables, Paintings, Vendors, and even permanent buffs will be available in the first card set.The Battle of Echo Base is also on Dotanuki's list, likely the most-anticipated content coming to Galaxies in some time. He describes the environment as massive, with the base being a 'labyrinth of tunnels and rooms'. Vehicle combat was something John Smedley mentioned in our talk with him back at E3, but Dotanuki notes he'll tell us precisely what vehicles will be involved in the battle next week. The Producer closes out his note with some intriguing hints about future events ... including one based around the Star Wars Holiday Special? Next week's Fan Faire will offer up plenty of great information for expectant fans.
SOE extends Fan Faire registration
Due to overwhelming response, Sony Online Entertainment has decided to extend the online registration deadline for the SOE Fan Faire 2008. This new registration deadline has changed to August 8th, and the event itself will take place from August 14th through the 17th at the Las Vegas Hilton, in Las Vegas, Nevada.In addition to this extended registration, there have been several new panels and events added to the schedule. These include the Gamers In Real Life (G.I.R.L.) Breakfast, the 2nd Annual Community Address by John Smedley and the pre-orders for the Everquest 10th Anniversary Commemorative Book. Plus, there will be some great demos on hand of Free Realms, The Agency and more!
