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Hit the Virtual Goods Summit 15% cheaper this year
The Virtual Goods Summit has been an annual event since 2007, and features speakers from organizations all over the world, all focused on virtual goods, and virtual economies. This year's summit in San Francisco features quite a lineup, including the delicious Steve Meretzky, Turbine's accomplished Fernando Paiz, the engaging John Smedley of SOE, and plenty more. Through the Virtual Goods Summit, developers and publishers share knowledge and get a deeper understanding of virtual goods and economies, how they function, their challenges and how to maximize the opportunities inherent in them. The Virtual Goods Summit runs on 30 October (with an optional half-day seminar on the 29th, covering the fundamentals and drivers of virtual economies, called Virtual Goods Summit University. Want to get to the summit with a 15% discount on general admission? Register for the summit and use the code MASSIVELY at the checkout, and save! There's also discounted early-bird registration until 29 September.
Smedley calls The Agency cancellation rumors 'ridiculous'
We cornered Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley after his Austin GDC keynote (literally -- he was backed into a corner and could not escape us. Sorry, John!) to get some kind of status update on the PS3/PC MMO action game, The Agency. While we didn't get the firm release date we hoped for, Smedley reassured us that the game's in no danger of not coming out. "Next year" was as closely as Smedley could approximate the release date. "Can't get -- because I've been wrong like three times with that game. And we're not going to release it until it's right. But there's this rumor going around that we're going to cancel it -- that's ridiculous." It's worth noting that a cancellation rumor was debunked by SOE in November, but it's been ten months since then! Seems like a good time to assert once again that the game is still in development. "No," Smedley continued, "we're going full-bore towards it. We're simply keeping it under wraps more because we want to make it the best possible game we can. I'm an FPS player first and foremost, so we're going to get that game right, period." Smedley firmly denied that the departure of staff would affect the game's development. %Gallery-3830%
Free Realms officially hits 5m users
Even though Free Realms had been rumored to hit 5 millions users last month, it was made official today at the Austin Game Developer's Conference. During John Smedley's keynote, the SOE President discussed the history of the game's development, as well as some demographic numbers. As you might imagine, it's difficult to create an MMO for kids, with an average MMO player age at 33.There was also some interesting data released about the top five marketplace items and jobs in the game. Not surprisingly, all of these top five jobs are available to free players, with Brawler taking that number one spot. Look for our complete write-up of Smed's keynote, which involves much more than just Free Realms, coming soon.%Gallery-73155%
Free Realms coming to PS3 mid-2010, may support PlayStation Eye
The Q&A session following the Free Realms-centric keynote speech, delivered earlier today by Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley at GDC Austin, contained a hopeful tidbit for those looking to play the aforementioned free-to-play MMO on their consoles. When we asked about the release window for the PS3 version of Free Realms, Smedley cheekily replied, "I'm wondering, too!" He then added, "It's next year sometime, toward the middle of the year." During his speech, Smedley also addressed the functions which would be specifically tailored for the MMO's console outing, saying, "For the PlayStation 3 version, it's very likely that the Eye is going to be something we support." We hope the Eye's implementation isn't of a voyeuristic nature -- if there's anything our late-night Uno sessions taught us, it's Camera + Internet Strangers = Terror.
SOE prez delivering GDC Austin keynote
We sure hope that attendees of GDC Austin 2009 want to hear about the unimaginable success of Sony Online Entertainment's Free Realms, because that's exactly what they're getting. SOE president John Smedley will deliver the keynote address at the event, which is set to kick off September 15.Considering Free Realms was initially announced at the Lone Star State's annual gaming convention in 2007, we can expect a majority of Smedley's speech to focus on the free-to-play online title -- particularly on how it hastily acquired five million players. Actually, by the time said event opens its doors, we wouldn't be surprised if that number was in the low-to-mid billions.
Highlights from the SOE Fan Faire 2009 community address
Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire 2009 is happening in Las Vegas, and of course they've had a number of things to unveil so far. SOE president John Smedley gave his community address last evening, and other speakers made an appearance as well. We've got a few highlights from SOE Fan Faire 2009 for you: Station Cash Smedley jumped right in by talking about the state of the SOE game lineup and some of the new directions they've explored with them in this past year. One of those new directions has been the introduction of Station Cash, and he talked about the growing adoption of Station Cash among SOE game subscribers in EverQuest and EverQuest II, as well as how it will soon be tied into new services and customization options. He announced a partnership with Hewlett-Packard which will allow players to purchase matte print images of art from the games using Station Cash. You'll be able to have your own character rendered in a high-quality art print, or even have your entire guild depicted and sent to you as a hardcopy art book. EverQuest: Underfoot and EverQuest II: Sentinel's Fate On the topic of EverQuest, remember that mention we had of SOE trademarking new EQ properties? It turns out these are the new expansions: EverQuest: Underfoot and EverQuest II: Sentinel's Fate. Smedley kicked off the EQ announcements by reflecting back on 10 years of EverQuest and looking to where the IP is headed in the future. EverQuest II producer Alan "Brenlo" Crosby discussed the game's sixth expansion, Sentinel's Fate, where players will travel to the land of Odus and see what's happened there since The Shattering. He dropped a few details about this next expansion, slated for a February 2010 launch, and the updates they plan to release between now and Sentinel's Fate. These updates will include the ability to downtier characters, allowing you to go back and replay older content, plus achievements are coming to EverQuest II. In addition, the EQ II level cap will increase by ten levels. SOE hasn't forgotten about their long-term fans either, those who have stuck with the original EverQuest through the years. EverQuest producer Thomas Terrazas announced the sixteenth EQ expansion, Underfoot, which will launch in November 2009. Underfoot will feature 12-15 zones at launch, with bonus zones and additional content to release in April of 2010. Underfoot will have twice as many weapons as any of the previous 15 expansions, a new focus targeting window (allowing you to add specific targets to your list, monitor health of friends and foes), and achievement tracking that will help players remain aware of the objectives to be completed in their progression path. "In other words," Terrazas said, "you won't have to go looking online on somebody else's website so see what you need. It'll be in-game." Fan Faire 2009 attendees will get both expansions for free.
SOE's 3rd annual Community Address to be broadcast live this Friday night
Not being able to attend this year's SOE Fan Faire doesn't mean that you'll miss out entirely. Aside from the biggest news that we'll undoubtedly bring to your attention right here on Massively, you will actually be able to watch SOE CEO John Smedley's community address streaming live on Friday the 26th of June, at 7:00PM PDT. Although visiting the link for the event right now seems to prompt us to register, Amnerys' post on the EverQuest forums says that this isn't necessary: "You don't need to register or have a password! Just visit the page and view!"This will be the third year of SOE's annual community addresses. To get an idea of what to expect this Friday, you can check out the presentation from Fan Faire 2007 on Youtube. The link to keep bookmarked for the live event is this one right here.
Beckett Massive Online Gamer names Top 20 individuals in the MMO industry
In what's now become an annual event, gaming magazine Beckett Massive Online Gamer has put together a list of the most influential people in the MMO industry. Blizzard's Rob Pardo has taken the #1 spot, as he did in 2008, which should come as no surprise to anyone, really. But Beckett has named Hilmar Pétursson of CCP Games as the second most influential figure in the MMO industry (up from #4 last year), with SOE's John Smedley, Jack Emmert from Cryptic Studios, and Mark Jacobs from Mythic Entertainment rounding out the top 5. In addition to the major, established industry names you'd expect to see on the list, there are 10 newcomers this year, including Todd Coleman from KingsIsle Entertainment, studio director for Wizard101 which recently hit the milestone of 2 million unique users.While Beckett Massive Online Gamer makes the list available online, the magazine offers background on each individual and how they've influenced the future of the industry.
DC Universe Online and The Agency get a 2010 release date
John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment announced that both DC Universe Online and The Agency are slated for release in 2010 during his GDC keynote speech. This will come as disappointing news to anxious fans, but probably great news for Cryptic Studios who appear to be on target for a 2009 release of their own super hero MMO, Champions Online. NCsoft will breath a little easier too now that they will only have to deal with one threat to City of Heroes this year instead of two.The news of DCUO in 2010 is not surprising, but many fans were expecting (read: hoping) The Agency would come out some time this year. The team-based spy thriller will eventually be playable on both the PC and console platforms and delaying too much longer could give rise to issues if the PS4 is ever announced. That said, SOE should be more plugged in to their own company's console than other developers, so they would be best equipped to deal with that potential situation should it occur. Perhaps this is the very reason The Agency is being delayed? Without much official news on the title lately, fans can do little else but speculate.
SOE brings real money transactions to Vanguard [Updated]
Yesterday Joel "Raijinn" Sasaki announced on the official Vanguard forums that players will soon be able to use Live Gamer Exchange to sell their virtual items for money in the real world. Sony Online Entertainment, the developer behind Vanguard, already works with Live Gamer on EverQuest 2 to provide users a way to trade their in-game loot for cash in the real world. The ethics of RMT aside, the addition of Live Gamer to Vanguard gives players interested in participating in the service a sanctioned, safer means of doing virtual-to-real-world business, forcing the deals through official channels rather than leaving players at the mercy of eBay, PayPal and other third-party sites to resolve disputes. Live Gamer's pending arrival in Vanguard has been announced a little over a month after John Smedley, President of SOE, said in an interview with Virtual Goods News that the RMT service wouldn't make an appearance in the game. We reached out to SOE for clarification yesterday but as of this writing have not received a response. [Thanks, Chris!] EDIT: We were contacted by Mr. Smedley after this article went live to clarify that in the interview he gave last month he said that StationCash wouldn't make it into Vanguard, not that no RMT service would ever appear in the game.
John Smedley clarifies SOE's RMT policies
When Sony Online Entertainment announced their Real Money Transaction policies and StationCash involvement with EverQuest and EverQuest II, many SOE fans raised an eyebrow. Does this mean these games are losing their subscription fees in lieu of a microtransaction system? SOE's President, John Smedley, stands firmly against this in a recent interview with Virtual Goods News, where he explains the future of RMT with the company and why it has been implemented so far."We aren't going away from subs, this just gives us another avenue," Smedley states. When asked about the company's recent acquisition of PoxNora and their current revenue model, Smedley says that they're excited about it because it's so different from their own. Free Realms will also be a major determiner for the future MMOs in SOE's line-up like The Agency and DCUO. "We're trying to hold the line about not selling 'power', but what form that takes in DCUO remains to be seen. We might sell more costumes and different sorts of customization things. We're still learning what people like and don't like when it comes to virtual goods."
Free Realms video blog hits on game's unique features
Free Realms is one of those rare massively multiplayer online games that seems to hold appeal for both children and adults, despite its target group of teens and tweens. Sony Online Entertainment released a video blog from CES 2009 specifically about the game, with SOE President John Smedley and Creative Director Laralyn McWilliams. They explain a bit about what the game is, and some of what makes the title unique. The video blog is interspersed with footage from Free Realms, highlighting its combat-optional design philosophy. This should provide gamers with a variety of options -- including pets and mini-games -- allowing them to play however they choose.
Future of EverQuest bright and possibly console bound
Considering that Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley has already stated he expects half of their business to manifest on the PlayStation 3, it's a no-brainer that future as-of-yet announced titles are looking at a console release. Until today we didn't have a single clue as to what game that would be, now it's looking like EverQuest is a strong candidate.Gamasutra's recent interview with the SOE prez reveals that not only has EverQuest continued to be a strong property for the developer, but that a PS3 release isn't out of the question. In fact, as far as SOE is concerned their first venture into console MMOs was simply a couple years too early -- oh the joys of using that PS2 network adapter. While we don't know the exact form a newly minted console EverQuest could take, our guess would be some kind of spin-off along the lines of EverQuest Online Adventures. The possibilities are certainly intriguing.
SOE expects half its business to come from PS3
Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley expects PlayStation 3 to account for half of the company's business going forward. Speaking with GameDaily, Smedley expressed his belief that there's an audience for MMOs on PS3, suggesting that PSN has "great user base potential" (17 million strong these days).Smedley believes that those playing PS3 games aren't the same ones playing MMOs. So he thinks putting MMOs on the PS3 is going to bring in new players. With diverse titles like Free Realms, DC Universe Online and The Agency in the works, maybe SOE can get something to click with the console crowd.
SOE expects PS3 to represent half of business
Sony Online Entertainment is betting it big on PS3. The company is currently working on three MMO titles for the system: Free Realms, DC Universe Online and The Agency. While consoles haven't traditionally been home to MMOs, SOE is hoping that free access to the PlayStation Network will give them the opportunity to succeed in a brand new market."I think PS3 will be close to half our business. There's an audience now waiting for online games on the PS3. I believe PSN has over 15 million users today. It's growing so quickly, we see a great user base potential there," SOE president John Smedley told GameDaily BIZ.We're excited for all three of SOE's MMO projects for the PS3. However, we're most excited by Free Realms, a completely free MMO that charges for in-game items. The variety of gameplay options make us believe it will become a great alternative to PlayStation Home. The beta is starting soon on the PC -- we can't wait to see what the PS3 version will look like.
Anti-Aliased: Top 5 things MMOs should learn in the new year pt. 2
#2 -- Balance microtransactions with game content.Real money trade (RMT) was big news this year. The rise of the microtransaction model was on everyone's lips. I'm not calling for a death-knell of subscription fees or anything (I like the predictability of the subscription system; I know how much I'm going to pay) but I am saying that microtransactions need to be carefully monitored. "Just remember the first rule of actually having an avatar in an online space -- people want to look cool above everything else." This writer's suggestion: cosmetic pieces. The item doesn't have to do something to make people love it. Take some hints from Gaia Online, Mabinogi, and City of Heroes. Their models have proven that people will pay for things -- awesome abilities or not. Just remember the first rule of actually having an avatar in an online space -- people want to look cool above everything else.Many people may not agree with John Smedley on everything he says, but he's dead on the money with ideas like character action figures, guild calendars and pictures, and posters with your character on it and the official branding. Those items are amazing concepts, easy to produce, and a great way for an alternate revenue stream to flow into your company.#1 -- "Kill/Quest, Level" concept is a dead horse, get on with it already!Yes! Get on with it! This is, without a doubt, in my mind, the biggest failure of the industry today. We're following along a solved formula, and it's shooting this industry in the foot. Player needs to level, player completes quests and kills monsters, player reaches next level, player gets new abilities, player uses abilities to go complete quests and kill monsters, et cetera.We keep asking the question, "Why don't these new games seem like they're as good?" And then we begin this in-depth analysis and begin checking every aspect of the game to find out why this feels like we've done it all before. The answer is taking a step back, looking at the model and exclaiming aloud, "Holy heck in a handwoven handkerchief, we have done this before!"The reason we keep playing single player games is because each one has it's own twist on the core formula. Couple that with the story and personal experience, and you get a great game. Our MMO industry needs to learn this fact this year -- not next year. The quest/kill, level, quest/kill model has been done and overdone. Gameplay needs to expand past this. Even reputation grinding is nothing more than the quest/kill to level system. "The quest/kill, level, quest/kill model has been done and overdone." One game that has been taking off faster than a warp drive engine has been EVE Online, because it has broken from this methodology. Before you begin your complaints, yes, the grinding system is there. Doing missions to get money is the quest/kill system. What makes EVE different and attractive is that this system is not the core of the gameplay -- it is a tangent of that play. The gameplay centers around the tools offered to let users shape and mold the universe according to their wishes. Money is a requirement, but it does not only come from mining and missions; it can come from basically anything you can twist to make money. If you can dream it you can probably do it in EVE -- that's the magic. This is why EVE is simply one of the best MMOs you can wrap your hands around.2009 has a chance to be something special. With titles like Jumpgate Evolution, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Darkfall Online coming at us, this should be a very good year. Colin Brennan is the weekly writer of Anti-Aliased who remembered Darkfall before the rabid comment fans ripped him apart for not mentioning it. When he's not writing here for Massively, he's over running Epic Loot For All! with his insane roommates. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at colin.brennan AT weblogsinc DOT com.
The week in Massively features
Speculating on combat in Star Wars: The Old RepublicEven though Star Wars: The Old Republic is now officially a real game, we still know very little about it aside from slivers of information BioWare has been able to share with us. What we know even less about is the combat system, which has simply been described as "choreographed" much like the battles featured in the Star Wars films. Warhammer developers weigh in on 1.1a RvR changesThe core philosophy for 1.1 as regards RvR is to guarantee you a rewarding time in open field combat. It should be just as rewarding as spending an hour anywhere else in the game. Why you should be playing Lord of the Rings Online: The WardenThe Warden class in the Lord of the Rings Online (introduced with the new Mines of Moria expansion) is, all things considered, a blast to play. A capable jack-of-all-trades class, rich in tactical options. Not a class for those who prefer their combat to be a bit mindless, the Warden keeps you thinking. SOE CEO John Smedley explains the Station Cash service roll outWe 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.
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.
Smedley Station Cash Rollout pt. 2
So, to make sure we understand, in games like EQ where all the microtransactions are value-added content, it will never effect gameplay. In other games where you design this in from the ground up with the understanding this will be a part of gameplay, it's not a big deal. John: Exactly. The most controversial part of what we did, I think, is put it into an existing game. I knew that would be controversial, but I do believe there isn't as big an outcry as you might see on some websites. I think the world is changing, and I think more and more these kinds of options are going to appeal to players. I also believe firmly that this will eventually get rid of farming and those things. Or at least it will drastically decrease it. Here's a good example why: Instead of paying some power leveler, buying an experience potion lets you do it yourself a lot faster. Where's the harm in that? That's our thought on it.
SOE's Station Cash won't be coming to Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard
As a followup to the announcement of Sony Online Entertainment's Station Cash system earlier this week we had the chance to speak with Mr. John Smedley, CEO of that company. The full interview with Mr. Smedley will be posted tomorrow, but one question we've seen here in comments and elsewhere in forums seemed like it was worth addressing right away. The initial rollout of this Station Cash service was only to EverQuest and EverQuest II. The question naturally follows: will this see use in other SOE titles?As you might have guessed, Station Cash will play a prominent role in the company's upcoming free-to-play title Free Realms. It's also likely to play some role in DC Universe Online and The Agency, though Mr. Smedley was unwilling to commit to any details on those plans. As far as other, already launched SOE titles, the answer is probably a no. According to Mr. Smedley they haven't even raised the issue of using Station Cash in Star Wars Galaxies with LucasArts, and at this time they don't have any plans to bring the service to their other titles. This would mean Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, The Matrix Online, and Planetside will remain without the Station Cash service.We'll have a full interview writeup on the site early tomorrow, including details on future additions to the program. Tune in then!
