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SOE acquires Vanguard dev Sigil Games
Sony Online Entertainment has announced that it is acquiring Sigil Games Online, makers of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. The acquisition had been referenced by Sigil CEO Brad McQuaid earlier this month, citing less-than-desirable results with the MMO. According to SOE president John Smedly, approximately 50 people from Sigil will be brought over to keep working on Vanguard. McQuaid will serve as consultant to SOE and creative advisor for the title. Sigil VP David Gilbertson will be "directly responsible for the day-to-day management" of Vanguard as well as the Sigil Carlsbad office.Citing the lambasted New Game Enhancement controversy with Star Wars Galaxies, Smedley said that any major changes will come from the team themselves and not SOE. Smedley also mentioned that they will be listening to the players for idea on improvement, and said they will soon be opening up forums for the game. Smedley did say that they plan on "spending a lot of time cleaning up legacy issues" and improving performance.Smedley said that the plan is to support Vanguard "for many years to come," and to expect content upgrades as part of the subscription service as well as future expansion packs. "But right now," he said, "the focus is on making sure Vanguard is running the way it should be."
Station Launcher to bring downloadable movies to PSP
Sony Online Entertainment is responsible for the creation and maintenance of the PLAYSTATION Network and Store. At yesterday's Gamer's Day event, they revealed Station Launcher, a new service that will bring downloadable content to the masses. The plans are quite ambitious, as detailed by Gamasutra's interview with SOE creative director Nathan Pearce. According to the interview, plans for a PSP version of Station Launcher is already in the works. Through it, players will be able do download movies directly to their handhelds."We have a version of Launcher where it recognizes when you plug in your PSP into the PC. You can download a movie straight from the internet through the Launcher straight to your PSP without it ever having touched your PC. There is no version on the PC, if you don't want it to be. It can download straight to your destination device like your PSP."Movies will be formatted for PSP, and will not incur an additional cost. The possibilities of Station Launcher are nearly endless: imagine if PS1 games were made available for download, sans PS3. Unfortunately, because of the huge scope of the project, it will be a very long time until we see it: "It is going to be a pretty big endeavor, so I don't have a release date for it, but it is going to be a good time after summer."[Thanks, Colin!]
More screens unearthed for retro PSN games
Sony Online Entertainment sure loves the PLAYSTATION Network. With 300,000 downloads under their belt, of course they'd be happy. In addition to revealing High Stakes today, SOE has released some new screenshots of two of their upcoming Network titles. Two classic titles, Championship Spirit and Rampage World Tour, will run in glorious HD ... but does that really matter? As these new screens reveal, the titles look decidedly retro.Do we need these games to be released on PSN? Or, would you rather have the PS3's incredible power harnessed for something a bit more visually arresting?
High Stakes poker brings EyeToy-enhanced Network play
Sony Online Entertainment has just revealed a new downloadable title for the PLAYSTATION Network. The much too awkwardly titled High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition will be released this summer on the Network for $9.99. A variety of play modes will be available, including Texas Hold'em, Super Hold'em, Billabong, Tahoe and Shanghai. Each style can be played as limit, pot limit or no limit poker.The greatest draw for the title will be its online multiplayer, with up to six people playing at once. Players will be able to play quick matches, or choose to play through an entire season. There will be online leader boards, in-depth statistics, and customizable characters. Over time, players will be able to collect points and unlock new items for their characters.One of the unique features of the game has to be its integration with cameras. Users will be able to connect a camera to the PS3 to enhance the game play experience. "Being among the first PLAYSTATION Network publishers to release a game that takes advantage of the EyeToy™ USB Camera (for PlayStation®2) and other PC compatible USB cameras is not only exciting, but also puts the player into a realistic game play setting featuring live audio and video feed," said Michael Lustenberger, VP of Marketing for Sony Online Entertainment. Screenshots can be found, after the break.
Sigil to have closer relationship relationship with Sony
Isn't love great? Sigil games online, makers of the semi-popular Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, have noticed that their not doing as well as they initially thought. In fact, they've come to the point that Sigil's CEO, Brad McQuaid, has admitted that Sony Online Entertainment is thinking about taking the extra step and acquiring the company. He said that in the acquisition, "SOE is going to be getting more involved with Sigil and Vanguard - our relationship is going to become even tighter - much tighter, [so that the game can] both continue to be worked on and improved and debugged and optimized."Vanguard isn't reaching mass-market appeal for a variety of reasons, says McQuaid. One is the marketing campaign -- the game doesn't require as much team effort and time as, say, Everquest. This wasn't explained very well. Also, the specs requirement were too high for early January 2007. He thinks a re-launch would be the best, with a new campaign and tweaked system. How will they do that? If Sigil gets funded and supported. Thus, the Sony Online Entertainment talks. Will we see Vanguard coming to the PS3? Who knows. We'll keep on this, since acquisitions are great.
Star Wars Galaxies: vacant houses to be crushed by empire
If you've been eking out a virtual existence in Star Wars Galaxies, the 2003 Sony MMORPG which thrives just as much on self-destruction as it does on landspeeders and lightsabers, you may wish to check in on your neglected home away from home. If your account is found to have been inactive from 17 April 2006, any of the houses, factories, player associations or harvesters to your name will be scheduled for digital demolition. If you built it, they will come on June 5th to wreck it. Unfortunately, the Empire is not interested in doubling their efforts to wipe out the last remaining signs of civilization (read: active players). Instead, they'll split the work with you and dole out points, badges and all manner of in-game items in return. Once the vacant buildings have been reduced to nothing, Sony Online Entertainment will have successfully transformed the world into a barren wasteland with the aid of their own subscribers. Some believe that's what they've been doing since the game launched.[Via Opposable Thumbs]
Sony Online Entertainment focuses on global strategy
Sony Online Entertainment welcomed David Christensen as the company's new VP of... business development and international operations. His plan? Strengthen the firm's global footprint in online gaming... especially in Europe and Asia (no, no... no more gold farming, you crazy kids!). Obviously, Sony feels there's an untapped market in those regions which there is, aside from Blizzard. As a humorous twist (to me it's funny... to others it may appear uninteresting), Christensen was the vice president of business development at MMO in-game item trading firm IGE. In-game item trading firm? Where's the IRS? Geez. MMO's are crazy weird pseudo-economies. He also worked at Vivendi for a bit. Will his knowledge of the world online market bring Sony to a better place? What kind of MMO would you like to see come from Sony? Hmm... God of War RPG? Make your own fake Greek god and destroy one another? King-of-the-hill type gameplay, where everyone constantly fights to take the throne as Zeus, granting... stuff? Nah.
SOE to bring six Midway classics to Playstation Network
In an effort to ensure that Joust will grace just about every console known to humankind, Sony Online Entertainment announced today that Mortal Kombat II, Gauntlet II, Rampart, Rampage World Tour, Championship Spirit and yes, Joust, will all be making their way to the Playstation Network.These six titles, chosen based upon their specific multiplayer strengths, will be playable online and developed by SOE themselves as opposed to a third-party company along the lines of Digital Eclipse who handled the Xbox Live Arcade ports for Midway. Dates and prices have yet to be announced beyond "early 2007," so we should have but a short wait ahead of us before we find out if someone out there listened to our own Vlad's whacky ideas concerning these classic quarter gobblers.
More guns, less money in Cash Guns Chaos
Sony Online Entertainment realized that their upcoming PS3 & PSP game Cash Money Chaos had a somewhat redundant title. Cash = Money, no? So, they decided to switch the name to Cash Guns Chaos. Makes sense, considering how there's a lot of cash, and a lot of guns, in the title. Yeah, not such exciting news, is it? Thankfully, Gamespot seems to have posted five new shots of this bloody game.
PS3 likely to sell 'movies, music, TV'
Sony is working on a media store, combining its vast movie and music empire with its Trojan horse PS3 system. Late at night, James Bond movies and Beyoncé music will sneak out of the PS3 to take over your living room.It's easy to anticipate the PS3-as-media-store angle; corporations love that synergy. John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment gave us a few general notes about the plan. While he said Sony had "no announcement yet," about these media sales, he said that the ready-for-launch PlayStation Store, is "set up to offer any DRM type of content," including "movies, music, and TV [shows]." (Sony had already announced that the store will offer game downloads and add-ons.) Smedley went as far as saying that Sony is working with content providers, so while unofficial, the media store seems inevitable to us.Here's hoping that Sony maintains the HD attitude and sells HD movies online. Or what if we could rent those titles on the cheap? That sounds like another way for the PS3 to attract a broad audience.
Sony Gamer's Day reveals new PSP-PS3 details
Sony's Gamer's Day has just wrapped up, and we're learning new details from around the web. Unfortunately, details of new firmware didn't seem to be revealed. Highlights from the event include: Demonstration of Remote Play at work: the PS3 started playing the trailer to the upcoming Bond flick Casino Royale. Then, the video was interrupted and then resumed on the PSP. It sounds exactly how it should've worked. John Smedley from Sony Online Entertainment demonstrated PSone download functionality (pictured). The games, as expected, can be transferred to your PSP. Mr. Smedley hinted at future PSone emulation on the PLAYSTATION 3 console. Downloadable games will $14.99 or less. To compare, N64 Virtual Console games on the Wii will cost about $10, so we're hoping Sony prices the games a little bit lower to be a little bit more competitive. That seems to be it for now. Stay tuned to Joystiq to see all the PLAYSTATION 3 news from the event.[Via 1UP]
ESRB needs exposure, change
Next-Gen's Aaron Ruby editorializes that the ESRB needs major change, saying that the rating system has too many confusing options that are best suited to movies instead of games. (Is there a clear difference between "mild violence," "intense violence," and "violence?" Is it measured in volume?) The site follows up with Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley's response, saying that Next-Gen got part of it right -- the game industry needs to be proactive and speak for itself.Ruby and Smedley agree that the ESRB doesn't do enough to educate parents and non-gamers about games. We've seen the Penny Arcade ESRB campaign in PC Gamer and other enthusiast magazines, but we want to find ESRB ads in mainstream publications and on prime-time TV. As Smedley notes, the game industry needs to speak for itself if it doesn't want the Jack Thompsons to speak for it.Read - Opinion: Is the ESRB Broken?Read - COUNTERPOINT: ESRB Not the Problem
Sony Online snags license for Unreal Engine 3
Some good news from IGN today. Epic's Unreal Engine 3, the most talked about graphics engine for next-gen consoles, has been licensed by Sony Online Entertainment. Sony Online has already released statements about using the engine for their future titles, including an unnamed MMO based on the DC Comics universe. This may be a good substitute for the voided Endless Saga. Although the MMO isn't limited to PS3, it's still at least one coming to the PS3.SOE president John Smedley had this to say about the license aquisition: "The combination of a top-notch graphics engine and a robust set of design tools will enable our teams to deliver incredible and innovative game content for next-generation consoles and the PC." Hooray! Right? Well, until we actually can play this engine ourselves to judge its hyped awesomeness, let's just assume this is a good thing.
Untold Legends interview reveals untold details
This one's for the Action-RPG fan in all of us. Over at Firing Squad, an interview was held with senior producer Kevin O'Hara where some questions about the new Sony Online Entertainment game, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, were answered. This is SOE's first PS3 exclusive title and it follows the previous two titles, released on the PSP.How's the storyline? Basic MMO fare (although this isn't an MMO, just an A-RPG) about kingdoms waging war, but the twist is the game begins when the war ends. The king of your kingdom discovers a new source of power, thanks to tampering with the darker side of the arts. His secret? The suffering of his citizens. Depending on who you play as, your objective is different. Seize the throne? Kill the king and leave the kingdom? Find a way to bring salvation to the people? Take your pick, role-players.Fast and tactical gameplay (although it sounds very much like the Dynasty Warriors system), pick up n' play action, advanced physics and particle effects, cooperative mode (online and off), and future downloadable content/extras make this worth a glance, even if the concept of HP and free-roaming aren't your cup of tea. Or coffee. Water? Check out the other screenshots at Firing Squad and see if any tickle your fancy. Granted, the graphics aren't superb, but this is still fairly early in development. Backgrounds look pretty good, though.
PC impressions: Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising
Games like Rome have gained some following, so a Roman-themed MMO doesn't seem too surprising a concept. Marking a departure from the elves-and-orcs staple of so many MMOs, Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising takes place in a stylised Roman setting of approximately 300BC.The game's setting assumes that Roman mythology was more-or-less fact, so players can attain favour with various gods and battle a range of mythological creatures. The focus of play is a cross between hack-and-slash combat and squad-based strategy -- execute combo moves and fight hand-to hand, or deploy a squad of soldiers to do your dirty work for you.
Curt Schilling loses the mitt for the ole' mouse & keyboard
Curt Schilling is out of the closet. The one-time World Series MVP recently came clean about his long-time EverQuest addiction. Today, Schilling needs to play multiple EverQuest II characters simultaneously to keep up with his body's craving (see his 4-monitor setup, pictured right). "EverQuest II provides me an opportunity to remain in touch with my family... My son Gehrig and I play together when I'm not working and he's not in school." C'mon Schill, do you really expect us to buy that excuse?The pitching great recently took this other passion to the next level, signing an endorsement deal with SOE. Look for Schilling to lead his guild on daring quests and calculated raids in the recently released Kingdom of Sky expansion.[Thanks, mordecai]
