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Today's Fan Fairiest video: EverQuest players tie real and virtual knots
Sony Online Entertainment's recent Fan Faire was held in Las Vegas, which is already known for quirky characters and quickie weddings. However, this was probably the only time the city over hosted both a real wedding, and a virtual one, at the same time. Er, and for the same people. We don't want to slight the Vegas virtual wedding scene, if it exists.Two gamers, who met in EverQuest, tied the knot during the event at the Rio Hotel ... and then promptly went on a six-hour hack and slash raid through an orc-infested dungeon as a honeymoon treat. Okay, we keed, we keed ... but listen to the preacher during the ceremony as he says "we're gathered here today at the beautiful Rio Hotel." Wonder if he's a paid shill.Anyhow, check out the wedding video above (Darth Vader and some Stormtroopers actually lead the bridal procession in), and some costume contest photos in the gallery below. One of these days BlizzCon and Fan Faire need to meet so the MMORPGer's can battle it out for global online domination.%Gallery-5908%
Pirates of the Burning Sea dev details SOE publishing deal
Massively multiplayer swashbuckler Pirates of the Burning Sea was recently announced to be sailing under the flag of Sony Online Entertainment's Platform Publishing. While joining hands with a publisher is generally considered good news, some fans following the game throughout its development have expressed concern over SOE's involvement, citing its indelicate handling of Star Wars: Galaxies. Addressing these concerns is Russel Williams, CEO of developer Flying Lab Software, who updated the game's official website with a surprisingly straightforward explanation of what the publishing deal entails.Williams specifies the responsibilities carried by each party in the deal and is quick to point out that Flying Lab Software retains complete ownership of Pirates of the Burning Sea and remains independent. "Platform Publishing is a channel for independent developers to compete on the same level as a big publisher – without selling their soul," says Williams. He goes on to stress that the deal will ultimately allow Flying Lab to focus on development of the game and deliver it on time this Fall. "I've put my money where my mouth is. And I want more developers to do the same." Aye, Mr. Williams! Aye!
Join up for an eventual beta with The Agency!
Yes, we know, there was a lot of anticipation for the big June 11th announcement. Some of you were disappointed about the announcement of MMOG The Agency for the PS3 and PC. Others of you were surprised and pleased. We're not ones to discriminate, so to both parties, we'd like to direct your attention to the official site of The Agency and help you navigate its seemingly empty flash page.After getting the loading screen up to the point where you view a smoking gun, go ahead and click on the bullet that mysteriously wrote out the name of the game -- The Agency -- and you'll be welcomed with a note detailing a mailing list where you will be "recruited" by one of two factions: ParaGON or U.N.I.T.E., which we can only assume means a public beta at some point in the future. We thought you'd like to know, so go on, everyone! Shoot them an e-mail with the stuff they ask for (just an e-mail address) and wait until further details make their way to your inbox.[via N4G]
Become an elite spy in new online shooter, The Agency
Video games are all about wish fulfillment and role playing. Previous games have glamorized the life of the rock star (Guitar Hero), the football player (Madden), and the janitor (Mario Sunshine). Sony Online Entertainment is ready to make gamers turn into something cooler than all of that: an international spy. In The Agency, a new online shooter for the PS3, players will be globe-trotting all around the world, taking on missions ripped straight out of the James Bond series."The inspiration for The Agency came from the spy and espionage genre. We want to put players in the heart of the action to experience what it's really like to live the life of an elite agent," said Hal Milton, Lead Designer at SOE. "Players will jet set around this virtual world to exotic locales, infiltrate enemy organizations to steal secrets and perpetrate sabotage, all the while building their own agency with an eye towards global domination."Agents will have to use a variety of skills to achieve their objectives. Level objectives will range from sneaky assassination attempts to all out assaults. Not only will players want mastery of their guns, truly successful spies will also control a variety of vehicles, and partake in mini-games at the local casino.%Gallery-3823%
Rant: SOE needs to offer more compelling PlayStation Store content
Sony Online Entertainment had a fairly sizable role in the PlayStation Store development thus far. They offered the original IP Cash Guns Chaos and helped fund Sidhe's Gripshift on its graphical upgrade for the PS3 reissue. Gripshift was enjoyable for the first 30 minutes we played it, but the tracks were so easy and uninspired, we soon lost interest. It was hardly compelling. Did we miss something here? Also, SOE helped secure the deal to port those Midway classics we've come to both tolerate and despise. Although not one Midway classic burned our eyes with anticipation, we've been so hungry for content, we downloaded nearly all those titles anyway. Perhaps we're not being true to the spirit of classics, but we envision something a little more meaty than an unabridged arcade port with online multiplayer. Mortal Kombat II fared okay in our book but Championship Sprint and Rampage definitely lost something in their translation, and it was mostly fun.
EverQuest II on the PS3, or a bad case of the mis-typings? [Update 1]
French website Play 3 Live has upped some scans of, supposedly, a PS3 port of the moderately popular MMORPG EverQuest II: Echoes of Faydwer. The pictures they threw up depiciting the apparent port are all of some pretty freaky-looking fairies with quality not much enhanced from the PC version of the game. This could be because of fears of lag issues for the PS3 version, or because it might end up being a fully downloadable title. The latter speculation is an extreme stretch, but who can be sure? After scouring the SOE Press Center, we've located what possibly could be the root of this rumor. The listing on Sony Online Entertainment's official site teases readers with the listing of the game as a " PC PS3" release. The pictures aren't in widescreen -- a staple of the PS3 gaming library. We're still keeping this as a rumor, but from the shady speculation surrounding this event, we'd bet our pirate booty that this is all a big error in typing. A mis-type, if you will. For the uninitiated, just in case this turns out to be true, EverQuest II: Echoes of Faydwer tells the tale of [insert cookie-cutter MMO plotline and gameplay mechanics]. Don't get us wrong, we're not hating on EQ2, but just like many MMO's, FPS's based in WWII, and JRPG's featuring spiky-haired and oddly prepubescent youths, there's not much to separate it from a crowd. [Update: IGN contacted SOE and as we imagined, the rumor has been confirmed to be completely untrue.]
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."
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A whole slew of EverQuest and EverQuest II, electric boogaloo
Sony Online Entertainment gave us a lot of EverQuest to digest recently, including the fact that they are only going to be releasing one expansion per year from now on. Players were complaining that with the expansion packs coming out every time they blinked six months, they weren't getting enough time to explore the new worlds. Speaking of new worlds, if you've never jumped on board the EverQuest bandwagon, you can pick up the just released EverQuest: The Anniversary Edition for only $19.99. It contains every expansion ever made for EverQuest, which at last count was thirteen. That's a lot of adventuring, folks. Hard to believe it's been around for eight years now. EverQuest II also gets some love in the form of a huge new expansion called The Rise of Kunark, which comes out in November. It adds a new playable race, weapons, armor, zones, deities, now level cap at 80, and even a new mount ... a rhinoceros. We're not sure about you, but tooling around on a rampaging rhino sounds like sweet ride. %Gallery-3065%
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!]
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.
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?
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.
Metareview - Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
You have to wonder if Sony Online Entertainment was so co-dependent during the development of the Champions of Norrath games that they had to abandon the successful series when partner Snowblind Studios was bitten by the superhero bug. Instead of leveraging EverQuest's popularity for the launch of the PlayStation 3, SOE decided to stick with their more generic Untold Legends setting, which debuted on the PSP nearly two years ago. But with its paltry 18-20 hours of gameplay, lack of SIXAXIS support, and all of three pre-customized characters to choose from, Dark Kingdom ends up being little more than a rushed launch title, not the next-gen Norrath many people were hoping for. IGN (65/100) wants more PS3 and less PSP: "Apart from the repetitive combat system, there's a ton of gameplay issues that you'd hope would've been fixed with the transition over to the PS3. Load times are surprisingly long when you're accessing new levels. Rocks and boxes, as well as hills or background objects can cause your character to freeze in mid-jumping animation for at least five or six seconds. You'll also run into a lot of camera problems during combat, where the camera will unexpectedly zoom in or out during a fight." GameSpot (60/100) thinks Dark Kingdom is ill-suited for looters: "Gear lust is one of the more prominent driving forces in dungeon crawlers, and it's here that Dark Kingdom comes up short. Pieces of armor with different names and radically different effects look identical on your character, limiting the joy of equipping new gear and seeing how it looks on your increasingly badass adventurer. Your character will use the same basic weapon, as well as most of the same combo attacks, from beginning to end." GameSpy (60/100) hopes Sony is planning to make better use of the PS3's storage capacity: "What surprises me the most about the whole pre-formed character shtick is how confining it seems for a next-gen console with the power of the PS3. Look at the character customization options in Oblivion and you might understand where I'm coming from with this. All that power and I only have three options to choose from?"
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
