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The Digital Continuum: Beware the MMO mutants
I had such high hopes for Auto Assault, but unfortunately a lot went wrong with that game. The general concept remains a fun idea and definitely has lots of legs for further attempts at the genre -- just not on PCs. I've talked about the why the current style of MMOs don't work well on consoles, but that doesn't mean a newer type of mutated MMO wouldn't work. The recent rumors about a Call of Duty 4 or Grand Theft Auto (re: APB?) MMO are just the kind of mutation I'm talking about. I say mutation, because I don't see these as the next step in massively games -- we're still going to have our WoWs, AoCs and WARs coming out in the foreseeable future. However a new breed all to itself is a definite possibility in the next year or so. This concept -- which has been brewing in the back of my mind for a while -- has only been encouraged by the recent SOE and SCEI shuffle.
SOE to report directly to Kaz Hirai, SCEI
Sony has announced a change in the relationship between two of its, err, Sonys, namely Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and Sony Online Entertainment. If we understand the press release correctly -- the pop-up pictures were an immense help -- SOE will be reporting directly to SCEI president and group CEO, Kaz Hirai, as of April 1, 2008. The structural change is "designed to mutually benefit both companies by further accelerating the PlayStation business through SOE's strong online gaming expertise," which ultimately boils down to more "exciting entertainment offerings" to consumers.SOE will continue to develop said exciting entertainment offerings for the PlayStation 3 and PC, with company president John Smedley reporting to Hirai and making sure he says things like, "We are thrilled to become a part of the incredible team that has made PLAYSTATION 3 the premier platform for next generation online gaming." SOE is currently hard at work on The Agency, a promising spy-themed MMO shooter for PC and PS3.
SOE moved under SCEI to strengthen PlayStation 3
Sony Online Entertainment (the group behind EverQuest, Star Wars Galaxies, and other landmark MMO titles, for the types of readers who need answers to questions like "Vhat eez zees ... 'video game' theeng?") is relocating within the Sony empire. Starting April 1, SOE will operate under the Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. banner.That means that SOE prez John Smedley will be reporting directly to Kazuo Hirai, who is President and CEO of SCEI, and one of the masterminds behind the success of the PlayStation brand. According to the press release, they're making this move so that Sony can use the talent and resources at SOE to push its online gaming agenda on the PlayStation 3 console. Currently, SOE reports to Sony Pictures Digital.SOE has already been working on PS3 projects for a while now, including the spy-themed shooter MMO The Agency, and Free Realms, a family-friendly, microtransaction-fueled endeavor. Even though the press release didn't come with new game announcements, it's big news. There's been a lot of debate about whether the XBox 360 or the PS3 is the best online gaming platform, but this new structure could give Sony a new edge.
A clandestine interview with The Agency's Kevin O'Hara
MMO Gamer recently got a chance to sit down with Kevin O'Hara, designer for the hotly anticipated SOE spy-thriller The Agency. Among the things O'Hara touches on during the interview are his thoughts on what subscription model they'll use (it's completely up in the air at this point), the wisdom behind directing the game at consoles (O'Hara believes the shooter gameplay will endear it to that audience), and how bosses in a spy game might be slightly atypical (you may travel to their volcano lair and win the day with a hand of poker instead of fighting).One thing I found particularly interesting was the way they're trying to balance fast action with the fun and sense of place that comes from existing in a persistent world. The Agency as he describes it will have a "hub-and-spoke feel to it" where most of the mission-based content will necessarily be instanced. He also mentioned how PvP will be accessible at the touch of a button, tossing you right into the middle of a multiplayer map. In this respect I almost feel like they're paying too much homage to the game's shooter roots. If I wanted to jump into multiplayer deathmatch utterly lacking in context, I'd put in Call of Duty 4. I'm hoping they give slightly more of an incentive to make it akin to traditional MMO PvP. Just, ya know, with guns and spy gadgets.
What do you want play more: The Agency or Warhammer Online?
Ken Smith, writer for MSNBC's gaming section sure does crank out a bunch of Top 5 lists, some are ridiculously bad. In a more serious effort, The Agency is the only MMOG to rank on his "Top 5 Most Anticipated Games of 2008" list. Who cares, right? Tons do, well enough to say "your list sucks." Skimming through two hundred plus comments Warhammer Online received more votes than any other MMOG due to launch sometime this year. (Who knew MSNBC's gaming site was that popular?) Tapping into Massively's metrics I can tell you that Warhammer Online easily beats out The Agency in the war for eyeballs, but you know what other MMOG beats it? If you guessed World of Warcraft, you're wrong. Second Life currently holds the top spot. Don't worry, we'll be posting more and more about Warhammer Online and The Agency, more so after both games launch. As for the video above, if you've been keeping tabs on The Agency there isn't much new footage. Matt Wilson, the dev shown peddling the goods, claimed the team is still undecided on whether or not PS3 gamers will play with their PC counterparts on the same servers. John Smedley, SOE President, reiterated last month that it was unlikely given that it would give PC players an unfair advantage. Given the conflicting statements, I guess it's still up in the air, although, I'd go with Smed on this one. Smedley also reassured player accounts will be universal and not tied to a specific platform. As noted in the video, the game is still in alpha.
Women of the Agency
MTV Multiplayer's Tracey John sat down with the female members of SOE's The Agency team to talk about not only their upcoming MMO (which looks hot), but what it's like to work in what John calls a "male-dominated field." While it's true that much of the videogame market is still dominated by men, there has been quite a bit of inroads made in terms of female developers in the MMO genre-- DDO's Senior Producer Kate Paiz jumps to mind, but from NCSoft to Bioware to Linden Labs, there is now quite a bit of female representation on MMO and RPG development teams.Most of the talk centers around "G.I.R.L.," short for "gamers in real life," which is a program set up by Sony to "educate and recruit women in the videogame industry." They do say that they don't feel they've faced many challenges because of their gender, and considering that the gaming audience has changed quite a bit in the past few years, that's not really a surprise. But they have had to make a few woman-specific calls as developers, like making sure a female outfit in The Agency didn't show off a characters' bra line.Interesting read, if only to see how far women have come into the field of videogame development, and yet how much farther there is to go.
Video interview briefing about The Agency
We all love videos about games. We love video interviews slightly less, especially when painted towards the PC side of the upcoming MMO The Agency, also due out on the PS3. Sony Online Entertainment's Kevin O'Hara speaks up a bit regarding the game, so go ahead and take a listen. It seems to be shaping up nicely.
SOE announces G.I.R.L. scholarship program
We had the chance to hit up Sony Online Entertainment's soiree at GDC and were privy to their announcement about a scholarship program designed to educate and recruit women into the video game industry: the Gamers In Real Life (G.I.R.L. -- see what they did thar?) scholarship program offers a $10,000 tuition scholarship towards an education at any Art Institutes school where currently enrolled, plus a paid internship at one of SOE's studios in Austin, Denver, San Diego or Seattle. Applications will be accepted beginning April 1, 2008 and ending May 31, 2008, with winners announced on or about June 30, 2008. Entries will be judged by a panel of industry professionals at SOE. The event featured a Q&A session with some of SOE's female production and executive staff including Torrie Dorrell (SVP Global Sales and Marketing), Courtney Simmons (Director of Corporate Communications and PR), Sherry Floyd (Producer, SOE Seattle), Laura Naviaux (Director, Global Brand Marketing), Taina Rodriguez (Publicist), Tracey Seamster (Game Designer), and Heather Sowards (Media Producer). Hit up the gallery for pics of the event and some gratuitous screens from The Agency.%Gallery-16484%
Cross-platform play not so likely for The Agency
If you don't remember, The Agency is an MMO designed for the PS3 and PC -- we assume it's a bigger deal to the PS3 crew though. While many online games gladly accommodate cross-platform play, like Phantasy Star Universe, it seems the group in charge of The Agency is having a slightly harder time. It's not that they don't know how to do it, but they feel it might be a bit unfair due to the difference in control scheme between the console and the PC. Sony Online Entertainment's CEO, John Smedley, affirms this, saying, "Would the mouse player have a unique advantage? Would we have to make the auto-aiming system on the console a lot better to compensate for that? That would take some of the skill element away on the console."You'll still be able to log into your character from either the PC or PS3. SOE is still going to try out cross-platform play, but as far as we can tell, they're warning you not to count on it actually making it to retail.
PS3 vs. PC action unlikely for The Agency
In an interview with the Next Generation site, SOE CEO John Smedley noted that 'crossplay' capability in The Agency is unlikely to see the light of day. PC and PS3 controls are just too different to allow players to compete head to head, though he notes players won't be lock into one format or the other. Paying players should be able to log into the game on either the PS3 or PC as they see fit. Said Smedley, "Would the mouse player have a unique advantage? Would we have to make the auto-aiming system on the console a lot better to compensate for that? That would take some of the skill element away on the console." The company's commitment to making this game a fantastic twitch-based experience on par with something like Counter-Strike would seem to be restricting the scope of the project; a good thing, I think.%Gallery-12934%
SOE prez to headline ION 2008
The 2008 ION Game Conference in Seattle, WA appears to have gained it's crown jewel, with the announcement that Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley, one of the key members of the original Everquest team, will be delivering the conference keynote. His speech will reportedly focus on the achievements of Sony Online Entertainment, and the keynote will serve as a springboard for him to talk at length about SOE's exciting new property -- The Agency. Normally I'd make some snarky remark about a company President trying to sell his game at a conference populated by the competition, but after having poured over our preview of the game from CES, I have to concede that I'm just happy we'll get to hear more about the game at length.ION, known formerly referred to by the considerably less cool sounding acronym OGDC, is a game development conference aimed at networking the increasingly international community of online game developers. Like the more generalist Game Developer's Conference, ION has lots of panels, expo space, speakers, and network opportunities aimed specifically at the guys and gals who make our favorite MMOs. Don't wait around for notes from the keynote though -- the conference isn't until the second week of May. We'll keep you posted though.
CES 2008: What the heck is Free Realms?
The popularity of titles like Club Penguin and Webkinz is undeniable. This past Christmas saw the Webkinz servers just crushed under the new load of happy plush owners. It shouldn't come as a surprise that traditional game-makers are looking to this niche as a new area for profit. Earlier this month we brought you the news from CES that Sony Online Entertainment would be rolling out a new 'pay-it-forward' style community outreach program with the title Free Realms. But ... what exactly is Free Realms? Today we've got some impressions of that title for you, gleaned from watching pre-recorded video of gameplay at the Consumer Electronics Show. We also spoke with Laura Naviaux, Director of Global Marketing for SOE and SOE CEO John Smedley about the project, to get a feel for their enthusiasm about the game. While generally here at Massively you're far more likely to see us discussing a game like Lord of the Rings Online or World of Warcraft, this is a title well worth looking into. Free Realms is essentially an attempting to combine the look and feel of a traditional MMO title with the conversation and mini-game focus of a kiddie game. With very little exposure to the public in a 'hands-on' format as of yet, it's hard to gauge how successfully the title actually achieves that goal.%Gallery-12980% The ideas they're introducing with the game are intriguing just the same. The developers have obviously looked to other casual titles for inspiration, and have taken notes from the successes and failures of these other online projects. What results is a mélange of the familiar and the original that almost begs for further clarification. Read on for descriptions of their loose 'class' system (which will be familiar to fans of The Agency), the idea behind their instant play system, and what exactly you're going to be able to buy with microtransactions.
Where do you want SOE Fan Faire to be?
Craig "Grimwell" Dalrymple passed along word that the voting has begun to determine where this year's Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire event will be held. The Station.com forums are hosting the poll and discussion, which offers four options: June 19 - 22 : Orlando : $149 per night June 26 - 29 : San Diego : $125 per night September 4 - 7 : Las Vegas : $115 per night June 26 - 29 : Orlando : $149 per night The annual Fan Faire is an SOE-sponsored event that allows players to meet with each other face-to-face. It also allows for the developers, producers, and community managers to reach out to the playerbase, putting a voice and personality to the differently colored names on the forums. The company offers MMO-themed events and different panels, to allow the customers to more fully explore their favorite games. You can see details of previous Faires at the official event site, including highlights of last year's Las Vegas show.As you might expect from the price options, Vegas is currently winning this particular horse race. Just from my perspective, I really hope they don't end up choosing early September: Fall is already an awfully busy time for game conferences. San Diego is warm, and Orlando offers the opportunity for Disney-related hilarity! So, your choice is clear: not Vegas.
Joystiq interview contains a frankly obscene amount of The Agency intel
Sure, CES may have been two weeks ago, but interesting info is still trickling out like some delayed, leaky faucet. An interview on Joystiq with two designers behind the upcoming multiplayer online Spy-em-up The Agency contains a tremendous amount of information regarding almost every aspect of the game. Split into bite-sized category chunks, the layout of the interview makes it easy to find information on different aspects of the game, such as its business-model, possible future content or (our most anticipated feature) operatives. The more we read about this game, the more into it we become. Teddy bears with guns in their stomachs and cameras in their eyes? Sold! Where do we sign?
CES 2008: A covert intel briefing on The Agency
Earlier this month, Sony Online Entertainment finally gave the gaming world a full-on look at The Agency. The unique title, a brand-new blend of the shooter and MMO genres, was featured in a hands-on talk over pre-recorded video; a compromise in the face of demoing an online title in the unfamiliar surroundings of Las Vegas. That talk, given by the mile-a-minute lead designer Hal Milton, has been covered endlessly at other sites. You can view the complete discussion in video format, or read a great writeup of the event over at GamersInfo. Some of the most interesting tidbits the developers were willing to discuss that day weren't on the guided tour. Lead Designer Hal Milton and Design Director Matt Wilson were willing and able to discuss several aspects of the project still in the development stages with us and our friends at Massively; we were able to pick their brains on the game's business model, the fantastic world they're creating, character advancement, future content additions, and the numerous challenges of creating a game that straddles two platforms. Easily one of the most refreshing things about The Agency is the humor that the developers are aiming to introduce to the world, as Hal Milton explains: One of the things I love about the spy genre is that everyone automatically gets it. I love fantasy, I love sci-fi, I love writing those stories, but whenever I try to describe the game concept I have to go in and back-fill for like ten minutes. "And then Sir Clamdar of Thobordoxy grabbed the Handbag of Doom." Or, "the year was 2753, and the Federation ..." Most people don't care. They just want to jump into the world and know where they stand, as opposed to being dropped into a world completely clueless. That's what's great about the Agency, there's a lot of similarities but our world is so different from the real world that they start to experience the humor and flavor.Read on for more 'covert intel' you may not have seen discussed elsewhere on this blockbuster in-development title.%Gallery-3830%
Is it time to get your joystick on?
TenTonHammer's daily Loading... column is usually scribed by John "Boomjack" Hoskin, but today's blogisode ("Get your joysticks ready") is written by Managing Editor Cody "Micajah" Bye. I like Cody's point of view (not that I don't like Boomjack's) mostly because he and I seem to share a lot of the same game likes and dislikes. Much like my fellow bemoan-er of sword and sorcery games here at Massively - Samuel Axon. But I digress...Cody tackles hype. A topic that could easily be taken up as a doctoral thesis at any major college. In particular though Cody addresses the over-the-top game hype surrounding "better known" games like Warhammer Online, Age of Conan, Stargate Worlds, and The Agency. That my friends is only four of the 5..6..7..8... oh hell, I lost count. Well, the innumerable MMO's slated to come out this year alone. Can you say: saturation point?However, as Cody points out there's one game that has slipped quietly under the radar (much like Michael Jackson has over the last few years). And it's left both of us wondering why. That game? NetDevil's Jumpgate Evolution. Oh sure, NetDevil might have slammed headfirst into a concrete wall with Auto Assault, but Jumpgate has been around much longer. NetDevil's just reimagining it, much like the Sci-Fi Channel did to Battlestar Galactica, and based on what I've seen thus far I expect the same out of nowhere, smash hit experience.But what really got me stoked while reading Cody's article was this comparison: "Jumpgate Evolution may finally be the game that reaches out to those gamers who cut their teeth on products like X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter or the Wing Commander series." Oh sweet mother! For those of you old enough (like myself) to have played any of these games (X-Wing and TIE Fighter are usually on many veteran PC gamers top ten games of ALL TIME list) when they originally released - then you have truly lived. One of gaming's great mysteries has always been why LucasArts never bothered to redo or expand on them. So if NetDevil can turn Jumpgate Evolution into the space flight experience those phenomenal games offered, and morph it into an MMO... well, as the title says, it really will be time to (dust off and) get your joystick on!
Sneak into The Agency with this video interview
When we first heard about The Agency during Sony's Gamer's Day last May we were, quite frankly, a bit meh about the whole thing. This new video interview from GameTrailers, however, shows off some of the gameplay and gives an interesting look at what the game is aiming to become. Operatives and Home integration sounds like a really interesting way to blur the lines and have you playing even when you're not playing. We're sticking this one onto our radar and are actually looking forward to its release. Whenever that may be.
A CES interview with SOE CEO John Smedley (pt. 2)
Earlier today we unveiled the first part of our CES interview with SOE's Chief Executive Officer, John Smedley. He announced to us an unprecedented buy-in program for their upcoming free-to-play kids fantasy game Free Realms. This afternoon we have the rest of the interview to share with you, with big news for players who use the company's Station Access pass. While a lot of commentators have been frustrated by price increases, SOE is working behind the scenes to make those increases worth your while. We are having ongoing discussions inside the company about making station access an all-inclusive pass. Everything that we have, you get as a customer. Station Access subscribers would get every expansion pack for every game, as well as future expansions for every game as well. For the same price now, without raising the price.Read on for our discussion on why these changes have taken so long to implement, and a few words about the company's rededication to fighting gold farmers.
A CES interview with SOE CEO John Smedley (pt. 1)
At CES last week we had a chance to check out several of the newest titles in the works or on offer from Sony Online Entertainment. The Agency, Free Realms, and Legends of Norrath are three substantial departures from the company's big-budget fantasy past. Last week we brought you links to the company's full video presentation on The Agency. Today Dan O'Halloran has firsthand impressions of what the free-to-play kids title FreeRealms will offer.While we were in Las Vegas we had a chance to sit down with SOE's Chief Executive Officer, John Smedley, about these departures. Our chat focused on the economic changes the company is making in response to the shifting face of MMO gaming. He had some fascinating things to say on the subject of microtransactions and RMT, and unveiled a new community outreach program that will tie in to Free Realms called "Share the Wealth".Let's say you have your own website. You come to our site, fill out a form pretty much the same as the one for our Station Exchange service with a Social Security number, and give us your PayPal account information. You cut and paste some JavaScript to your site, and now you have a banner ad for Free Realms on your site. We are tracking every customer you give us, and once a month we'll give you somewhere between 5-10% of all the revenue from every customer you send us. That's as long as they are playing the game.Check out the full discussion on that subject below, and come back later today for the rest of the interview. Mr. Smedley offers us a sneak peek at big plans for subscriber's to SOE's Station Access pass.
Gametrailers' video developer walkthrough for The Agency
Whether you have or haven't heard about The Agency, chances are that you don't know too much about the actual game yet -- like most of us here at Massively. Over the past few days screenshots and videos from CES have been making their way out into the wild, but aside from that there has been little other information. Well no more! Gametrailers has posted up a three-part video developer walkthrough (also from CES, imagine that!) of some pre-alpha gameplay footage for everyone interested to devour in a crazed frenzy. The entire gameplay footage you'll see on the screen behind the mysterious glasses-wearing-developer was captured using FRAPS. So they've went and captured actual server-time play on separate clients in Seattle and San Diego, which is promisingly honest of them in a game were lag is such a huge factor. One thing we get to see is the character selection screen, although there is no creation screen to show. Most likely the creation process hasn't been finished (or maybe even started) yet, but promises are made towards having lots of visual options to pick for your persona. Our only concern is that he mentions we'll have to unlock said hairs, clothings, etc before we can use them, which usually means more grinding.There's a lot to see in the three videos beyond the character screen (including some Q*bert gameplay footage?) but one aspect that really stood out to us was the whole concept of "Agent Moments" where you get to do some crazy action movie stunt. These Agent Moments are said to be either passive experiences or something more akin to God of War with timed button presses. We just hope they don't overuse the button presses too much, as they can turn from cool to annoying quick.[via Warcry Network]
