SOE To Develop new Everquest game for the PS2

Here's the scoop. SOE is developing an Everquest-like game for the PS2, to be released Spring, 2003: SAN DIEGO, CA - April 9, 2002 – Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) Inc., a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming, announced today that it will develop and publish EverQuest® Online Adventures™ for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. In addition, SOE is now an official PlayStation 2 developer, specializing in massively multiplayer online games, an entirely new genre for the console player. EverQuest Online Adventures will be the world’s premier online only console game, bringing the player interaction and community that made the original EverQuest so popular to a whole new audience of console gamers. The game is scheduled to launch in the spring of 2003. “We have seen phenomenal success with the original EverQuest. The look, feel and functionality of the game provided the foundation on which we built a truly unique console-focused game,” said John Smedley, chief operating officer, Sony Online Entertainment. “Relying on the many insights we have gained from EverQuest over the past three years, we strongly believe that EverQuest Online Adventures has what it takes to be a major success on the PlayStation 2.” EverQuest Online Adventures is a completely new game, designed to take full advantage of the PlayStation 2 system’s capabilities. But like the original EverQuest, it will feature intricate character development, continuous player interaction and a strong sense of community, which is sure to create a phenomenon that PlayStation 2 gamers have never experienced before. With an installed base of more than 8.8 million units in the U.S., the PlayStation 2 represents an opportunity to expand the massively multiplayer online role-playing game onto new platforms, delivering a whole new genre to the console gamer. “Quite simply, there is no other console game like this,” said Don Vercelli, vice president of sales and marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. “The dedicated team at SOE has put in countless hours making sure that no other game would rival the level of character customization and atmospheric detail in EverQuest Online Adventures. This is truly a new experience for the console gamer.” Using the PlayStation 2 system’s network adaptor, available in stores this August, EverQuest Online Adventures will connect seamlessly to the Internet, directing players to dedicated EverQuest Online Adventures servers. By connecting directly to dedicated servers, SOE can help to ensure low latency gameplay and fast connection times. Gamers simply insert the disc and the world of Norrath is just a few button pushes away. By 2005, Gartner Group estimates that 18 percent of American households will own an online enabled game console. Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), the online gaming division of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, is a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming. Headquartered in San Diego, California, SOE develops, publishes and distributes entertainment for the PC and online markets. With more than 12 million registered users, SOE’s award-winning website, The Station® (www.station.com) hosts a variety of entertaining games and player communities spanning all genres. In addition to blockbuster hits EverQuest® and Jeopardy! Online, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development such as PlanetSide™, Star WarsÒ Galaxies™ and Sovereign™. They included some concept shots:
  • Large Shop Concept Drawing
  • Qeynos Castle Concept Drawing
  • Creature Shot
  • Mine Shot
  • City Shot
  • Comments

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    suki
    # Apr 14 2002 at 1:07 PM Rating: Default
    its gonna suki suki, GI
    Hohum
    # Apr 10 2002 at 12:00 PM Rating: Default
    (I can never think of a valid title for my posts, heh)

    This could turn out very badly, or it might turn out quite good. In terms of graphics the new engine on the PS2 should like a darned sight prettier than the PC version, but other 'PC' games that have gone onto the PS2 are usually faced with memory constrictions, so I dunno how they plan to counter that... They claimed in the Q&A that there would be no loading, indeed no zones. Sounds very similar to me to what the Planetside system is (supposed) to be like.

    To someone who posted earlier, YES, PS2s can have a keyboard... though they don't come as standard, and apparently aren't necessary. /shrug. Dunno how you're supposed to chat without one though. (Hope its not one of those stupid graphical keyboards and you have to scroll around and select letters, like when you get a high score in an arcade game. As highly unlikely as that is, I can just imagine the garbled messages as people try to yell 'train!' on the move, hehe).

    They <probably> won't merge the games, though I can see Everquest 2 being a merge between consoles and PC... maybe this is just a test run for that.

    Hopefully it won't cost much... but this being EQ it probably will do :-(

    Oh well, gotta see how things turn out I guess. hopefully more info will pop up soon
    EOA= gimped EQ
    # Apr 09 2002 at 8:13 PM Rating: Default
    I don't know why VI even bother. Final Fantasy Online, a game with better name recognition among console users will surely destroy this serious gimped version of the PC EQ.

    Edited, Tue Apr 9 21:09:24 2002
    EQ on PS2
    # Apr 09 2002 at 5:55 PM Rating: Decent
    27 posts
    /singing

    Its the end of the world as we know it

    /singing off

    Merge?
    # Apr 09 2002 at 12:27 PM Rating: Decent
    Hmmm wonder how long it will take before they try to merge the two games?

    What will it cost?

    Do Playstations have keyboards??
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