http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-agency/g-20070608142529522018 en http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-agency/videos/g-20070608142529522018/v-20080523143137203051 video May 23, 2008 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-147932.aspx Not long ago, before World of Warcraft became the 100-pound gorilla of online games, there was EverQuest. It wasn't the first massively multiplayer online role-player game. But in 1999, when Sony Online Entertainment released the EverQuest, it was the first to break through in a big way to the U.S. market. Players went crazy for the fantasy-themed game set in the fictional world of Norrath. EverQuest won many awards, legions of fans and nicknames such as NeverRest and EverCrack. It spawned a sequel, EverQuest II and many imitators, including, some say, World of Warcraft. But Sony Online has seen its online gaming market leader position erode in recent years. WoW, which launched in late 2004, now commands the lion's share of the MMORPG market. John Smedley, one of the original creators of EverQuest and the president of Sony Online since 2000, has watched the rapid changes in the space his company once owned, and he believes it's time for a change. More after jump. news May 21, 2008 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-147231.aspx Posted by Matt Wilson, Director of Development, Sony Online Entertainment on the Playstation Blog. Hello! Matt Wilson here - I am the Director of Development for Sony Online Entertainment's Seattle studio where we are working on development of The Agency for the PS3 and PC. This is my first entry here on the PlayStation.Blog and I just wanted to give a quick introduction to our studio in my first post. We get a lot of questions about how the SOE Seattle studio got started¿ In 2005, a few of the core Mythica development team broke away from the Microsoft games group to form a startup company called FireAnt Games. Our primary goal when we founded the company was to bring the MMO space to more of the mainstream gamer audience. Specifically, we wanted to target the shooter audience and the console gamer. Well, it happened that SOE was thinking the same thing, and they asked us to start up their Seattle studio. More than 3 years and 80 people later, we are well into building The Agency. Our goal is to deliver an online world where players can live the life of an elite agent, full of the over-the-top action, exotic locales, and extravagant lifestyles the spy genre is known for. For more, click on the 'Read Full Story' link. news May 19, 2008 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-145794.aspx Massively writes: When you think of Sony Online Entertainment, what comes to mind? I'm sure that Everquest, Everquest 2, Star Wars Galaxies and Planetside are some of the titles which most people think about. From what I've recently seen in John Smedley's keynote at ION 08 that's all going to be changing in the near future. While he did tease the audience with a hint that, There's more Everquest in our future. Smedley left the topic of EQ at that. I've certainly had my thoughts on what the next Everquest experience should or could be like, but it's just my own personal wish. So why are we going to be looking at SOE in a different light in the near future? Two games are the reason why: Free Realms and The Agency. news May 15, 2008 http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-agency/screenshots/g-20070608142529522018 screenshot Apr 22, 2008 http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-agency/screenshots/g-20070608142529522018 screenshot Apr 22, 2008 http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-agency/preview/the-agency/a-20080422101433214056/g-20070608142529522018 Sony Online's Bond-a-like MMO tracked down preview Apr 22, 2008 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-136890.aspx Sony Online Entertainment has given a date to their annual parade of pale-skinned shut-ins, blinking as they emerge into the bright sunlight, the SOE Fan Faire. This year's convention will be held August 14th through the 17th at the Las Vegas Hilton. This year's 4-day event will feature demos of The Agency and Free Realms, a talk from SOE President John Smedley, chances to meet and chat with developers, and plenty of geeky hobnobbing and drunk singalongs. news Apr 19, 2008 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-126184.aspx 1UP writes: During GDC we were somewhat impressed when Sony Online Entertainment announced the new G.I.R.L. Scholarship, the most recent effort in a collaboration with the Art Institute aimed at getting more women involved in videogame development. We still had some important questions that a press release alone could not answer, though. To find those answer, we turned to Laura Naviaux, SOE's director of global brand marketing and one of the women behind The Agency introduced during the scholarship announcement. She explained the details of the scholarship, life at SOE, and how The Agency will be more than your average adrenaline-soaked action game. news Mar 21, 2008 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-125139.aspx Sony Online Entertainment has said it wants newcomers to stand a chance against veterans in its MMO The Agency. Speaking exclusively to Eurogamer MMO, lead designer and writer Matt Staroscik said the game was a shooter first and foremost, so would use skill to level the playing field rather than time invested. news Mar 19, 2008 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-110816.aspx The odds are against PlayStation 3-to-PC cross-platform play for Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming spy MMO, The Agency, CEO John Smedley tells Next-Gen. If I was a betting man, I'd bet that we don't allow it, said Smedley of cross-platform play. You'll still be able to log in with your character on either [PS3 or PC]. SOE still plans on giving cross-platform play a shot, but the shooter mechanics of The Agency make for a tough translation between a console's controller and a PC's mouse and keyboard setup. news Feb 13, 2008 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-99164.aspx The PlayStation Store has opened up a lucrative new business model for SOE, which is the number two publisher of games for the PS3 digital distribution store with 10 games available. Looking ahead to this year, SOE is developing both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy as downloadable games. SOE is also developing a downloadable game based on Sony Pictures July tent pole movie, Hancock, starring Will Smith. This marks the first time the company has worked with the film division on a property, but it won't be the last. news Jan 11, 2008 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-94869.aspx Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) is going to the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January in Las Vegas, Nevada. SOE is bringing along the demos for these upcoming MMOs: The Agency, Free Realms and Pirates of the Burning Sea. The demos are only available for the press. In addition, SOE will also bring some old favorites: Legends of Norrath, EverQuest, and EverQuest 2. [ Posted on QJ.net by Isaac C. on Dec 22, 2007 ] news Dec 22, 2007 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-64156.aspx One of the biggest downsides of MMORPGs is, of course, the fact that they cost a monthly fee to play. But according to some recent words by Sony Online Entertainment's John Smedley, they're looking to possibly make the upcoming PS3/PC MMO, The Agency, free of charge. Rather than a subscription fee, SOE would fund the game through micro-transactions and a velvet-rope policy where certain sections of the game are only available for paying members. While Smedley said he understood avid MMO fans are used to a subscription charge, he also said SOE believes there's going to be an aftermarket, and they want to control it so that players don't get duped into having something switched out from them. news Aug 31, 2007 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-61982.aspx The PlayStation 3 maker's online division believes that micro-transactions and other models are the future of MMOs, not subscriptions. Sony Online's latest massively multiplayer online game, The Agency, will feature a number of differences from other MMOs currently on the market. Firstly, it will not be an orcs and elves-style game within a fantasy universe, but a modern day universe featuring two different factions of spies. Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley told delegates at his talk on Subscriptions vs. Micro-Transactions that, There are quite a few 'men in tights' games out there; we alone have five, and we didn't want to do that. After showing a short making of video of the upcoming Sony spy-themed MMO, Smedley explained that, We worked to create a world where adults live out their fantasy of being an elite super agent. news Aug 23, 2007 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-57587.aspx Here's a surprise (sarcasm detectors should be ringing): SOE is going to increase their support for the PlayStation Network. What does this mean to us? That there is a very close relation between games Sony sends online and the PSN -- the two may someday converge into an awesome explosion of synergy. The beginning is hinted at when Smedley says The Agency and the DC Comics Game (it's not titled yet) are going to simultaneously hit the PC and PS3 -- perhaps some cross-platform play will occur, perhaps not. news Aug 8, 2007 http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/f/the-agency-interview/a-20070727115957517043/g-20070608142529522018 We use our persuasive powers on the lead designer to find out what makes this MMO tick feature Jul 27, 2007 http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-agency/screenshots/g-20070608142529522018 screenshot Jul 25, 2007 http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-agency/preview/the-agency/a-2007072595359964077/g-20070608142529522018 New details on the expansive online-only spy sim preview Jul 25, 2007 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-54234.aspx When Sony Online Entertainment announced its action-heavy MMO The Agency and revealed it's in development for PC and PS3, we wouldn't have berated you for assuming it'll support cross-platform play. It seems an obvious feature, after all. But SOE made no mention of whether such will be included either way, and it's emerged that the feature is a maybe, and still being considered by the developer. We're evaluating this [cross-platform support], The Agency's lead designer Hal Milton has told CVG in an interview to be published shortly. However, we're not prepared to make a statement at this time. news Jul 24, 2007 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-48279.aspx The free digital magazine includes previews of Bioshock and Crysis, as well as an interview with Richard Garriott about the new MMO, Tabula Rasa. The man who invented MMOs is hoping to re-invent them. news Jun 28, 2007 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-46984.aspx PSN@Home has decided to go on a journey. One that will take us quite a bit of work, one where we may have to bribe some companies! Although luckily we have spoken with a Rep for Sony Online Entertainment and they made it very easy for us to know what is going on with them at E3 this year. news Jun 21, 2007 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-46786.aspx You read that right The Agency will be making an appearance at E3.... Read on! news Jun 20, 2007 http://www.n4g.com/pc/News-45055.aspx As previously mentioned, The Agency starts you off as either a spy with the UN-backed UNITE or a mercenary with the opposing ParaGON private army.SOE has jettisoned the traditional class system typically found in online games for something more visual. It calls this the You are what you wear approach. Essentially, clothing and accessories dictate your skills, letting you boost combat, support, stealth or cover abilities. How clothes will make the man and what happens after you log off.... news Jun 13, 2007 http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/the-agency/videos/g-20070608142529522018/v-20070611111914661001 video Jun 11, 2007