GamesRadar - The Agency

The Agency – hands-on (Preview)

Aug 13, 2009

Following in the footsteps of 2003’s PlanetSide, The Agency is an espionage-themed MMO that blends the salty grit of your average shooter with the smooth concoction of your World of Warcrafts and EverQuests. ...

The Agency (Screenshots)

Aug 13, 2009

"No reboot" to The Agency as staff leave (News)

Jul 31, 2009

Oli Welsh from Eurogamer writes:

"Eurogamer has learned that several senior staff have left Sony Online Entertainment's Seattle studio - the developer currently making espionage MMO The Agency for PC and PS3 - including the studio head.

Studio director and executive producer Matt Wilson, art director Corey Dangel, and producer John Smith left at the start of July to form a new studio called Detonator Games, as confirmed at the Detonator Games website."

Sony: Cross-platform The Agency still 'up in the air' (News)

Jul 6, 2009

Sony still hasn't decided whether PS3 and PC owners of upcoming super spy online action shooter The Agency will be able to play together.

E3 09: The Agency - Trailer (Video)

Jun 8, 2009

Are you smoother and deadlier than all those other James (or Jane) Bond wannabes? Now's your chance to prove it in this stylized online spy 'em-up.

The Agency Website has Changed (News)

Jun 4, 2009

PS3Vault: 'The site for Sony's upcoming massively multiplayer online shooter, The Agency, has changed. Last time we reported on it, it was pretty bare, but for a pretty damn great animation of a smoking gun (image above) and a few small pieces of info on the two sides you'll be able to play as in the game. Now, however, it looks completely different and has some more interesting sections.'

Conceiving The Agency (News)

May 23, 2009

Sony just released a bunch of new screen shots and conceptual art for The Agency and Aggrogamer has all of them for your viewing pleasure.

Live The Life Of An Elite Agent (News)

May 14, 2009

Details about the MMO from SOE for the PS3 and PC called The Agency.

The Agency: Updated Fact Sheet Released (News)

May 13, 2009

Sony Online Entertainment have today released an updated Fact Sheet for the forthcoming PLAYSTATION 3 and PC title, The Agency. Expected to feature heavily in Sony Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) next month, The Agency is a highly-anticipated Massively Multi-player Online Game with a difference. The full Fact Sheet follows ad verbatim:

The Agency detailed by Sony (News)

May 13, 2009

Sony Online Entertainment has revealed details for their upcoming MMOFPS title The Agency.

MAG and The Agency betas coming 'soon' (News)

Apr 27, 2009

Sony is knee deep in massively multiplayer online games right now, with titles like MAG, The Agency, and DC Universe Online all set to be released within a year. It seems like gamers may be getting their hands on at least two of these games a bit earlier than expected though. An anonymous source, who attended the recent Sony event at Seattle, has told us that betas for both MAG and The Agency are due out 'soon' - as in 'E3 soon'.

X-play MMO Report Thursday Jan. 8th (News)

Jan 9, 2009

Just like The Sess before him, the beginning of a new year means that Casey gets to look forward to the games that are planning to release in 2009. This next year holds some serious milestones for MMOs, specifically the existence of many home console versions. What will happen when A-list MMO titles invade the living rooms of millions of people? Will they have mass appeal? Before you answer those questions make sure you strap-in, gun it to 88, and watch for the three bright flashes. This is...

The MMO Report.

The Agency isn't canceled (News)

Nov 18, 2008

"On November 18th, PS3 Fanboy HQ received a tip that the PS3/PC online spy game, The Agency, had been reportedly canceled. GameFly listed the project as dead, but we doubted such an ambitious game would be killed by SOE. We did some further investigating."

SOE: All of our future MMOs will appear on consoles (News)

Oct 6, 2008

Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley spoke to MTV Multiplayer in a post-New York Games conference interview to talk about their plans for future MMOs under their wing. Smedley clarifies a few things; the PlayStation 3 versions of The Agency and DC Universe Online will arrive the same day as the PC version, there's "a chance, maybe" Sony will use a non-subscription-based model for their upcoming MMOs, and finally, the Smedley confirms that "all of SOE's MMOs will appear on consoles from now on."

Microtransactions might yet make it into The Agency (News)

Sep 19, 2008

Speaking to VideoGamer.com during a presentation of the game at Leipzig Games Convention last month, senior lead designer Kevin O'Hara said that Sony was aware that most shooter fans "aren't used" to a $15 monthly subscription fee so it "probably" wouldn't go down that route.

"We're aware that most shooter fans aren't used to a $15 monthly subscription fee so we probably won't go that way. We might go with free to play but with subscription for certain areas or certain events happening. Or a micro-transaction model and more of an advertising model," said O'Hara.

He added: "It's really important to us as a design team that it's not things that give you inherent advantages over other players. So it wouldn't be like we'd give the advanced shotgun and I'd have the regular shotgun. It would be more like your outfit might be a cooler looking outfit or you might have paid to get some missions other players might not get to, but they aren't story missions, so they don't influence people's progress through the main story or to get the highest rank of their character."

The Agency dev: 'Gamers don't like cross-platform play' (News)

Sep 19, 2008

Speaking to VideoGamer.com, The Agency senior game designer Kevin O'Hara said that while the development team can technically do cross-platform play, there is a perception among gamers that it is "inherently unfair".

He said: "We've been doing a lot of research on it though and we're finding that players actually don't like it. They say that they want it because it sounds cool to play with your PS3 buddies with your PC. But in practice no matter how balanced you make it there's a perception that inherently it's unfair."

O'Hara said that they will trial cross-platform play in The Agency beta, but wasn't hopeful that the feature would be supported when the game is released next year.

He said: "In beta we'll try it a little bit and see how we like it but if nothing else the majority of servers will be either PS3 or PC, maybe with some crossover servers."

Could The Agency have PC/PS3 cross-platform play? (News)

Sep 11, 2008

Bigdownload-Ever since Sony Online announced plans to release their spy action MMO game The Agency for both the PC and PS3 many journalists have asked if the game could have cross-platform play with players from both existing in the same world. Gamasutra states that the answer is, "Yes.". In fact, Sony Online's producer on the game, Matt Wilson, states, " . . . we're actually doing that at the office. Technology-wise, it's really not that complicated."

GC 2008: Sony's PS3 MMOs (News)

Aug 22, 2008

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced today that SCEE has joined forces with Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) – developer of groundbreaking online Massive Multiplayer Online (MMOs) games including the wildly popular EverQuest® -- in an arrangement that will bring a whole new dimension to PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3) gaming.

Under the new agreement, SCEE will publish and distribute three MMOs developed by SOE for PS3 throughout the PAL territories. In addition, SCEE will also publish the PC versions of DC Universe and The Agency on behalf of SOE in the PAL territories. The new arrangement allows SCEE to benefit from SOE's experience in a different area of video gaming publishing, one which opens up a whole host of possibilities for PS3.

The Agency - Characters Trailer (Video)

May 23, 2008

Are you smoother and deadlier than all those other James (or Jane) Bond wannabes? Now's your chance to prove it in this stylized online spy 'em-up.

Sony Online seeks to reinvent online gaming (News)

May 21, 2008

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.

PS Blog : Meet SOE, The Agency (News)

May 19, 2008

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 startedÂ¿ 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.

ION 08: John Smedley keynote shows off Free Realms and The Agency (News)

May 15, 2008

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."

The Agency (Preview)

Apr 22, 2008

Sony Online Entertainment have been behind the mighty EverQuest, the thoroughly messed-up Star Wars Galaxies, and the innovative online FPS PlanetSide, so you can be sure it was a big deal when they announced a brand-new MMO late last year. In The Agency, you get to live the life of a James Bond-style agent taking sides with one of two organisations, arming yourself with some cool gadgets and modern weaponry to defeat ridiculous world-domination plots in a fast-paced shooter with the persistence of an online game. ...

SOE Dates 2008 Fan Faire (News)

Apr 19, 2008

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.

How the Agency and SOE are Good for Women (News)

Mar 21, 2008

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."

New details of The Agency emerge (News)

Mar 19, 2008

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.

Cross-Play Unlikely for The Agency (News)

Feb 13, 2008

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.

SOE on PS3 Plans - DC Comics, The Agency, Home, PSN and More (News)

Jan 11, 2008

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.

Sony to bring demos of upcoming MMOs to CES 2008 (News)

Dec 22, 2007

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 ]

No Online Subscription Fee For The Agency? (News)

Aug 31, 2007

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."

GC 07: Sony wants free play for Agency (News)

Aug 23, 2007

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."

Sony Online Entertainment plans increased PSN support (News)

Aug 8, 2007

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.

The Agency - interview (Feature)

Jul 27, 2007

Last month Sony Online Entertainment drew back the curtain on The Agency, an espionage-themed MMOG for PC and PS3 that the developer describes as a "fast-paced online action shooter filled with espionage, intrigue and betrayal" and a "pick-up-and-play experience." We caught up with the game's lead designer, Hal Milton, to discover more... Exactly how massively multiplayer is The Agency? Hal Milton: The game world will support many, many people in a variety of public and private social and ...

The Agency (Preview)

Jul 25, 2007

Firstly, The Agency is online only, and as such offers something very unique to PS3 gaming. Depending on your agency affiliation, U.N.I.T.E. or ParaGON, you'll get to play through different missions, branching between public and private portals, squad play and 32-player skirmishes. What your character wears will determine the style of missions you'll play in. If you leave home dressed head to toe in camo gear you'll be tackling gung-ho, commando missions; dress in figure-hugging black, and ...

SOE "evaluating" cross-platform Agency (News)

Jul 24, 2007

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."

Crysis, Bioshock & Tabula Rasa in PCGZine #7 (News)

Jun 28, 2007

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.

What SOE is showing at E3 (News)

Jun 21, 2007

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.

The Agency will be at E3 (News)

Jun 20, 2007

You read that right The Agency will be making an appearance at E3.... Read on!

Fresh Details for PS3 Spy Game The Agency (News)

Jun 13, 2007

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....

The Agency unveiled with recruitment video (Preview)

Jun 11, 2007

So, you're tired of whacking medieval fantasy creatures over the head with various bladed whuppin' sticks, and you've logged so many hours playing deathmatch and capture the flag that you can identify a game by the sound of its guns. But you still dig the idea of playing online with other human beings, so what are you to do? Might we suggest you start frothing at the mouth over publisher Sony Online's new spy-vs-spy online espionage 'em-up The Agency? That's what we're doing. The Agency ...

The Agency - Trailer 06-11-07 (Video)

Jun 11, 2007

Are you smoother and deadlier than all those other James (or Jane) Bond wannabes? Now's your chance to prove it in this stylized online spy 'em-up.

SOE is sick of men in tights (News)

Jun 8, 2007

Sony Online Entertainment is tired of seeing the same old, traditional high fantasy 'men in tights' style of MMO, and will be aiming to craft a totally different type of online experience with The Agency, SOE's recently revealed spy-'em-up MMO for PlayStation 3 and PC. At a recent SOE event, the developer revealed a wealth of new info on the intriguing spyfest. The Agency will be primarily shooter-focused, with FPS and third-person viewpoints emphasising the sort of action you see in Splinter ...