Looks like 2010 just got a little more MMO friendly. As of today, Sony Online Entertainment revealed that both The Agency and DC Universe Online would be entering the MMO scene in 2010.

For superhero and spy fans, 2010 is already looking like a great year for you!
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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.
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Talk Playstation writes:"SOE let slip in an interview that gamers of the upcoming game The Agency can expect micro-transactions and in-game ads instead of monthly payment schemes."
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"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."
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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."
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Sony Online Entertainment executive John Smedley has said "yes" to all future Sony MMO games being on PlayStation systems.

"It's been a new experience for us because - well, we've done one console MMO," stated Smedley on Sony's previous massively-multiplayer online game. "We're actually one of two companies in the world that's ever done a console MMO. We had EverQuest Online Adventures for the PS2 - still operating. It and Final Fantasy XI are the only actual MMOs."

Sony looks to be pushing into the Blizzard-dominated, PC-centric market of MMOs by trying to convert console gamers into more dedicated players who might be willing pay for subscriptions or, better yet, micro-transactions for free games like Sony's Free Realm coming in six months.
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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."
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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."
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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."
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GamingShogun writes, "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..."
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