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.
» Read More 

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."
» Read More 

"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."
» Read More 

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."
» Read More 

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.
» Read More 

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."
» Read More 

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."
» Read More 

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."
» Read More 

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..."
» Read More 

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.
» Read More 

Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming espionage MMO The Agency is not going to allow cross-platform play between the PC and the PS3, according to lead designer Hal Milton.
» Read More 

Sony is planning on bringing gamers together in a bigger way than ever before. The PlayStation E3 2008 press conference introduced large scale multiplayer gaming plans for the PS3 with MAG, short for "Massive Action Game." The game is touting 256 player battles. It's a big effort in itself, but not the only one planned for the PS3. See more details on how Sony is planning to push the PS3 into MMO and persistent gaming.
» Read More 

Griffin: "While spending boatloads of cash on ritzy garments and top-of-the-line gadgetry may seem like a natural behavior for an international man or woman of mystery, gamers weren't keen to last month's announcement that Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming MMO The Agency would be riddled with character-customizing microtransactions. Fortunately, in a recent interview with Eurogamer, the game's developers set the record straight, ensuring that we won't be blowing all our real-world money on digital Emporio Armanis.

The developers explained that they had not enlisted the aid of virtual trading house Live Gamer to establish a microtransaction system, but rather to create a real-world auction house to allow players to trade and sell in-game items (much like the Everquest II Station Exchange). It seems your operatives will have to secure new attire the old fashioned way -- by viciously bonking an appropriately dressed underling, pulling him behind a curtain, and performing a sartorial quick change that would put even Hannah Montana to shame."
» Read More 

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.
» Read More 

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.
» Read More 

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."
» Read More 

The Agency - the spy-themed massively multiplayer action game being developed for PS3 and PC by Sony Online Entertainment - is to feature officially supported real money trading.
» Read More 

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.
» Read More 

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."
» Read More 

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.
» Read More