Sony Online Entertainment did their Fan Faire Press release this year, and seeing as how they have the largest collection of MMO’s in the list, I just had to have a look at what is on the horizon for their titles, and for the company itself.

I’d like to note on Sony themselves. Despite what I may think about the rest of Sony, I give SOE a lot of credit for the dedication they have to their games. Unlike NCSoft that more closely resembles the guy sitting on his porch with a shotgun waiting for someone to slip up, SOE has a strong dedication to their products, and does everything in their power to make sure that the remaining population, as small as they may be, continue to enjoy what they enjoy, and supports their products long after any other company might consider them to be “dead”.

So I have a lot of respect for Sony Online Entertainment, even though at the same time I have a lot of contempt for the boneheaded mistakes they’ve made in the past, namely the NGE updates for Star Wars Galaxies, and implementing legal real world trading in the Everquest titles. They didn’t talk about many of their existing games at this conference, mainly Everquests and Free Realms, with some Star Wars Galaxies thrown in. So without further ado, here is Sony.

Current Titles

Free Realms

First up on the list was Sony’s latest f2p MMO, Free Realms. After hitting 4 million players, Sony is continuing to pump more and more energy into this free experience. While much of the focus was on recent updates, including new exclusive pets and a main storyline, SOE went on to detail updates planned for the future. Race car drivers and demolition derby drivers are set to receive full progression, including new clothing and customization.

Since Free Realms launched just this April, there is no surprise that SOE is still riding fresh on this title. Announcing plans for new jobs (classes), new areas, new mini-games, new features, new progression, level cap increase, and more. Many announcements for the micro-transaction and membership side of the game were announced, so expect this gravy train to keep on rolling.

Being the baby of SOE right now, I expected nothing less than full fervor at Free Realms, and I was not disappointed. Expect support for Free Realms for the forseeable future, and beyond. Also: Dwarf Bikers.

Star Wars Galaxies

It feels like forever ago that Star Wars Galaxies changed in a way so drastic, that it’s been called the biggest blunder in MMO history. That being said, it appears Sony is still supporting the beast, even into its seventh year of existance, and even though players report some of the lowest population ever. Taking a note off of City of Heroes’ Mission Architect system, SOE announced the ability to not only create your own missions, but injecting iconic characters into the mix. The upcoming zombie book based off of Star Wars is being noted in game with a future mission line, Deathtroopers.

All in all, it was a short presentation, a bleak look at a desperate attempt to keep a dying game alive. Much of the boasted features having been recently added, and to be added, are aesthetic (allowing you to choose what armor you see, on top of the equipment with the stats that are actually affecting you) and random attempts at increasing usability such as friends upgrades. All I can say about the SWG presentation was that it boiled down to a quick “Hey, we’re still alive.”

Everquest

The staple series of Sony Online Entertainment, Everquest was released 10 years ago, and continues to stay strong to this day. In the 10 years since the launch of Everquest, SOE has added in fifteen expansion packs, with another one on the way this November. The content continues to climb higher and higher, as the end game is pushed further and further back to accomodate the rising levels of players.

One issue facing Everquest, something the developers have readily discussed, is the fact that there aren’t many new players coming into the game. There aren’t population problems right now, although not many players reportedly can be found in areas lower than level 50. The grand majority of players are long-time players, and those same players who are returning to the game.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the graphics have something to do with the lack of new players. Everquest is the grandaddy of MMO’s, and for a reason. Luckily, Sony Online Entertainment reported that there has been a very successful resurgence of players returning to the game, as the title continues its smooth sailing through this year’s 10th anniversary events, and onward to the sixteenth expansion, and beyond. The boat may be old, but the boat is sturdy, and the boat will not fail.

Everquest 2

What could be better than succeeding one of the most successful MMO’s in history, than with full voice acting, updated graphics, and a new system? Everquest 2 is the child of Everquest, and will be reaching 5 years old this November. Since its inception, the game has seen numerous adventure packs and five expansion packs, with a sixth on the way next year, to expand and update the game. At the conference, SOE announced changes to their update system, on a three month scale, in order to bring the quality previously released in adventure packs, for free.

If I’ve ever heard of persistance and success, the Everquest duo are certainly one of the top, if not the top, contenders for the titles. SOE shows continued support, and infinite momentum for them. With Everquest 2, SOE is offering more features to the game that allow players to do more in the game, such as an upcoming achievement system. In addition, players will be able to lower their levels, to complete gray quests and instances they missed at an appropriate level, and gain the achievements and experience.

Upcoming Titles

DC Universe Online

The upcoming competitor to Champions Online and City of Heroes, DC Universe takes the insanely popular comic book, cartoon, breakfast cereal, action figure franchise and sets you in the middle of the world as your own superhero. At the FanFaire, SOE focused heavily on their own focus to making the game action orientated, and the goal of giving the player a deep connection with their superhero or supervillain of choice. The game drops you into the world, and allows you to fight with or against big names from the series, be it Batman, Superman, Lex Luthor, Green Latern (although which incarnation is unknown), Bizarro Superman, Wonder Woman, and more.

Plenty of hype for the upcoming game, which will no doubt be a viable contender for the top super hero MMO when it is released. DC Universe Online appears to be a real contender for the top of its genre, which granted isn’t very big.

The Agency

The Agency is an odd take from the normalcy of MMO’s, being an espionage-themed spy MMO, played as an action title from a first and third person perspective. The game focuses on freedom, including a class free system (You are what you wear), an in-depth customization option for your players, and join and go up in agencies (guilds). The game offers choices for stealth, assault, support, with their own takes on the generic classes. Missions in-game are expected to take nod off of spy and espionage films and books, so expect some James Bond in your game, shaken, not stirred.

When I see The Agency I think; Niche. The question is not whether people are willing to pay full price for a spy shooter, action, stealth, online, espionage game; they are. The question is whether players are willing to pay a subsequent 15 dollars a month for the ability to continue playing said title. If the current MMOFPS, Planetside, has taught us anything, it is that the answer to that question is a probable; no.

What The Agency comes down to is something of a high maintenance game. As the main feature is taking missions and playing them out, whether in a group or solo, longevity and replayability starts to come into focus. There are only so many times a player can go through similar looking mansions for generic quests before they hit the cancel button. It’s up to the developers to keep the game fresh, otherwise you’ll end up with a bunch of bored customers, and a whole lot of unfulfilled subscriptions.