Tag: Everquest

Sony Online Entertainment Layoffs


everquest

Sony Online Entertainment has confirmed that the developer has laid off an unknown number of staff from an unknown variety of divisions. SOE’s Linda Carlson posted on several of the official game boards that the reduction aims to reduce costs and focus efforts on the current slate of games.

As a company, our goal is to focus on our core expertise of MMO games and as part of these efforts, we had to make the difficult decision to eliminate positions to help reduce costs, streamline our employee base and strategically align resources towards our current portfolio of games and upcoming slate of MMOs, including EverQuest Next Landmark and EverQuest Next.

Although the developer refused to comment on the number of staff laid off, a representative told Gamasutra that the reduction has affected the San Diego and Austin offices. MMO Fallout hopes the best for those finding themselves unemployed as of today.

(Source: Gamasutra)

MMOrning Shots: Everquest 14th Anniversary


Anniversary_Big_Gnomes

Today’s MMOrning shot comes from Everquest, in celebration of the game’s fourteenth anniversary. Yes, in two more years Everquest will be of legal driving age, and then presumably will be able to pick up the pizza you ordered through /pizza in-game.

MMOrning Shots is a (somewhat) daily line of screenshots from various MMOs. If you would like your screenshot featured, send it over to contact[at]mmofallout[dot]com with the subject “MMorning Shots.”

Everquest/Everquest II Becoming Even More Free


Everquest_II_Age_of_Discovery_Logo

Good news, Everquest gamers! You are probably well aware by now that Sony Online Entertainment has announced some pretty big changes to the free/silver membership tiers, particularly with the opening of all classes and races to free/silver tiers. Dave Georgeson has posted a list of updates coming mid-next week, which you can see in this article, that will open features of the game without requiring a subscription or Station cash payments.

  • We are opening up ALL CLASSES.*
  • We are opening up ALL RACES. **
  • All bag slots are unlocked.
  • All players can now use the shared bank slots.
  • The quest journal restrictions are lifted entirely. Quest away!
  • Additionally, EverQuest is allowing all players to send delivery parcels! (This change is for a game-specific change in EQ, so it doesn’t happen in EQII.)
  • * “All free classes” exception for EQII only: Beastlord is still only accessible via the “Age of Discovery” expansion pack.
    ** “All free races” exception for EQII only: The Freeblood race is still an SC-only marketplace option.

Georgeson notes that Sony is still committed to membership having perks that are entirely unavailable to free/silver players.

(Source: Everquest)
(Source: Everquest II)

MMOrning Shots: Everquest Online Adventures


Everquest Online Adventures probably should have been shut down years ago, but Sony Online Entertainment has a habit of refusing to let their games die until the very last minute.

I had a Playstation 2 last year when I was covering Everquest Online Adventures shortly before it shut down. I have no idea what happened to it, but it disappeared.

SOE Abolishes Gold Limits To Promote Krono


The Krono is an item similar to PLEX in that it is purchased on the cash shop and can be traded between players for in-game currency, and then redeemed for a month of subscription. The idea behind the item is to undercut gold farmers and (in the case of Everquest II) to allow for the safe trade of platinum for subscription time (players trade platinum for SOE codes, which is incredibly risky for the buyer). While some of the community disagree with the item as a concept, the introduction has prompted an unexpected, but hardly unwelcome change to the way Sony limits accounts.

Under the current system, Krono is kind of self-defeating. The item is selling for hundreds (seven or eight hundred, approximately) of platinum on the trade broker, and the item is impossible to buy for anyone who isn’t already a subscriber due to the hard cash limits placed on accounts. However, in the patch notes for the public test realm for Everquest II, the following note popped up:

Memberships: There will no longer be coin limits on any account types.

Since Krono is coming to other titles in SOE’s library, it’s probably safe to assume that those games will lose their cash limits as well, if for no other reason than to open a larger market for people to buy Krono.

(Source: EQ2 Forums)

Everquest & Everquest II: More Expansions!


As I sat in my chair today, I thought: What does Everquest need more than anything? And like the small statue on the mantle above where I was sitting, the answer struck me like a ton of bricks. Everquest needs a nineteenth expansion. And before I could pull myself out of the concussion and contact Sony to pitch the idea, someone had already stolen and pushed it through.

First up: Everquest. Rain of Fear, the game’s nineteenth expansion, takes place directly after the events of House of Thule. Fresh from destroying a god, players will now find that crystalline shards are raining down on Norrath. If this means nothing to you, the expansion includes a level cap increase to 100, as well as thousands of new items, recipes, and spells. The expansion also includes new quests, raids, zones, and the ability to kill off halflings. And forget the rest of the notes, it’s about time those short demons got what was coming to them.

On to Everquest’s younger brother. Everquest II has unveiled its not-nineteenth expansion, Chains of Eternity. The expansion promises new items, a raised level cap, as well as new quests, a whole lot more loot, and new abilities to boot.

Both expansions are set for a November release.

(Everquest Expansion)
(Everquest II Expansion)

Everquest II’s Goblin Games Seems Inspired By Squeal of Fortune


I have to imagine that somewhere out there, at least one person has stopped playing RuneScape because of Squeal of Fortune, and wound up playing Everquest II instead. The odds are low, incredibly so, but with time my mind seems to think that such a person must be, and gee, will this news stink. For the uninformed, Squeal of Fortune is a cash shop game on RuneScape where players receive spins either through in-game activities, purchased through the store, or daily as an allowance. The mini-game is hosted by a goblin and has the chance of winning gold, resources, and equipment.

Today, Everquest II revealed the latest update: The goblin games. In this mini-game, players are issued tickets on a monthly basis, depending on their membership status, with the option to purchase more on the cash shop. Those tickets can be used to play one of several mini-games, each of which ultimately ends up in the player receiving a loot box that offers a random item from the list.

So what are the differences? In RuneScape, spin tickets are given on a daily basis while in Everquest II free tickets are offered monthly. Both games offer one ticket to free players and three to members (in RuneScape it is normally two, three for the summer event). In RuneScape, spins cost approximately $5 per ten tickets ($.50 per ticket) with bonuses for higher quantities, while in Everquest they cost $1 per ticket with no option to purchase in bulk.

Maybe I’m just reading too far into this.

Everquest II's Goblin Games Seems Inspired By Squeal of Fortune


I have to imagine that somewhere out there, at least one person has stopped playing RuneScape because of Squeal of Fortune, and wound up playing Everquest II instead. The odds are low, incredibly so, but with time my mind seems to think that such a person must be, and gee, will this news stink. For the uninformed, Squeal of Fortune is a cash shop game on RuneScape where players receive spins either through in-game activities, purchased through the store, or daily as an allowance. The mini-game is hosted by a goblin and has the chance of winning gold, resources, and equipment.

Today, Everquest II revealed the latest update: The goblin games. In this mini-game, players are issued tickets on a monthly basis, depending on their membership status, with the option to purchase more on the cash shop. Those tickets can be used to play one of several mini-games, each of which ultimately ends up in the player receiving a loot box that offers a random item from the list.

So what are the differences? In RuneScape, spin tickets are given on a daily basis while in Everquest II free tickets are offered monthly. Both games offer one ticket to free players and three to members (in RuneScape it is normally two, three for the summer event). In RuneScape, spins cost approximately $5 per ten tickets ($.50 per ticket) with bonuses for higher quantities, while in Everquest they cost $1 per ticket with no option to purchase in bulk.

Maybe I’m just reading too far into this.

ProSiebenSat.1 Deal Altered, More Titles Heading To Europe


You may remember back in February when Sony Online Entertainment announced that they would be opening up a multi-year partnership with European ProSiebenSat.1 Games Group. The list of games affected includes DC Universe, Everquest II, Free Realms, Everquest Next, and Planetside 2. Oddly enough, and without explanation, the list did not include Everquest, Vanguard, and the upcoming Wizardry Online, leading to speculation that ProSiebenSat simply wasn’t interested in the titles.

Well, bad news bears (those of you expecting that Sony would continue hosting said titles in Europe). Today Sony announced that the deal with ProSiebenSat.1 has been expanded. The set list is to include the aforementioned Everquest, Vanguard, Wizardry Online, and the recently released Bullet Run.

“ProSiebenSat.1 is the ideal partner for us to reach an even broader audience in Europe. We are confident that the combination of the media power provided by ProSiebenSat.1 and our expertise in developing high-quality online games will appeal to players in a new and captivating way, creating the perfect prerequisite for achieving great success with our games in Europe.”

The community is once again split over this decision.

(Source: Everquest Forums)

John Smedley On: PlaneSide 2


John Smedley dropped by Reddit for an “Ask Me Anything,” and the community certainly did ask him anything. Naturally, the Q&A started with Smedley being asked, once again, to apologize for Star Wars Galaxies, which he did. For the sake of time, I’ve compiled a few of his more interesting answers.

In regards to Planetside 2’s premium subscription:

“subscription will NOT remotely be something you need to have. just something nice to have.”

When asked about an Everquest Classic (non-progression) server:

“if that’s what EQ fans wanted we would”

On Everquest Next:

“we plan to make EQ Next great by going places MMOS have never gone. I know that’s vague but it’s coming”

On advertising DUST 514:

“I’m sure helping get the word out. It is a great game. CCP is awesome.”

On balance in Planetside 2:

“At it’s heart, PS2 is similar to PS1. play it and let me know what you think.”

On hand-holding in MMOs:

“I despise the hand holding shit. hate it in a big way.”

On Vanguard:

“It’s going F2P next week with many members of the original team on it! It’s getting a lot of love.”

On streaming Planetside 2:

“We might even be working on a secret twitch.tv and youtube streaming thing I can’t talk about that might or might not be going in as I’m writing this.”

If you want to look through the comments yourself, check em out here:

(Source: Reddit)