Tag: SOE

DC Universe Introduces Crafting!


I love combat as much as the next person, but any MMO needs things to do in the off time between snapping Batman’s spine or turning The Joker into kebabs with your mighty blades of glory. So crafting in DC Universe has been a long time coming, oft talked about but not in much detail since the game launched last year. The update, going live today, allows players to gather blue prints and materials throughout the world, and use them to create new equipment mods and consumables.

(Source: DC Universe)

John Smedley’s Twitter: Everquest II Free To Play Statistics


John Smedley strikes me as a guy who likes to display his company’s achievements. After all, who can blame him? Sony Online Entertainment has one of the most dedicated group of jaded gamers than any other company, so the opportunity to throw your achievements in their face is one that should be taken at any opportunity. Everquest II went fully free to play in December, and John Smedley is ready to give some figures. Through Twitter!

We are seeing some amazing growth in EQ2. 40% increase in daily logins since going f2p. 300% increase in new players. And 200% increase in Item sales. Plus we have added a lot of new subs. All during the time that some really good competition hit the market.

The only thing this announcement is missing is Neil Patrick Harris.

John Smedley's Twitter: Everquest II Free To Play Statistics


John Smedley strikes me as a guy who likes to display his company’s achievements. After all, who can blame him? Sony Online Entertainment has one of the most dedicated group of jaded gamers than any other company, so the opportunity to throw your achievements in their face is one that should be taken at any opportunity. Everquest II went fully free to play in December, and John Smedley is ready to give some figures. Through Twitter!

We are seeing some amazing growth in EQ2. 40% increase in daily logins since going f2p. 300% increase in new players. And 200% increase in Item sales. Plus we have added a lot of new subs. All during the time that some really good competition hit the market.

The only thing this announcement is missing is Neil Patrick Harris.

Video of the ____: Planetside 2 Shows Off Ground, Aerial Combat


The latest video from Planetside 2 comes from Sony’s publishing partner, The9. You may remember The9 as the Chinese publisher for World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, Free Realms, and Hellgate London. Details in the video aside, you can see some glimpses of ground combat, aerial combat, and vehicle combat, and boy does it look good.

Planetside 2 is set for release hopefully this year.

Oh Joy, The Sony Hackers Are Back!


Apparently someone is nostalgic for seven months ago when Sony’s services on Playstation 3 and PC were offline for weeks on end after a hacker broke into the database and walked out with a cartload of personal data. Thankfully, in their usual fashion, the Denial of Service group Anonymous has released a video in advance, warning Sony of an impending assault on their servers over the company’s support of SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) which is being heavily criticized for claims that it infringes on first amendment rights and will cause even more stability and less security on the internet.

Does Sony support SOPA? This is the fun part, they don’t. All three console manufacturers (Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft) pulled their support of SOPA after heavy public backlash, although Sony is technically part of the Entertainment Software Association, who do still support SOPA. I suppose being right “in a manner of speaking” is still better than rushing out of the starting line with your shoes tied.

With luck, Sony still has the phone numbers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from the last time. Looking forward to the arrest articles.

The MMO That Wasn’t: The Agency


Looking at the success of games like CrimeCraft and the sales Tribes: Ascend during its continued beta period, I can’t help but feel that The Agency got the very short end of the stick when Sony cancelled it earlier this year. Perhaps if Sony had licensed an IP, say James Bond, the game would have gathered the internal enthusiasm to be thrown in the chopping block over, say, existing costs that show little promise. While Sony never made an official statement at the time, given their desire to release DC Universe as free to play in early 2011, it might be safe to say that The Agency would also have been released under a similar model. Instanced shooters are great, but historically have not proven to be viable subscription titles.

In the grand scheme of things, The Agency was likely a side project that Sony was working on alongside their other more serious projects, and when the company hit hard financial times and had to lay off a massive amount of people, it was the first project to get the boot. Perhaps at some point in the future, The Agency will be revived and Sony will continue where they left off.

But I’m an optimistic person.

The MMO That Wasn't: The Agency


Looking at the success of games like CrimeCraft and the sales Tribes: Ascend during its continued beta period, I can’t help but feel that The Agency got the very short end of the stick when Sony cancelled it earlier this year. Perhaps if Sony had licensed an IP, say James Bond, the game would have gathered the internal enthusiasm to be thrown in the chopping block over, say, existing costs that show little promise. While Sony never made an official statement at the time, given their desire to release DC Universe as free to play in early 2011, it might be safe to say that The Agency would also have been released under a similar model. Instanced shooters are great, but historically have not proven to be viable subscription titles.

In the grand scheme of things, The Agency was likely a side project that Sony was working on alongside their other more serious projects, and when the company hit hard financial times and had to lay off a massive amount of people, it was the first project to get the boot. Perhaps at some point in the future, The Agency will be revived and Sony will continue where they left off.

But I’m an optimistic person.

Star Wars Galaxies Memoir Book


Star Wars Galaxies shut down a week ago, but it already feels like a lifetime. Whether you are a long time fan of the MMO, played a little now and then, or never had a chance to dive in, the crew over at Sony want to give you a chance to relive some fond moments. If you head over to the Galaxies website, Sony has uploaded a memory book full of screenshots and snippets from Galaxies.

This is no light reading, either. The book itself is 250 pages thick and covers all of Galaxies from launch to its shuttering last Thursday. I should warn those with slow internet connections: This is a 252 page PDF document.

(Source: Star Wars Galaxies Memory Book)

Planetside 2 Now Accepting Beta Applications


Planetside has always been a standout IP. When the original game launched way back in 2003, the idea of a shooter where hundreds of players could participate in a single battle, where instances were nonexistent and everyone fought on the same world, and your actions could determine the outcome of a war, was virtually nonexistent. Even now as 2011 comes to a close, the number of companies willing to take on such a task has barely budged at all, and several projects promising an updated version of what Planetside offers are either still in development or caught somewhere in limbo.

When Planetside 2 launches at some point between now and the apocalypse, you will be able to jump in free of charge. Before that point, why not sign up for the beta and have a chance at trying it out free of charge? All you need is a Station account and the ability to sign in and click the “I agree” box.

(Source: Planetside 2 Website)

Double Station Cash, December 20th Only


On the 8th day of Christmas, my Sony gave to me: Double Station Cash. So you missed the triple Station Cash deal from the seventeenth and still want to get a good deal this month on fake money. Well you are in luck, because all day today* any purchase that you make either through Station.com or by redeeming a Station cash card (as seen above) will net you double the purchase value. Note that this does not include purchases made by mobile/SMS methods.

Double Station Cash is just another one of Sony’s daily deals in the twelve days of Christmas.

*Today means until midnight Pacific Standard Time