Bond-inspired spy MMO next from SOE, codenamed "Vista"
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Feb 8th 2007 at 2:15PM }
Keynoting this year's D.I.C.E. Summit, Sony executive Yair Landau revealed the concept for SOE's forthcoming MMO: spies. The project, codenamed "Vista" because its been delayed (har, har), is being developed by SOE's Seattle studio, where supposedly the game is already running on live servers. Landau previewed a conceptual clip that showed off a third-person shooter set in Prague with all of the appropriate set pieces in place -- or at least the necessities: femme fatales and exotic rides. Landau clearly sees the new MMO as a descendant of the James Bond films -- fitting nicely with his shtick about adopting film genres into games -- choosing to preface the game's introduction with a Casino Royale trailer during his keynote. While spies have long been starring in their own games, there's an opportunity for SOE's project to further evolve the international espionage genre. Large-scale cooperative and PvP instances will obviously introduce some new dynamics, but toss in a proposed Second Life-styled virtual network, and suddenly Sony's giving players the ability generate their own content; making each player not only a 'James Bond,' but a 'Q,' capable of stuffing a laser cutter and remote detonator into an otherwise ordinary wristwatch. Of course, user-created content was not part of Landau's address, nor was a release date or platform.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joe @ Feb 8th 2007 9:23PM
I wonder if this game will also come out on the PS3 other then just on the PC. The PS3 needs all the help it can get and a MMO could be a nice add.
OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Feb 8th 2007 2:35PM
Dear Sony,
License the Spycraft world for this game.
http://www.crafty-games.com/dnn/
Signed,
Everyone
Jake @ Feb 8th 2007 2:44PM
Cool. Hopefully they can pull this off. I'm still waiting for a good MMOFPS type thingy.
rockintom99 @ Feb 8th 2007 2:46PM
Gah. Why do they have to make an MMO about *everything*.
If everyone was a spy, then why would you even bother sneaking about? It seems pretty stupid to me.
Crono @ Feb 8th 2007 2:46PM
Joystiq, someone's sabotaged you. the link to this article is
http://www.xbox360.joystiq.com/2007/02/08/bond-inspired-spy-mmo-next-from-soe-codenamed-vista/
As is the link to every other article on this site.
Arglor @ Feb 8th 2007 3:09PM
I wish there would be more multiplayer non-massive role playing games... I want a final fantasy that does require me to connect to a server that hosts hundreds of clones of me. I think every MMO should have a secondary option, a clan server.
It is an RPG that is multiplayer but, not massive. One where you don't feel like your sweeping the floor or trimming gardens, but instead wrapped up in a world of outstanding grandeur. WoW would so rule if i could populate it with peons and have it so just me and my friends could play in the world. Then we wouldn't have to be at the mercy of the forum-whiners who assist the developers in "realizing" their "true" intention for the game. I.E. I'm sick of game mechanics changing mid game and storylines helping you "be all the best you can be" in an army of a million.
Kunikos @ Feb 8th 2007 5:02PM
what a bizarre bit of PR spin to codename something to deflect any reason to be worried about SOEs project having problems
Mac Aoidh @ Feb 8th 2007 9:23PM
...
'Spose it would make it easier to uncover who in actuality is a spy... everybody.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx82qBgyojg
mattva01 @ Feb 9th 2007 9:01PM
Cool, I used to live in Prague(diplomatic mission). If you didn't know, it was (and still is,to some degree ) a major intelligence hub, especially during the cold war.I hope they stay true to the style of the city though.