Meet The Agency's two factions: ParaGON and U.N.I.T.E.

35 Comments by Griffin McElroy May 17th 2008 8:45PM
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, MMO

It has been our experience that all great spy organizations come in rivaling pairs -- take, for example, SD-6 and the CIA, CONTROL and KAOS, UNITY and H.A.R.M., and of course, the aptly titled Spy vs. Spy. Sony Online Entertainment's much anticipated MMO for the PS3, The Agency, appears to follow the conventions of spy fiction by including two main factions players must choose between: The United Nations Intelligence and Tactical Experts (U.N.I.T.E.) and The Paramilitary Global Operations Network (ParaGON).

The above trailer is a delicious morsel of the espionage-heavy atmosphere featured in the title, but it doesn't do much to persuade us to either side. We mean, enlisting in a spy organization is serious business -- does U.N.I.T.E. have dental? What kind of insurance policy does ParaGON provide? We've heard good things about U.N.I.T.E.'s retirement options, but can we afford to miss out on ParaGON's frequent company picnics to Dollywood? Decisions, decisions!

Tags: agency, mmo, paragon, playstation3, ps3, sony, sonyonlineentertainment, spy, theagency, u.n.i.t.e.

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

LaughingTarget: May 17th 2008; 9:03PM

They'd better be careful about using the name United Nations in anything after what the real UN did to the web game Nation States.

LaughingTarget: May 17th 2008; 9:04PM

Last...in line to pick up a clue.

Kris: May 17th 2008; 9:15PM

It's paraGON jack. get it paraGON? heheh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lWgXDOAJ5s

Zsavior: May 18th 2008; 3:54AM

WOW how did that get made how did something that awesome get made. I laughed my ass off.

Korova: May 18th 2008; 9:08AM

That settles it. Paragon it is.

Patryk: May 17th 2008; 9:26PM

If it's for Playstation 3, why does it then show a PC platform icon at the end of the video just below the title "The Agency"?

Noshino: May 17th 2008; 9:29PM

its going to be released for both PS3 and PC...

Noshino: May 17th 2008; 9:34PM

What the hell is wrong with the world...

We have people trying to boost their self-steem by posting "FIRST!1" even when at times they aren't....then we have people feel bad over what a videogame tells them....WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!!

Next thing you know, we are going to be hijacking cars simply because we saw it on a videogame...oh wai...

jesterdom: May 17th 2008; 9:39PM

What the hell is wrong with the world...

We have people trying to boost their self-steem by posting acting better than everyone else even when at times they aren't....then we have people who over-analyze every single little thing....WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!!

Next thing you know, we are going to believe everything fox news shoves down our throats simply because we saw it on a tv...oh wai...

Mr.ESC: May 17th 2008; 9:43PM

So it will have a Single player storyline too or those are NPCs?

Dr.: May 17th 2008; 9:44PM

And of course, soma fm's Secret Agent channel is required listening while you wait for the game...

http://somafm.com/play/secretagent

Vince UK: May 17th 2008; 9:53PM

"does U.N.I.T.E. have dental? What kind of insurance policy does ParaGON provide?"
It's based in Europe, you don't have to worry about these things.

Anticrawl: May 18th 2008; 1:05AM

You may not have to worry about the insurance but the dental, well that's a different story (in regard to it being based in the UK).

Eggy: May 18th 2008; 11:07AM

Over here in Europe you still have to pay a monthly insurance fee, it's mandatory. I pay 110 euros a month.

Tiptup300: May 17th 2008; 10:05PM

Bravo Jesterdom, you have tried to defend yourself by insulting others after posting "FIRST!" Well played sir, well played.

Tiptup300: May 17th 2008; 10:12PM

oh yeah,

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/6807/gtfo3bp.jpg

LaughingTarget: May 17th 2008; 10:24PM

Wow, check it out, Ronald McDonald fell in that spring Ranma did.

Sam406: May 17th 2008; 10:26PM

Damn, I was expecting Elite Beat Agents 2 footage.

Wrong agency, I guess...

Sam: May 17th 2008; 10:45PM

Well, I don't know about u guyz, but that was a boring trailer ...

Vegeta (aka Ska Oreo): May 17th 2008; 10:58PM

I do like how the game looks, but the actual gameplay is a bit mehish.

Yeah I realize it's an MMO, but it's just so disappointing when you go from a highly stylized cutscene, to slow MMO type gameplay.

Pigeon 123: May 17th 2008; 11:57PM

wait... the two sides can't hurt each other?

Amirisme: May 18th 2008; 12:46AM

nice...

t_m: May 18th 2008; 9:18AM

Wow, it looks great (up until they show the gameplay footage, which looks generic. )

Its cool to see a MMO that seems to be actually modelling an entire city... I always wanted a fantasy MMO to go that route. (warhammer city rocked, you could RPG for decades without ever leaving that one city).

Plus I love anything remotely NOLF (in the absence of a new NOLF game :-( ).

Hooligunn: May 18th 2008; 9:19AM

Can I please be the first to point out yet another "let's nab popular ideas" bandwagon for Sony. Anyone see the chainsaw bayonet near the end of the video? Hmm where have I seen that before.

Originality Sony, that's what your missing.

uberartist: May 18th 2008; 1:09PM

How about all over Warhammer 40K for the past 2 decades? (you think chainsaws on guns are original?)

WiNG [Life in a Game]: May 18th 2008; 10:13AM

The trailer made the gameplay look weak.

And the whole "show someone cracking his knuckles four times in a row" thing isn't cool anymore.

Jomolungma: May 18th 2008; 10:29AM

This is actually a tough choice. UNITE has Cassidy, but paraGON has TWO chicks, and Roundup dresses in chaps! I guess it comes down to which girls you'd rather bang, and which side gives you the best shot at accomplishing that feat. After all, haven't decades of James Bond movies shown us that that is really what being a spy is all about?

Triforceowner: May 18th 2008; 10:35AM

Joystiq, you need to talk to whoever is setting up those ads on your website, because the one that is full screen when I want to reply specifically to someone's comment (the one with the hummingbird) does not allow you to continue on to your website. I love Joystiq and just want to improve the site through my input. I figure someone will see this comment in here.

Esat Dedezade: May 18th 2008; 11:02AM

I concur with ^'s post.

Korova: May 18th 2008; 11:41AM

its really not working as an advertising. All it does is associate anger with the product.

FUCK IT, WE'LL DO IT LIVE!!!

Killer: May 18th 2008; 12:14PM

When did Ronald McDonald get boobs??!

Lone Starr: May 18th 2008; 12:37PM

Are these seriously the best faction names they could come up with?

refinedsugar: May 18th 2008; 3:06PM

This line has been disconnected by order of UNATCO.

Joeshie: May 18th 2008; 6:27PM

I know you console players are probably pretty excited for this MMO, but don't get your hopes up. As a PC gamer who has played many SOE MMOs, they WILL fuck it up.

No ifs, ands, or buts. SOE has screwed up so many MMOs that it's pretty unbelievable.

Andrew: May 18th 2008; 11:39PM

Except... it looks like Team Fortress 2.
Wait a minute....

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