Joystiq

{ Jun 27th 2009 at 6:30PM }

Our sister site BigDownload has the scoop on a pair of new expansions for SOE's popular Everquest franchise that were announced at this week's Fan Faire in Las Vegas. First up is the 16th commercial expansion for 1999's Everquest, Everquest: Underfoot. Due for release this November, the expansion brings with it a new underground zone to explore, with new creatures to battle, and even less reason to leave your house.

Probably more relevant is Everquest II: Sentinel's Fate, the sixth commercial expansion for Everquest II. Due for release in February 2010, Sentinel's Fate will raise the level cap to 90, allowing you to spend ten more levels beefing up that Summoner of yours.

{ Mar 9th 2009 at 11:10PM }

Joystiq's sister site Massively.com has all the news you'll need about MMOs. Here's the best, brightest, and most interesting stuff from the last week, all in one convenient place for your MMO minute.

	10 things I wish I had known before building an MMO Continuing with our countdown to EverQuest's 10th Anniversary, today marks the first of three special articles containing the retrospective thoughts on MMO development from the team that made it so popular. Today's "10 things I wish I had known before building an MMO" starts off with Steve Klug, Lead Programmer for EverQuest.
	Massively's EVE Online Apocrypha expansion hands-on Massively got word that EVE Online lead game designer Noah Ward, aka CCP Hammerhead, would be in New York City last week. We jumped at the chance to find out more about the Apocrypha expansion, and Ward was kind enough to give us our own hands-on demo while answering our questions about where EVE Online is heading.

Continued →

{ Mar 6th 2009 at 4:00AM }

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of EverQuest and the "continued support and dedication" of Sony Online Entertainment, the city of San Diego will hold a ceremony March 10 to declare an official "Sony Online Entertainment Day" -- which will actually take place six days later. Carl DeMaio of the City Council will present SOE's John Smedley with an award at 10 AM.

The SOE announcement suggests arriving at the council chambers early in order to have enough time to find parking and get through security. Of course, then you should get home early, because every minute spent away from the game means that the people still playing are getting ahead of you.

We can't believe EverQuest has been online for 10 years. We remember finding the idea of a persistent multiplayer RPG populated by thousands of people terrifying at the time, and we have yet to get over that initial fear.

[Via Massively]

{ Feb 27th 2009 at 2:00AM }

SOE recently ran a really swell promotion in its Everquest and Everquest II games. For every player that purchased a specific Child's Play virtual item on the Marketplace using the title's currency, Station Cash, SOE would make a $10 donation to Child's Play. Despite an aching (real-world) economy, players managed to do some serious spending, driving SOE's total contribution to Child's Play to $20,000. To put that in perspective, $20,000 is the equivalent of just over 1,333 months of basic Everquest II access for a single subscriber.

{ Jan 23rd 2009 at 4:50PM }

Each week Mark Methenitis contributes Law of the Game on Joystiq ("LGJ"), a column on legal issues as they relate to video games:

It seems around this time every year, with W2s and 1099s filling mailboxes, that someone thinks it's a good idea to bring up the idea of taxing the virtual world. The irony really is that most of these discussions are far from complete and often only address one potential viewpoint that could be taken.

The latest commentary comes from the Washington Post (via GamePolitics) with further follow up on New World Notes based on a recent publication by the IRS. Their basic contention is that the essential difference in the Terms of Service between the Second Life model and the more traditional MMO model (i.e. World of Warcraft, Ultima Online, Everquest) would mean different tax treatment. I don't think it's nearly so cut and dry.

Continued →

{ Jan 16th 2009 at 4:17PM }

Though we've always had to fight an urge to call them MOMs (massively online multiplayer-ers), MMOs have become an internet-bound force to be reckoned with. It's no surprise, then, that Valve's Steam service serendipitously bumped into Sony Online's mob of mmohs at a recent meeting of internet-bound forces to be reckoned with. They hit it off, one thing led to another and now it's all over the blogosphere.

A "groundbreaking" library of SOE titles is now available on the digital download service, including the EverQuest and EverQuest II collections, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and Pirates of the Burning Sea. You'll also find the expansions EverQuest Seeds of Destruction and EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey available for purchase.

As a special introductory offer, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer and EverQuest II Rise of Kunark are being sold at "special" prices during the first ten days of availability. New game accounts for purchased MMOs will receive 30 days of gameplay, though the offer excludes existing game and Station Access accounts.

Well, enjoy the games! It was nice knowing you.

{ Dec 10th 2008 at 9:30AM }

We were all just a little terrified when we heard of upcoming MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic being microtransaction-based. But it's already been beaten to the punch by Station Cash, a microtransaction system just rolled out in EverQuest and EverQuest II.

Unsurprisingly, the system seems similar to the PSN scheme, with players putting money into a virtual wallet, 100SC for $1.00. It sounds fine for people looking to hurry up and beat EQ II already so they can play WoW with everyone else, we'd just prefer it stay far, far away from games we actually have an interest in playing.

{ Aug 16th 2008 at 4:00PM }

At Sony Online Entertainment's Fan Faire event in Las Vegas, expansions to two of the MMO developer's major titles, Everquest and Everquest II, were revealed and dated: EQ fans will be planting Seeds of Destruction on October 21, while EQII players will find themselves embarking on The Shadow Odyssey November 18. Shortly thereafter, SOE revealed a teaser trailer for each expansion. We debated about which one to feature on the main page, and ultimately decided upon the expansion for the game that hasn't been out for a hojillion years (fret not, Seeds' trailer is after the jump).

The Shadow Odyssey's teaser shows off some of the rather uninviting locales featured in the update, and not much else. The Seeds of Destruction trailer previews the new mercenary system, and flaunts a number of new areas which will be added to the title. Pretty impressive from a game that, if it were a human being, would be entering the fourth grade this Fall, where it would slowly begin to develop funny feelings towards its classmate, Asheron's Call.

Read: EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction teaser trailer released
Read: EQII: The Shadow Odyssey teaser trailer released

Continued →

{ Aug 15th 2008 at 10:00PM }

At its annual Fan Faire, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) has revealed new expansions for EverQuest and EverQuest II. For EQ players, The Seeds of Destruction expansion offers a new level cap (85), 20 new zones, a new mercenary system, and all fourteen previous expansions in one box. EQII: The Shadow Odyssey will feature brand new zones, some revisits to the original EQ dungeons, a bump in the number of achievements you can get (up to 200), new deities, new quests and a new loot system that lets you pick your loot rewards.

Our MMO-obsessed colleagues at Massively have interviews with the EverQuest design team and EQII Senior Producer Bruce Ferguson about the expansions. All Fan Faire attendees will receive both games for free and will be able to participate in the SoD and TSO betas when they begin on August 19 and September 2, respectively.

Seeds of Destruction will come out October 21, while The Shadow Odyssey is scheduled for November 18. Stay tuned to Massively all week for more Fan Faire coverage.

Gallery: EverQuest: Seeds of Destruction Announcement

Gallery: EverQuest 2: The Shadow Odyssey Announcement

{ Jul 15th 2008 at 5:30PM }

The show floor had been open for less than three hours at E3 and we spun, giggling madly in the middle of the room and trying to decide which delight we would indulge in first. But then, before we could do anything, we saw the above dude.

You know what that dude was doing, three hours after E3 had officially begun? He was playing Everquest. No not Everquest 3: Rise of the ZOMG Rad, but rather Everquest. One. From 1973.

{ Jun 5th 2008 at 2:25PM }

Have you played either Everquest or Everquest II any time in the last nine years? Even if you picked it up and put it down just as quickly, Sony Online Entertainment's giving your character a second lease on life, as it unveils the Living Legacy summer program. In an unprecedented move, SOE has reactivated every stagnant player account for two free months of access on both Everquest and its sequel. Yes, that's right. Every single account.

More than simply account resurrection, SOE is including EQ's expansions in these lapsed player accounts, as well as offering bonuses to help get older players up to speed. For more information on the ambitious campaign, check out Massively's interview with EQ senior producer Bruce Ferguson. So, who's headed to Norrath?

Source - SOE's Living Legacy campaign gives you 2 free months in EQ and EQ2 [Massively]

Source - Everquest II's senior producer on SOE's Living Legacy [Massively]

{ Apr 22nd 2008 at 10:00PM }

As the former lead designer of Everquest, Travis McGeathy has likely acquired just as many ardent fans as vengeful detractors, wishing they could get those thousands of click-click-clicking hours back. With your social life still in ruins, your cautious digestion of this bit of news from Gamasutra is probably for the best. You see, Mr. McGeathy is now the systems design lead for "Copernicus," Studio 38's mysterious MMO project.

He's not the only Everquest vet at the Curt Schilling-founded developer either, as former Everquest II lead designer, Jason Roberts, and Everquest II expansion pack designer, Steve Danuser, also occupy padded leather chairs at the Maynard, MA office. We've yet to see what lies behind the Copernicus veil, but we're starting to suspect there may be buxom, elfin ladies involved.

{ Mar 17th 2008 at 3:15PM }

Despite the inability to get actually drunk over virtual alcohol, there are MMOs celebrating St. Patrick's Day. If you're looking for the biggest virtual parties this side of Norrath (and on that other side, too), the MMO-obsessed over at Massively have you covered with a handy guide of events for the week.

Conspicuously absent from St. Patrick's Day celebrations is World of Warcraft, but if you happen to find some drunken dwarves in Azeroth (or other ad hoc festivities), be sure to snap a photo and send to WoW Insider.

{ Mar 13th 2008 at 11:45AM }

In a time before World of Warcraft, there once was a game called EverQuest, and it was ~~good~~ tolerable. Sony Online Entertainment would like to invite players back to EverQuest and the land of Norrath to celebrate the MMORPG's ninth anniversary.

The online game will hold various events throughout the year to celebrate being one year away from an actual milestone. Beginning March 16, there'll be a scavenger hunt and a month-long event tied to the divinities and servants of the Planes of Power. SOE states that EverQuest, after fourteen expansions, still has a flourishing community and will "stay active into the foreseeable future." There is more information about the anniversary events and special downloadable items (like an EverQuest timeline poster) at Station.com.

{ Jan 22nd 2008 at 2:30PM }

A ban on the sale of Counter-Strike and EverQuest in Brazil has gone into effect. According to AFP, the ban was ordered by federal court in October 2007 but is just now being imposed. Said judge Carlos Alberto Simoes, the titles encouraged "the subversion of public order, were an attack against the democratic state and the law and against public security." (Just so you're clear: EverQuest is an attack on democracy, but censorship isn't.)

Of course, the ban is just on the sale of the two games. Each title is about nine years old, with their latest respective sequels (EverQuest 2 and CS: Source) released in 2004 - not exactly the most timely censorship. By that timeframe, World of Warcraft has about five years left before Brazil drops the banhammer. Let's hope Blizzard can get out Wrath of the Lich King before 2014.

[Via CVG; thanks, Vitor]