the-agency posts (Subscribe to this feed)

We cornered Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley after his Austin GDC keynote (literally -- he was backed into a corner and could not escape us. Sorry, John!) to get some kind of status update on the PS3/PC MMO action game, The Agency. While we didn't get the firm release date we hoped for, Smedley reassured us that the game's in no danger of not coming out.

"Next year" was as closely as Smedley could approximate the release date. "Can't get -- because I've been wrong like three times with that game. And we're not going to release it until it's right. But there's this rumor going around that we're going to cancel it -- that's ridiculous."

It's worth noting that a cancellation rumor was debunked by SOE in November, but it's been ten months since then! Seems like a good time to assert once again that the game is still in development.

"No," Smedley continued, "we're going full-bore towards it. We're simply keeping it under wraps more because we want to make it the best possible game we can. I'm an FPS player first and foremost, so we're going to get that game right, period." Smedley firmly denied that the departure of staff would affect the game's development.

The Agency has lost some top agents as several members of Sony Online Entertainment's Seattle studio have left to form Detonator Games. The losses include art director Corey Dangel, studio director Matt Wilson and producer John Smith -- the latter two were founding members of the development house.

Eurogamer reports the departures have ignited rumors that the The Agency will experience a reboot or overhaul -- which wouldn't be the first time the production team has had to go on the defensive. SOE denies that there's any reboot going on and notes that company is "looking forward to showing you new content in the future." Let's see if the game makes its 2010 release.

[Via GI.biz]

We're starting to wonder if The Agency will ever come out. How many E3s has it been since we first heard of SOE's ambitious spy-themed PC/PS3 MMO action game? While The Agency is still being worked on (read our impressions here), we're concerned by the complete lack of gameplay footage in the latest trailer for the game. Yes, we're digging the spy vibe, but we'd like some sign that -- maybe, just maybe -- we'll see The Agency come to fruition before the PS4 comes out.

When dropping by the Sony Online Entertainment booth at E3 for our appointment with upcoming PlayStation 3/PC MMO The Agency, we found out some rather troubling news regarding the game's promised cross-platform functionality.

While the demo we watched employed the much vaunted feature, we were told by the folks from SOE that the game may not launch with players on each platform able to play with each other. "Technologically, it's fine. There are some rules about certification and updating on the PS3 that we're kinda working through right now -- it may not be a launch feature." When pressed for a launch date, we were told the game's still early in development and no release has been determined.

Last month, during Sony Gamers' Day, we ventured deep inside SOE Seattle's secret lair -- no joke, the building's not even marked with the company name -- to get an updated look at its spy MMO, The Agency, for PS3 and PC. Now that details of the event have finally been declassified, we're pleased to share our impressions of the eyes-on demo with you.

The actual event began with a fairly lengthy presentation by key figures from the SOE Seattle team, featuring Matt Wilson, Hal Milton and Corey Dangel. All three had previously worked for Microsoft (which would explain why the studio is located just two blocks from Microsoft's main HQ), and, between them, they have assembled an impressive resume, including work on Asheron's Call, Dungeon Siege, Wing Commander, Ultima Online, Total Annihilation and critical darling Psychonauts. Of course, as Wilson highlighted, SOE Seattle's primary objective is to deliver console-based MMOs, a vastly underdeveloped market, in which very few developers have experience. Enter The Agency.

The public hasn't seen much of The Agency since it was first revealed in 2007. When questioned about the lack of updates on the ambitious PC/PS3 online espionage game, SOE's Hal Milton told us: "We don't want to keep having hype sessions just showing movies and crap. We need to make the game and not just keep promoting it."

GDC continues that idea, with Sony Online Entertainment revealing nothing more than a distant release window for both The Agency and DC Universe Online. John Smedley, president of SOE, revealed that both titles will arrive in 2010 in his keynote, "An industry perspective on how new online games will reach the masses."

We understand that it takes time to craft a solid game, especially a massive online one. However, we'd like to remind Smedley that the first step for a game to "reach the masses" involves, y'know, releasing it.

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.

	Massively's exclusive pre-launch Moria interview with Jeffrey Steefel Massively chats with Jeffrey Steefel, Executive Producer for Lord of the Rings Online the night before the release of LotRO's first expansion. Mines of Moria is now live, and from the sounds of things the servers and players are having a great time of it.
	Massively's ArenaNet interview: The past, present and future of Guild Wars PvP Massively catches up with ArenaNet Game Designer Isaiah "Izzy" Cartwright for a brief interview regarding the past, present and future state of PvP in Guild Wars. Follow along after the cut for the full interview and some exclusive PvP screenshots supplied to us by ArenaNet.
	Massively checks in on The Agency with Lead Designer Hal Milton Massively talks over the current state of The Agency's development with the animated and always-interesting lead designer Hal Milton. Hal shares with us a bit of insight into what they're currently working on, give us a few fun facts to chew on, and makes us actually look forward to next year's summer con season.

Following The Agency's unfortunate and incorrect "cancelation" by GameFly yesterday, SOE reached out and asked if we'd like to talk to the game's lead designer, Hal Milton. Considering the title had been dark for quite some time, it certainly seemed like an opportunity to ask a couple direct questions about the current development state of The Agency.

Joystiq: So, what's going on with your game? It keeps popping up on radar, but it appears like nothing seems to be going anywhere.

Lead Designer Hal Milton: (laughs) Well, it's going a lot of places in our studio. We announced the title rather early, showed some pre-alpha last January. It's really important that we did this. But, if we have the team in different places around the world talking about the game, how are they supposed to be working on the game?

So, you've got your heads down right now making the game?

Yeah, since we showed off some stuff in January, now our designers are fleshing out about six or seven locales. Working on Operative functionality, backstories, story lines. It's a lot of content. Between content and feature support, there's a lot of work to be done. We don't want to keep having hype sessions just showing movies and crap. We need to make the game and not just keeps promoting it. After we went dark in January, it's been a really, really, blessed thing.

SUBMITTED FOR YOUR APPROVAL
On November 18th, PS3 Fanboy HQ received a tip that the PS3/PC online spy game, The Agency, had been reportedly canceled. GameFly listed the project as dead, but we doubted such an ambitious game would be killed by SOE. We did some further investigating.

According to SOE's Katie Hanson, there's no reason to believe that The Agency is canceled. Why GameFly would list the project as canceled is beyond. Perhaps ... there's foul play involved?! (cue dramatic music)

Evidence is presented, after the break.

Update: Yet another official statement: "Sony Online Entertainment's game, The Agency™, is still in development for release on both the PLAYSTATION®3 and PC platforms. The game sku has been reinstated to GameFly's website. Feel free to add The Agency to your GameQ!"

We've received several tips alleging that game rental service GameFly has sent out e-mails, claiming that Sony Online Entertainment's The Agency has been canceled. According to the notice from GameFly, the title has been removed from the service because the game has been "cancelled by its publisher" (yes, apparently written by a Brit). The full GameFly email can be found after the break.

We've contacted both GameFly and SOE for clarification. GameFly only carries console games, so, if it holds up, the cancellation may only affect the PS3 version. We'll update as soon as we hear anything.

Update 2: SOE's official quote to Joystiq: "Sony Online Entertainment's game, The Agency, is still in development for release on both the PlayStation 3 and PC platforms. The game sku has been reinstated to GameFly's website. Feel free to add The Agency to your GameQ!"

Update: SOE has confirmed with PS3 Fanboy that The Agency is not canceled. GameFly has yet to issue an explanation. GameFly has now reinstated the title -- feel free to add it (back) to your GameQ.

[Thanks to Tracy, Vagabond99 & Nut Man]

Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley spoke to MTV Multiplayer in a post-New York Games conference interview to talk about their plans for future MMOs under their wing. Smedley clarifies a few things; the PlayStation 3 versions of The Agency and DC Universe Online will arrive the same day as the PC version, there's "a chance, maybe" Sony will use a non-subscription-based model for their upcoming MMOs, and finally, the Smedley confirms that "all of SOE's MMOs will appear on consoles from now on."

Smedley has stated beforehand that MMOs will become a selling point on the PS3, so this doesn't come as a surprise. However, it looks like SOE is leaning against having PS3-PC cross-platform play for upcoming titles The Agency and DCUO due to their potential inability to provide simultaneous content updates. Will this lack of cross-platform play spell the end of MMOs on the PS3 or can console owners sustain their own community?

Speaking to Gamasutra, executive producer Wilson (we are going to assume it is Matt Wilson) said that Sony Online Entertainment is still considering cross-platform play for their MMO The Agency, seemingly contradicting statements made earlier to Eurogamer by lead designer Hal Milton.

But if you read each of the original source articles, both Milton and Wilson states that it is entirely possible technologically to have cross-platform play. They even have very similar reservations; console certification process hampering updates and gameplay balance issues stemming from differences between PC mouse/keyboard and the PS3's controls. We are guessing SOE simply haven't finalized their plans yet.

Either way though, it was revealed that at least the game accounts will be both global and cross-compatible -- meaning that if you have a PS3 account, you can still play at a friend's house on their PC with your own account and vice versa. We'll keep you updated if there are any developments.

Although it was dangled in front of us like a tantalizing carrot, it looks like you won't be able to get any cross-gaming action between PS3s and PCs out of Sony's upcoming spy MMO, The Agency. Last year, designer Hal Milton told us the developer weas looking at it, but in a recent interview with Eurogamer it looks like he's closed the door on things for good. You can thank Shadowrun for ruining it all.

"PC guys say, 'PS3 guys have aim assist and the controls nerfed for them'. And PS3 guys say, 'PC guys have a mouse and keyboard - it's all easier for them'. Even if it's not true." Not that we're complaining, because Shadowrun made us a bit mental. But this really needs to happen in a fun way sooner or later. Which title is going to be able to nail it down and make it work? Super Mario Crossover Party Platformer 2: Now With More Fun has our money.

While it was a feature touted when it originally debuted, it became increasingly clear that The Agency would unlikely have cross-platform play between the PS3 and PC versions. Now, it's official: the spy-themed SOE-developed MMO will definitely not have cross-platform play. The two worlds of the PS3 and PC versions will be kept separate. The reason? According to the developers, the imbalance between keyboard and mouse versus controller play.

"PC guys say, 'PS3 guys have aim assist and the controls nerfed for them'. And PS3 guys say, 'PC guys have a mouse and keyboard - it's all easier for them'. Even if it's not true," Hal Milton said. He also added, "a couple of members of our team gained a lot of experience working on Shadowrun, and no matter how well you fine-tune it, you end up with a player-base that's polarized." [Ed's note: Shadowrun is one of the few games that features cross-platform play between Windows and Xbox 360 systems.]