Sony Online Entertainment Continues to Lead the Online Gaming Industry With Its New Roster of Massively Multiplayer Games
- EverQuest® Online Adventures™ for the PlayStation®2 And EverQuest® II Lead This Year's E3 Line-up -
PRNewswire
SAN DIEGO
05/13/2002
Next week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), in Los Angeles, Sony Online Entertainment reinforces its commitment to multiplayer online gaming with the announcement of a ground breaking line-up, including: EverQuest®: The Planes of Power™, PlanetSide™ and EverQuest® II. Capitalizing on its game expertise and well-known properties SOE also announced that the company will be taking its popular EverQuest property to the console audience with the upcoming EverQuest® Online Adventures™ for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. In addition, SOE will become an official PlayStation 2 developer, specializing in massively multiplayer online games, an entirely new genre for the console player. SOE will be expanding massively multiplayer games into new genres with PlanetSide™ and Star Wars® Galaxies™, both of which are currently in development.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20011203/LAM002 )
"SOE's goal has always been to bring gamers new content and dynamic communities," said Scott McDaniel, vice president of marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. "By continuing to expand the types of games offered, we are driving the growth of the massively multiplayer market."
EverQuest® Online Adventures™
EverQuest Online Adventures, one of the first U.S., online-only console games, brings the player interaction and community that made the original EverQuest so popular to a whole new audience of console gamers. EverQuest Online Adventures is a completely new game, designed from the ground up with the console player in mind. But like the original EverQuest, it will feature intricate character development, continuous player interaction and a strong sense of community to create an all-new phenomenon amongst PlayStation 2 system owners. EverQuest Online Adventures will connect seamlessly to the Internet, directing players to dedicated game servers helping to ensure low latency gameplay and fast connection times. EverQuest Online Adventures will be available in Spring 2003.
EverQuest® II
EverQuest II, based on the original EverQuest, will give players an entirely new world to explore with a new 3D engine utilizing cutting-edge hardware technology. Offering unparalleled character customization capabilities, EverQuest II allows players to fully customize their character's faces, hair and body types. Other new features include player-owned real estate, player-controlled mounts, new quest system, mechanically and visually enhanced combat systems and a continued Norrathian storyline with new and familiar regions will further broaden the EverQuest universe. EverQuest II will be available in Fall 2003.
EverQuest®: The Planes of Power™
EverQuest: The Planes of Power is the fourth installment in the best-selling, critically acclaimed EverQuest series. The new expansion pack, due to ship this fall, will introduce more than 430,000 current EverQuest gamers to an arching storyline that takes players on an epic adventure through The Planes of Power, home of the Gods of Norrath. Hundreds of new items, compelling quests and encounters with the most powerful deities in Norrath will keep even the most experienced players challenged and enthralled. For more information please visit the official Planes of Power Website at http://www.planesofpower.com/ . The Planes of Power will be available this Fall.
PlanetSide™
Massively multiplayer gaming takes on a new face in PlanetSide, a game where thousands of players wage battle involving infantry, ground vehicles, and aircraft in a globe-spanning, far-future war of epic proportions. A new 3D engine designed for indoor and outdoor locations allows seamless gameplay across continents with no load times or interruptions. Lifelike graphics, changing weather effects, and ambient environmental sounds will ensure realistic details that have never been seen before in online gaming. This year at E3, PlanetSide will be showcasing new content, an additional playable empire as well as the full-scale version of all continents that measure approximately 64 square kilometers varying from arctic wastelands to scorching deserts. Tactical decision making, adrenaline-inducing action, and social involvement make for one of the most compelling game environments ever created. PlanetSide will be available in Spring 2003.
Star Wars® Galaxies™
Star Wars Galaxies is the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in the classic Star Wars universe. Star Wars Galaxies will feature dynamic role-playing and ground-based adventures across multiple planets. Gameplay will offer a unique combination of combat, exploration, social interaction, specialized missions, and daring quests. Star Wars Galaxies, published by LucasArts Entertainment Company and developed by Sony Online Entertainment, is expected to be available this December.
The Station®
In addition to the world's most successful massively multiplayer online game, EverQuest®, Sony Online's award-winning website, http://www.station.com/ offers gamers the best in casual online games. With popular TV titles such as Jeopardy! Online and Wheel of Fortune Online, card games and action titles like Cosmic Rift, The Station rewards its players with a host of contests and cash giveaways as well as localization so players can play in French, German and Japanese. Through Sony Online Entertainment's relationship with Sony Pictures, SOE also gives players access to mini-sites for popular movies that provide movie buffs with games, sweepstakes, a gallery of movie images, behind-the-scenes film footage, the latest scoop on the movie's stars, a live chat, and a direct link to the official movie site.
Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), the online gaming division of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, is a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming that creates, develops and provides online entertainment for the personal computer, console, wireless, and online markets. With more than 13 million registered users, SOE's award-winning website, The Station ® ( http://www.station.com/ ) hosts a variety of entertaining games and player communities spanning numerous genres. In addition to blockbuster hits EverQuest® and Jeopardy! Online, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development such as PlanetSide™, Star Wars® Galaxies™, EverQuest® II, and the world's premier online-only console game for the PlayStation®2, EverQuest® Online Adventures™.
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SOURCE: Sony Online Entertainment
Contact: Christy Fritts of Sony Online Entertainment, +1-858-577-3295,
cfritts@soe.sony.com; or Brandon McCormick of Access Communications,
+1-415-844-6218, bmccormick@accesspr.com, for Sony Online Entertainment
Website: http://www.station.com/