Sony Online Entertainment
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[[August 10]], [[2006]] brought the announcement that SOE had bought developer Worlds Apart Productions, renaming the studio SOE-Denver. Worlds Apart is known for online CCGs like Star Chamber, The Lord Of The Rings Online TCG, Star Trek Online CCG, and an online CCG based on [[NCSoft]]'s MMO title ''[[Auto Assault]]''. The studio has since released an online version of the ''[[Wizkids]]'' Pirates Constructible Strategy Game. |
[[August 10]], [[2006]] brought the announcement that SOE had bought developer Worlds Apart Productions, renaming the studio SOE-Denver. Worlds Apart is known for online CCGs like Star Chamber, The Lord Of The Rings Online TCG, Star Trek Online CCG, and an online CCG based on [[NCSoft]]'s MMO title ''[[Auto Assault]]''. The studio has since released an online version of the ''[[Wizkids]]'' Pirates Constructible Strategy Game. |
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| - | == Controversy/criticisms == |
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| - | ===General=== |
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| - | SOE has been embroiled in controversy within online gaming communities [[http://swg.ogaming.com/info/Articles~29.php/ link]] resulting from a tendency to dramatically change gameplay long after games have been released [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/10/arts/10star.html?ex=1291870800&en=1ee435afbd84a355&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss/ link], most notably within ''[[EverQuest]]'' and ''[[Star Wars Galaxies]]'' [http://mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm?thread=70831&fp=800,600,1146079768399,20060426152928/ link]. The most severe example of this was the implementation of [[Star Wars Galaxies#New Game Enhancements|new game enhancements]] in ''Star Wars Galaxies'', which "disenfranchised" many already established subscribers [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/12/16/tech/gamecore/main1133791_page5.shtml/ link]. |
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| - | ===The Matrix Online=== |
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| - | Despite efforts to improve ''[[The Matrix Online]]'', there are constant problems during the time the game was in SOE's management. The main staple of the game, the Live Events have been limited as a Live Events Team was laid off during the game's transition from Monolith to SOE as of the summer of 2005, and certain Live Events have been server-exclusive as opposed to being accessible on all servers when the game was under [[Monolith Productions]]'s management due to an under-staffed development team. To add insult to injury, the Live Events are only available during regular times in the United States, but players in Europe and Asia do not have such access to such events due to the time difference, making attendance impossible [http://forums.station.sony.com/mxo/posts/list.m?topic_id=36300002515]. Another frequent criticism is the questionable behaviors from CSRs banning random players with little to no consideration [http://forums.station.sony.com/mxo/posts/list.m?topic_id=36300005119]. A recurring problem called the Downtown Lag has been problematic days before the game's transfer to SOE, in which a latency meter automatically sky-rockets to Red when players entered a certain part of the Downtown district. Despite numerous server restarts, this problem is on-going even as of today. According to developer Rarebit, it is a server configuration problem that the development team has not been able been able to figure out, and is currently working on fixing the problem [http://forums.station.sony.com/mxo/posts/list.m?topic_id=36300004613]. |
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== Titles == |
== Titles == |
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Revision as of 17:35, 14 February 2007
| File:Na-rw soe large tif 100.jpg | |
| Type | subsidiary of Sony |
|---|---|
| Founded | summer 1995 |
| Headquarters |  8928 Terman Court San Diego, California 92121 |
| Parent | Sony Pictures Digital SCEA |
| Website | www.soe.com |
Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) is a computer game development division of Sony that mostly creates massively multiplayer online games. SOE is best known for producing EverQuest, PlanetSide, and Star Wars Galaxies, which have gained hundreds of thousands of subscribers. SOE also owns Verant Interactive.
Contents |
History
Sony Online Entertainment and Verant's history can be seen as starting with Sony Interactive Studios America (SISA), an internal game development studio of Sony that formed around 1995. In 1996, John Smedley was put in charge of SISA's development of an online computer role-playing game that would evolve into EverQuest. He hired Brad McQuaid and Steve Clover as programmers for the game in March.
In April 1998, Sony Online Entertainment was formed by merging Sony Online Ventures with Sony Pictures Entertainment link. Within months SISA was renamed 989 Studios. EverQuest, which was credited to being developed by 989 Studios and published by SOE at launch, entered beta in 1998.
Towards the end of 1998, 989 Studios shifted strategy to making PlayStation console games only. The company's computer game/online development branch spun off, initially calling itself RedEye Interactive and then soon after Verant Interactive link. EverQuest was released in March 1999 and promptly earned commercial success.
Post EverQuest
In April 2000, Verant hired former Ultima Online developers Raph Koster and Rich Vogel forming its office in Austin, Texas to develop Star Wars Galaxies link. SOE acquired Verant on June 1, 2000 and eventually promoted Brad McQuaid to be SOE's Chief Creative Officer link. EverQuest: The Ruins of Kunark (March 2000) was the first in a long list of expansions for SOE/Verant's hit MMORPG. In October 2001, McQuaid resigned and went on to found Sigil Games Online, drawing many of the original developers of EverQuest from SOE to develop their Vanguard: Saga of Heroes MMORPG link.
Star Wars Galaxies
SOE released Star Wars Galaxies in 2003, which saw rapid growth as expected. Bruce Woodcock of mmogchart.com estimates that SWG reached nearly 300,000 subscribers within the year before trailing off. SOE has released three expansions for Star Wars Galaxies, "Jump to Lightspeed" which released in October 2004, "Rage of the Wookies" released in May 2005 and "Trials Of Obi-Wan" in November 2005. In 2003 the company also explored relatively untouched MMO territory with the MMOFPS PlanetSide and the PlayStation 2 MMORPG EverQuest Online Adventures. Planetside enjoyed a reasonably successful launch, however the product never attracted wide popularity. SOE has released two expansions for Planetside, one a retail product called Core Combat, and a second free expansion titled Aftershock. Also, Planetside can be played for free under a "Reserves" program, that limits character advancement, but otherwise grants full access to the game. EQ Online Adventures was not as successful but has spawned an expansion, and SOE still maintains it (as of 2006). SOE continued producing EverQuest expansions, launching The Legacy of Ykesha in March and Lost Dungeons of Norrath in September.
Recent History
Currently, John Smedley is the president of Sony Online Entertainment. SOE's headquarters are in San Diego, California, with studios in Austin, Texas, Denver and Seattle, Washington (formed on February 3, 2005). The company released the first SWG expansion, Jump to Lightspeed in October 2004 and EverQuest II in November 2004. SOE continues to maintain its other online games, including the original EverQuest, and releasing more EverQuest expansions. Sony Online Entertainment released another expansion for SWG in early November 2005. Many players were displeased with this expansion, because the New Game Enhancements were announced shortly after the release, so they were offered a refund shortly after it was released. On January 17, 2005, Sony Online Entertainment announced the creation of Station Publishing, a new label for distributing titles made by external developers. The first products expected from Station Publishing are Turbine's Asheron's Call: Throne of Destiny and Asheron's Call 2: Legions expansions.
SOE has produced numerous EverQuest expansions and spin-off video games, including Champions of Norrath (for PlayStation 2) and Lords of EverQuest (Windows). They published the sequel to Champions of Norrath, called Champions: Return to Arms, in February 2005.
In April 2006, SOE became Sony Online Entertainment LLC, owned by Sony Pictures Digital and Sony Computer Entertainment America.
On May 6, 2006, it was announced that SOE would be co-publisher of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. However, Sigil retains full development rights, and SOE's role is only that of marketing, distribution, technical support and hosting the game servers.
August 10, 2006 brought the announcement that SOE had bought developer Worlds Apart Productions, renaming the studio SOE-Denver. Worlds Apart is known for online CCGs like Star Chamber, The Lord Of The Rings Online TCG, Star Trek Online CCG, and an online CCG based on NCSoft's MMO title Auto Assault. The studio has since released an online version of the Wizkids Pirates Constructible Strategy Game.
Titles
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This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
- Tanarus (1997)
- EverQuest (March 1999)
- The Ruins of Kunark (March 2000)
- The Scars of Velious (December 2000)
- The Shadows of Luclin (December 2001)
- The Planes of Power (October 2002)
- The Legacy of Ykesha (February 2003)
- Lost Dungeons of Norrath (September 2003)
- Gates of Discord (February 2004)
- Omens of War (September 2004)
- Dragons of Norrath (February 2005)
- Depths of Darkhollow (September 2005)
- Prophecy of Ro (February 2006)
- The Serpent's Spine (September 2006)
- The Buried Sea (February 2007)
- PlanetSide (May 2003)
- Core Combat (October 2003)
- Star Wars Galaxies (June 2003)
- Jump to Lightspeed (October 2004)
- Rage of the Wookiees (May 2005)
- Trials of Obi-Wan (November 2005)
- EverQuest II (November 2004)
- The Bloodline Chronicles (March 2005)
- The Splitpaw Saga (June 2005)
- Desert of Flames (September 2005)
- Kingdom of Sky (February 2006)
- The Fallen Dynasty (June 2006)
- Echoes of Faydwer (November 2006)
- Vanguard: Saga of Heroes (January 2007) Co-Publishing
Station.com
SOE's Station.com is a portal to its PC, console, casual and mobile games. Many of the games offer free trials, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies and PlanetSide. There, users can immerse themselves in fantasy worlds full of intrigue and adventure. Users can take part in epic battles, embark on new challenges and band forces with other players.
Station.com also provides sneak previews to new games for Sony PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PSP, including Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, available November 2006.
Station.com partnered with Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment in August 2006, adding several casual and mobile games to the site.
References
- Keighley, Geoff (August 2002). The Sorcerer of Sony. Business 2.0.
