I think the Ancient Gaming Noob is onto something. The change in culture between divisions is definitely behind the sudden urgency of bringing gamers back to SOE MMOs.

I also think he's right that this may herald a sea-change in how SOE does business. I don't know what kind of wisdom SCE may bring to revitalizing the EQ-niverse, but I'm sure they will at least bring urgency and competitiveness to the table, which may make it a closer fight.

Sony has cosmic resources to draw upon, yet in classic big-company fashion, they have consistently failed to capitalize on their advantages and smaller, more focused companies have passed them by. If SCE can light a fire under SOE, we may find a scrappier, more nimble contender in months and years to come.