EverQuest Next

With Guild Wars 2 in the offing, long-time Guild Wars fans have an interesting dilemma on their hands. Trading up is probably a foregone conclusion in most cases, but abandoning Guild Wars altogether may sting a bit if you've invested a lot of time and energy into the original incarnation of Tyria.

The same could be said for faithful EverQuest fans when EverQuest II rolled around in 2004, and perhaps again whenever Sony Online Entertainment formalizes its EverQuest Next project. For today's Daily Grind, then, we'd like to know how easily you could leave your current MMO if a sequel were to materialize. We know you'd check out the new shiny, but would you leave the older title for good?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

While we heard about Sony Online Entertainment's partnership with ProSiebenSat.1 Games Group to publish MMOs in Europe last month, the specific details of this deal were lurking under a cloud cover of mystery and speculation -- until now. SOE has posted a quite lengthy FAQ about this partnership and what it entails for the future of the studio in the Old World.

According to the deal, ProSiebenSat.1 has the license to officially publish eight of SOE's titles in 40 countries. These MMOs include DC Universe Online, EverQuest II, Free Realms, PlanetSide 2, and EverQuest Next (although not, oddly enough, EverQuest itself). SOE hopes that ProSiebenSat.1's location and expertise will result in in a greater audience for its games as well as more support and better localization for those under ProSiebenSat.1's umbrella. SOE even hopes that the partnership will result in "special content" for European players.

Previously, SOE had distribution agreements for Europe but nothing on the scale of what it now has with ProSiebenSat.1. It looks like EU players will need to transfer their accounts and characters over to ProSiebenSat.1's domain, although SOE promises that this will be an easy process. It's also important to note that these games and their servers will not interact with their North American counterparts, effectively separating the communities.

While I'm on board the Star Wars: The Old Republic train (at least until SOE's Star Wars: The New Republic comes out in 2014 and forces SWTOR to shut down), I can certainly sympathize with the frustration that non-fans are feeling right about now. There are few things more annoying than not being into the latest craze -- or hating it outright -- and yet being unable to escape it.

So I'm here to say to you today that, like World of Warcraft, SWTOR isn't the be-all, end-all of the MMO field. It's a part of it, but just one part, and there are many, many others in the works as we speak. Mama always told me never to put all your eggs in one basket anyway, so I'm spreading my eggcitement across many cyber-nests.

This is the bone I'm throwing to all of you this week: a list of 10 Midichlorian-free MMOs that have me -- and should have you -- extremely buzzed about their development. In putting together this list, I realized that there are so many promising prospects that I divided them into two groups. This week I'm presenting the strongest contenders that should make it to launch with a solid product, while next time I'll list promising prospects that may be more of a long shot. I'm 47% confident that I will not forget your most-anticipated title.

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It's impossible to deny the huge influence that EverQuest has had on the face of MMOs, something reflected by its recent induction into the GDC Hall of Fame. According to John Smedley, however, the game is in no way experiencing a decline. In a recent interview, he compares the game to several older gaming franchises such as Dungeons & Dragons, noting that he hopes to keep the game vibrant and updating for several years to come.

Smedley also touches briefly on EverQuest Next, saying that he hopes the team can deliver something akin to the re-envisioning of the Star Trek franchise in the 2009 film. He goes on to discuss the change in DC Universe Online, the possibility for future projects on the upcoming PS Vita, and other projects further on down the line. It's an interesting look at what's next for a game that's defined the MMO since its launch.

If there's one thing that came out of Fan Faire about EQ Next, it's that no one will talk about EQ Next. No matter who you talked to, any time the subject came up, the answer was always, "I can't talk about that." However, Executive Producer Dave "SmokeJumper" Georgeson sat down with Massively during Fan Faire to talk more about EverQuest II, and during that interview, he did give a tiny glimpse into what that game would be like.

In this week's Tattered Notebook, Massively gets the scoop on Beastlords, the dungeon builder, Freeport's revamp, and much more.

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As a long-time movie buff, I've always been fascinated by sequels. I know, they have a terrible reputation and everyone gets this face like he's digesting a porcupine when discussing them, but there's something fun about them as well. I think we always want a good story to continue, to see what happens next, and to answer the question, "What would the first film be like if it were put in the hands of a complete boob?" It would be an entertaining trainwreck, that's what.

Even though the MMORPG genre is in its toddler stage, it's seen a number of sequels, prequels and spin-offs, just the same as other types of entertainment. Video game sequels for hit titles are safer financial investments than striking out into new territory, so it makes sense that MMO studios would follow this pattern as well.

Right now there are loads of MMO sequels and spin-offs in the works -- including EverQuest Next, PlanetSide Next, Guild Wars 2, Mabinogi 2, MapleStory 2, Phantasy Star Online 2, Dust 514, and even a possible Ultima Online sequel -- so it's safe to say that the trend won't be dying down anytime soon. However, today I want to look at 10 sequels that already made it to release and briefly examine how they stacked up to their predecessors. Oh yes, there will be blood after the jump -- and I will drink your milkshake!

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Sony's network security woes continued over the weekend, and the light at the end of the tunnel still seems like a distant pin prick for the embattled gaming giant and its displaced customers. Bloomberg reports that Sony spokesman Shigenori Yoshida indicated the company plans to restart Playstation Network services by May 31st, which would bring the total downtime to a whopping 41 days.

Nick Caplin, head of communications for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, posted an update to the European PlayStation blog hinting at the reasons for a longer delay. "We expected to have the services online within a week. We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of the incredibly complex system," he wrote.

While the PS3 versions of both Free Realms and DC Universe Online fall under the PSN umbrella, no word has been forthcoming as to a restart date for the rest of SOE's MMO stable, which includes the PC versions of the aforementioned titles as well as EverQuest and EverQuest II.

[Update: CNET is reporting that Sony is considering a reward for information leading to the capture of the hackers. Meanwhile, Sony is apparently contesting reports about the May 31st date, suggesting no such hard deadline for PSN resumption exists.]

In case you haven't been paying attention to the world, Japan was hit with a devastating tsunami a couple of weeks ago. Since then, multiple MMO companies have donated to the restoration. According to a post on the EverQuest II site, the Sony Corporation has donated 300 million yen (3.6 million U.S. dollars) to the Central Community Chest of Japan and hopes to donate more as needed.


Monday will mark the last day you'll be able to make these purchases, so if you play any of these games or would just like to make a donation, the sooner the better!

Paying for subscriptions with a credit card is definitely fast and easy, but if you're a regular Sony Online Entertainment game subscriber, you might want to consider switching to a game time card this month! As a way of rewarding players for picking up and paying with universal game cards, Sony Online Entertainment is giving players $10 worth of Station Cash (1,000 SC) just for redeeming a $15 universal game card. The nice thing about these cards? They can be redeemed for either a month's subscription to an SOE game or 1,500 Station Cash. However, to get the bonus cash, you'll have to redeem your card between 3:10 a.m. EDT (12:10 a.m. PDT) on March 17th and 2:59 a.m. on March 21st (11:59 p.m. PDT on March 20th).

Along with getting an extra Station Cash reward for using a universal game card during those days, players will be entered into SOE's Luck of the Irish sweepstakes, the details of which should be out sometime this week. We'd also note that SOE's disclaimer indicates that the promotion is only available to gamers in the United States/District of Columbia and excludes Puerto Rico and other outlying territories. Keep your eye on the forums or the SOE Facebook account for all the sweepstakes information and official rules.

I've been asked by readers, many times, to put together a comparison of cash-shop prices. I have always avoided the topic for one glaring reason: There is no constant. Sure, I can tell you how much you get for a dollar, but a wonderful mount in one game might not even be recognized as a mount in another! Quality is subjective, so how would I attempt to measure that? Also, if we wanted to compare the hundreds of cash-shop games out there, we would simply not have enough room. Yes, there are hundreds -- with more coming all the time.

Let's be really conservative, though. I broke it down into 10 games that Massively readers will probably recognize or care about. Not all Massively readers, granted, but many, I am sure. It would do me no good to compare some tiny, indie game to Lord of the Rings Online, simply because I would be met with the equivalent of a blank stare. Such is the unfortunate state of gaming right now.

After I marked up the list of 10, I lost two straightaway because -- while they have a cash shop in the technical sense -- those cash shops aren't something that can be put up against the others, or they have many items that just wouldn't make much sense. For example, I can tell you how much you can get for 10 dollars in Mabinogi and that you can sell some of those items to possibly purchase a house, but then we have to discuss the variable cost of the house, the upkeep -- on and on. I will definitely have to do a much larger list at some point.

Anyway, read on, and I will put notes where needed. Let this serve one main purpose: to prove that there is no constant in cash shops and no generalities -- it's all up to the individual to decide on the quality and value of the items.

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It's absolutely no surprise to anyone that MMO companies pay attention to what the others are doing. Turbine looked at free-to-play models and took a chance that has paid off. Cryptic is now testing the waters. Even Sony Online Entertainment has done this with Free Realms and EverQuest II. And of course, everyone watches what Blizzard is doing. After all, with 12 million subscribers, there are things to be learned from the champion MMO company. Now, with World of Warcraft's new expansion on the horizon, SOE's president, John Smedley, offered up some of his opinions to Kotaku -- opinions on Cataclysm and on how Blizzard's decisions relate to SOE's own future plans for EverQuest II.

According to the posted statements, not only have the heads at SOE been considering a worldwide reboot like Cataclysm, but the news is that it is something they've considered for "many years." Beyond this surprise (after all, there was already a cataclysmic event in Norrath's lore -- players just didn't get to play that part as it fell between EverQuest and EverQuest II) was the even larger surprise that came with Smedley's assertion that EverQuest II players are not World of Warcraft players. "We have five years of World of Warcraft experience behind us to know that people that play EverQuest II don't play World of Warcraft. We don't see big dips in concurrency. We see a tiny drop for awhile."

For the rest of the interview, head over to Kotaku and check it out in its entirety. It's definitely interesting reading.

EverQuest Next, the surprise news out of this year's Fan Faire, has certainly gathered a lot of attention from the general MMOGsphere since word broke about the game last night. Across Twitter, Facebook, and myriad blogs, many people are wondering just precisely what the plans are, and what this new incarnation of the world of Norrath might be like.

Well, the developers behind the game sat down with attendees at Fan Faire not only to show off screenshots and concept art from EverQuest Next, but also to solicit questions and ideas from the SOE-devoted -- and they've captured it all on video for those of us who couldn't make it! While they stress that this is all in the very early stages, there are some great insights on the thinking behind this reboot of their beloved franchise. There's also some information on what players can expect with regard to support for subscribers of EverQuest and EverQuest II once EverQuest Next comes out. If you're hungry for more details straight from the people behind this surprising new title, then check out the videos behind the break!

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