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SOE Announces Two New EverQuest Expansions, Fan Fairies Get Them Free
Posted by Michael McWhertor at 12:00 PM on August 16, 2008
Sony Online Entertainment announced today at its Fan Faire gathering that both the original EverQuest and its sequel, EverQuest II, would see a new expansion each. EverQuest Seeds of Destruction, the 15th (!!) expansion for the MMO, will be released on October 21, with EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey available on November 18. That would be EQ II's fifth expansion, if you're keeping count.
The good news for those who paid good money to get to Fan Faire was that each attendee would get the expansions free. Well, you know... "free"
The full list of features, including new zones, new dungeons and a higher level cap, in both SOE expansions is contained within the press release after the jump.
LEGACY OF EVERQUEST® FRANCHISE CONTINUES WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF EverQuest® AND EverQuest® II EXPANSIONS AT FAN FAIRE
All attendees to Receive Both Expansions for Free as Part of Living Legacy Program!
LAS VEGAS, NEV. - Aug. 15, 2008 - Thousands of video game enthusiasts are in Las Vegas for the annual Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire where the upcoming expansions for the online role-playing games EverQuest® (EQ) and EverQuest® II (EQII) were just announced. EverQuest® Seeds of Destruction™ is scheduled to be available on Oct.21, and EverQuest® II The Shadow Odyssey™ is scheduled to be available on Nov.18. As part of SOE's extensive Living Legacy program designed to entice new and past EQ and EQII players into the games and reward the existing loyal playerbase, all Fan Faire attendees will receive the software for both expansions for free, an unprecedented offering.
"It is such a privilege to announce the upcoming expansions for two of our most popular games, EverQuest and EverQuest II, in a venue like Fan Faire where we are joined by thousands of our loyal fans, and it seems more than appropriate to give those fans access to both of the expansions for free," said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. "Both of these expansions are rich in content and adventure, and will provide our players with hours of excitement as they explore the online world of Norrath."
EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey is the fifth expansion for the critically acclaimed EQII franchise and follows the award-winning and best-selling Rise of KunarkTM expansion. New players and veterans alike will journey through a substantial amount of exquisite content with more than 20 new zones, including the Moors of Ykesha, a massive outdoor zone once known as Innothule Swamp, and the legendary dungeon Guk. Throughout the summer months, players were treated to prelude events, such as the Void Storms, that gave them a glimpse into the expansion lore and content from The Shadow Odyssey, building the anticipation leading up to the launch.
EverQuest is rapidly approaching its 10th anniversary, and Seeds of Destruction is the 15th expansion for the genre-defining online game. For the first time ever, players will have the ability to hire non-player characters (NPCs) to aid them in their heroic endeavours in Seeds of Destruction. These mercenaries will be valuable player assets as they thwart the efforts of Discord's Dark God. This expansion also includes a level cap increase to 85, new dynamic high-level raid content, new spells and new alternate advancement abilities.
EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey Feature Set:
· New Zones: Journey through more than 20 new zones, including the new overland zone, Innothule Swamp.
· Dungeon Adventures: Experience nostalgic EverQuest dungeon themes, such as Najena, Mistmoore and The Sebilisian Empire, and adventure through more than 18 goal-based dungeons, such as Ruins of Guk and Befallen.
· Achievement Point: An achievement level cap increase to 200 that offers new achievements for class-specific lines.
· Dungeon Delving: A new mission system for players to replay content with new and different experiences.
· Heritage Quests: Five new quests with unique rewards being added.
· Shard Reward System: A new, mysterious group of erudites with powerful new armour and equipment will barter for void shards earned during players' encounters
· Epic Tales: Stories told through battles with dozens of new creatures and hundreds of new quests.
· New Deities: Rodcet Nife and Anashti Sul are introduced into Norrath.
· Access to All Previous Content: Includes all previous expansion packs and adventure packs.
· Legends of Norrath: Includes strategic online trading card game, digital starter deck and booster pack.EverQuest Seeds of Destruction Feature Set:
* Mercenaries: Player-controlled NPCs are now available and will not only scale to the appropriate level, but also think and act for themselves with limited player guidance. Designed for extra support or extra muscle in PvE encounters, mercenary archetypes include a variety of classes from all playable races.
* Level Cap Increase: Players can now achieve level 85 with new high-level item sets, new alternate advancement ability lines and new spells.
* 20 New Zones: Features re-imagined classic content and brand-new realms for adventurers to explore, including the eerie wasteland of the Void, the Battle of Rathe on the Plane of Earth and the ultimate Heart of Darkness in the Plane of Discord.
* Access to All Previous Content - Includes all features and content from the 14 previous expansion packs.
* Legends of Norrath: Includes strategic online trading card game, digital starter deck, booster pack and loot item.In addition to attending exclusive panels this weekend at Fan Faire, eligible players with active accounts will receive early access to beta for one or both games, depending on their preference. EQ's public beta is anticipated to begin on Aug. 19, and EQII's public beta is anticipated to begin on Sept. 2.
For more expansion information from EverQuest Seeds of Destruction and a free trial of EverQuest, visit www.everquest.com.
For expansion information from on EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey and a free trial of EverQuest II, visit www.everquest2.com.
About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognised worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
TheGuero
Posted 12:50 PM 16/8/08
Sooo.....whats the level cap now? 200? I didn't read the press release.
TheGuero
Ecks
Posted 12:41 PM 16/8/08
I played EverQuest WAY back when it first came out, then took a break from it and my account was stolen... Which kinda stopped me from ever having a chance to go back to it for nostalgia reasons. And Sony was of NO use recovering it whatsoever! (Something about information that "is impossible to have been changed" having been changed by someone...)
Ecks
resvrgam
Posted 12:41 PM 16/8/08
Hey SOE art director, yeah you; the fella that said the EQ II engine was designed to shine on future hardware, how does the game shine now? Has the future hardware been released yet? I can't tell, because like most MMOG players, we're NOT playing your horrible game.
resvrgam
kitsuneconundrum
Posted 12:38 PM 16/8/08
why dont they make part 3?
kitsuneconundrum
taftsearlobe33
Posted 12:35 PM 16/8/08
well at least you can never complain there is not enough content
taftsearlobe33
R3load
Posted 12:21 PM 16/8/08
Oops, forgot the rest of my comment. I like that they bring out expansions pretty regularly. It surely shows they are dedicated to the game and subscribers can continue to look for more adventures. Most MMO's get a bit boring end game with nothing new to do.
R3load
R3load
Posted 12:18 PM 16/8/08
Meh, the game to me is just uninspiring for some reason. Not saying it is not good, but it doesn't scream "go out and give me a try." I did like this game the first week I played it though.
R3load
GrimCW
Posted 12:17 PM 16/8/08
the games were good.. but this new expansion per year is murdering the game as it ruins the experience for any new players, and charges old players full price for the expansion that comes WITH all the original expansions and game...
not to mention the EQ2 lore is so busted and wrong that the devs had to make excuses about a "parallel dimension" to appease players...
talk about just plain lazy assedness in learning the game lore so you can make a damned sequel.
it's like playing Halo 1, then Halo 3, and never knowing wtf is with the elites being on the human side, but having it treated as though they always were, and no solid explanation as to why the change took place.
GrimCW
Bigfoot
Posted 12:15 PM 16/8/08
@Shane-Meh: You don't have to buy them separately. They usually have all-in-one packs that are usually around $29.99, and they include all the current expansions up to date.
Bigfoot
Bigfoot
Posted 12:14 PM 16/8/08
EQII is a pretty good game, it just sucks that their engine was supposed to be dependent on a fast, single core CPU.
Bigfoot
Diesel_Power
Posted 12:14 PM 16/8/08
Bad idea for SOE. Everyone who was going to buy those expansions was probably attending the fan faire.
Diesel_Power
Shane-Meh
Posted 12:10 PM 16/8/08
Who would buy 15 expansions?
Shane-Meh
NiGHTSSTUDiO
Posted 12:09 PM 16/8/08
Never did play EQ, I was playing Runescape and Maple Story at the time.
NiGHTSSTUDiO
jettokisora
Posted 12:09 PM 16/8/08
Dear Sony,
EQ Classic server or GTFO.
Signed,
Everyone
jettokisora
Ad-hominem
Posted 12:08 PM 16/8/08
I know this will be echoed a dozen times in the comments section, but honestly: Who still plays Everquest?
Ad-hominem
Cell9song
Posted 1:18 PM 16/8/08
Classic EQ looks almost cell shaded now. I had a pretty good time with EQII given that I'm not into fantasy themes or MMOG's. I tend to get sick of most games within 2 months though so it never lasted for me.
Cell9song
Dalren
Posted 3:32 PM 16/8/08
@resvrgam: EQ2 has improved a lot since it's release. It's still garbage compared to WoW but it's not total suck now.
Dalren
Calhoun
Posted 4:15 PM 16/8/08
Those are some... astoundingly generic art assets.
Art Monkey: "I call this piece: Lizards Standing On a Featureless, Perfectly Flat Plain. And this next one is entitled: 100 Identical Red Orcs Milling Aimlessly In a Large, Empty Room."
Executive: "Whatever! GAME IS GOLD, SHIP IT!" (lighting cigar with a smoldering fragment of the true cross)
Calhoun
harlock_JDS
Posted 9:57 PM 16/8/08
@Dalren: To each their own i guess. If i was going to play a onine RPG it would be EQ2 not Wow. I have tried both and enjoyed EQ2 a lot more.
harlock_JDS
cap-n-crunch
Posted 1:20 AM 17/8/08
@Inverse Logic: thnx I might try it now I own a computer that can handle it.
cap-n-crunch
Inverse Logic
Posted 1:13 AM 17/8/08
@cap-n-crunch: Yes, you have to pay, and no, it was never on the PS2. You're thinking of one of those spin off games.
Inverse Logic
cap-n-crunch
Posted 1:05 AM 17/8/08
I've never played Everquest 1 or 2. Or any other mmorpg, besides trying WOW a month. I would like to try EQ 1. I wonder if you still have to play a monthly charge and are you still able to play it on PS2?
cap-n-crunch
gblock
Posted 1:01 AM 17/8/08
This is really uninspiring stuff. Sure, it might be more fun to play than its screenshots may infer, but EverQuest 2 is to modern gaming what Second Life is to the holodeck. I mean, really - the first game to encourage you to bag it while you're playing.
gblock
shadow763
Posted 2:23 AM 17/8/08
@cap-n-crunch: I would say dont play it if WOW didnt blow your mind.
I played it just before EQII came out and I dont want to sound like a graphics snob, but that was just hard to get past. Then coupled with that I was killed by rat on one of many desolate plains, and it sounds like a recipe for a good time.
I mean a rat? A rat? I could just squish it. Maybe thats why I have a problem with RPGs. The suspension of disbelief is just too high.
shadow763
ShineyBlueShoes
Posted 12:10 PM 17/8/08
I always wanted to like EQ2 so much but it just never did anything for me, so many little misses.
ShineyBlueShoes
trigger2
Posted 2:26 PM 17/8/08
I keep quitting EQ2, but I always come back. For some reason I can't leave it. I played EQ1 for years, maybe that's the reason.
BTW, I still think it's the best looking MMO out there and it runs fine on my laptop.
trigger2
weblet51
Posted 1:13 AM 18/8/08
I still have fond memories of EQ but seriously I think its time to turn off the life support and let it die in peace.
weblet51
Metal_Gear_Mk_3
Posted 12:18 PM 16/8/08
i cant believe people still play this
Metal_Gear_Mk_3
Zunnoab
Posted 4:55 PM 19/8/08
@weblet51: As a raid leader in an active raid guild I disagree. There are still thousands of players on each server and the game is thriving even if it isn't as populous as it once was. Just because you don't play it anymore doesn't mean others don't. The game is constantly evolving and I still quite enjoy it, even if the main reason I play is for my guild.
Zunnoab