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SOE PS3 MMO news: Free Realms currently in cert, The Agency later this year

W

Withnail

Member
I thought this was thread-worthy.

SOE boss John Smedley has confirmed to Eurogamer the following:
  • The Agency for PS3/PC expected later this year
  • Free Realms PS3 is currently in SCEA submission and could be released in February. They will submit to SCEE after it's cleared SCEA cert.

Full story here.

Interesting news. I thought The Agency was dead! Also it sounds to me like Free Realms is going to be a PSN release.
 
S

Suzzopher

Member
I am going to bet that I will no longer be able to receive phone calls in the real world about things going on in The Agency.
 
A

Afrikan

Member
well at least people will finally get their Free PS3 MMO they have been asking for.

I wonder what the Agency will look like later this year. It took a drastic art direction change while back...and looked pretty good....It can only look better.
 
K

Kinan

Member
They took their time with Free Realms, PC release was almost two years ago.

FR is an excellent "kids" MMO, this is why I'll never show it to my kids. :p But my wife will probably enjoy it, it has aesthetics and gameplay similar in structure to those "social" iPad games she enjoys so much.
 
G

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
The most shocking bit of this article, if true, is that Planetside Next is penciled in for a Q1/Q2 release. Although SOE and release dates don't have a wonderful relationship...
 
C

Chris_C

Member
gofreak said:
The most shocking bit of this article, if true, is that Planetside Next is penciled in for a Q1/Q2 release. Although SOE and release dates don't have a wonderful relationship...
Click to expand...

Agreed, there was a story on Eurogamer a little while back where he announced it was coming soon. It's strange considering we haven't seen or heard anything about it at all.

That said, I'm looking forward to it much more so than the next Call of Duty, MOH or Battlefield. I played the original in the early days and it was ridiculously fun, even if it was horribly broken.
 
indigo-cyclops

indigo-cyclops

Member
For a minute I was thinking of AGENT but then remembered The Agency. Seems like it could be interesting? We'll see. Now what the hell is Free Realms?
 
S

SolidSnakex

Member
StuBurns said:
The Agency is the only MMO I have a vague interest, if it's free to play I'll pick it up I think.
Click to expand...

They tossed on around the free to play idea back when they were discussing making the game microtransaction based. There was apparently a backlash against that idea and they shot down the microtransaction mode a few months later. So it's probably going to have your typical MMO model. Which i'd definitely prefer over a microtransaction model.
 
S

Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew

Banned
The only MMO that can survive in this time and age is free2play with monetizing of items. Monthly subscriptions will not be that successful for PS3 MMO, with DC Universe being the ultimate test to prove me wrong. Difference is that DC Universe already has a massive line of fans and known storyline and characters to ensure Subscribers. The Agency should've released by now and would've been the ultimate test of selling a brand new MMO franchise, unless ofcourse they want to rack in a much as they can from Subscribers and then make it free2play. Something tells me The Agency is already almost complete and they are just waiting in on the success of DC universe to pick up PS3 MMO in North America, while using that time to polish the fuck outta it.
 
A

acksman

Member
StuBurns said:
The Agency is the only MMO I have a vague interest in, if it's free to play I'll pick it up I think.
Click to expand...

I doubt it. They may have a FTP model, but to advance you will need to spend cash.

It is a good tie in after all their previous PC MMOs to use the PS3 as a residual model on their games to maybe subsidize the PSN network.
 
S

StuBurns

Banned
SolidSnakex said:
They tossed on around the free to play idea back when they were discussing making the game microtransaction based. There was apparently a backlash against that idea and they shot down the microtransaction mode a few months later. So it's probably going to have your typical MMO model. Which i'd definitely prefer over a microtransaction model.
Click to expand...
Shame, we'll see though, I wouldn't be surprised to see a change of heart before release.
 
I

Iadien

Guarantee I'm going to screw up this post? Yeah.
Chris_C said:
Agreed, there was a story on Eurogamer a little while back where he announced it was coming soon. It's strange considering we haven't seen or heard anything about it at all.

That said, I'm looking forward to it much more so than the next Call of Duty, MOH or Battlefield. I played the original in the early days and it was ridiculously fun, even if it was horribly broken.
Click to expand...

It's typical of SoE, for the most part.
 
N

Noisepurge

Member
nice, PS3 MMO's are getting a lot more serious contenders now that DC Universe already launched and if we get both of these.
 
A

AndyD

aka andydumi
Kinan said:
They took their time with Free Realms, PC release was almost two years ago.

FR is an excellent "kids" MMO, this is why I'll never show it to my kids. :p But my wife will probably enjoy it, it has aesthetics and gameplay similar in structure to those "social" iPad games she enjoys so much.
Click to expand...

It is excellent.

It has changed so much since launch, in a very good way. I can see them making lots of money off it on PS3 if its as easy and accessible as the PC version. It combines the social aspects of Home with its myriad of costumes, items, and homes with minigames and a sense of progression. And 90% less creepiness.
 
T

theBishop

Banned
Wow, I thought The Agency was dead after so many years of near-silence. I still think the concept is cool, but who knows what the actual game is at this point.
 
S

SolidSnakex

Member
theBishop said:
Wow, I thought The Agency was dead after so many years of near-silence. I still think the concept is cool, but who knows what the actual game is at this point.
Click to expand...

It was shown at last years E3. They gave it a pretty big visual makeover

the-agency-20100616111452430.jpg

the-agency-20100616111535116.jpg

the-agency-20100616111510835.jpg
 
S

supermackem

Banned
AndyD said:
It is excellent.

It has changed so much since launch, in a very good way. I can see them making lots of money off it on PS3 if its as easy and accessible as the PC version. It combines the social aspects of Home with its myriad of costumes, items, and homes with minigames and a sense of progression. And 90% less creepiness.
Click to expand...

I wonder if its going to hit eu store next week?. Interested in this to pass sometime in between shooting things.
 
Z

Zen

Banned
AndyD said:
It is excellent.

It has changed so much since launch, in a very good way. I can see them making lots of money off it on PS3 if its as easy and accessible as the PC version. It combines the social aspects of Home with its myriad of costumes, items, and homes with minigames and a sense of progression. And 90% less creepiness.
Click to expand...


I can see it tuning home into a bit of a ghost town (or at least impacting it somewhat). Home never managed to tie into Playstation games in a meaningful way (it would have been neat if your trophy level acted as a character level in Home somehow) and Free realms has tons of content.
 
W

Willy Wanka

my god this avatar owns
I'm going to try and download it now. Free is free after all.

edit - or later since it's not on the UK store yet
 
M

Morn

Banned
FreeRealms isn't free.

It's basically a demo for the PaidRealms MMO. You can play to level 4 or 5 and then you have to pay.
 
F

Fersis

It is illegal to Tag Fish in Tag Fishing Sanctuaries by law 38.36 of the GAF Wildlife Act
Morn said:
FreeRealms isn't free.

It's basically a demo for the PaidRealms MMO. You can play to level 4 or 5 and then you have to pay.
Click to expand...
Well that sucks.
I was expecting micro transactions with costumes and that kind of stuff.
But since ive never played an MMO i will try it.
 
T

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Morn said:
FreeRealms isn't free.

It's basically a demo for the PaidRealms MMO. You can play to level 4 or 5 and then you have to pay.
Click to expand...

And from what I hear, the PS3 trophies won't let you get a platinum for free as it wants a level 20 skill trophy, which is paid for.

I was kinda excited for it as a trophy whore, then I went "meh" toward it. I may download it and check it out on a separate PSN account, but that's about it.
 
element

element

Member
Kintaro said:
The Agency is a lie. I wonder if that game will ever come out.
Click to expand...
I wondering if anyone even works at SOE Seattle anymore. I swear I'm getting linkedin updates all the time from people leaving and going to other Seattle studios or Detonator Games, which was founded by the founders of SOE Seattle (FireAnt Games).
 
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