I dag annoncerede Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), at Everquest er på vej til PS2, under navnet EverQuest Online Adventures.
Og det er ikke småtterier man har planer om. Spillet vil benytte den kommende PS2 bredbånds adapter og der vil efter hvad som loves, ikke forekomme nævneværdige loadetider i PS2 udgaven.
Handlingen udspiller sig 500 år før PC versionen, hvilket betyder at det ikke er en ren konvertering, men derimod et selvstændigt spil. Du vil kunne vælge mellem ni spilbare racer, 13 karakter klasser, skræddersyede karakter features, og mere end 500 kvadratkilometer land lige til at udforske, plus meget, meget mere.
Det lyder vel egentlig ikke så dårligt - vel? Nedenfor har vi tre screenshots fra en tidlig version af spillet, plus lidt Concept Art, efterfulgt af et uddrag fra pressemeddelelsen.
EverQuest Online Adventures er sat til udgivelse i løbet af foråret 2003.
EverQuest Online Adventures is a completely new game, designed to take full advantage of the PlayStation 2 system’s capabilities. But like the original EverQuest, it will feature intricate character development, continuous player interaction and a strong sense of community, which is sure to create a phenomenon that PlayStation 2 gamers have never experienced before. With an installed base of more than 8.8 million units in the U.S., the PlayStation 2 represents an opportunity to expand the massively multiplayer online role-playing game onto new platforms, delivering a whole new genre to the console gamer.
"Quite simply, there is no other console game like this," said Don Vercelli, vice president of sales and marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. "The dedicated team at SOE has put in countless hours making sure that no other game would rival the level of character customization and atmospheric detail in EverQuest Online Adventures. This is truly a new experience for the console gamer."
Using the PlayStation 2 system’s network adaptor, available in stores this August, EverQuest Online Adventures will connect seamlessly to the Internet, directing players to dedicated EverQuest Online Adventures servers. By connecting directly to dedicated servers, SOE can help to ensure low latency gameplay and fast connection times. Gamers simply insert the disc and the world of Norrath is just a few button pushes away. By 2005, Gartner Group estimates that 18 percent of American households will own an online enabled game console.
Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), the online gaming division of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, is a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming. Headquartered in San Diego, California, SOE develops, publishes and distributes entertainment for the PC and online markets. With more than 12 million registered users, SOE’s award-winning website, The Station® (www.station.com) hosts a variety of entertaining games and player communities spanning all genres. In addition to blockbuster hits EverQuest® and Jeopardy! Online, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development such as PlanetSide™, Star Wars Galaxies™ and Sovereign™.