Posts Tagged ‘sony online entertainment’

NVIDIA Promotes F2P Titles With $150 of In-Game Money

11 February 2013 | No Comments » | iTZKooPA

Victor Kislyi is always good for a quote. The outspoken founder of Wargaming.net has pushed his company to new heights by constantly embracing changing metrics in of the free-to-play genre. Of which, he hopes there will be another shake-up. While waiting for said shake-up, which may include full adoption of F2P by console makers, Kislyi’s company is being highlighted as part of a new NVIDIA marketing promotion.

The company’s latest GPU bundle is supporting the F2P movement by incorporating up to $150 worth of in-game money for three graphically advanced titles, Wargaming.net’s own World of Tanks, SOE’s PlanetSide 2 and the disgustingly detailed Hawken.

Starting today, players simply need to purchase GeForce GTX 650 or 650 Ti to secure $75 in in-game scratch or a GeForce GTX 660 or higher (GTX 690!) to take full advantage and earn themselves $150.

PlanetSide 2 Sticking with Hardcore PvP, No NPCs Incoming

3 December 2012 | 4 Comments » | iTZKooPA

Time for a walkabout.

Back in August 2012, Sony Online Entertainment’s CEO John Smedley laid out the long-term plans for PlanetSide 2. Months ahead of the title’s release, Smedley discussed a wide variety of features that were in the early stages of development and were scheduled for post launch. Player-run bases, massive bodies of water to go along with the immense scope of the maps, dynamic and localized weather and NPCs.

Yeah, in the summer non-player characters were on the drawing board. After a bit of a hullabaloo over the weekend, Smedley popped out to address the resurgence of the six-month old plan. He told Massively “A lot of it is still being considered. We are going to tell the community about our longer term plan and let them have a very big say in where we go.”

We’ve already seen PlanetSide 2 modified at the request of players. But what about those entirely non-hardcore NPCs? “NPCs aren’t on the table for a long time, if ever,” Smedley added.

SOE Revises PlanetSide 2 Membership Benefits

3 October 2012 | No Comments » | iTZKooPA

PlanetSide 2 is one of many games about to be made available that offers a multitude of options for players to support the developer. Everything from not paying a cent to full subscription. The shooter has been in beta for sometime, which has allowed Sony Online Entertainment to collect enormous amounts of feedback on all aspects of the game, including how players were reacting to the early membership benefits.

Apparently, the playerbase wasn’t ecstatic with the benefits, which has caused SOE to modify them. Earlier this week, SOE posted revised and final membership benefits.

For $14.99 a month, subscribers will receive:

  • 25-50% increased resource gain.
  • 25-50% increased XP gain.
  • 25-50% increased passive cert point gain.
  • Note: Each of the above start at 25% and increase by 5% per month of sustained membership up to a total bonus of 50% each at 6+ months membership.
  • Priority login queue
  • Early Access to new cosmetic items on the store
  • 500 StationCash each month (a $5.00 value)

Notable changes include the removal of “increased resource pool caps,” removing a controversial pay-for-power benefit. The range in benefits are a result of membership lengths. To gain the full 50% increase players must purchase a six-month membership. Currently, the monthly option is the only membership package available.

Exclusive Video Interview: PlanetSide 2 Customization & Scope Increased

18 September 2012 | No Comments » | Heartbourne

What do you have when you have 2,000+ players on a single massive 8K map? That’d be PlanetSide 2. Tramell Isaac brings iTZKooPA up to speed on the latest and greatest changes to Sony Online Entertainment’s MMOFPS, including detailing strategic changes for night fights, the extreme level of granularity for customizing your payload.

Isaac brings to bear the massive differences between the original PlanetSide and the sequel at every turn. From vehicles to size to customization and character progress, PlanetSide 2 has an activity for every FPSer to excel at. Hit the jump for all the details. Continue Reading

Sony Bulks Up, Acquires Cloud-gaming Specialist Gaikai

2 July 2012 | No Comments » | iTZKooPA

Wondering what Sony’s plans are for the future of gaming. Not just Sony Online Entertainment, but the company’s console endeavors as well? Well, the purchase of cloud-gaming specialist Gaikai for a tidy sum of $380 million should shed some light on the future.

“SCE will deliver a world-class cloud-streaming service that allows users to instantly enjoy a broad array of content ranging from immersive core games with rich graphics to casual content anytime, anywhere on a variety of internet-connected devices.”

If you have not heard of Gaikai before, the company is responsible for setting up numerous streaming sessions of AAA titles, from an early look at the TERA demo to a collection of games from EA, Ubisoft and WBIE.

The original article continues down a console-oriented path, but the possibilities for Sony Online Entertainment’s properties are intriguing. Could we see added connectivity options through browser-based titles or basic access points? Will SOE look to develop on the platform? Does Gaikai’s technology allow for slicker cross-platform access?

What are your thoughts and expectations?

Another One Bites the Dust: Star War Galaxies Closing December 15, 2011

27 June 2011 | 3 Comments » | iTZKooPA

In space, no one hears you PEW, PEW!

It’s unfortunate that Another One Bites The Dust exists, but necessary. This column chronicles the fateful announcements ahead of an MMOGs’ downfall, a company closure or, in some truly sad cases, both. Grab your Big Gulp and let some hit the floor for the fallen.

Launched on June 26, 2003, Star Wars Galaxies became the first insanely recognized intellectual property to be turned into a Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game. The sandbox title, conceived and designed at Sony Online Entertainment (then Verant Interactive), attractive a respectable audience initially, including yours truly, thanks to the license and freedom to do whatever interested you. If fighting and exploring failed to interest you, then it was perfectly feasible to make a living in a cantina performing music or dance. The sandbox nature didn’t make it a huge hit with those seeking the action side of Star Wars, never reaching the glorious 1,000,000 subscriber mark, but the community that did indulge were hooked.

That’s until the Combat Update and New Game Enhancements came out, admitted mistakes by Sony Online Entertainment. Despite the foul ups, which came with dramatic increases in subscription cancellations, SWG ploughed on. No new, true expansion has been released since 2005’s Trials of Obi-Wan but updates continued. A card game was introduced as a major game update in 2008, followed by several expansions. The drought was the first sign. On June 24, 2011, just two days shy of its eight-year anniversary, John Smedley, President of SOE, announced that the plug had been pulled on SWG.

Smedley confessed that the license between LucasArts and SOE, which expires in 2012, was to blame.

Rumors of dwindling subscriber numbers, the upcoming third Star Wars MMOG (Clone Wars Adventures and The Old Republic), the PSN/SOE hack, recent SOE layoffs and other numerous red flags apparently had little impact. Smedley did repeatedly mention the “new game coming out,” going so far as to say “the BioWare Star Wars game is going to be amazing” in an interview.

I’ll miss you dedicated player housing, hidden master class (Jedi), secondary classes that were actually (non-combat) classes, non-instanced everything, proper space combat and wookies. You furry beasts.

Did you every enjoy SWG? What was your favorite feature?

PSA: SOE Games Back Online; Care Package Offered

16 May 2011 | No Comments » | iTZKooPA

I have a feeling that Fan Faire 2011 in July will be a bit different than previous years.

It all began on April 20, 2011, a breach of Sony’s servers days earlier lead to PSN and Qriocity
shutting down. Over a dozen days removed from the attack, Sony decided to close down its online games’ servers. Fifteen days later, gamers can finally resume playing their favorite Sony Online Entertainment run MMOGs. Over the weekend, the company slowly reactivated both SOE servers and PlayStation Network access across the globe. That covers DC Universe Online, Free Realms, EverQuest and Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, to name a few.

Now the fence-mending, lawsuit-dodging and customer-loyalty program(s) can begin.

Sony’s “Welcome Back” program is offering players with accounts in good standing the following measures of retribution.

All members can sign-up for 12 months of identity theft protection from Debix on Sony’s dime.

Subscriber members:

  • 45 days of game time (30 days plus 1 day per day of outage)
  • 500 Station Cash

Lifetime members:

  • Clone Wars Adventures™ – 7,500 Galactic Credits
  • Free Realms® – 20,000 Coin
  • DC Universe™ Online – 10 Marks of Distinction

Various titles are offering their own events and perks to welcome back players. This includes free vanity items, double XP, increased rare mob spawns, in-game currency and more. See the chart at the bottom of the “Welcome Back” post for the full breakdown.

Are you heading back or going cold turkey? For that matter, has the breach at Sony caused you to rethink having your information saved, or do you believe others companies are safer?

F2P The Lord of the Rings Online Begins September 10

18 August 2010 | No Comments » | iTZKooPA

Turbine Entertainment dropped us a line today to clarify the release date for free-to-play The Lord of the Rings Online.  Turbine’s other white meat will be making the move on September 10, 2010.

Announced in early June, LotRO is following its former red-headed stepbrother into the freemium business model.  Turbine Entertainment and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment are hopeful that LotRO can recreate the waterfall of money poured on when Dungeons & Dragons Online went freemium.  A move that was a last ditch effort to save the MMORPG.  Turbine’s “final fantasy” dramatically increased DDO’s subscriber base with the DDO cash shop raking in additional dough.  Its success lead directly to LotRO’s new business model, despite the game having healthy subscriber numbers.  Sony Online Entertainment is attempting to join the money train by creating a new EverQuest II payment option and server structure.

Turbine hasn’t been burning the extra money or using it as toilet paper, at least not all of it.  The company has invested its profits into DDO’s development to rapidly produce new content packs and even television commercials.  Case in point, Update 6 just went live, and we’ll see Update 7 in a few weeks at PAX Prime.

Hit the jump to check out the latest screens. Continue Reading