SOE To Distribute Games On Steam

Valve Corporation and Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announce the availability of some of SOE’s extensive library of Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) titles on Steam, a leading platform for the delivery and management of PC games and digital content with over 15 million accounts around the world.

The SOE developed and/or published titles now available include the complete EverQuest® (EQ) and EverQuest® II (EQII) collections, as well as Vanguard: Saga of Heroes® and Pirates of the Burning Sea™. To kick off this monumental event, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, EQ Secrets of Faydwer and EQII Rise of Kunark are being offered by Valve at a special introductory price for the first 10 days the games are available for purchase on Steam. New SOE game accounts for the game purchased will also receive 30 days of gameplay included with purchase (this offer excludes existing game and Station Access accounts).

In addition, the recently released expansions EverQuest® Seeds of Destruction™ and EverQuest® II The Shadow Odyssey™ are available for purchase.

“Sony Online Entertainment propelled the MMO genre and PC gaming into new era with the launch of EverQuest,” said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve. “SOE continues to evolve the genre and PC gaming with new universes such as Vanguard and Pirates of the Burning Sea, while continuously expanding the EverQuest and EverQuest II worlds with over 20 total expansions delivered electronically since the first EQ was released in March 1999.”

“We are always looking for additional ways to introduce our great catalog of games to new audiences. It’s hard to think of a larger group of PC gamers interested in multiplayer games than those connecting to Steam,” said John Smedley, president of SOE. “We’ve long been a leader in MMOs and this agreement will help bring our exciting content to millions of additional online gamers around the world.”

For more information, please visit steamgames.com

EverQuest’s Legends of Norrath Set, Against the Void, Arrives In February

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) announced today that the Ethernauts’ journey continues with the sixth Legends of Norrath set, Against the Void. Scheduled for release next month, Against the Void pushes the epic story of the previous set, Ethernauts, into dark new territory, while also adding more than 280 new gameplay cards, 16 new loot cards for both EverQuest and EverQuest II, two new playable avatar races, and 10 brand-new scenarios.

In response to Legends of Norrath’s overwhelming success, SOE is also extending its five booster pack promotion so that all EverQuest and EverQuest II subscribers with paid subscriptions in good standing will receive five digital Legends of Norrath trading card booster packs per month at no additional cost.

“The response to the five booster pack promotion has exceeded our expectations, which is why we’re continuing it with Against the Void,” said Scott Martins, director of development for SOE Denver. “We love seeing all the new faces in our lobbies and tournaments, and there really is no better time for new players to try Legends of Norrath.”

Against the Void Features:

The Story of the Ethernauts Continues – Against the Void is the second of three chapters in the epic Ethernauts storyline! Players of EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey will instantly recognize the characters and settings from Ethernauts and Against the Void, and learn more about the backstory of the most recent MMO release.

New Cards – More than 280 new gameplay cards are available through booster packs, tournaments, promotions and scenarios.

New Gameplay – Cards with the new keyword “Attuned” change factions to match the player’s avatar, opening up exciting new gameplay strategies.

New Loot! – How would you like your very own traveling band? Or turn yourself into a Voidman Warrior? Or ride through Norrath on a Fiery Dire Bear or White Lion? This is all possible with 16 new loot cards each for EverQuest and EverQuest II.

New Playable Avatars and Characters – Against the Void introduces new Fae and Arasai playable avatars, and features units representing Knights, Gnomes, Orcs and Iksars.

New Scenarios – Against the Void will offer 10 brand-new scenarios, continuing the story of the Ethernauts and offering exciting loot for completing certain milestones. You’ll have to fight your way through a variety of different enemies before the final battle with Sartar the Unrivaled, a mighty Iskar hero!

Five Booster Packs per Month Extended! – SOE is extending its five booster pack per month promotions to EverQuest and EverQuest II subscribers with current, paid accounts in good standing. This is a great way to quickly build a collection of cards to bring into Legends of Norrath and begin playing.

Legends of Norrath Against the Void will be available in February in 15-card booster packs for $2.99 USD (plus applicable taxes). Also look for the Ethernauts Legendary Starter Pack for $19.99 USD (plus applicable taxes).

Developed at SOE’s Denver studio, Legends of Norrath is the only online trading card game based on and playable from within SOE’s popular EverQuest and EverQuest II MMOs, as well as from a free stand-alone client using a free SOE Station Account ID (available at www.station.com). Players can challenge opponents on their game server and across other EverQuest and EverQuest II servers.

To get started, players can for free, test their skills 24 hours a day against AI and real opponents, and then head over to the tournament lobby to compete. Tournament eligibility is limited and subject to Official Rules. Residents of certain territories are ineligible to participate in LoN tournament play. Please see the for details. For a schedule of events, rules and further details, see the or the . For more information on Legends of Norrath, visit the website at www.legendsofnorrath.com.

EverQuest: The 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition Book Exclusive Cover Art Unveiled

It has been a decade since Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) rewrote the rules and forever changed the video game industry with its massively multiplayer online game, EverQuest. To celebrate the historic milestone, today SOE held a private event at the Consumer Electronics Show to unveil the exclusive cover art being used for an upcoming book that recounts how the story of Norrath became a global phenomenon and attracted millions of players.

The art for EverQuest: The 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition, created by master artist Donato Giancola and displayed for the first time at CES 2009, shows iconic elf princess Firiona Vie leading a band of adventurers into battle against an evil wizard and his enormous dragon ally in the Swamp of No Hope.

“We are thrilled that a talented artist such as Donato has created an exclusive masterpiece in honor of the celebration of the EQ legacy,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “The cover brings together a special selection of EverQuest artwork and documents the quintessence of an intensive creative process over the last decade.”

EverQuest: The 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition celebrates EverQuest’s legacy by taking a look at the past, present and future of the brand. The book, written by veteran video game book author Rusel DeMaria, includes essays and photographs of the events, products, personalities and art that graced the world of Norrath over the years. Rich in vivid detail, each page will help tell the story of the evolution and its place in our culture.

SOE will also hold special events around the country in honor of the 10th Anniversary of EverQuest throughout 2009.

The book, published by BradyGames, will be available for purchase online and at select retailers in North America later this year for a suggested retail price of $49.99. Pre-orders are available at www.bradygames.com/everquest10.