SOE Acquires PoxNora From Octopi, LLC

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) now owns the ground-breaking, critically acclaimed PoxNora online collectible strategy game and the other key assets for future game development from Tucson-based Octopi, LLC. As part of the acquisition, members of the Octopi development team will form the core of SOE’s new Tucson studio, focusing on the continuing support of PoxNora as well as working with SOE’s Denver studio on new trading card and strategy game projects. The transaction closed Friday, January 16, 2009.

“Our strategy and trading card games have been successful beyond our wildest dreams,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “Expanding with a great product like PoxNora and the outstanding development team from Octopi gives us a chance to extend our strategy game offerings and enhance the ones we already field.”

“We could not be more excited about becoming part of the Sony Online Entertainment family,” said Dan Kopycienski, president of Octopi. “We have always been passionate about developing unique and creative games for our customers, and now with the support of SOE, we will have the opportunity to take our products to that next level.”

Based in Tucson, Arizona, Octopi, LLC. are the developers of PoxNora, a successful online game that combines aspects of traditional card games with turn-based strategy games to give players a unique game experience. Seven successful expansions provide a strong base for current success, as well as building a sturdy foundation for the future.

The new SOE Tucson studio will work closely with SOE’s Denver studio on maintaining and expanding SOE’s lineup of strategy games, as well as pushing into new genres and developing new projects. More information on Octopi and its titles can be found at www.octopi.com.

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

SOE Hosting Fundraising Drive For Child’s Play Charity

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is making it easier for players of its popular online video games to support charity in its Child’s Play 2009 Winter Charity Drive – and get cool new in-game items in the process. In a month-long fundraising campaign beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, SOE will donate $10 each time an EverQuest or EverQuest II player buys a specific Child’s Play item on the Marketplace with Station Cash (SC), SOE’s recently introduced in-game currency.

To support the ongoing efforts by Child’s Play to improve the lives of hospitalized children worldwide, EverQuest players will be able to buy the Child’s Play Guktan Shield Ornamentation, and EverQuest II players can purchase the Child’s Play Bouncing Baby Bear Cub.

“SOE and our players have been staunch supporters of this charity since 2003, and with the integration of Station Cash into our online games, teaming up with Child’s Play for this online campaign was an easy decision,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment.

Founded in 2003, Child’s Play is a game industry charity that is dedicated to providing children with toys and age-appropriate games at more than 40 hospitals worldwide.

For more information, visit www.childsplaycharity.org and www.station.com.