Sony & Vanguard

[Dolby]

Wow, I never saw this coming....
(Hope it comes on the station pass)

For Immediate Release

VANGUARD: SAGA OF HEROES FINDS A NEW HOME
- Sigil Games Online and Sony Online Entertainment In Talks To Co-Publish Sigil’s Ground-Breaking New Game -

May 5, 2006 – Carlsbad & San Diego, CA – Sigil Games Online and Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced that Sigil is working with Microsoft Game Studios on an arrangement to acquire the rights to its highly anticipated massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. These efforts have resulted in a tentative agreement for Vanguard to be co-published by both Sigil Games Online and SOE. All three companies will be showing the game at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) as they work closely together for a successful transition. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is scheduled to launch this winter.

“As the development process is ongoing and constantly shifting, it became clear that MGS and Sigil had varying visions and direction for the title’s development,” said Brad McQuaid, CEO of Sigil Games Online. “In the best interest of Vanguard, it was decided that we would buy back the publishing rights from Microsoft.”

As co-publisher of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Sigil assumes greater control of marketing and PR, while maintaining responsibility for game development, community relations, media relations, customer support, and quality assurance. Under the terms of the agreement, SOE will provide distribution, marketing, hosting and back-end support -- including billing and technical support -- for the game. Additionally, SOE is tentatively planning on adding Vanguard, upon its release,to SOE’s Station Access™ subscription plan. Station Access allows players to enjoy all of SOE’s MMO titles for one low monthly price.

“We are very excited to be working with so many old friends at Sigil,” said John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. “Vanguard looks beautiful and has an incredibly rich game world. It’s the type of game that will appeal directly to SOE’s hundreds of thousands of players and should fit in perfectly with the current line-up of games available in Station Access.”

”This decision was made mutually by Sigil and Microsoft, in the best interest of the long-term goals for the title,” said Phil Spencer, General Manager at Microsoft Game Studios. “As a key Windows development partner, we will continue to work with Sigil to ensure Vanguard’s ongoing success.”

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is the next generation of massively multiplayer online games. The journey takes place in the fantasy setting of Telon, a vast and ancient world of magic, intrigue and adventure. Facing the challenges of a war torn world, the diverse people here struggle to rebuild their once great civilizations. A fragile alliance has been struck, with the lands set upon by invading forces, the races must band together to survive.

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is currently in a closed beta phase. The game will remain available via Fileplanet for existing beta testers during the transition to SOE. New information will be sent out to testers as the changeover occurs.

For more information about Vanguard: Saga of Heroes please visit www.vanguardsoh.com.



About Sigil Games Online
Based in Carlsbad, California, Sigil Games Online is a studio dedicated to creating massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. Founded in 2002 by Brad McQuaid and Jeff Butler, key figures in the development of award-winning EverQuest, the company plans to be a driving force in the continued evolution of this unique genre. Sigil Games Online is comprised of an all-star team of experienced developers with an impressive pedigree of commercially successful and critically acclaimed online games. For more information, visit www.sigilgames.com.

About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®,as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development. SOE is owned by Sony Pictures Digital and Sony Computer Entertainment America.

SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. Untold Legends is a trademark of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and Sigil Games Online are trademarks of Sigil Games Online, Inc. (registration pending). All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Offical press release

[Inokis]

When you sent me the link to the newsletter I was about as excited as you are for it to come to the Sony Station Pass accounts.

[Landiin]

/Gasp, I hope Brad learned from his 1st dealings with SOE. What I really like most about the deal is.

SOE will provide distribution, marketing, hosting and back-end support -- including billing and technical support

We all know how good their technical support is:P

[Dolby]

Woody from GUComics as some good info on this... http://www.guforums.com/showthread.p...762#post186500

[Pixi]

Originally Posted by Dolby

Wow, I never saw this coming....
(Hope it comes on the station pass)

/agree

I've never really understood the hate toward SOE that comes from some people. In the same way I never really understood the hate toward Microsoft.

I've played SOE games for some seven years and never really had a problem. For me as a customer it will be great to add Vanguard to the Station Access and not having to sign up to MSN each time I want to play.

[Neori]

Originally Posted by Pixi

/agree

I've never really understood the hate toward SOE that comes from some people. In the same way I never really understood the hate toward Microsoft.

I've played SOE games for some seven years and never really had a problem. For me as a customer it will be great to add Vanguard to the Station Access and not having to sign up to MSN each time I want to play.

I agree here as well, to both. I love the "All Access" thing and have gotten a chance to try out a bunch of things that I might not have otherwise; especially when they often do free trials so that I can see if the cost of the software itself if worth it. I don't think any other company currently running online content of this depth has anything as robust as this system.

I've been with SOE for like six years or so now, and their Station Pass thing for the last year, and I haven't really seen anything that would make me climb on the "SOE sucks" bandwagon -- and that's what that seems like to me, just a bandwagon. Like, somehow, it's cool to hate and bash SOE. I miss when Verant handled EQ1, but the changeover didn't really upset me that much. The only thing I didn't like is that SOE seemed more interested in pushing EQ1 further and further towards the highest level players, and with each new expansion aimed at the top parts of the game, they pushed more people faster towards it. I used to enjoy the journey there, now everyone wants to be at the end. And the content reflects that.

I personally don't understand the allure of WoW, as to me it seems like that game caters to the lowest common denominator in order to draw in the largest number of paying players possible. And the graphics don't look as good, but that's just to me. I know some people like them better, but for me they don't click.

So far, I haven't really been following Vanguard too much, but I figured I'd catch up closer to release date, maybe try to get into a public beta. But if this is Vanguard's future, I think it's going to be an even better game for it.

[Landiin]

I've been With SOE for way to many years, Started with Kunark and been a subscriber ever since. SOE is ok, they are just lacking in tech support, custemer service and public relation. Other then them 3 things I don't have any issues with SOE.

I own a old bandwaggon and no one ever hops on it, any idea how to get them to?

People hate MicroSoft?

[Neori]

Originally Posted by Landiin

I own a old bandwaggon and no one ever hops on it, any idea how to get them to?

Free beer?

As for SOE support departments, I've heard people who have had problems. But I think it's mostly just the old phrase "squeaky wheel gets the grease." Lots of people have no problems, but they don't raise a big to-do over it... so you just hear the stories about people who complain loudly about their problems.

I've had a couple times where I've been stuck (or my partner has been stuck) in EQ2, or other fairly minor problems, and the in-game help people were very quickly on the case and fixing things. Hopefully I won't run into any bad problems.

EDIT: And I just re-read the post on the GU Forums about it, and saw that it said Sigil would cover all the support. Not sure if that means they'll keep that part down the road, but should let folks who don't like SOE as much relax a bit.

[izlude]

I was testing at Microsoft at the time that Vanguard was being tested by one of the recon teams... They were extremely unimpressed with the game. I'm cautious about getting excited for this game... regardless of who is publishing it.