Kudane

From SOE this morning

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EVERQUEST® II BETA TESTING BEGINS IN JUNE

-Beta Program Sign-ups Begin In May for the Next Generation of the Online Gaming Phenomenon -

SAN DIEGO, CA - April 26, 2004 - Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming, today announced that Beta sign-ups for EverQuest® II will begin in May and the Beta testing program itself will begin in June. EverQuest II will be available at retail in North America after the Beta program is complete later in the year.

"We've been playing EverQuest II internally for months and we're finally ready to begin letting people in to see the world we've built over the last four years," said John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. "Beta testing is incredibly important for a game like EverQuest II as it helps us both to identify technical issues and continue to polish the game before it goes live. This is one of the final steps in developing a game as huge and important as EverQuest II, and we're looking forward to seeing how players react to the game."

Dedicated, longtime subscribers to SOE's EverQuest Legends service will be the first allowed into Beta, followed by players that fulfilled the requirements of the Lords of EverQuest™ special offer. Additional Beta testers will be selected from applications received through the EverQuest II website. Gamers interested in signing up for the Beta are encouraged to visit http://www.everquest2.com beginning May 3, 2004 at 10:00 A.M. PDT, for information on how to apply for a Beta slot. SOE will notify qualified Beta applicants in stages over the coming months.

About EverQuest II
EverQuest II is the next generation of massively multiplayer gaming, a huge online world where thousands of players come together for adventure and community. Featuring breathtaking graphics and a vast, beautiful game world to explore, EverQuest II sets the standard for graphical realism as players are immersed in the game's exciting locales and dangerous lands. EverQuest II brings players into its world with a powerful epic storyline and gives them the power to be the hero or villain in their personal adventure. Players enter this world by creating their own unique character, choosing from 16 races and 24 classes. Players will encounter hundreds of creatures as they travel across majestic landscapes of rolling hills, barren deserts, dense forests, and bustling cities. Thousands of items, hundreds of spells, and unlimited adventure await all who enter the world of EverQuest II. EverQuest II also features:

- A new, massive online world for thousands of players to explore, filled with danger, adventure and mystery
- Voices for almost every non-player character (NPC) in the game, a huge project encompassing nearly 100,000 lines and 130 hours of dialog (the equivalent of more than 65 feature films worth of content)
- A state-of-the-art, cinematic quality 3D graphics engine capable of improving as hardware technology advances
- Amazing character customization capabilities. In addition to thousands of pieces of armor, weapons and items, players will be able to customize their character's facial appearance to an incredible level of detail and personalization
- 16 races, 50 levels and 24 classes with a branching system that allows players to choose their class as they advance
- No race/class combination limitations, allowing players to truly choose who they want to be in game
- Player-owned real estate (such as apartments, homes, and guild houses)
- State-of-the art combat, spell and skill systems
- New user friendly game mechanics with reduced learning curve for both new and seasoned players
- Trade skills available to all player classes
- More than 160 unique creature types, from Orcs and Goblins to huge dragons and menacing Living Statues

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[ F.A.Q ]

Taleisin

Guess I could give it a try, while it's freebeta anyhow. Come on Vanguard post some more screens

does this mean EQ2interface will be opening soon?

Dolby

Can't wait for EQ2! When I was at the FanFair they had an entire raid of people playing the alpha and it looked like a lot of fun. Not to mention the graphics were great.

Kudane

You tell me

http://www.eq2interface.com/

kenney

I'll wait for WOW.. not adding anything about Sony in this post.. but you get my drift..

arkusrex

Hey Kuldane I recall you making the statement last summer that EQ2 would be released by Xmas '03(citing you being buddy buddy with a dev).You even went so far as to say I'll bet you 1000p.Of course thats like betting someone a dime in real life but anyways(been waiting along time for this)sooooooooooooooo where's my dime?

Please excuse all just couldn't pass up this chance to rib the kitty.

Dolby

I'm in WoW beta and it is a very nice game and I’ve had a ton of fun so far. I think you'll really like it Kenny.

For me EQ2 is what gets me excited. I think Vanguard is a year off (could be wrong) so I cant get excited about that yet.

kenney

cool hope to see some of you there =)

culley65

Is it true legends subscribers will get priority?

Kudane

When I went on my tour in Aug last year the head developer said they were hoping for beta to begin in November. with a game release of early 2004, YES I had to eat a little crow on the fact that I relayed that info to the members here and it turned out to be false. BUT crow does taste amazingly like chicken.

and I don't think i bet anyone 1000pp over it.. if you can find a post otherwise please link it..hehehehehe

arkusrex

Well you are correct on EQ2.Actually you bet me 1000p that Ldon would be doable with 2 people which it still isn't to this day.I had simply forgot all about that fiasco of an expansion.The thread is
Here
Around same time you were saying Eq2 would be out by xmas.So I own up to it,you confused me with your many false claims!Would you like some tobasco sauce with this second helping of "chicken"

culley65

LOL pwned

Sylvanthious

I'm interested in EQ2, but from what I've read, it only supports raids of up to 24 players. Not sure on that feel free to correct me. I don't know how many players are going to be allowed in a raid in WoW. The ammount of raiding content is going to be the largest factor that I consider when choosing a new game, if I do indeed move on from EQ.
I hope to get into the EQ2 beta, and would have liked to have gotten into the WoW beta. If WoW is designed more for large uber guilds and big raids, then I'll choose that over EQ2.

culley65

My decision will be based on PvP..if there is no pvp servers for wow, or EQ2, chances are I wont even play them.