Feldon After initially having been told:
Why will this partnership not affect EverQuest 1?
The original EverQuest was not included as part of the agreement between SOE and ProSiebenSat.1 Games.
It appears that EverQuest, Vanguard, and 2 new games are now included in the SOE-ProSiebenSat.1 Deal. From a press release (posted at Gamasutra) at GamesCom in Germany:
ProSiebenSat.1 Games expands Europe-wide exclusive cooperation with Sony Online Entertainment
Munich, Germany, August 15, 2012. ProSiebenSat.1 Games and Sony Online Entertainment, LLC (SOE) are expanding their exclusive partnership with four online games for the European market. Following the successful launch of DC Universe™ Online on the servers of ProSiebenSat.1 Games, the games publisher from Unterföhring has secured four more exclusive licenses from SOE: Vanguard: Saga of Heroes®, EverQuest®, Wizardry® Online, and Bullet Run™. This extends the portfolio of ProSiebenSat.1 Games to cover a total of 12 online games from the U.S.-based developer studio.
Arnd Benninghoff, Chief Digital Officer of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, states, “SOE is the ideal partner at our side, expanding our portfolio with fantastic blockbuster games. As one of Europe’s leading TV companies, the players expect us to provide premium TV content, premium online offers, and premium gaming entertainment. We are very happy that we are able to expand this cooperation just months after its inception.“
“ProSiebenSat.1 is the ideal partner for us to reach an even broader audience in Europe,” says John Smedley, President, Sony Online Entertainment. “We are confident that the combination of the media power provided by ProSiebenSat.1 and our expertise in developing high-quality online games will appeal to players in a new and captivating way, creating the perfect prerequisite for achieving great success with our games in Europe.”
About ProSiebenSat.1 Games GmbH
The games publisher ProSiebenSat.1 Games is a subsidiary of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group and focuses on the Europe-wide licensing and marketing of online games as well as games partner acquisition. The portfolio includes, among other things, S4 League, Maestia and Florensia. Since early 2012, ProSiebenSat.1 Games has held the Europe-wide licenses to several games from Sony Online Entertainment, including the blockbuster games DC Universe™ Online, EverQuest® II, Star Wars®: Clone Wars Adventures™, Free Realms®, Magic: The Gathering – Tactics®, Pox Nora®, the upcoming PlanetSide® 2, and the next installment of the EverQuest® franchise.
About SOE
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games. Best known for its blockbuster hits and franchises, including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, PlanetSide®, Free Realms®, Star Wars®: Clone Wars Adventures™ and DC Universe™ Online, SOE creates, develops and provides compelling online entertainment for a variety of platforms. SOE is building on its proven legacy and pioneering the future of online worlds through creative development and inspired gameplay design for audiences of all ages. To learn more, visit www.soe.com/
SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest, Champions of Norrath, Free Realms and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Why am I not surprised?
Two options:
1.) They lied. The go-to option, given SOE’s past history.
2.) A deal had to be made to allow cross-server play. The part of me that understands how these sorts of things work suspects this, to some extent. P7S.1 had the terms of the original deal change on them–you seriously think they didn’t press for something in return?
This will be a mess by year’s end. Bank on a massive walk-back in 2013.
And looking at a press release from pro7 … this is definitely more than “just as publishing deal”!
They are obviously ok to sub-contract the SOE games to a french tv-company …
http://en.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/press-lounge/prosiebensat1-media-ag/2012/8/prosiebensat1-and-tf1-begin-extensive-partnership-for-online-games-in-france
Soon as EQ went f2p it was a done deal the bozos at pro7 would get the rights to it.