Crispy Gamer News

Sony Online Entertainment’s latest EverQuest II expansion, The Shadow Odyssey, is alive, kicking and ready for play. The Shadow Odyssey is the fifth expansion for EQII developed by Sony Online Entertainment. This all-in-one compilation pack is available at select retail stores and via digital download at www.station.com for the suggested retail price of $39.99 US.

The Shadow Odyssey features more than 20 new zones - including the new overland zone, Innothule, classic EverQuest dungeon themes (Najena,Mistmoore and The Sebilisian Empire), 18 goal-based dungeons such as Ruins of Guk and Befallen, an increase in the level cap to 200, a new Dungeon Delving mission system for players to replay content, 5 new Heritage Quests with unique rewards, new armor and equipment, new creatures, hundreds of new quests, two new deities and a whole lot more.

Jeff Freeman, former leader gameplay designer on Star Wars Galaxies, has committed suicide, according to his brother and his employer Zenimax Online. Freeman, considered by many of his peers past and present as a solid developer with a great work ethic, is best known for the infamous “New Game Enhancements” update that dramatically changed SWG.

This update, which Freeman only had a minimal part in developing, ruined his reputation online. Fans of the game decided, despite evidence to the contrary, that Freeman was responsible for the update and took every opportunity to berate, assail and insult him.

The Escapist did a great job of chronicling Freeman’s terrible treatment at the hands of fans in this article. Raph Koster, Former lead developer of Star Wars Galaxies, talked about Freeman on his blog this morning, after hearing the sad news:

He did much more, but for me that was a shining moment. This was a guy older than me, a guy with more life experience, frankly. But to me Jeff was the guy that I found out there and helped and advised and hired and watched blossom. He was on his own trajectory - no question - but I am not someone who has really been a mentoring type, honestly, for whatever reason. He was a guy I could point to who had challenged me, learned from me when I had something to offer, and forged his own path. He went on to do great work on Jump to Lightspeed and then with Spacetime.

We disagreed about the NGE. But I also knew that when he got blamed for the whole thing, that it was a silly oversimplification, and I said so. It wasn’t fair for him to be the public face of the NGE, but it happened anyway. He spent a huge amount of time talking to the players, talking to people for years afterwards, explaining, apologizing, justifying what he didn’t need to and shouldn’t have had to.

Despite all the chaos that SWG caused Freeman, the game was not the reason he committed suicide, according to his brother. A memorial service will be held for Freeman in his hometown of Austin, Texas, on October 2. Freeman was 39. 

Source: The Escapist

Sony Online Entertainment’s latest downloadable content for the PlayStation Network is the popular television game show JEOPARDY!. Now available on the PLAYSTATION Network for around $15 USD, brings the popular game of knowledge to the PS3 with more than 2500 clues from the show, high definition photo-realistic graphics, local multiplayer games for up to 3 people and multiplayer online, character creation and customization and the promise of regular updates to the game.

If you love the long-running game show then you’ll probably eat this one up. Log on to the PlayStation Store and buy it now.

LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment have launched the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game and its first release: Champions of the Force. Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game: Champions of the Force marks the first Star Wars trading card game offered online and is available to both current and former Star Wars Galaxies subscribers. The game combines the challenge of a trading card game with the adventures and community of the massively multiplayer game.

Players can choose between the light and dark sides of the Force and build their decks to fight virtual matches for the Rebel, Imperial, Jedi or Sith. Players can also choose from 15-card Booster Packs, find more than 20 loot cards in the first release that can be redeemed for virtual items for use within the Star Wars Galaxies massively multiplayer game and play the game in story-based solo-play or against other Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game players in one-on-one matches, cooperative Heroic Encounters, and official tournaments.

In addition, all Star Wars Galaxies subscribers with current, valid, paid accounts in good standing are eligible to automatically receive five digital trading card Booster Packs each month included with their paid Star Wars Galaxies subscription at no additional cost.

Find out all there is to know at www.StarWarsGalaxies.com/tradingcardgame.

As thousands of EverQuest fans invaded Las Vegas for the annual Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire, the company revealed how it plans to keep the momentum going on its popular MMOs: EverQuest and EverQuest. At the annual event SOE announced the EverQuest Seeds of Destruction and EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey expansions. The company also revealed that all Fan Faire attendees will get these expansion free of charge when they are released.

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To celebrate the ten year anniversary of its MMO, EverQuest, Sony Online Entertainment is working on a book called EverQuest: The 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition. Scheduled to be released early next year, this retrospective celebrating the first decade of EverQuest will be available online and at select retailers in North America.

This new hardcover collector’s book celebrates that legacy of the MMO that started the 3D massively multiplayer revolution by taking a look at the past, present and future of the EverQuest brand.

The book is being written by veteran video game book and strategy guide author Rusel DeMaria. Those attending SOE’s annual Fan Faire next week, held in Las Vegas, Aug. 14 through 17, will have the opportunity to pre-order the book at a special price.

EverQuest: The 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition will be published by BradyGAMES and will be available at participating retail locations in early 2009.

Sony Online Entertainment announced this week that it plans to reveal new details about its online action game DC Universe Online (DCUO) at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego from July 24-27. SOE’s plans include a first-ever public demonstration showcasing how DCUO will play on the PS3 and the PC.

DCUO is being developed by the SOE Austin studio team in collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics’ top talent led by Executive Creative Director Jim Lee, SOE’s VP of Development John Blakely and SOE’s Austin Studio Creative Director Chris Cao. Lee, a comic book legend who founded DC Comics’ WildStorm Productions, is lending his skills as an artist, gamer and creative director.

If you are lucky enough to make it to the event, be on the lookout for the SOE crew.