Sony Online Interview (con'd)

FiringSquad: Sony Online has released games for the PS2 and PSP and it stands to reason that the PS3 will have a Sony Online developed game as well. How do you see Sony Online continuing to develop its strategy for console titles?

John Smedley: We just recently announced that we are creating a PlayStation 3 launch title, “Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom.” We’ll be taking our hit Untold Legends franchise and bringing it to the new next-gen system, combining hack-and-slash action with the amazing visuals and technical feats that would only be possible on the PS3. We’re also working with the PlayStation group to help them with backend implementation for the PS3 network, so you can expect to see titles from us that will take advantage of the online capabilities of the hardware (including Dark Kingdom).

FiringSquad: A few months ago you revealed that Sony Online would develop a new MMORPG without a monthly fee that would use instead trading and selling items in the game world. Can you give us any more hints about what this game will be like?

John Smedley: We’re still working on this project here in San Diego, and we’re not quite ready to go into more detail at this point in time. The overall plan is that we will be offering a free to play MMO that will also contain upsells for players, such as private zones or sales of virtual items. The goal for the game is that it needs to be simple to get into, both from a technical standpoint (fast, easy download that can be distributed virally) and a design standpoint (anyone should be able to play it). I’d love to tell you more, but it’s just too early right now.

FiringSquad: Most massively multiplayer games do not reveal their subscription numbers but Blizzard recently revealed that World of Warcraft has over 6 million subscribers worldwide. What do these numbers mean for the MMORPG genre in general and how does World of Warcraft's success affect how you develop games at Sony Online?

John Smedley: As I mentioned before, the more new people who are brought into the MMO space, the better for SOE. Blizzard has an incredible reputation and they were able to maximize on their successes to bring in many new players to the world of MMOs. The biggest hurdle we find with new players is the monthly service charge that comes with operating an online game. Now that all of these new folks have come into an MMO for the first time and see how it works, we’re be right there to offer them a number of other online worlds and adventures when they’re ready to try something different.

FiringSquad: It's been several months since Station Exchange started. Has this new program been a profitable one for Sony Online and do you believe this will eventually affect the third party MMORPG trading companies and IGE?

John Smedley: Station Exchange has been very successful for us as a company, on a number of levels. The service itself is making money – in January, we passed a million dollars in player-to-player sales through the service – and it has also been a great experiment, paving the way for further service offerings like this in the future. As we add more services like this for our games, there won’t be a reason for our players to go to a third-party website, as it will be integrated into the game they’re playing.

FiringSquad: Sony Online is currently developing a MMO based on DC Comic's superhero universe. We know the game is very early in development but can you give us an idea on how the game willl be different in terms of gameplay from Cryptic Studios' City of Heroes?

John Smedley: Well, we’ll have Batman. And Superman. And Wonder Woman. And Green Lantern. And The Flash. And… See where I’m going with this? We’re developing the title for both next-gen console and PC. Other than that, we’re not really talking about the game at this point; it’s still too early.

We’d like to thank SOE’s John Smedley for answering our questions for this interview. Sony Online Entertainment has a number of upcoming projects in the works and we’ll certainly be keeping our eye on them.