14 DAY TRIAL // Sony Online Entertainment is proud to announce that EverQuest, the oldest of the modern MMOs, is now 10 years old and that it plans quite a few events to celebrate this.
The game was initially released on March 16, 1999, and developed by Verant Interactive, which was a subsidiary of 989 Studios, a Sony subsidiary that no longer exists. The title has seen several expansions since launch and is still getting patches and in gamer events from Sony, confirming its importance to the company.
John Smedley, who is the president of Sony Online Entertainment, stated that “This year marks a major milestone for SOE and the entire interactive entertainment industry. While it was hard work and a dedicated vision that brought EQ to fruition, without our loyal fans, EQ would not be the game that it is today.”
Smedly is one of the co-creators of the MMO and he added that, despite (or maybe because) of the age of EverQuest, the game is still making money for its parent company. The same cannot be said about more modern projects like Hellgate: London or Tabula Rasa, which were closed down after about one year since their official launch dates. EverQuest is said to be one of the main sources of inspiration for Blizzard's World of Warcraft, the most important MMO on the market at the moment.
To celebrate and share the joy of the 10-year anniversary with the players, the developers of EverQuest are putting together in game events for both the MMO and the collectible card game Legends of Norrath, which is tied to the franchise. There are also plans to create some real life events, but those willing to take part in will have to wait until June 25, when the Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire takes place in Las Vegas. There will be four days of celebration until June 28.