MMORPG Merger Announced

I received this press release last night. I figured I would just post it here in it's entirety and let you digest it. -------------- SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT, SQUARE-ENIX AND BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCE CROSS-OVER GAMING DEAL - In an unprecedented merger of gaming assets, online gamers will be able to take their existing characters into new and exciting adventures in other gaming worlds. SAN DIEGO, CA - March 31, 2005 - Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), Square-Enix (S-E) and Blizzard Entertainment (Blizzard), the worldwide leaders in Massive Online gaming, have announced a joint venture where players of any of their games, including the enormously successful World of Warcraft, the granddaddy of online gaming Everquest, S-E's hugely successful online version of the Final Fantasy franchise, and the popular titles Everquest 2 and Star Wars Galaxies, can take their existing characters and move seamlessly into new gaming worlds. Through new technology developed jointly by all three companies, your character will be converted over to the rule set and graphical look of each new game as you transfer back and forth, opening up literally tens of thousands of new gaming possibilities for every player. Players of all these games will suddenly be confronted with not just new zones to play in, but entire new universes. "We have been looking for ways to add more end game content to World of Warcraft, and this just seemed a natural fit" said Mike Morhaime, President of Blizzard Entertainment. "This gives our players instant access to a range and depth of content that would otherwise take us years to develop through our current schedule. Now you can simply pick up and walk into another universe and open up an entire set of new and unique content" "The enormous success of World of Warcraft proves that there is a large market for online gaming" said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. "We decided that the best way to tap this market is to combine all of our assets into what is in effect one massive, massive-multiplayer game. By opening up more content and variety like this, our player base can only benefit and thrive." The details of the agreement will be released in more details later. The current timeline calls for the merger to be completed by May 16th, in time for a complete demonstration at the Electronic Entertainment Expo held annually in Los Angeles. The companies have put together a transition team lead by venerable programmer Raph Koster of SOE that will finalize the details of the changes that will be needed in each game to make the transitions from game to game smooth and consistent. "Some things are going to have to change in each game to make this work" said Mr. Koster. "Expect each class in each game to get altered somewhat to allow them to fit into the new rule sets. We are excited about the possibilities of how this can improve the gaming structure of all our franchises." Each company plans on releasing more detailed statements on their respective websites over the next few weeks explaining to the players the impact of this agreement on their specific games. About Blizzard Entertainment Best known for their series Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo®, Blizzard Entertainment (www.blizzard.com, a division of Vivendi Universal Games) is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating many of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. The company's free Internet gaming service Battle.net® provides a forum in which owners of Blizzard's games can play in a multiplayer mode remotely across the Internet and against other gamers from around the world. About Sony Online Entertainment Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Digital Inc., is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with a subscriber base of over 800,000 active accounts around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises, EverQuest®, EverQuest II, Champions of Norrath and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies(TM): An Empire Divided(TM), SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with an additional development studio in Austin, TX, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development. About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix) develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Japan, North America, Europe and Asia. Square Enix brings two of Japan’s best-selling franchises – FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 60 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST™, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide—under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation. ------ Updated 4/3/05 - Just wanted to say "April Fools"

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i damn thee to the burning pits of hell
# Apr 13 2005 at 12:24 AM Rating: Excellent
man that sucks a big white hairy finger. i have a co-worker who is a TOTAL WoW fan and i hate him everyday for it "oh pvp is where it is all at, newb" thats bs pvp is what pisses low lvls off when all they want is a damn level and a friggin guy is there to bury all their hopes and dreams in the ground. but yeah anywho i just wanted to beable to kick his sorry rouge *** with my thf/nin or drk/war or hell even my whm/blm smn/blm hell ANYTHING i just want him to suffer the suffering of things that suffer more than they need to suffer to suffer. :D well anyways good joke asshats ^^
#200
# Apr 08 2005 at 9:43 AM Rating: Decent
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51 posts
comment#200 is mine!
Bah
# Apr 08 2005 at 12:34 AM Rating: Decent
Avatar
12 posts
I Hate all of u!

good joke though
alla rocks!
# Apr 06 2005 at 7:49 PM Rating: Decent
48 posts
Too funny!! ... You guys rock and Happy April Fool's . You guys has me for about the 1st 30 seconds. Allakhazam Rocks. Thanks for all the helpful posts ... keep 'em coming.

Pulstarr
Heh
# Apr 06 2005 at 4:28 PM Rating: Decent
Yeah, that idea made no sense to me. The one that really got me good was on a WoW site before it's beta. They came up with mentioning "Two-headed Ogres" and I thought that was a cool and intresting idea. I had played MUDs were two players controlled the same entity but were each individuals choice to attack or not (Tsunami MUD).

I actually had fun with it on Tsunami MUD, 1 player goes and becomes a Knight the other becomes a (Red, Green, Blue, White, or Black) Dragon or a Unicorn and the Knight was able to ride the other character (If the other character allowed it) and use a special attack he had named "Charge". That was really a blast, don't ask me though how the Vampires and Fairy Dragons (The two that start as completly horrible ones at low levels) could overpower anyone else at their max level.

Anyway trailing off there, the old April fools from that WoW site was better then this. They even doctor'd up photos and everything to make it more realistic, I loved the photo of the made-up Two Headed Ogre were one head was talking to the other head (Each head a different player) saying he was going to sort his set of the inventory and don't do something stupid and the other head goes and walks them off a cliff into waiting lava below >.>
My God
# Apr 06 2005 at 3:44 PM Rating: Decent
Well, what can I say. Good Call, I don't think there was a single user that read this who didn't have their brains melt through their ears, and then possibly again once they realized the joke. Kudos.

Jerrod
o.0
# Apr 06 2005 at 3:12 PM Rating: Decent
34 posts
65 Dwarf Rng "THIS... IS... MY... BOOMSTICK!!!!!"
75 Elvaan Drk: "THIS... IS... MY... APOCALYPSE SCYTH!!!!!!

Dwarf was defeated by Elvaan... And nobody cares..
RE: o.0
# Apr 12 2005 at 3:48 PM Rating: Decent
More like...
60 Dwarf RNG. : "This... Is... My... BOOMSTICK!"
Ash : "This... is... my... BOOMSTICK!!!!!!!!!" "Shop smart! Shop S-Mart!" "WHO'S LAUGHING NOW!"
Ash anihalates Dwarf.
Kickass.
.....
# Apr 06 2005 at 7:18 AM Rating: Decent
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131 posts
yep >.< of course i got fooled

i wasnt as shocked and excited as i was..

"I can't wait for more info not exactly sure how this was gunna work" so im basically an idiot

also was gunna rush to school and tell my 2 friends
Nice
# Apr 06 2005 at 1:23 AM Rating: Decent
>< i told my ls about this for three days. they laughed at me. /clap bravo!

hmm...
# Apr 05 2005 at 9:29 PM Rating: Decent
Now if only i can convince ppl to go to this link...lol
haha!
# Apr 05 2005 at 9:15 PM Rating: Decent
lmao thats funny!
Hate you hate you hate you!
# Apr 05 2005 at 8:50 PM Rating: Decent
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67 posts
I Think the writer of this should be abducted out of his home in the middle of the night, dragged out into the street, and then beaten brutally with sticks until his face is no longer attached to his skull!

I've never celebrated april fool's, and rarely even heard of april fool's jokes... I'm very unhappy about having been fooled >.<

I'll have to congratulate you anyway for getting me going on such a thing. I was really excited! =D

A+ on the creativity for whoever wrote this! (Not sure who exactly to give the credit to, since it just says "Allakhazam" for poster)
Hate you hate you hate you!
# Apr 05 2005 at 8:50 PM Rating: Decent
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67 posts
I Think the writer of this should be abducted out of his home in the middle of the night, dragged out into the street, and then beaten brutally with sticks until his face is no longer attached to his skull!

I've never celebrated april fool's, and rarely even heard of april fool's jokes... I'm very unhappy about having been fooled >.<

I'll have to congratulate you anyway for getting me going on such a thing. I was really excited! =D

A+ on the creativity for whoever wrote this! (Not sure who exactly to give the credit to, since it just says "Allakhazam" for poster)
zeeky boogy doog
# Apr 05 2005 at 8:37 PM Rating: Decent
mmm... i was gonna say: dragoon doesn't even exist in those games >_<; woulda been fun to get killed by an EQ character with thousands of HP and attack and def -.-'''
almost embarrased myself
# Apr 05 2005 at 8:11 PM Rating: Good
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586 posts
Whoa crap! I totally almost embarrased myself by telling everyone i know about this. I was reading it again to be sure i wasn't delusional when i saw the last line.

***** you guys.... I'm going home >.<
wow, if only it weren't an April Fools
# Apr 05 2005 at 8:01 PM Rating: Decent
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80 posts
I really would enjoy Handing a Jedi his Rear with the powers of my Mighty Jump, High Jump, & Super High Jump Attacks & my Friendly Neighborhood Wyvern

Myrrh >> /em Sighs and thinks "I can still Dream can't I ?!"

Edited, Tue Apr 5 21:03:10 2005
If this had been true... Heh
# Apr 05 2005 at 7:53 PM Rating: Decent
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182 posts
Imagine the following exchange...

(GM)TAmarga: How may I help you?

Krugar: I can't seem 2 target tihs guy.

(GM)Tamarga: This... I don't quite understand your problem.

Krugar: I want that thing he has but I can't atackz him?

(GM)Tamarga: Sigh... Let me guess, you're from Norrath, aren't you? Or a Diablo server? I'm sorry, but this is Vana'diel. There is no player killing here, much less looting of bodies.

Krugar: That is teh suckz.

(GM)TAmarga: And you are the idiot. Even trying to PK in Vana'diel is a punishable offense. Enjoy your time in Gaol.

KRugar: WTF?!?

Krugar vanishes!



Edited, Tue Apr 5 20:53:43 2005
You know, if thia HAD been true... poor Everquest griefers w
# Apr 05 2005 at 7:47 PM Rating: Decent
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182 posts
April fool
# Apr 05 2005 at 1:08 PM Rating: Decent
That was really well done, nice one (ya *******)
damn you
# Apr 05 2005 at 10:29 AM Rating: Decent
ok you got me... -.-
would be funny tho.... rampaging luke skywalker XD
damn you
# Apr 05 2005 at 10:28 AM Rating: Default
D´OOOOOOH!!! if that isnt enough my first double post <.<

Edited, Tue Apr 5 11:30:04 2005
my bro fell for it
# Apr 05 2005 at 10:21 AM Rating: Decent
yea my bro was telling me about it so i had to look it up i read it and i read "The enormous success of World of Warcraft proves that there is a large market for online gaming" and i was like bull sh*t! and i asked my bro what he thought about it he was all like i think id be prety cool i told him look at it again and he started yelling.... nice joke :)
xD
# Apr 05 2005 at 9:43 AM Rating: Decent
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269 posts
Ugh! You got me! (>_<)
this was evil
# Apr 05 2005 at 2:46 AM Rating: Decent
pure evil....lol good one!
I wanted a undead whitemage thou :P
><
# Apr 04 2005 at 6:17 PM Rating: Default
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2,705 posts
You meanie ; ;
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