Everquest Coming To the PS2

Boone^ writes "CNET's News.com is reporting that Sony is launching their online network with a bang as the most addictive, non-narcotic drug to ever grace a computer screen will now come to you in full NTSC quality courtesy of the PS2. Currently the release date for both the online network and "EverQuest Online Adventure" are TBA." The article points out part of the reason for introduction will be to drive sales of the Ps2 ethernet adaptor. Now, I haven't played since the Kunark expansion, but I'm hoping this version takes advantage of the Ps2's graphic capabilites, rather then what I've seen on EQ before.

Comments

mmm, Squaresoft

[Wingchild]

And thus Sony gaines the experience of running an MMORPG from the Playstation2, that they might pass it on to SquareSoft for Final Fantasy XI .. and the Lord looked upon it, and saw that it was good. ;)

Memory limitations

[parliboy]

I'm confused. I had thought that one of the big problems with all the UQ expansions is all of the RAM needed for all of the new stuff, and all of the possible combinations of character/items that it has to worry about displaying. Doesn't the PS2 have, like, 8 Meg? How is this going to happen in anything but a stripped down version?

Geeks and Dork

[photon317]

I know a lot of hardcore Geeks think only Dorks play these kinds of games, but they really have value and you should check them out. To me EverQuest is an evolutionary step towards what VR environments will be like in the future. I first started thinking that about the Doom/Quake series, but EverQuest took it to a whole new level, albeit in a different genre. The immersiveness is amazing, just don't get hooked on the social crap there.

Multi platform world, ya think?

[dmorin]

I remember when The Sims guy (I think) did an interview where he said that doing multiplayer online worlds across platforms like Win/Linux was incredibly difficult, verging on impossible, due to the tremendously minute detail required in keeping everything in sync. I wonder if this problem appears here as well.

In other words, will PS2 users play in the same world as PC users?

Re:Multi platform world, ya think?

[shren]

I remember when The Sims guy (I think) did an interview where he said that doing multiplayer online worlds across platforms like Win/Linux was incredibly difficult, verging on impossible, due to the tremendously minute detail required in keeping everything in sync. I wonder if this problem appears here as well.

Huh? This is one of the most vapid things I've seen rated to 5 in a long time. EQ isn't impossible on Windows, it's been done. The Sims guy is talking about having multiple people in a Sim-city, a fully dynamic enviornment, which EQ isn't in any way, shape, or form. EQ is entirely static geography, which makes it an entirely different case.

In other words, will PS2 users play in the same world as PC users?

What does that have to do with your first paragraph? The first discusses possibility issues and the second discusses porting issues. Huh?

Congratulations, you have successfully karma-whored by playing buzzword bingo.

PS2 first broadband?

[Dark Paladin]

I'm not going to talk about the "use a USB ethernet as a hack", but this is interesting for me.

Please not: this is not a rag on the Xbox. Well, it is, but it's not a rag because it's an Xbox, it's a rag because I like my Xbox and wish MS would stop being shitheads about managing it.

Anyway. Rewind the clock about a year to last years E3, where the Big Three (Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony) were sitting up, talking about their new consoles. I remember this discussion:

Interviewer: So, tell us about your online gaming plans.
Nintendo: Online gaming? We want to make fun games. We'll include online gaming if we need it.
Sony: We have a deal with AOL, and we're going to crush everybody online! Bwahahahaha!
Xbox: We have a built in Ethernet port into the Xbox, so we'll be online out of the box instead of having to buy expensive peripherals, and we'll crush everybody online! Bwahahahaha!

Now, fast forward to November, when I picked up my Xbox, and read in the help manual (page 15 I believe) that said:

Broadband support is coming in June of 2002. Deal with it.

Now we have Sony about to bring out their Ethernet/Hard drive adapter for the PS2. Will it make it as powerful as the Xbox? Probably not - unless you have the Linux kit, you won't be able to rip MP3's to the local hard drive (though I'm sure software developers will get that out), nor can you save games to the hard drive (unless the game is specifically programmed to do so - I could be wrong on this, but I don't think I am.)

Anyway. The point here is this:

Sony, at this rate, will beat the Xbox to true broadband Internet support without using a 3rd party hack. They will do so with Everquest behind them, Final Fantasy XI, and Star Wars: Galaxies. I can plug any standard USB keyboard/mouse into it, and it will work perfectly.

We still don't know what the Xbox plans are. While it has an Ethernet port, it only works on a local UDP network (unless you do some hacking with routers/Gamespy Arcade to get it online). Maybe there will be an update to add simple TCP/IP support, but why this support wasn't out of the fucking box I'll never know. (Come on - isn't the TCP/IP stack BSD license based? This should have been a no brainer, even if they had to put support in the Flash Bios or something instead of the hard drive. And they wouldn't have to worry about those "evil" GNU folks spoiling the party, since BSD doesn't make you share code.)

The Xbox will have... Seriously, I don't recall. Probably Morrowind (maybe - that's a single player game only right now), Halo of course, and some other games. I can't plug any USB things into it, so I have to spend more money for an Xbox keyboard/mouse (which I haven't seen announced yet - they could be out there, I just don't know.)

I like my Xbox - once I replace the controller, I'll like it even more. But I love my PS2, and Sony's making it hard not to like it more. And while I can't stand MMRPG's (experience, level, lather, rinse, repeat), I'm just interested enough in some of them (Final Fantasy XI), in the hard drive, and other bits that make me think that Sony's going to continue to stay in the lead.

Now, if we can just clear up their RIAA issues, and I'll really like them....

This isn't going to work

[dmarx]

Just look at Phanatasy Star Online: the entire system was destroyed by cheaters. Online gaming with the console simply isn't going to happen.

The nature of the PS2

[thatguywhoiam]

The first thing that strikes me about the majority of posts on here are the animus regarding the PS2. I say, the more the merrier. The console is not threatening the PC version in any way. Yet.

Those of you arguing the PS2's spec are missing the point. This is the first real big console MMORPG (exclusing Sega's efforts) effort. It will evolve. It's the reason Sony bought Verant. (Aside: the real news here is the inplication of SW:Galaxies, which is the biggest carrot yet).

The PS2 is a stealth-computer. Check out the shots of the Linux kit again. All the missing pieces. You already own the keyboard and mouse (in my case, an Apple Pro keyboard and a logitech optical mouse, 4-btn; all work flawlessly on supported games).

Also, most reports cite some sort of voice headset. If they've nailed this, it immediately leapfrogs the PC experience to my mind. Imagine role-playing, actually acting, in Star Wars galaxies, using (for instance) some sort of chording one-handed emoting system.. and your own voice. Much better.

I think it was Nicholas Negroponte who once said, 'Consoles are just computers in short pants.' First version won't be superior to the PC. Version 3....

.r

strange sound..?

[SubtleNuance]

Whats that sound? Thats the sound of every >18 year old rushing to out to cancel their accounts to avoid all 12 year old "suxorsmedonkee" players about to get an account.

They will, in one quick swoop change EQ from a MMORPG to a MMO???.

Oh well, im waiting for PlaneShift or the (really far out it seems) WorldForge -- though it seems the latter is FAR to ambitious to produce any playable MMORPG anytime soon.