By Jim Rossignol on August 21st, 2008 at 10:04 am.
Sony have released some more details about their forthcoming persistent-world multiplayer spy thriller, The Agency, and I’ve posted those same details after the jump. The concept does sound intriguing, particularly “from sneaky assassinations to all out assaults, from vehicle challenges to casinos loaded with mini-games”. It does sound as if they’re going all out for the unofficial Bond MMO with this – a kind of City Of Heroes, where the logic of the game world derives from spy thrillers rather than superhero comics. The other possibilities, such as the politics between player-run agencies, and having NPCs work for you, make this one of the most interesting multiplayer titles lined up for 2009.
- Live the Life of an Elite Agent: The Agency offers many unique missions with varied end-goals requiring combat, stealth, and style. With gameplay ranging from sneaky assassinations to all out assaults, from vehicle challenges to casinos loaded with mini-games, there’s something for every aspiring agent.
- Build Your Own Agency: As players advance through the ranks of their faction, they’ll also begin building their own Agencies. Players will increase their power even further by creating Joint Agencies with others.
- Mercenary or Spy, the Choice is Yours: Collect the right weaponry, gadgets, vehicles, gear, attire and aliases to gain access to numerous locales and influence over the people within them.
- Put Operatives to work: Operatives are collectible non-player characters who provide the goods players desire and the services to keep them alive. Operatives let players concentrate on the mission at hand and increase their own effectiveness. Operatives work 24/7, and they can keep their Agents up-to-date even while offline, through email and text messages.
- Fun Now, No Waiting: At any point, PS3 or PC players can jump right into the action they want. Veterans and new players alike can take on other players in head-to-head combat, the shooting range, or the card tables. And of course, there is a rich story packed with exciting missions, too. Shooter fans and online gamers alike will get to jump into this online persistent world on their platform of choice and frag, or build characters to their heart’s content.
A cross-platform MMO, dumbed down prehaps? Only time will tell.
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It doesn’t look like an MMO in the WOW sense, but more in the Planetside sense. Which, if dumbing, is still a good thing.
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Hopefully something diffrent this way comes.
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Ooo, Planetside. Is it sub-free yet?
Also, Jim, what are you doing up so early?
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I arise at 7am every day.
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A cross-platform MMO, dumbed down prehaps? Only time will tell.
Not cross-platform play, though. If that matters.
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Champions Online is cross-platform. Doesn’t look particularly dumb. At least, no dumber than it ought to be anyway.
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The casino could be a winner here, I know several people who play Puzzle Pirates almost exclusively for the card games…
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7am? Good Gods, man!
… Oh wait. So do I. I’ve lost my slacker gamer cred. I’ve become a corp. A cubicle-monkey.
I’m going to hang a sign on my door and quietly weep now.
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KBKarma says:
Ooo, Planetside. Is it sub-free yet?
Not yet. The Reserves may be making a coming back though.
And unfortunately all the play takes place on the US Gemini server since the merge. The European server has had all the art assets replaced with tumble weeds and churches with tolling bells.
Still, some of the battles on Gemini are absolutely massive. Super massive even.
And it’s still the greatest game ever. Despite the repetition.
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Damn. I still have a character there. I remember pulling off a granny-hack on my last day, that held until my free trial ran out. I don’t think I’d apply for the Reserves.
I used to pay on Werner. Shame.
… Republic forever!
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oops! Looks like you spilled some “monthly fee” in my action game.
It might rock, but i just paid less for tank universal than a monthly fee, a game i’ll be returning to with some frequency. Is all these people see sub-money?
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“And of course, there is a rich story packed with exciting missions, too…”
LOLz coming from SOE
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That could actually be kind of cool.
The odd cross-platform thing: no 360.
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I imagine Sony think it would shift more PS3s if they didn’t publish it on 360.
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