The Agency

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The Agency

A different kind of MMO from SOE Seattle.

 

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Sony Online Entertainment's Seattle studio is developing The Agency, a PC/PS3 exclusive fast-paced online action shooter filled with espionage, intrigue and betrayal, where you assume the role of elite agents in a modern-day world.

 

The Agency is a pick-up-and-play experience where players assume the role of elite agents in a modern-day world. Both solo players and groups will enjoy a wide variety of cooperative and competitive story-driven missions set in exotic locales across the globe.

 

"The inspiration for The Agency came from the spy and espionage genre. We want to put players in the heart of the action to experience what itʼs really like to live the life of an elite agent," said Hal Milton, Lead Designer, Sony Online Entertainment. "Players will jet set around this virtual world to exotic locales, infiltrate enemy organizations to steal secrets and perpetrate sabotage, all the while building their own agency with an eye towards global domination."

 

Persistent character development allows players to supplement their gear with exotic and powerful skills that make them feel like the elite agents theyʼve always dreamt of becoming. Additionally, in lieu of the typical class systems in many other games, The Agencyʼs approach is simply, "You Are What You Wear." Players will customize their characterʼs attire based on the mission at hand, emphasizing combat, support, stealth, or even cover identities.

 

Players begin their experience by choosing to be a slick UNITE spy or a gritty ParaGON mercenary. Both factions will have players tangling in illicit activities such as drug smuggling, assassinations, espionage and counter intelligence. As they gain ranks within their chosen agency, players will increase their influence over the world while experiencing a deep story of action and intrigue. Along the way players will be able to build their own agencies, team with others to create joint agencies, and recruit a roster of useful Operatives.

 

Operatives are "living loot" characters that wait in the wings for orders to build that new sports car, gather intel for the next mission, or provide that satellite scan to expose the enemy. As players advance through the game, they will collect more powerful Operatives that will better assist them with missions. Players can use their roster to help themselves or their team and even trade Operatives with other players.

 

"SOE is looking to take the online gaming industry to new places with The Agency, not only in terms of its theme, but also in its design. Itʼs accessible to all types of players, blending genres and changing up established conventions. Itʼs different from anything SOE has released before," said Matt Wilson, Director of Development, SOE Seattle. "Our goal is to break from traditional online games and provide players with a 'fun now, no waiting' gameplay experience in a dynamic, ever-evolving online world."

 

The Agency is a fast-paced, online persistent shooter in a modern setting of bullets, bomb blasts, and betrayal. Live the life of an elite agent in a world of super spies and rugged mercenaries, who use both the highest technology and the lowest tactics to accomplish their goals. Featuring cooperative and competitive play, The Agency is designed to provide instant action and long-term strategy for all fans of espionage, intrigue, and explosive gameplay.

 

Features

• The Agency offers hundreds of 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, thereʼs something for every aspiring agent.
  
• As players advance through the ranks of their faction, theyʼll also begin building their own Agencies. Players will increase their power even further by creating Joint Agencies with others.
  
• In the Agency, collect the right weaponry, gadgets, vehicles, gear, attire and aliases to gain access to various locales and influence over the people within them.
  
• Operatives are collectible non-player characters who provide the goods playerʼs desire, the services to keep them alive, and allow them to concentrate on the mission at hand. Operatives work 24/7, regardless of whether players are logged in, and they can even keep them up-to-date through email and instant messages.
  
• The Agency is not about waiting for the fun to start. At any point, players can take a break from their high-flying career to engage in a number of other activities. Veterans and new players alike can take on other players at the card tables, the shooting range, or in head-to-head combat.
  

Release Date: 2009

 

[Skia11]

SOE = The Devil

[darkkzero]

Ενδιαφέρον φαίνεται θα το κοιτάξω λίγο παραπάνω να δω τι παίζει με αυτό!

[kostacurtas]

The Agency - Preview

 

The Agency - Interview

 

Yesterday, we previewed this promising and extremely inventive MMO shooter for PS3 and PC from Sony Online Entertainment's Seattle studio. We also had a chance to interview lead designer Hal Milton - an endearingly enthusiastic crackpot genius, half George McFly, half Doc Brown - and director of development Matt Wilson about where they're trying to take the game, and MMOs in general. Read on for the results...

 

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E3 2008: Developer Walkthrough

 

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No cross-platform play for The Agency

 

Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming espionage MMO The Agency is not going to allow cross-platform play between the PC and the PS3, according to lead designer Hal Milton...

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The Agency May Be Free-To-Play

 

Sony Online Entertainment's spy MMO, The Agency, may be free-to-play, with advertisements and micro-transactions providing the revenue to keep world servers ticking over:

 

"The Agency is our online persistent shooter," he says. "We're not generally using the term MMO, although we do put a lot of MMO abilities that we've learned from our other projects into it. We really want to first and foremost be an action shooter as a game, which means first person or third person view, which really brings in the crowd who like that type of visual experience where when you aim and shoot your skill is important."O'Hara paints the point a little bolder later on: "that's the primary audience we're aiming for - people who just like to go in and cause mayhem and lots of explosions.

 

"Although you'll have different character skills you can deploy to help you through, a headshot's a headshot. In a Player versus Player game, even if I play for two years and you start today, you're going to be competitive with me if you're a shooter fan. If you're not a shooter fan, then certainly getting those skills will help you to advance."

 

This choice of target demographic will have ramifications for SOE Seattle's business model, though O'Hara claims that aspect is still to be determined. "We're acutely aware that shooter players are not used to playing monthly fees, so I doubt we'll go for an outright $15 a month, which works on some of our other projects. So we're checking out Free Realms to see how they're going to do with their micro-transactions, and we might incorporate some of that. We'll definitely have some ad revenue models. The Agency's the perfect place for some in-game product placement." If this latter statement sets any suspension-of-disbelief-related alarm bells ringing, don't worry - the developer won't be ramming context-less Pepsi merchandise down your throat. "We don't want to go over the top with it."

[kostacurtas]

The Agency pushed to 2010

 

The public hasn't seen much of The Agency since it was first revealed in 2007. When questioned about the lack of updates on the ambitious PC/PS3 online espionage game, SOE's Hal Milton told us: "We don't want to keep having hype sessions just showing movies and crap. We need to make the game and not just keep promoting it."

 

GDC continues that idea, with Sony Online Entertainment revealing nothing more than a distant release window for both The Agency and DC Universe Online. John Smedley, president of SOE, revealed that both titles will arrive in 2010 in his keynote, "An industry perspective on how new online games will reach the masses."

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The Agency

Developer Interview

 

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The Agency - E3 2010 Trailer