EverQuest: Omens of War Announced

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Sony Online Entertainment Announces Omens of War Expansion for Everquest(R)

– All New Epic Weapon Quests, Increased Player Level Cap, Engaging Storyline and an All-New Task System Offer Norrathians of All Levels the Most Challenging Content to Date –

SAN DIEGO, May 6 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming, today announced EverQuest®: Omens of War, a new expansion for the incredibly popular PC Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), EverQuest®. This expansion will feature new high-level Epic weapons while raising the player level cap to level 70. EverQuest players will also enjoy a new visual appearance thanks to the use of the new next-generation graphics engine. EverQuest: Omens of War is scheduled to be available at retail and for digital download from Sony Online Entertainment for $29.99 in July.

“The EverQuest development team is always striving to challenge our player base with compelling and creative content and they will do just that with the latest expansion,” said Michael Lustenberger, executive director of marketing and public relations, Sony Online Entertainment. “With an increased player level cap, task system and all new Epic weapons, Omens of War is sure to provide all new challenges and rewards for players of all levels.”

EverQuest: Omens of War offers fantastic adventures set in the battle-torn lands of Discord. Players will face the destruction in the South and West Battlegrounds, explore the tattered landscape of the Discordant Plateau and wage war in the Muramite Bloodfields. Omens of War will allow players to adventure solo, in groups, and in multiple player raids to complete “Epic Quests” and earn specialized Epic weapons to assist them in their battles. All-new character levels, items, spells, and quests will challenge the most veteran of players and a new task system will offer new players an easier way to gain experience and items.

Supported by a new graphics engine, Omens of War will contain new zones in extraordinary brilliance. Built from the ground up, the new graphics engine will allow players to view new non-player characters and zones in superior detail, enhanced weather and particle effects, and a higher quality lighting system. While this new engine is already available to current EverQuest players, Omens of War will be the first expansion to take advantage of the new features, providing a whole new look to the game.

About EverQuest: Omens of War

Omens of War directs adventurers to the war-torn Realm of Discord, where they will continue their efforts with the Wayfarers Brotherhood to end the tyrannical ways of the Muramites once and for all. Mata Muram, the ruthless leader of the Muramites, is rumored to be amassing a gigantic army, and it is up to the citizens of Norrath to stop him. Omens of War includes the following features:

– Rich new zones, detailed environments, creatures and new Non-Player Characters (NPCs) with expanded graphical features and improved spell and weather effects unlike anything ever seen in EverQuest

– An increased player level cap. Players can further develop their characters by unlocking new innovative items, powerful spells, and thrilling quests, raising them beyond the current limit of level 65 to level 70

– Earn specialized, hand-tailored Epic weapons with the completion of any of 16 epic quests

– Enhanced tribute system allows players to turn loot into favor points for the entire guild to enjoy

– All-new task system allows player characters of all levels to adventure in various zones and request quick tasks in order to gain experience and collect items

– Earn a custom title for your player character upon completion of specific tasks

– New Alternate Advancement Abilities with unique skills to master

– New tradeskill recipes to produce hundreds of new items

– Dozens of new and exciting story-driven quests for the hardy adventurer

The new expansion will be downloadable via the EverQuest launch pad for $29.99. Additionally, retailers will be offering a boxed version that will carry a suggested retail price of $29.99, which includes a special in-box item and in-game item. For more information on Omens of War, please visit: http://www.omensofwar.com.

About EverQuest

Developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), EverQuest launched in 1999 and has since become both a gaming and cultural phenomenon. The game has sold more than 2 million copies while continuing to grow with award-winning expansions The Ruins of Kunark®, The Scars of Velious®, The Shadows of Luclin(TM), The Planes of Power(TM), The Legacy of Ykesha(TM), Lost Dungeons of Norrath(TM) and Gates of Discord(TM), making it the largest online 3D fantasy world ever created. During peak periods, more than 118,000 simultaneous adventurers have explored the fully detailed world of Norrath, filled with monsters, magic, adventure and more. Sony Online is committed to bringing EverQuest to various entertainment platforms, releasing titles such as EverQuest Online Adventures for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, EverQuest for the Pocket PC and EverQuest: Hero’s Call for wireless phones. In 2004, SOE plans to launch the highly-anticipated EverQuest II on PCs around the globe.

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 700,000 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® and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies®: An Empire Divided®, 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.

EverQuest is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. SOE, the SOE logo and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment Inc.