EverQuest II announced

Sony Online Entertainment has announced EverQuest II, the upcoming sequel to its groundbreaking massively multiplayer online role-playing game EverQuest. The new game will improve on its predecessor with a completely new 3D engine, new spells, quests, and events, and the option for characters to own real estate and command ships. It will also include a new branching character class structure, more customization options, and a new nonconfrontational character advancement system for new classes such as the tradesman.

EverQuest II will be set in Norrath, the gameworld featured in the original game, but it will take place during the Age of Destiny, a period in the future of the original game's gameworld. The game engine will support significantly more detailed environments and advanced graphics features such as per pixel lighting, dynamic environment mapping, and a programmable surface shader system. In addition, the game will have completely new combat, spell, and skill systems and a revised quest system.

"With these improvements to an already great game, we are not only investing in our growing online community, but also pushing the boundaries of what the next generation of role-playing games aspire to be," said John Smedley, senior vice president and COO for Sony Online Entertainment. "EverQuest II is the successful embodiment of better technology, player feedback, and our desire to build an online global community."

EverQuest, which was launched in March 1999, lets players assume the role of a character in a huge online persistent medieval fantasy world. Since the game's launch, Sony Online has released three large expansion packs, each adding new features and areas to the game, and the player community has grown to more than 400,000 subscribers.

EverQuest II is scheduled for release in winter 2003. For more information, read our 2863471in-depth interview with the developers.