Fans expecting new information on 'EverQuest Next' during this year's SOELive came away tonight with a bittersweet announcement from SOE president John Smedley.

During tonight's SOELive keynote address, Smedley explained that everything we've seen on EverQuest Next thus far has been scrapped and the game is in the process of being reworked. Given the turn of events, SOE will not be showing off EverQuest Next during this year's SOELive. However, Mr. Smedley did promise attendees that not only would EverQuest Next make an appearance at SOELive next year, it will also be playable.

Why'd SOE scrap the work done up to this point? Smedley noted that the team ultimately wasn't happy with the game. EQ Next felt too 'evolutionary', more like an EverQuest 3 than what SOE was going for. According to Smed, SOE 'changed the world' with the launch of the original EverQuest, and they want the launch of EverQuest Next to be an equally monumental moment in the MMO genre.

To that end, Smedley promised that EverQuest Next would be the "world's largest sandbox", with content delivered to players in an entirely new way. The team is being lead by EverQuest staples such as Terry Michaels and Dave Georgeson and fans were assured that they are intending on remaking Norrath into something unlike anything players have seen before.

Yeah, Smedley, Mmmm-hmmm.

We'll see what SOE's definition of "sandbox" is. Should be entertaining.

As I've said elsewhere, though, if it includes a crafting system like SWG's(pre nge) and has non-instance (which itself CAN be in an instance, though if it's the largest sandbox MMO ever it SHOULD NOT be) housing...I may end the embargo of all SOE/Sony goods on this house.

maybe.

Originally posted by DavisFlight
So long as there are no instances it should be good.

Is that one of the ruls of a true sandbox now?  So many rules :P

Originally posted by Roxtarr

Originally posted by DavisFlight
So long as there are no instances it should be good.

Is that one of the ruls of a true sandbox now?  So many rules :P

It's one of the rules of a good MMO, generally. Very few MMOs know how to properly limit instances or how to design good gameplay, so they use instancing as a band aid for all their gameplay shortcomings.

A well made MMO has no real need of instances. The only arguable benefit of instancing is when telling a scripted story, and if a sandbox game is doing that, then it's not a very good sandbox, is it?

Smedley explained that everything we've seen on EverQuest Next thus far has been scrapped and the game is in the process of being reworked

Smokejumper had also earlier announced that, 4 months ago, in June

http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=519092&post_id=5765513#5765513

06/18/2012 15:39:26     Subject: Re:Eq2 and Eqnext

SmokeJumper DoD Joined: Aug 8, 2005 Messages: 1069 Offline

Answering the original questions. EQ Next is still being built within a black box. The *earliest* we are currently considering that we *might* reveal info is late this year. We're being very particular about what needs to be in the game before revealing it to folks, so until that stuff is ready, we won't be showing anything. (Screens you saw from a couple years ago are completely obsolete now and are not pertinent to the current game at all.) There is no reason for EQ or EQII to ever fade away. EQN is not being designed to replace those games. The only way it could "kill" EQ or EQII is by being such a phenomenally better game that everyone flocks to it. Many miles to go before we sleep.

Originally posted by kb056
Considering the state of MMO's, I wouldnt be surprised to see EverQuest Next(the SWG version). Seriously, think about it. They already have the Code premade...

A smart developer would be hopping on the sandbox wagon. Or rather, they would have started a few years ago. Almost no themeparks have done well, and there have been no big budget sandboxes or hardcore oldschool MMOs. So, we have a HUGE (2 million) market of oldschool MMO veterans and sandbox MMO gamers who have NO AAA title to try. 

It's common sense. Why shoot for the unattainable "WoW market" when the AAA sandbox market has only one big game, Eve.

Originally posted by William12
Remember he has already stated EQ Next will be free to play.  Not buy to play although I fully expect him to go into the buy to play model.

The 190th Rule Of Acquistion.Hear all,Trust nothing ....

Originally posted by William12
Here's what happen.  They were going with what rift, wow, eq2 are like seen how bad SWTOR did and seen GW2 and scrapped it all to copy GW2 :) 

I think it's much more likely they were going to remake EQ1, make a socially oriented hardcore MMORPG, and decided that not only would that directly compete with their own product, EQ1, which they still make lots of money off of, and that it was just not new enough of an idea. So, they went sandbox because that is

a) what most core MMO fans have been crying for

b) wouldn't compete with their own products

c) is a totally untapped market

And how have they decided to copy GW2? GW2 isn't remotely a sandbox. Besides, the only thing really worth copying for GW2 is the event system.

Originally posted by DavisFlight

Originally posted by William12
Here's what happen.  They were going with what rift, wow, eq2 are like seen how bad SWTOR did and seen GW2 and scrapped it all to copy GW2 :) 

I think it's much more likely they were going to remake EQ1, make a socially oriented hardcore MMORPG, and decided that not only would that directly compete with their own product, EQ1, which they still make lots of money off of, and that it was just not new enough of an idea. So, they went sandbox because that is

a) what most core MMO fans have been crying for

b) wouldn't compete with their own products

c) is a totally untapped market

And how have they decided to copy GW2? GW2 isn't remotely a sandbox. Besides, the only thing really worth copying for GW2 is the event system.

well, the way i see it.

Smed was looking at the current crop of mmo's the latest big one called SWTOR, and saw how it turned out.

and then looked over and saw how Guild Wars 2 turned out.

somewhere along the line he must have went into his office and lit the drawing board on fire telling his team to start over.

the EQ ip is their baby,  their is no denying that.  and what does SOE have under their tool belt to potentially (god i hate that word now)  take their game to the next level?

just to speculate:

Playerstudio - customers making content/items for their games

soe emote -  lip sync avatars when speaking

forgelight - in house engine which is now being used for planetside2 - and almost certainly a testbed to improve the engine for the next EQ

SWG non instance net code -   /shrug

From now to next year,  these tools would be improved upon due to other games already using them via player feed back.

Originally posted by DavisFlight

Originally posted by William12
Here's what happen.  They were going with what rift, wow, eq2 are like seen how bad SWTOR did and seen GW2 and scrapped it all to copy GW2 :) 

I think it's much more likely they were going to remake EQ1, make a socially oriented hardcore MMORPG, and decided that not only would that directly compete with their own product, EQ1, which they still make lots of money off of, and that it was just not new enough of an idea. So, they went sandbox because that is

a) what most core MMO fans have been crying for

b) wouldn't compete with their own products

c) is a totally untapped market

And how have they decided to copy GW2? GW2 isn't remotely a sandbox. Besides, the only thing really worth copying for GW2 is the event system.

You actually think EQ breaks even or makes a profit ?  News flash it doesn't in fact EQ and EQ2 haven't made a profit in years that f2p game free realms is what keeps eq alive.  

Also if you read leaked stuff from years ago EQ next was gonna be EQ 3 Free realms style themed. It sounds to me like they're going more open world sandbox the question is are there millions of people who want a PVE sandbox because EQN will not be a PVP sand box that is out of the question.