Vanguard to be Co-Published by SOE?

Barrin · Post by **Barrin** » Fri May 05, 2006 7:00 pm

What are all the haters gonna do now? :emoknife:

VANGUARD: SAGA OF HEROES FINDS A NEW HOME
- Sigil Games Online and Sony Online Entertainment In Talks To Co-Publish Sigil’s Ground-Breaking New Game -

May 5, 2006 – Carlsbad & San Diego, CA – Sigil Games Online and Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced that Sigil is working with Microsoft Game Studios on an arrangement to acquire the rights to its highly anticipated massively multiplayer online (MMO) game, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. These efforts have resulted in a tentative agreement for Vanguard to be co-published by both Sigil Games Online and SOE. All three companies will be showing the game at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) as they work closely together for a successful transition. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is scheduled to launch this winter.

“As the development process is ongoing and constantly shifting, it became clear that MGS and Sigil had varying visions and direction for the title’s development,” said Brad McQuaid, CEO of Sigil Games Online. “In the best interest of Vanguard, it was decided that we would buy back the publishing rights from Microsoft.”

As co-publisher of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, Sigil assumes greater control of marketing and PR, while maintaining responsibility for game development, community relations, media relations, customer support, and quality assurance. Under the terms of the agreement, SOE will provide distribution, marketing, hosting and back-end support -- including billing and technical support -- for the game. Additionally, SOE is tentatively planning on adding Vanguard, upon its release,to SOE’s Station Access™ subscription plan. Station Access allows players to enjoy all of SOE’s MMO titles for one low monthly price.

“We are very excited to be working with so many old friends at Sigil,” said John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. “Vanguard looks beautiful and has an incredibly rich game world. It’s the type of game that will appeal directly to SOE’s hundreds of thousands of players and should fit in perfectly with the current line-up of games available in Station Access.”

”This decision was made mutually by Sigil and Microsoft, in the best interest of the long-term goals for the title,” said Phil Spencer, General Manager at Microsoft Game Studios. “As a key Windows development partner, we will continue to work with Sigil to ensure Vanguard’s ongoing success.”

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is the next generation of massively multiplayer online games. The journey takes place in the fantasy setting of Telon, a vast and ancient world of magic, intrigue and adventure. Facing the challenges of a war torn world, the diverse people here struggle to rebuild their once great civilizations. A fragile alliance has been struck, with the lands set upon by invading forces, the races must band together to survive.

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is currently in a closed beta phase. The game will remain available via Fileplanet for existing beta testers during the transition to SOE. New information will be sent out to testers as the changeover occurs.

For more information about Vanguard: Saga of Heroes please visit http://www.vanguardsoh.com.

About Sigil Games Online
Based in Carlsbad, California, Sigil Games Online is a studio dedicated to creating massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. Founded in 2002 by Brad McQuaid and Jeff Butler, key figures in the development of award-winning EverQuest, the company plans to be a driving force in the continued evolution of this unique genre. Sigil Games Online is comprised of an all-star team of experienced developers with an impressive pedigree of commercially successful and critically acclaimed online games. For more information, visit http://www.sigilgames.com.

About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers 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 and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®,as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, 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 additional development studios in Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development. SOE is owned by Sony Pictures Digital and Sony Computer Entertainment America.

SOE, the SOE logo, EverQuest and PlanetSide are registered trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. Untold Legends is a trademark of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and Sigil Games Online are trademarks of Sigil Games Online, Inc. (registration pending). All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Post by **Ddrak** » Fri May 05, 2006 10:40 pm

/em hugs his all-access pass!

Post by **Nadia** » Sat May 06, 2006 6:27 am

links

press release
http://www.sigilgames.com/sonypressrelease.html

Forum commentary
http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/showt ... hp?t=51246

Post by **Nadia** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:38 am

http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/showp ... ostcount=6

Aradune wrote:SoE cannot touch the gameplay.

What we have done is become the publishers of our own game. We now have even more control and authority over Vanguard, how it is made, how it is designed, and how it is marketed than we ever had with Microsoft.

I realize there are lots of different feelings about SOE and their games. But whatever those feelings, the fact of the matter is that they know operations and distribution. They will make sure our beta runs the way it needs to, that our game is widely marketed, and that our game is available all over, in all channels.

That is SOE's role in this new partnership with them. Sigil remains Sigil, able to focus now moreso on what we do best -- design, implement, conduct betas, build community, and market.

Post by **Nadia** » Sat May 06, 2006 8:00 am

http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/showp ... tcount=180

Aradune wrote:Vanguard will NOT be part of Station Exchange

Post by **Nadia** » Sun May 07, 2006 8:36 am

Sigil & SOE FAQ
http://www.vanguardsoh.com/forums/showt ... ost1044304

Post by **Ddrak** » Sun May 07, 2006 4:38 pm

It is a good move for Sigil really. SOE is geared up to the distribution model they want, while Microsoft would have been pushing them down the X360/XBox Live path.

Despite the assurances that SOE won't have influence, it's obvious they will have at least some say in what happens (they market it, they get a say). I doubt the influence will be anything too horrible though.

Dd

RAISTLE LOL · Post by **RAISTLE LOL** » Sun May 07, 2006 8:27 pm

its fake dont worry

Freecare Spiritwise · Post by **Freecare Spiritwise** » Mon May 08, 2006 3:27 am

Any word on when Vanguard is going to be released?

DDO wasn't as good as we hoped it would be

Post by **Nadia** » Mon May 08, 2006 4:01 am

expected Winter 2007 release
(sometime between Dec2006 and March 2007)

Kulaf · Post by **Kulaf** » Mon May 08, 2006 9:42 am

Last official comment I heard was still "2006".

Post by **Nadia** » Mon May 08, 2006 10:39 am

http://www.sigilgames.com/sonypressrelease.html

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is scheduled to launch this winter.

Winter is part of early 2007 too

related discussion about SOE in the DeadHorse forum
http://www.brellrants.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7319

Kulaf · Post by **Kulaf** » Mon May 08, 2006 11:31 am

Hehe true......but Brad's official statement is still 2006.

Embar Angylwrath · Post by **Embar Angylwrath** » Mon May 08, 2006 12:09 pm

Nadia wrote:expected Winter 2007 release
(sometime between Dec2006 and March 2007)

Nadia, is that DEC-MAR timeframe an official announcement from VG:SOH?

Post by **Nadia** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:05 pm

the actual announcement is this winter

interpret that as you will

Partha · Post by **Partha** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:18 pm

I'm trying to care about all this. But it's hard.

Croinc · Post by **Croinc** » Tue May 09, 2006 6:33 pm

What's Vanguard?

Kliban Nimbledigits · Post by **Kliban Nimbledigits** » Sat May 13, 2006 1:37 am

Croinc wrote:What's Vanguard?

EQ III

Flunkie · Post by **Flunkie** » Mon May 15, 2006 10:15 am

Nadia wrote:the actual announcement is this winter

interpret that as you will

I'd be shocked if it came out this year, but March 2007 wouldn't be unthinkable. They have a lot of work left and plenty of rework to do before it will be releasable. They are at the point now that they can't keep beta players in the game. They've invited thousands and only a small fraction stick around for more than a month.

Kulaf · Post by **Kulaf** » Mon May 15, 2006 10:48 am

That's just an unfortunate result of what beta testing has turned into. People who want to play a "finished" product flood beta applications and they are simply not dedicated testers.

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Vanguard to be Co-Published by SOE?

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