Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

A Preview of the SOE FanFaire 2007

By Tony "RadarX" Jones

It promises to be an exciting weekend here at SOE's 2007 Fan Faire in beautiful Las Vegas. Every year fans of games like EverQuest, EverQuest 2, Star Wars Galaxies, and others all gather together for events, discussions, and to see what the future holds. With a new product announcement and roundtables covering a number of interesting topics, this event appears to be a super-sized version of last year. What will be shown and what is rumored? Ten Ton Hammer is on the scene to make sure we leave no nerf unannounced and no expansion ignored.

The SOE FanFaire Logo

Perhaps the most interesting event we'll see is an announcement from SOE's CEO, John Smedley, on Friday night, which will reveal a brand new secret project they've been keeping under wraps. What will it be? The speculation has been wild, but we understand it's to be released in August so that rules out any big name MMO's. We'll know the entire truth Friday, so make sure to check back.

What can we tell you about for certain? First, the folks from Perpetual will be showing a Gods and Heroes playable demo. While E3 and the SOE Block Party showed off this mythology based MMO in July, this is a more relaxed environment and the team will not be under the media's scrutiny (unless you count us, of course). This project has been in heavy development and closed beta since early this year, and I imagine we'll see quite a bit of what they can do. What could be more exciting than that? How about the free beta key in your goody bag from the event? You'll not only be able to see the demo, but play it yourself when you get home.

Perhaps you aren't a fan of Roman Gods? Then hoist yer mainsail matey because Pirates of the Burning Sea will also be present, and it'll be showing everything Flying Labs is capable of. This title appears to be a promising mix between naval combat and general swashbucklery (yes, I just made that word up). While the demo is certain, we're all hoping there are developers on hand to answer questions not relating to parrots.

The Agency will be on display at FanFaire 2007, and RadarX hopes he can get a close look at it.

Moving to a more modern setting, we'll also get a look at the James Bond / Commando-style spy MMO called The Agency. This edgy project puts players in the shoes of a government operative or freelance mercenary undertaking dangerous missions to further their particular organization. Built as a first-person-shooter type of gameplay environment, this game appears to be very innovative by using gadget crafting, and even rumors of text messages to your cell phone regarding the completion of items or objectives.

Finally, what would Fan Faire be without those beautiful, harmonious roundtables where every question is answered? SOE has a series of sessions covering expansions, recruitment, marketing and more. One of the more interesting sessions will be the Vanguard: State of the Game. It's no secret that, with server merges imminent, players are a little more than concerned with how things are going. Brave developers will discuss what the future holds and answer a few questions.

Everquest 2 players have a number of interesting options. An entire session dedicated to art development will give players a hands-on with actual tools used to make content. Chad "Lotus" Haley, lead Art Designer will be leading this session but isn't to be outdone by a roundtable lead by Dragonlance cover artist Larry Elmore.

Also, players can expect an entire session dedicated to the new expansion Rise of Kunark, which will hit stores in November. From developer comments we had yesterday, they will be showing a very playable level 1-10 demonstration and answering questions regarding the new Sarnak race, raid content, and loot.

As you can see SOE has quite a lineup for attendees to Fan Faire and there are usually a few surprises we don't hear about until the last second. Be sure to check back to Ten-Ton Hammer as we bring you coverage of this exciting event. 

Make sure you check out all our SOE FanFaire 2007 coverage!