Sounds like you may even get a sneak peek at games such as The Agency this year, tasty! Check it out and scribble it into your list of things to do:

Save The Date! SOE Fan Faire Set For Aug. 5 – 8 In Las Vegas

3/04/2010 10:00 a.m.

Join us at Bally's Las Vegas for three days of fun and games at Fan Faire 2010 from August 5-8. If you have never been to an SOE Fan Faire before, this is the time to make the trek to Sin City! Fan Faire is a great place for gamers to mix, mingle and meet with some of the faces behind their favorite SOE titles.

Here are just some of the great activities we're planning:

• Special announcements and sneak peaks of upcoming SOE titles
• In-game tournaments and live, game-themed competitions and quests
• Developer forums and roundtables
• Cool giveaways and other fun items!

And, that's just the beginning! Check back for up-to-date information on registration, pricing and schedules. Tickets are expected to go on sale early this spring.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - FEBRUARY 16, 2010 (SOE Press Release) - Gamers worldwide can now log-in and immerse themselves in EverQuest II Sentinel's Fate, the latest expansion from the massively multiplayer online game by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). Sentinel's Fate is the sixth expansion for the groundbreaking EverQuest II franchise. This all-in-one compilation pack will be available at select retail stores on February 16, 2010 for the suggested retail price of $39.99 USD plus applicable tax and via digital download at http://www.everquest2.com/ beginning February 23, 2010.

"Sentinel's Fate is the result of inspiration derived from both the original EverQuest franchise and suggestions made by our dedicated player community," said Alan Crosby, Producer, Sony Online Entertainment. "By honing in on what's important to our players, we have been able to refine the overall gameplay experience and ensure that there is something for everyone to enjoy in this expansion, new players and veterans alike."

EverQuest II Sentinel's Fate transports players into a universe of legend and lore where exploration is just the beginning. It includes many highly-detailed areas that are fondly remembered from the original EverQuest, as well as brand new areas to discover. Players can now explore the fabled lands of Odus, filled with epic quests, magnificent dungeons and limitless content provide the ultimate MMO experience for new players and seasoned veterans alike. Sentinel's Fate presents the next chapter of the EverQuest II legacy which has been written by the passion of players and fueled by the hunger for adventure. Retail customers will enjoy up to a 7-day head start of gameplay access before the digital release. Customers who purchase the Collector's Edition will receive an exclusive Armored Highland Stalker in-game mount with matching pewter figurine.

Finally, current EverQuest II subscribers with characters level 80-90 can now participate in the ultimate PvP with the complimentary addition of Battlegrounds. Battlegrounds allows players to engage in the most exciting and intense PvP battle against their friends or foes, regardless of server, and provide thrilling group-based, competitive matches in three all-new zones.

EverQuest II Sentinels Fate Features:

• Level cap increase to 90 to achieve your character's greatest potential
• Two expansive new overland zones to discover: The Sundered Frontier and Stonebrunt Highlands
• 12 new dungeons to battle through
• 400 new quests based on the legend of Odus
• Five new Heritage Quests with valuable new loot
• Over 2,000 new weapons, armor, and items to enjoy
  
• All new alternate advancement abilities to expand your arsenal of powers
• Hundreds of new dangerous and cunning creatures

EverQuest II Sentinel's Fate Standard Edition Retail Box Includes: (Available for purchase February 16, 2010)

• Sentinel's Fate expansion pack, plus the entire award-winning content from five previously released expansion packs and three adventure packs
• Players can explore up to 90 levels of breathtaking content in more than 300 expansive and dangerous environments both new and nostalgic
• Experience the legend and lore of EQII through more than 8,000 quests with over 5,000 savage creatures
• Forge your character's destiny by choosing from 19 unique player races and 24 distinct character classes
• Customize your character with unique armor sets, exciting weapon advancements, fascinating mounts and collect thousands of items for your home or guild hall
• Includes Legends of NorrathTM strategic online trading card game

EverQuest II Sentinel's Fate Collector's Edition Retail Box Includes: (Available for purchase February 16, 2010)

• Up to a 7-day head start of gameplay access before the digital release
• Exclusive Armored Highland Stalker in-game mount to accompany you through your Norrathian adventure
• Collectible Armored Highland Stalker figurine
• Coveted Guarding of the Reasoned in-game armor* to provide extra protection on your journey
• EverCracked! The Phenomenon of EverQuest DVD Documentary
• $10.00 Sentinel's Fate digital download discount coupon for Station Store
• 500 Station CashTM to spend on virtual items
• Legends of NorrathTM The Fall of Erudin scenario
• 30-day subscription included for new accounts

EQII Sentinel's Fate Station Store Digital Download (Available for purchase February 23, 2010)

• Coveted Guarding of the Learned armor* to provide extra protection on your journey
• Legends of NorrathTM The Fall of Erudin scenario
• 500 Station CashTM to spend on virtual items
• 30-day subscription included for new accounts

EQII Sentinel's Fate Station Cash Purchase (Available for purchase February 23, 2010 through the EQII in-game Marketplace)

• Coveted Guarding of the Learned armor* to provide extra protection on your journey
• Legends of NorrathTM The Fall of Erudin scenario
• 500 Station CashTM to spend on virtual items
• 30-day subscription included for new accounts

*In-game item: Limit one (1) per character. Non-transferable. No cash value.

Erollisi Day, Norrath's celebration of love and passion returns to EverQuest II this year with plenty of activities for players looking for romance. This year the light-hearted holiday festival includes new themed quests including “Shot through the heart” and “What’s love got to do with it”, and the returning favorites, “Love Lines” and “Find ’em a Find, Catch ’em a Catch”. During this holiday players also have a chance of finding love notes or message candies when they kill mobs all across Norrath. This love loot is used in holiday tradeskill recipes and can be exchanged for Erollisi coin, the holiday currency that several Erollisi merchants require for purchase. Also, there are new themed items for crafting, new items for purchase from holiday merchants and more, all available through Tuesday Feb. 16.

For more information, visit www.eq2players.com.

On February 16, 2010 the long awaited introduction of battlegrounds is scheduled to arrive in EverQuest II as a complimentary addition for current EQII subscribers with characters level 80-90. Battlegrounds allow players to engage in the most exciting and intense PvP battle against their friends or foes, regardless of server, and provide thrilling group-based, competitive matches in three all-new zones. Participants can quickly join the nonstop action in three different types of matches, with up to 48 players total. On the Battlegrounds there is a role for all, no matter the class, each player can support or lead the group to victory and reap the rewards of the all-new Chaos armor sets!

Additionally, EverQuest II players who login between Feb. 16, 2010 and Feb. 18, 2010 receive the Warrior of Chaos statue!

For more information, check out the EQ II Battlegrounds page.

I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year celebration! To kick off the new year I've made a quick little calendar for you. Enjoy and watch for a new one in Febuary:

>

You can download the calendar by clicking the image above, or following this January Everquest 2 Calendar link.

We've just finished uploading (16) Sixteen new screenshots for you featuring the Sundered Frontier, an awe inspiring new zone which will be part of the Sentinel's Fate expansion.

Drop by the screenshot section to enjoy all of the eyecandy bestowed upon us.

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – Dec. 16, 2009 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) fills players’ virtual stockings with holiday cheer this holiday season with in-game activities and festive events in its online video games. This December, EverQuest®, EverQuest® II and Free Realms players will enjoy celebrations filled with themed events, special quests and seasonal treats. Pirates of the Burning Sea™ will be celebrating Junkanoo, Wookiee Life Day returns to Star Wars Galaxies, and in Vanguard Saga of Heroes the annual Festival of Gloriann has arrived.

In-game events are as follows:

EverQuest®: The annual Frostfell event runs from Dec. 10, to Jan. 7 in EverQuest. In the Plane of Knowledge, the Frostfell celebrations have been spoiled by a state of thievery, and it is up to the players to save the celebration. Many families have been awakened by ruffians and monsters breaking into their homes and carrying off presents intended for the children of the Realm. Players are needed to help track down the monsters that committed these crimes and return the missing presents. Players should also visit the Marketplace to check out the all the new Frostfell items.

For detailed information, please visit www.eqplayers.com.

EverQuest® II: Frostfell, the Norrathian festival of kinship and giving, has returned to EverQuest II. Players can join in the celebration scheduled from Dec. 10, to Jan. 7. Gardy, the ex-giftgiving Frostfell elf, is offering a new quest. Santa Glug has several brand new gifts to give out to one and all. The merchants in the Frostfell Wonderland Village have new holiday goodies for purchase and tradeskillers can make several brand new items. Players should also be aware that this year, fruitcake really is the gift that keeps on giving! Hitting a friend with a throwable fruitcake will spawn one in their inventory for them to throw back.

For detailed information, please visit www.eq2players.com.


    

    

IGN recently published the next two videos in their amazing series known as EverCracked! If you are a fan of the game or just wondering what went on behind the scenes, this is a must check out series.

EverCracked! The Phenomenon of EverQuest, Episode 2

EverCracked! The Phenomenon of EverQuest, Episode 3

IGN just published the first video in a series known as EverCracked! This documentary, hosted by Jason Hall, chronicles the history of our beloved EverQuest. This is a must watch, check it out!

Remember that EverQuest piece we did earlier this year for the game's 10th Anniversary? Well if you recall correctly, Sony had mentioned they were working on a hardcover book detailing the ten year quest the game has undergone.

That book is finally available! It retails for $34.99.

The hardcover volume includes:

The story behind the creation of EverQuest and EverQuest II

Interviews with key contributors to the EverQuest legacy, including John Smedley, Russell Shanks, Brad McQuaid and others

Fantastic artwork illustrating every page, including reproductions of EverQuest and EverQuest II box covers and highly detailed art pieces from Legends of Norrath

Concept art and promotional images of famous EverQuest and EverQuest II characters and locations

Descriptions and commentary from the development teams behind the EverQuest franchise

So go check it out, looks like a great collector's item.

If you want to keep up with all the SOE goings-on at Comic-Con and SOE's Block Party, be sure to follow @sonyonline on Twitter!

They're planning to tweet cool stuff like:

• Behind the scenes at the SOE booth
• DC Comics booth
• Sony Pictures Entertainment booth
• Jim Lee signings
• Fun console game booths
• Toy company booths
  

They'll also be broadcasting live coverage of Block Party on our UStream Channel!

For more details about Block Party check out the Facebook Invitation. Then after the event, you can see all the craziness that ensued over on the Block Party Flickr Album!

Alan Crosby has been promoted to Executive Producer of EverQuest II. We spoke to him at E3 about the game and where he and his team plan to take it in the coming months.

 

 

And then let us know what you think on the forums!

SOE has announced their 2009 Player of the Year winners. Below you'll find the winners from EQ and EQ2, along with their entries.

From EQII:

Bownzer (alts: Bownz, Seelenschrei, Lazyone) from the Crushbone server!
You can see the entry made on his behalf at TheBrasse.com!

From EQ:

Palarran from The Tribunal server!

Palarran's entry:

Gather 'round the fire my friends
To hear a tale of yore
By Karana's hand, a druid began
He changed Norrath evermore

Palarran Taurina is of whom we speak
We’re here to tell of deeds
Big or small, he does them all
All you have to do is ask, and he helps fulfill your needs

In every guild there is dissension
No matter your faction, clique or friends
Love them, hate them or indifferent
With Palarran’s guiding hand and wisdom friction ends

Dragon kill points need to be updated?
Palarran is the man that toils away
Need help to get that flag?
Palarran is the man who’ll lend a hand, so that here you will stay

Who lives in a knothole in Tunare’s tree?
Palarran is the man and he goes meep, meep!
Our shining knight… oops druid
Palarran is here for keeps

Leaders come and leaders go
But Palarran's mettle n'er becomes unfurled
A decade later, still playing together
(Rest in Peace) will rule the world

SOE has posted a preview of the content of Game Update 52: Monument and Might with a look at the Emperor’s Athenaeum.

In Monument and Might, GU #52, Kurn's isn't the only place the mysterious stranger will lead you... Your new "friend" will send you to the Emperor's Athenaeum to uncover more secrets.

Behind the last known door into the sealed city of Charasis lies the Emperor's Athenaeum. It is the great lost library, thought to be only legend by most.

It is said to be the location of all of the Sathirian Dynasty's greatest secrets.

Read more here.

The folks at EverQuest II have revealed new lore behind the game's upcoming Game Update 52.

A Rime of War
A dirge’s personal tale by Elna Tsernin

The waves rocking this vessel as we cross the Timorous Deep should be lulling me into a deep sleep, instead I find myself examining my actions and the tide of events that swept me here. I had been a successful dirge, and a beautiful one at that, I had always been proud of my unblemished scales and frills. A young Iksar blessed with talent beyond her years known throughout the Sebilisian Empire. I had been entertaining barons and officers with the same old collection of historical songs and tales of the Iksar nation for years; from Sebilis to Jinisk, Torsis to Charasis. When I had grown tired of those tales I looked toward the rest of Kunark. Over the next several years I trekked from one end of our isolated continent to the other learning tales of other societies and their myths. My native tongue was Sebilisian, like anyone born within the empire, but I learned enough common in these years in order to unlock stories from other cultures. But I was still young. A few stories of the drachnid learned here, a song about Chelsith there. I grew bored quickly, too quickly. Always believing the big song eluded me. Skorpikis, burynai, sarnak, Yha-Lei, even goblins. I was certain that I had heard all there was to hear and my catalog of songs and stories had become rather impressive, but I had been arrogant and foolish.

Read more here.