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The Agency -- A Spy MMO from SOE
Lucascraft
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
THE AGENCY
I was bored today and decided I'd do a little research on this game since I haven't really heard anything in a while. I did a search on the forums and didn't find a thread about this game so I decided that I would start one and include the findings of my research.
I heard about this game a year or more ago and have always been interested in it, simply because I feel the fantasy genre of MMOs is about to reach critical mass, and I'd like to see games in other genres move into the online realm.
So what is The Agency?
Taken from the official website:
The Agency™ is a fast-paced, action shooter set in an online persistent world-a modern setting of bullets, bomb blasts, and betrayal. Live the life of an elite agent in a world of superspies and rugged mercenaries, who use both high technology and low tactics to accomplish their missions and goals. Featuring cooperative and competitive play, The Agency is designed to provide instant action and long-term strategy for all fans of espionage, intrigue, and explosive gameplay.
Taken from Wikipedia:
The Agency is a spy-themed massively multiplayer online shooter. It is being developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment studios in Seattle for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3.
What is the gameplay like?
Wikipedia says:
The game will feature FPS-style gun fighting (with the ability to switch between third and first person views), with some driving and other vehicular segments as well. Skill will be the primary determining factor in the success of the player, though some RPG elements will come into play as well. It has been mentioned that one shot to the head will instantly kill any player, suggesting it will be a somewhat realistic shooter.[2] The game will also include relevant subgames and minigames, among them casino games such as Texas hold 'em, which can be played for fun or can be used to initiate instance missions, such as losing or winning enough games to draw the attention of an NPC.
You can read the full description on wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Agency_%28video_game%29
And there is also a bit of game description on the official website, here: http://theagency.station.sony.com/intel.vm
And if you like videos, here are links to a three part video series on Gametrailers.com. These videos are from E3 2009. That makes them approximately 3 months old as of the writing of this post.
E3 2009 Developer Walkthrough Part 1
E3 2009 Developer Walkthrough Part 2
E3 2009 Developer Walkthrough Part 3
Official E3 2009 Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skpnd6Mf3Bs
The Factions
Paragon
U.N.I.T.E.
Screenshots!
(Spoilered for Size)
[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/2f/The_Agency_CES.jpg/800px The_Agency_CES.jpg[/IMG]
Concept Art!
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My impressions and opinions:
From those gameplay trailers linked above, I'd say this game definitely looks like something I want to play when it comes out.
However, I have a few reservations:
First -- From what I've seen of the gameplay, this game lacks a lot of features that I've come to expect from other sneaking games and action games. First and foremost that comes to mind is cover. I never once saw the character take cover behind...well...anything. The combat looked very simple. Stand and shoot. After having played games such as Gears of War, Uncharted, GTA4, and many others, I've come to expect more from shooters than simply standing still and exchanging bullets with my target.
Secondly -- The stealth aspects that I saw have me concerned. Stealth Action games such as Splinter Cell, Batman Arkham Asylum, Assassin's Creed, and Metal Gear Solid all have a whole lot more acrobatics and stealth moves. Things like going prone, flattening against walls, crawling through narrow crawlspaces or air ducts, climbing, hanging, rappelling, and many other maneuvers that just weren't present in the demos.
From what I gathered by watching those gameplay videos, their idea of "stealth" is simply running around while ducked, many times out in the open in plain sight. That just doesn't cut it for stealth anymore. Maybe 10 years ago it would have been ok, but games these days are much more advanced that what I saw in the videos.
Yes, I realize that the game is in development and things can and certainly will change. I am remaining optimistic and hopefully SOE will put together a very high quality online stealth spy game by the time it is released.
Lets talk about spies!
Lucascraft on
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I mean, usually these guys don't leave the team before the product is actually finished.
Yeah that probably means the quality standards were not being met. Wouldn't surprise me much with SoE's current track record.
Another pseudo MMO I will never pay a subscription for.
I forgot to touch on that in my original post. The graphics for this game look more like original XBox era graphics than current gen. I don't think they're terrible, but I also expect a lot more these days than what's there.
That third screenshot, though. Man. You can see the pixels bleeding off of the NPC's.
Really, if they want this to work, they're going to need to focus on getting the stealth and rambo aspects of the game right. People aren't going to want to play tedious stealth sections. And if gun-play comes down to "stand still for a minute while trading numbers", it's going to bomb too.
Most of the development related information i've heard about this game pointed toward's them wanting to include un-necessary features that'd slow down core gameplay development, like having the game send a message to your phone when a modification to your car or gun is complete.
That's shit that you should worry about either after release, or after you get your core gameplay concept working.
Because unless you think you're Crimecraft, you won't get anyone to pay monthly!
Because if you call it an MMO people might forgive your hideous graphics and bland gameplay.
Now its just not that, its not as good.
English chaps with bowler hats and women wearing tie-dye dresses. Everyone packin' a silenced pistol, none of this bullshit spy miniguns.
Yeah thats what i remember this being too, now that i see this thread it looks asstastic now.
1. Avoid SOE
2. Avoid SOE
3. Avoid SOE
I fully disagree with this sentiment. I played EQ1 for about 4 years, maybe a bit longer, and never had any major grievances with SOE. I left EQ1, not because of anything SOE did, but rather because I was looking for something a bit more modern, and EQ was definitely showing its age. I also enjoyed Planetside quite a bit back in the day, and I had a pretty fun jaunt through EQ2. I harbor no grudges against SOE.
You should of played Starwars galaxies.
http://ca.kotaku.com/5787698/sonys-mmo-studio-confirms-layoffs-closes-the-book-on-the-agency
Yesterday's rumors have proven true, as Sony Online Entertainment confirms 205 cut positions, the closure of three studio locations, and puts the final bullet in the head of massively multiplayer online spy game The Agency.
In an official statement delivered to Kotaku this afternoon, Sony Online Entertainment outlines the strategic decision that resulted in the unemployment of more than two hundred people and the shuttering of studios in Denver, Seattle, and Tucson.
The statement also reveals that The Agency, the eagerly anticipated spy-vs.-spy online multiplayer game that's been in development for several years, is no longer a going concern.
The official statement begins as follows:
"As part of a strategic decision to reduce costs and streamline its global workforce, SOE announced today that it will eliminate 205 positions and close its Denver, Seattle and Tucson studios. As part of this restructuring, SOE is discontinuing production of The Agency so it can focus development resources on delivering two new MMOs based on its renowned PlanetSide and EverQuest properties, while also maintaining its current portfolio of online games. All possible steps are being taken to ensure team members affected by the transition are treated with appropriate concern."
I never asked for this!
1. Come up with idea for MMO.
2. ???
3. Profi-- wait, you mean...? No? It...it isn't working? Well, damn.
An MMO that not only lacked basic features that most other MMOs have, but lacked a ton of features that it's direct predecessor has, and which said predecessor is still currently going just fine (at least before the whole tsunami reactor earthquake whatnot, dunno bout now).
I mean that's, I don't even, what?
So probably not a good example.
It only took them forever.
White FC: 0819 3350 1787
Figures.
I like some of the old videos http://www.gametrailers.com/game/the-agency/4932 from 2008,
The did have some good ideas back then.
Too bad the missed all the release dates in the next few years..... :P
so much for that
that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
I also had basically forgotten about this game until I saw the thread pop up in these forums... only to find out that it's been killed. Alas.
Also, weird to find out they had a studio in Tucson, which is where I live... I had no idea they were out here. :P