San Diego declares March 16 'Sony Online Entertainment Day'

On March 16, Sony Online Entertainment's seminal massively multiplayer online role-playing game, EverQuest, will turn 10. To honor the occasion, City Council member Carl DeMaio will officially proclaim March 16 as "Sony Online Entertainment Day" in San Diego, where SOE is headquartered.According to...

On March 16, Sony Online Entertainment's seminal massively multiplayer online role-playing game, EverQuest, will turn 10. To honor the occasion, City Council member Carl DeMaio will officially proclaim March 16 as "Sony Online Entertainment Day" in San Diego, where SOE is headquartered.

According to a statement provided by SOE, "This proclamation serves to commemorate the 10th anniversary and launch of EverQuest on this day as well as the continued support and dedication SOE shows to the city and community of San Diego."

SOE has also issued an open invitation for EQ fans to join in the proceedings. DeMaio is scheduled to issue the proclamation on March 10 at 10:00 a.m.,which will take place in room 202C on the 12th floor of San Diego's Council Chambers.

It may be a decade old, but SOE continues to update its flagship MMOG with new expansions. The game's 15th expansion, Seeds of Destruction, arrived in October, while EverQuest II--launched alongside Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft in 2004--saw its fifth expansion in November.

84 Comments

  • roams

    Posted Mar 17, 2009 7:26 am PT

    Maybe it's because I'm from an older generation... there's something that doesnt ring right to me with the "major corporation day" thing... why wasn't it EverQuest Day instead of Sony day?

    Anyways merry MS-eve and a happy GDay to all
    SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!

  • NimbleNut18

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 9:24 am PT

    So the entire community for everquest can fit in 202C - I think that's the same room i had art class in - can someone pick up my drawings of dragons.

  • King_Jeremy_77

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 12:55 am PT

    Cool!

  • BelmontMaster

    Posted Mar 10, 2009 12:10 am PT

    If that is how they have fun even after ten years, then good for them.

  • dethtrain

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 6:58 pm PT

    what an absurd waste of government energy

  • JackHoleFace00

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 4:57 pm PT

    P.S. I think some people are also missing the whole point here and not even reading the story! To those people:

    This is for SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT--NOT SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT. This has nothing to do with the Playstation or PS3 or whatever. SOE is a GAME DEVELOPER--a subsidiary of Sony that has made, most famously, the Everquest series. They are based out of San Diego. They employ hundreds of people there and bring in tons of money to the city, and have for many years. This day is just recognizing that. If you don't like it, please go whine somewhere else. And while you're there, ask yourself what you have done for the common good recently. Speechless aren't you? For shame.

  • sdkingsht

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 12:44 pm PT

    hell yeah. as a SD native and PS thru PS3 owner i must say i love it.

  • jazzyrider

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 10:45 am PT

    too bad I don't play EQ or live in SanDiego. Oh well - sounds fun if its Sony!

  • Evenios

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 9:40 am PT

    why not just declair it everquest day? that sounds better then "sony online entertainment day!"

  • BtmnHatesRbn

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 8:54 am PT

    Wow. A decade of a forgotten game. I thought EverQuest was abandoned by Sony long ago, after it bombed on PS2. And it's really been a decade. How many people are worse off or exactly the same place in life as when they started playing?

  • Todaishi

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 6:03 am PT

    EverQuest is one of THE BEST games I have ever played! And I really enjoyed Seeds of Destruction! Man... too bad I don't live in San Diego.

  • lordrave

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 3:22 am PT

    Huh,
    Everquest eh..
    I never know it came from Sony,
    Never played it either..
    10 years huh..

    Dude,
    WTh..

    Maybe blizzard should declares WoW day's too..
    Where all gamers go out and scream,
    Wow.. we got our own WoW days!

    More details please,
    the news seem's to be lacking some information..

    The first online game I've ever played was Toontown Online (kid)..
    If only toontown online weren't that laggy, I may still be playing it.

  • foodme

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 12:57 am PT

    everquest is of the games that helped state the mmorpg market. if everquest didint come out then or it faild ther would be no wow or guild wars. i still play everquest to this day. i still go on it ever once in a while but not as much as my other mmorpg. im loyal fan of everquest and i got it when it was realeased. it deseves its own day. hail everquest

  • JackHoleFace00

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 12:27 am PT

    Oh man... some people need to lighten up (and some people need to get an education).

    Look, I have NO problem with local gov. officials taking some time out of a single day to provide recognition to a much appreciated company that brings in TONS of money to the community and EMPLOYS HUNDREDS of people (in the private sector and in this current economy no less)--and all of those people PAY taxes. So don't sit here and whine about "oh they should be doing other things blah blah." Please.

    Seriously, the same people who get mad about this are the same idiots like the guy who went after Jim Calhoun (UConn Huskies basketball coach) for making $1.6 million/year, without realizing that they BRING IN $12 million to the state, and he personally donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to charities, cancer research, etc. out of his own pocket. Ignorant fools think they "got" people when they really haven't got a clue.

  • Khalathwyr

    Posted Mar 9, 2009 12:26 am PT

    @ashalldredge Devils advocate, I bet that you personally have no idea (before you wrote this; I'm sure you'll Google it) how much money SOE has has put into the San Diego community which in my estimation is the only reason they are getting this. So, you speak of wasting tax dollars, I'd offer that in donations SOE has more than paid for this little ceremony.

    All that said, I hate SOE with a passion and hope they fold. No, it's not the consuming hate you'd have for someone who killed your mother...if you like your mother that is...but the calm hate that anytime you hear of a misfortune you laugh a little inside. They killed my game (SWG) and I don't owe them well wishings. I just don't buy their products and if anyone asks I give them an overview of how they operate. *shrug*

  • FidelSarcastro

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 9:28 pm PT

    BlueFlameBat, well if this counsel man does go to this event I am sure he will say it is work related and his salary I assume would come out of the cities budget and that budget would be from local tax dollars so yea chances are that the folks from San Diego will be footing his appearance bill.

    Also I am not against this cause I like one game system over another, I dont care if it is a Sony Day, Microsoft Day, Nintendo Day, Atari Day, ColecoVision Day etc etc etc. An elected official is elected in order to take time to better the Community, City, State, Country... not to waste time just to name a day after some arbitrary thing for nothing more than a Photo Op. It is the same reason I am against things the yearly Easter egg hunt on the white house lawn and the yearly Thanksgiving turkey pardoning... it is foolish and its time wasted that should have been used to better this country.

  • Megaship

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 8:15 pm PT

    This is kinda unfair, what about all those other MMO's that SOE owns, Matrix, SWG, PlanetSide, Vanguard, Pirates of the burning sea, etc. Although it's true EverQuest may be it's most popular MMO, to me I don't see why SOE should make a holiday of one of there MMO's.

  • BlueFlameBat

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 7:27 pm PT

    This is a joke, right? This is March 6th, not April 1st.

    Whatever. If they want to dedicate a day to a company's division, that's on their dime, not mine. Please tell me taxes are not going to pay any part in this.

  • modem22 posted Mar 8, 2009 6:06 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    modem22

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 6:06 pm PT (hide)

    renegade_hunter
    Ok so I exaggerated on my earlier remark that Sony should disappear, i'm just a little high and got carried away, still even though I own neither I still think the 360 is a just a better console and has the better all-time overall library.

  • zintarr

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 6:02 pm PT

    The stentch of Fanboyism is overwhelming on both sides of the aisle in these comments.

  • OldGoldDomer

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 5:38 pm PT

    Wow, you type pretty well for a five-year-old.

  • kkevguy47k

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 5:26 pm PT

    march 16th is my birthday, and the ps3 is awesome, and i have one, and thats pretty cool. sadly im not 10 so it woulnt be the exact birth date. off by 5 years

  • redskinStu

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 3:14 pm PT

    The Xbox needs it's own day too....something to do with repair depots, over-heating, fried circuits, something like that.

  • StarlightHunter

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 3:08 pm PT

    @renegade_hunter, yeah fanboy comments annoy me too, i dont have a ps3, sold it for my 360 so i dont really pay attention to the ps3 anymore but this sounds like a good idea, i just want sony to improve the online then ill consider buying a ps3 again.

  • Hot-Tamale

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 2:48 pm PT

    California...
    What can we say.

  • renegade_hunter

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 2:10 pm PT

    @modem22
    u must be the most retarded fanboy ever. Just cause you hate sony doesnt mean its ok to say "I wish sony should disappear". If Sony does disappear, that means thousands of jobs would be lost just like if Microsoft disappeared. You cant go through a day without hearing that a plant is closing down or people being laid-off. In fact, the reason you love your 360 so much is cause of Sony. They invented the DVD and the competition between the 360 and PS3 = more fan support. anyway, can you give me a reason why you hate the PS3?

  • RockySquirrel

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 1:56 pm PT

    BOOOOOAAAAT!

  • Glade_Gnarr

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 1:56 pm PT

    Next step, the official videogame day, kids will get another day off school.

  • FLEEBS

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 11:34 am PT

    This is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard.

  • p00phead

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 11:33 am PT

    they still make expansions for everquest 1

  • modem22 posted Mar 8, 2009 10:44 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    modem22

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 10:44 am PT (hide)

    March 16 will now be known as "San Diego shame day". Hope Sony dissapears just like Ford is going to.

  • gimmysumcowbel

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 10:37 am PT

    this is the first time ive been embarassed to live in SD

  • tudyniuz

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 10:01 am PT

    yeah...great

  • freeezzzy

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 9:36 am PT

    who cares?

  • Warlord_Irochi

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 9:23 am PT

    Instead of wasting money in that kind of stuff Sony should invest more in good exclusivities. Really would love to see more titles like MGS4, LBP and Killzone 2.

    well, will be some fun for those going there, thats good

  • sonicare

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 7:57 am PT

    Does anyone actually play this game? I thought WOW and GW basically killed EQ off.

  • pyroone

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 7:39 am PT

    To get a day dedicated for anything you hire a lobbyist and spread money around congress and boom, you get a day dedicated for you. Michael Moore had a tv show where he did this but he only spent 500 bucks on a lobbyist and got congress to vote on it. Didn't pass tho, but if he was willing to push it with more money who knows where it would have went.
    So this is actually a pretty sad story in my mind.

  • Cobalt_Strike

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 7:24 am PT

    I'm all for games getting promoted, but in a case like this, its kinda sad the council couldn't focus on something with a greater impact. Oh well, this will be forgotten within a month anyhow.

  • Sniper

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 7:09 am PT

    I didn't know companies could buy municipal governments. Isn't this most-assuredly independent council member, who would never dream of taking contributions from Sony, worried about warping the impressionable minds of young people with his endorsement of the baby-killing, teenage deviant-producing EverQuest II sex and violence game? No one ever thinks about the children.

  • balanekk

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 6:58 am PT

    OMG 15th X-pacs? wow sucks now but its still better.

  • Pyroninja42

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 6:54 am PT

    Good god, it's just a game. I don't care if they made a "Microsoft Game Studios Day". Actually, I would. These aren't heroes! These companies don't do anything that great!
    Unbelievable.

  • bradly_2795

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 6:35 am PT

    So, um, yeah, there's this little thing called WoW which I do believe has swallowed the fan base for the game numerous times over. However I am glad to see Sony getting some gratification.

  • Avenged_Plague

    Posted Mar 7, 2009 11:58 pm PT

    everquest for ps3 ftw!

  • akiwak

    Posted Mar 7, 2009 10:47 pm PT

    Never played the game.... Can they make it available on the PSN? If it is successful then I guess we can see Everquest 3 on the PS3???? I'd give it a try....

  • jerryschust

    Posted Mar 7, 2009 9:32 pm PT

    I don't understand what they're celebrating. The game is past its prime and has all but been replaced by WOW. Seriously.

  • puppiemaster posted Mar 7, 2009 5:29 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    puppiemaster

    Posted Mar 7, 2009 5:29 pm PT (hide)

    enix165

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 12:38 am GMT

    Wonder how much Sony payed the town...

    Was thinking exactly the same thing.

  • xXZak-ataKXx

    Posted Mar 7, 2009 5:13 pm PT

    this will be cool

  • enix165 posted Mar 7, 2009 4:38 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    enix165

    Posted Mar 7, 2009 4:38 pm PT (hide)

    Wonder how much Sony payed the town...

  • jrabbit99

    Posted Mar 7, 2009 3:49 pm PT

    I can't believe they're making SOE Day! How big is the active community for it?

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