SOE picks up Steam, Tucson studio

By Tom Magrino, GameSpotPosted Jan 20, 2009 10:54 am PT

MMOG maker adds bulk of its MMOG games to Valve's digital delivery storefront, acquires Pox Nora online CCG creator Octopi.

Sony Online Entertainment may be synonymous with massively multiplayer online gaming, but the publisher has in recent years made a significant push into the collectible-card game space. Most notably, in 2007 the publisher rolled out Legends of Norrath: Oathbound, an in-game CCG that integrates into both EverQuest and EverQuest II.

The quest continues.

This week, SOE took one step further into the CCG development business, announcing the acquisition of Tucson, Arizona-based Octopi. As part of the deal, SOE now owns the rights to Octopi's Pox Nora, an online strategy game that melds collectible cards and turn-based strategy, as well as in-development projects at the studio.

SOE plans to integrate the current Octopi team into SOE's new studio, based in Tucson. The new studio will continue support for Pox Nora as well as develop new CCG and strategy games in collaboration with SOE's Denver studio, which it acquired in 2006.

Along with news of its new CCG-focused studio, Sony Online Entertainment has also announced a collaboration with Valve. As part of the arrangement, SOE will distribute the bulk of its MMOG roster through the Half-Life creator's digital delivery storefront, Steam. Games covered under the deal include EverQuest, its latest expansion Seeds of Destruction, EverQuest II, its latest expansion The Shadow Odyssey, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, and Pirates of the Burning Sea.

To promote the arrangement, SOE said that all new accounts created after the purchase of its games through Steam will receive 30 days of free gameplay.

39 Comments

  • msudude211

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 6:20 pm PT

    It says that SOE picks up Steam, not Sony...

  • Namaste1999

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 6:04 pm PT

    This headline is misleading. It seems to imply Sony bought or acquired Steam. "Sony picks up Steam, Tucson studio". See what I mean?

  • uberjannie

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 5:58 pm PT

    smghottie : if you didnt read the start of the discussion I had with Venom, I suggest you do not come with unintelligent guesses.
    I buy my games retail and get the discs now.. And i do so MUCH cheaper than if id buy it thru steam.

  • Hekynn

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 5:54 pm PT

    Very cool! I live like 30 miles away from Tuscon wtg Tucson! SoE is a great place guys good luck =)

  • smghottie posted Jan 20, 2009 5:38 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    smghottie

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 5:38 pm PT (hide)

    Steam games are not more expensive than their ported/third party system games. If anything, they are cheaper because they have sales constantly. Digital is better than disc because you never have to worry about a disc scratch, or listening to your cd-drive spin it's heart out. It's even faster installing/uninstalling because you don't have to put in any discs.

  • uberjannie

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 5:11 pm PT

    VenomRitual : yes i know! I hate steam now. What is the point in buying digital if its more expensive than the retail counter part? Frankly, its just hilarious!

  • Inconnux

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 5:06 pm PT

    Other than EQ 1+2, SOE mmorpgs are major failures. Vanguard, Matrix, Starwars Galaxies... dead worlds.

  • ratix2

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 4:30 pm PT

    while soe IS owned by sony (ill thank everyone to forego the capatin obvious comments), the fact is they are run very differenty. soe has little to nothing to do with the ps3 or getting exclusives or other games to be made for the system, soe is pretty much just a development studio. that being said, DONT expect left 4 dead to come out on the ps3 unless ea wants to port it as they did with the orange box. valve doesent like the ps3 at all.

  • expandingeye

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 4:13 pm PT

    Ill never read SOE without being saddened by their greed for destroying star wars galaxies.

  • VenomRitual

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 4:13 pm PT

    @uberjannie. steam banned a user for discussing that price increase for euro users. its crazy.

  • enix165

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 4:07 pm PT

    OH NO! A COMPANY'S PUTTING GAMES ON A SERVICE! IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD! It's not like they're buying Valve out or anything. XD Not that I really liked Half-Life 2 or Left 4 Dead anyways, no offense intended to you who LIKE the games...

  • uberjannie

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 4:06 pm PT

    All I can say, as a Norwegian citizen : 1€ ≠ 1$
    Since Steam began with its localized shop I havent bought a single game on steam.
    Steam now uses Euros here in Europe. But they do not calculate the currency, instead they just convert a 20 $ game to a 20 € game. In Norway we use NOK and 20 $ is 143 NOK against the 184 NOK if I pay in €.
    in dollars , a game that used to cost 20 $ now costs 25.7.. thats more than 25% increase.
    Steam's comments on this are many, like that in € the tax is included. WRONG! As a Norwegian citizen I do not pay tax/vat on virtual products bought like computer software, since by Norwegian law such non-material isnt imported and thus isnt a physical product.

    I used to love steam, I got 65 steam games in my steam games collection.
    Now I will never buy a single game again using steam. Well, at least I now pay less money for retail versions and actually get the disc.

  • Sheiko

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 4:04 pm PT

    Why no planetside?!?!

  • leafdj

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 3:51 pm PT

    Oh, Gamespot editors.
    How could you do that to my heart?
    I thought only of left 4 dead getting a terrible sequel as I read this title.
    Everything is okay, everything is okay...

  • Steel_Rain777

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 3:46 pm PT

    Lets hope for some great games

  • sparkypants

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 3:39 pm PT

    "Sony Online Entertainment has also announced a collaboration with Valve."

    I am a happy boy!

  • hoverboy

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 3:39 pm PT

    Correction: Sony Online Entertainment is synonymous with where MMO's go to die a slow death.

  • GatCloudX

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 3:30 pm PT

    hey guys hate is a strong word really. you kind of misuse it sometimes. Especially when you say things like i hate the ps3 or i hate the xbox. What you should say is i dont have money for that or this.

  • GatCloudX

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 3:29 pm PT

    hopefully they will release left 4 dead on ps3 although i have a feeling it has nothing to do with this deal.

  • Dilbert3k

    Posted Jan 20, 2009 2:46 pm PT

    Bad title. SOE has only made a deal to distribute it's games on Steam. It did not BUY Steam.

    Everyone calm down and back away from your e-mail.

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