Sony Computer Entertainment announced today that EverQuest (PC) and Star Wars Galaxies (PC) publisher Sony Online Entertainment will be restructured to help streamline development of the PlayStation brand's online offerings.

As part of the restructuring, SOE will report directly to Kaz Hirai, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment and its studios. SOE, which recently launched PC MMO Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, is currently developing its spy-themed MMO The Agency for release on the PlayStation 3 and PC.

"I am excited to be able to work with SOE even more closely, as online games and services become a more integral part of the PS3 entertainment experience," said Hirai.

The realm of console MMO development is often cited by developers as a vast untapped market. While difficulties in bringing MMOs to consoles are manifold—including hardware and disk space limitations, and networking issues—many studios have made it a priority to crack the traditionally tricky market in the console ... Read more

There's a preview of The Agency on WarCry, talking to Hal Milton and Matt Wilson of Sony Online Entertainment about this PS3/PC MMORPG at CES.

Over at IGN you can find CES impressions of The Agency, Sony Online Entertainment's PC/PS3 spy MMO.

MOPGD has been updated with a Q&A with Hal Milton, the lead designer on SOE's spy-themed MMORPG The Agency. Milton is asked about the differences in how the ParaGON and UNITE sides play, world environments, character customization, game advancement and more.

There's a Q&A about The Club on IGN, asking lead designer Matt Cavanagh about this new shooter. Topics include the game's unique features, game characters, interesting things you do while playing the game, and future DLC.

The geezers at Computer & Video Games have scored a Q&A on The Agency, asking lead designer Hal Milton about cross-platform play, visuals, character improvements, the game world, PvP combat, missions and more.

I had the chance to take a look at Sony Online's action-based MMO The Agency last week, but I didn't really learn anything new. I sure had a hell of a time getting in the door, though. Follow me on a harrowing tale of dangerous doormen, secret data tapes, and potato salad. Sneak a peek.

An unassuming developer ambles by, and I pull him into a choke-hold before he can trigger the alarm. His eyes widen in shock as I turn my chiseled arm into a vice, properly constricting his voice before the interrogation to come. "If you want to live, tell me what your PVP plans are," I growl harshly into his ear, dragging him back into the shadows of a food cart. Read more...

There's an interview about The Agency on Joystiq, where they briefly got to talk to lead designer Hal Milton. Topics include the spy-themed MMO's look, gameplay features, and development challenges.

More first looks at SOE's The Agency can be found at Computer & Video Games and GameSpot. Don't miss our article on the game either.

More previews of Sony Online Entertainment Seattle's The Agency can be found at WarCry and GameShark. There's an interview at GameZone.

Sony Online Entertainment today announced The Agency, a fast-paced shooter with MMO elements developed by SOE Seattle, which will see release on the PC and PlayStation 3.

Billed by Sony as a "pick-up-and-play" experience, The Agency will allow players to participate in drug smuggling, assassinations, espionage, and counter-intelligence assignments across varied locales around the globe. Set in a modern-day world, the game will provide for group and solo play during story-driven missions. Like many MMOs, The Agency will ask you to choose from one of two major factions: the UNITE spy organization, or the ParaGON mercenary group. As players gain rank in their respective faction, they will be able to build their own agencies, which will apparently... Read more

New at GamersInfo.net this morning is an interview about The Agency, asking director of development Matt Wilson about this new MMORPG from Sony Online Entertainment Seattle.

The Agency First Look on IGN offers some details on the new spy MMORPG from Sony Online Entertainment Seattle that's coming to PC and PlayStation 3. There's also a video interview.

Sony Online Entertainment has several new franchises in the works, including an espionage-themed MMO, company president John Smedley revealed at the D.I.C.E. Summit currently being held in Las Vegas. Smedley screened a trailer for the currently untitled game, which he describes as "24 meets Alias meets Counterstrike [sic]," according to GamesIndustry.biz. It is being developed by the company's SOE Seattle studio.

Sony Pictures Digital head Yair Landau commented on the game's spy-oriented premise, unusual for an MMO. "We've historically been very much in the men-in-tights genre, a lot of guys running around in[sic] broadswords. But we're now looking at a broader genre," he explained. "We've started to immerse ourselves into the world of espionage... We think it's okay if you have MMOs where you wear tuxedos and carry a silencer, not just tights and a mace."

In a general sense Landau compared the cinematic realism of the film Saving Private Ryan and thematically similar video games to SOE's current design goals. "When you look at what Saving Private Ryan did theatrically, it's a fraction of what those [WWII] games have done," he stated. "It's driving a lot of what we're trying to do from a Sony Online Entertainment standpoint.... You don't get to just play Bond, but you get to play yourself in this environment".

Details on the game are sparse, but it will apparently feature cooperative, team-based, and PVP components. No projected release period was given.