EverQuest is an MMORPG that features a multitude of adventures and quests with an interactive storyline that evolves according to a player's individual decisions.While everyone was worrying about the world ending with Y2K in 1999, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) was busy creating a new world that forever changed the MMO and gaming industry with the introduction of EverQuest. On Sunday, March 16, SOE celebrated the 15th anniversary of its genre-defining title, EverQuest. To mark the occasion, SOE has released a video looking back at the franchise and an infographic comparing the world then and now.
Fun facts that can be found on the infographic include:
- EverQuest launched with ~70 zones. Today, there are over 1,500!
- In 1999, there were ~13,000 NPCs in EverQuest. Today, the NPC population size of EverQuest nearly matches that of Oakland, Calif. or Miami, Florida: 400,000
- EverQuest has won an Emmy and was featured on the cover of TV Guide.
- EverQuest entered the GDC Video Game Hall of Fame in 2011
- Less than 50% of US households had home computers or Internet access when EverQuest launched in 1999. Those numbers have doubled today.
EverQuest was the online game that started it all, and no other MMO matches the amount of content available. Providing fans and gamers with 20 expansions on top of the original base game, EverQuest continues to thrive alongside new entries in the franchise like EverQuest Next Landmark.
In celebration of the "Crystal Anniversary" of EverQuest, SOE has planned activities for its community to celebrate the anniversary in EverQuest, EverQuest II and EverQuest Next Landmark which can be found here.
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