I haven't personally heard any, but apparently there are some rumors going around that Sony Online Entertainment's The Agency (PS3, PC) has been canceled. We certainly haven't heard anything about the game in a while, but according to SOE president John Smedley, the FPSMMO hasn't been shelved at all.

A couple of Sony's massive online games -- Zipper Interactive's MAG and SOE's very own The Agency -- are rumored to be gearing up for beta releases soon. More after the jump.

Meet the spy organizations U.N.I.T.E. and ParaGON, each offering a different type of service. You will have to join one of these groups in The Agency. What does each agency have to offer? Find out in the game's latest trailer in the full article!

To cross-platform, or not to cross-platform, that is the question for Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming MMO shooter, The Agency. The game will appear on both the PlayStation 3 and the PC. Unfortunately, SOE CEO John Smedley remarks that the chances of cross-platform play for the MMO are slim. Read the full story in the full article.

More information has arrived for The Agency, Sony Online Entertainment's exploration into the MMO arena for the PlayStation 3. In an interview with the game's lead designer Hal Milton and Design Director Matt Wilson, we find out more about how the game will release additional content in the future, whether we'll be able to see cross-platform play in the future, and more. Details in the full article.

Ever wondered how it feels like living the life of James Bond? Sony Online Entertainment's (SOE) The Agency won't make you a secret agent but it'll definitely give you the chance to play as one. It's probably the next best thing as to being a real secret agent.

In this video we got from Gametrailers, Sony Online Entertainment talks about the details of the gameplay of their soon-to-be released game. To watch the video, head on over to the full article.

In a discussion entitled "Subscriptions vs. Micro-Transactions," Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) president John Smedley said that the upcoming pseudo-MMO action game The Agency (PC, PlayStation 3) would fuse different business models to create a balancing act between attracting players and optimizing profit sources.

 

Free online play with in-game advertisements, some content accessible via microtransaction, and exclusive areas unlocked through subscriptions will all play a part in The Agency. Of course, in order to sit comfortably between avid MMO gamers from the East and core gamers from the West, the "velvet rope" approach will probably take precedence over the rest. Smedley said:

We also see this game going a similar style to that of Free Realms, although I think that the velvet rope model in this case, we're also going to be bringing that in quite a bit because this is also appealing to a more hardcore gamer.

Free Realms, another MMO game by SOE, will also lean toward a similar business model when it gets released next year. The big difference between the two, however, is that The Agency would be primarily aimed at adults, while Free Realms would be targeting a younger audience.

Get a lowdown of Sony Online Entertainment's views of subscriptions and microtransactions at the full article.

Games Radar was able to catch up with SOE's The Agency">Hal Milton of SOE to talk about the much-talked about MMOG for the PS3 and PC, The Agency. In the interview, Hal Milton discusses just how massive the title is, the challenge in the development process, and more.

So, we're pretty sure you're just as curious as we are as to the expanse of The Agency. After all, SOE made such a big fuss keeping it under wraps, and an even bigger hullabaloo in unveiling it. Well, according to Milton, "the game world will support many, many people in a variety of public and private social and encounter areas." But of course, quantity is not necessarily the only thing prioritized here, but quality as well. That's why they've incorporated that speed necessary in making an action shooter work real.

As to why they chose the cartoon-ish style as opposed to going for the realistic visuals route that seems to be all the rave with the technologies we currently have, Milton explains that what they really wanted was to take a stylized approach that will basically "create a world that was more fun and engaging than the real world we actually live in." He further probes, "It's far easier to sustain a stylized look over a long period than it is a detailed representative one."

This bit, we're sure you're gonna get excited about. Concerning online play, he reveals that they are working on things like character creation as well as progression complexity, as well as "remorse with [their] 'You are what you wear' system." Hmmm... sounds interesting, eh?

And then there's the Operatives system, wherein the players are given the capacity to keep in touch with what's going on at the game even when they're not logged in at home. Now that's really something to look forward to.

Anyway, we're sure there will be more nifty tidbits to come our way to give us a clearer picture of what's in store for us with The Agency. So just keep it here and we'll be sure to bring you the goods.

 

Given that Sony Online Entertainment's The Agency is heading for both the PlayStation 3 and PC, it leaves plenty to be asked on what the agency (SOE) has in store for the game. The biggest question being asked is whether there are plans to make this MMORPG a multi-platform experience, with players from either system (PS3, PC) able to compete against each other in the game's spy vs. spy- themed world. 

This was the topic of a recent interview between CVG and The Agency lead designer Hal Milton, who stated that the company was not ready to make any comments at time.  "We're evaluating this [cross-platform support]," Mr. Hamilton further said regarding the game.

We're hoping the devs do give this serious thought - cross-system connectivity appears is hitting it off lately (at least in Shadowrun's case), and just might give SOE that extra clout needed for them to make good their aim to gain global foothold in the industry. More details on this possibility will arrive as we get them.

 

Everyone knows that Sony Online Entertainment's The Agency isn't some deep MMO built with historical lore and authentic (or imaginative) languages. The "fun now no waiting" concept that SOE geared up for the title reflects a characteristic of a basic 'core' game: instant gratification.

And SOE didn't only want to break barriers in entering the MMO market. They were also looking to breaking barriers from keeping female gamers out of the 'core' gaming loop. And that's where SOE's pro-active female developer solution kicks in: it's no longer about catering only to the male audience anymore.

And producer Sherry Floyd is proof of that movement. In a recently published interview with Joystiq, Floyd divulged details on how the female touch molding The Agency to be a hopeful hit over the PlayStation 3, the PC, the U.S., the UK and even MMO paradise Asia:

I love working with our team. Introducing them to the joys and beauty of shoes, designer suits, fantastic handbags, and deodorant warms my heart. Explaining the finer points of "classy cleavage" and what not to wear is fun to no end as well. For them, they get to train me in styles of weapon grip, tactics and how not to drink beer like a girl. Of course we have many females in the office making the game, it's actually very civilized, the boys let us wear bikinis when we're forced to mud wrestle on our lunch breaks. Just joking.

Okay, so maybe she threw our logic off at the mud wrestling bit, but the game that Sony won't be offering over the competition's platforms is being shaped by real game development talent - even if some of them are women. Floyd said that female agents in The Agency aren't all pink and plush - they're beautiful, powerful and pack quite a marksmanship.

"How good of an agent you are isn't determined by your gender, just by your dedication and skill," said Floyd and probably many might agree with her. Earlier in the interview, Floyd said she was inclined toward "immediate gratification" gameplay, gunning the mercenary ParaGON side for if it suits her mood best.

Only time will tell, however, what The Agency finally amounts to in the end. Ambitious as it is, Floyd wasn't kidding when she said the game was "HUGE!" It's got a lot of ground to cover in order to meet all of SOE's MMO objectives.