The good news for those who paid good money to get to Fan Faire was that each attendee would get the expansions free. Well, you know... "free"

The full list of features, including new zones, new dungeons and a higher level cap, in both SOE expansions is contained within the press release after the jump. Should reading bore you to tears, lovely new screen shots of both EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey and EverQuest Seeds of Destruction are in our galleries below.

LEGACY OF EVERQUEST® FRANCHISE CONTINUES WITH ANNOUNCEMENT OF EverQuest® AND EverQuest® II EXPANSIONS AT FAN FAIRE

All attendees to Receive Both Expansions for Free as Part of Living Legacy Program!

LAS VEGAS, NEV. – Aug. 15, 2008 – Thousands of video game enthusiasts are in Las Vegas for the annual Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire where the upcoming expansions for the online role-playing games EverQuest® (EQ) and EverQuest® II (EQII) were just announced. EverQuest® Seeds of Destruction™ is scheduled to be available on Oct.21, and EverQuest® II The Shadow Odyssey™ is scheduled to be available on Nov.18. As part of SOE’s extensive Living Legacy program designed to entice new and past EQ and EQII players into the games and reward the existing loyal playerbase, all Fan Faire attendees will receive the software for both expansions for free, an unprecedented offering.

“It is such a privilege to announce the upcoming expansions for two of our most popular games, EverQuest and EverQuest II, in a venue like Fan Faire where we are joined by thousands of our loyal fans, and it seems more than appropriate to give those fans access to both of the expansions for free,” said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. “Both of these expansions are rich in content and adventure, and will provide our players with hours of excitement as they explore the online world of Norrath.”

EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey is the fifth expansion for the critically acclaimed EQII franchise and follows the award-winning and best-selling Rise of KunarkTM expansion. New players and veterans alike will journey through a substantial amount of exquisite content with more than 20 new zones, including the Moors of Ykesha, a massive outdoor zone once known as Innothule Swamp, and the legendary dungeon Guk. Throughout the summer months, players were treated to prelude events, such as the Void Storms, that gave them a glimpse into the expansion lore and content from The Shadow Odyssey, building the anticipation leading up to the launch.

EverQuest is rapidly approaching its 10th anniversary, and Seeds of Destruction is the 15th expansion for the genre-defining online game. For the first time ever, players will have the ability to hire non-player characters (NPCs) to aid them in their heroic endeavors in Seeds of Destruction. These mercenaries will be valuable player assets as they thwart the efforts of Discord’s Dark God. This expansion also includes a level cap increase to 85, new dynamic high-level raid content, new spells and new alternate advancement abilities.

EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey Feature Set:
· New Zones: Journey through more than 20 new zones, including the new overland zone, Innothule Swamp.
· Dungeon Adventures: Experience nostalgic EverQuest dungeon themes, such as Najena, Mistmoore and The Sebilisian Empire, and adventure through more than 18 goal-based dungeons, such as Ruins of Guk and Befallen.
· Achievement Point: An achievement level cap increase to 200 that offers new achievements for class-specific lines.
· Dungeon Delving: A new mission system for players to replay content with new and different experiences.
· Heritage Quests: Five new quests with unique rewards being added.
· Shard Reward System: A new, mysterious group of erudites with powerful new armor and equipment will barter for void shards earned during players’ encounters
· Epic Tales: Stories told through battles with dozens of new creatures and hundreds of new quests.
· New Deities: Rodcet Nife and Anashti Sul are introduced into Norrath.
· Access to All Previous Content: Includes all previous expansion packs and adventure packs.
· Legends of Norrath: Includes strategic online trading card game, digital starter deck and booster pack.

EverQuest Seeds of Destruction Feature Set:

* Mercenaries: Player-controlled NPCs are now available and will not only scale to the appropriate level, but also think and act for themselves with limited player guidance. Designed for extra support or extra muscle in PvE encounters, mercenary archetypes include a variety of classes from all playable races.
* Level Cap Increase: Players can now achieve level 85 with new high-level item sets, new alternate advancement ability lines and new spells.
* 20 New Zones: Features re-imagined classic content and brand-new realms for adventurers to explore, including the eerie wasteland of the Void, the Battle of Rathe on the Plane of Earth and the ultimate Heart of Darkness in the Plane of Discord.
* Access to All Previous Content - Includes all features and content from the 14 previous expansion packs.
* Legends of Norrath: Includes strategic online trading card game, digital starter deck, booster pack and loot item.

In addition to attending exclusive panels this weekend at Fan Faire, eligible players with active accounts will receive early access to beta for one or both games, depending on their preference. EQ’s public beta is anticipated to begin on Aug. 19, and EQII’s public beta is anticipated to begin on Sept. 2.

For more expansion information from EverQuest Seeds of Destruction and a free trial of EverQuest, visit www.everquest.com.

For expansion information from on EverQuest II The Shadow Odyssey and a free trial of EverQuest II, visit www.everquest2.com.

About Sony Online Entertainment

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises and hit titles including EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Champions of Norrath®, Untold Legends™, and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with additional development studios in Austin, TX, Seattle, WA, Denver, CO, and Taiwan, SOE has an array of cutting-edge games in development.

SOE tells me that they currently have a bit more than 1,100 people registered for the event and that compared to previous years that is a "very strong number." If you were thinking about going to Sony's celebration of all things SOE, Everquest and MMO-ey, hit up the site to register. You can also register on site, though only pre-registered folks are guaranteed the in-game rewards.

The event is being held at the Las Vegas Hilton from Aug. 14 through Aug. 17 and registration will set you back $89 for the weekend or $39 for a day.

This year's event will include a second annual community address by John Smedley, a Gamers in Real Life breakfast and a chance to pre-order the Everquest 10th Anniversary Commemorative Book.

The full schedule can be found here.

Fan Faire 08 Schedule [SOE]

The pass also gets you into the Free Realms beta test, a beta for an upcoming EQ2 expansion, gifts, in-game items, and the chance to listen to John Smedley talk for a bit.

Of course if you'd rather miss out on all the All-Access goodness you can pick up a day pass for $39, which just seems like a giant waste of time and money. Head over to http://www.soefanfaire.com/ and mention my name when you register to receive the awkward joy of having my name on your attendee badge. I've been doing it for years, and look where it's gotten me!

"Fan Faire is by far the best vacation destination for SOE gamers, their families and friends," said Alan Crosby, Senior Director, Global Community Relations, Sony Online Entertainment. "This is the ultimate party for gamers and a great chance to meet up with their online friends in the real world."

GAMERS, GROUP UP: SIN CITY HOSTS SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT'S

FAN FAIRE, AUGUST 14-17, 2008

-Ultimate Vacation Destination for Online Video Game Players Features Colorful Costumes, Passionate Players and More in Las Vegas-

April 17, 2008 San Diego, Calif. - Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced the date for its annual Fan Faire, a real-life social event where thousands of gamers from around the world gather with members of their online community to play video games and make new friends.

This year's four-day extravaganza, which includes gameplay tournaments, a costume contest, a silent auction for game memorabilia, real-life quests and exclusive 'sneak peeks' at upcoming products from SOE, will be held August 14-17, at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Fan Faire is by far the best vacation destination for SOE gamers, their families and friends," said Alan Crosby, Senior Director, Global Community Relations, Sony Online Entertainment. "This is the ultimate party for gamers and a great chance to meet up with their online friends in the real world."

In addition to enjoying the whimsical game-driven environment, attendees at SOE's Fan Faire 2008 will be privy to the second ever live community address from SOE President John Smedley, as well as How-To forums, game development panels, a party for the players and much more. Fan Faire attendees will also have the opportunity to meet the development teams for some of the world's most successful online PC games, with specific activities and games being planned for each game. In addition, demos of the upcoming SOE titles, The Agency™, Free Realms™, as well as others, will be showcased. Fan Faire promises to deliver a weekend packed with activities and adventure for everyone ranging from casual gaming fans to entire guilds of vacationing gamers who can bring their families along on this quest for fun and excitement.

Lest we forget, Sony Online Entertainment's Fan Faire is officially underway in Vegas. Yes, slots and COS-Player elves... be still my heart.

Today kicks off with a live Star Wars Galaxies event, an EverQuest Best of the Best tourney and a sneak preview of Pirates of the Burning Sea. The day will also be home to plenty of MMO-inspired goodies including the Bazaar and Phat Lewt Store, the Legends Lounge, a silent auction, some sneak peaks at The Agency and others and plenty of time to mix and mingle with the people you spend most of your virtual life with.

Tonight wraps up with a community address from SOE President John Smedley who promises to announce some "top-secret" new products. So check back for our ongoing coverage and hit the site this evening for news and images about the new products.

And if you're attending don't forget to send us pics from the event!

Fan Faire [SOE]

Next week will be a doozy for fests and such, what with BlizzCon, QuakeCon and Sony Online Entertainment's Fan Faire all happening at the same time.

SOE says they will be unveiling a new game at this year's Faire. In fact their own president John "Smed, not smeg" Smedley will do the honors during his first ever community address next Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Could be interesting. Gamers at the Faire will even be able to check out the game, which I saw a month or so back and which will go live later in August. (I'm under embargo until after the announcement, sorry.)

Other games at the event will include Pirates of the Burning Sea, Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, Secrets of Faydwer, the next expansion for EverQuest, and Rise of Kunark, the upcoming expansion for EverQuest II. What, no Agency?

We won't be sending anyone to the event, but if you're planning on attending take plenty of pictures for us.

Sony Online Entertainment announced today that it has opened registration for its own online game gathering at the Rio Hotel & Casino which throws down August 2nd through the 5th. Fans of EverQuest, EverQuest II, Star Wars Galaxies, PlanetSide, The Matrix Online and the guy who's still playing Vanguard will have a chance to meet, greet and overeat with other SOE afficionados.

Blizzard's event, announced last month, takes place on August 3rd and 4th, meaning, if you really tried, you could hit up both. That'd be impressive.

Now, choose! But choose wisely. In fact, you might want to wait until tomorrow to make that decision. Michael McWhertor

SOE Fan Faire 2007 [SOE]
BlizzCon 2007 Announced [Blizzard]

Even though Curt made it to #4 on the list of The Ten Most Hated Athletes his real-deal hardcore EQII addiction just makes him so, I don't know, huggable. Check out the video and fall in love! /bats eyelashes @ Curt

Curt Schilling's Other Pasttime [CNN]

The event will be at the Atlanta Mariott Marquis, 265 Peachtree Center Avenue, from Thursday through Saturday. It runs 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Here's a break-down of the faire:

Special appearance by Curt Schilling, All Star pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, an EverQuest II fan, on Thursday, April 6.
Costume contest during the Fan Faire banquet on Saturday night, April 8. Fans clad in exotic EverQuest and EverQuest II character costumes inspired by the incredibly popular massively multiplayer online games.
Hundreds of fans from all over the world meet Sony Online Entertainment game developers and their online friends for the first time in real life.
Huge Fan Faire party at the Tabernacle nightclub (152 Luckie St.), with local Atlanta music acts.
EverQuest "Best of the Best" Tournament: On Friday, from 9 AM to 3 PM, 50 players will represent their servers and fight in-game for their fellow Norrathians' glory — the last one standing wins.
EverQuest II "Take to the Sky": Saturday, from 9 AM to 3 PM, dozens of players compete in a timed race to complete a high-level adventure within EverQuest II.
Real-life quest and wild scavenger hunt, featuring actors in EverQuest and EverQuest II costumes.

SOE Fan Faire 2006 in Atlanta this Week [Gamersmark]

So if you had to rule out E3, but still wanted to hang with fellow gamers, which convention would you pick? QuakeCon, Penny Arcade Expo, BlizCon, Everquest Fan Faire?

Hit the jump to vote away and feel free to throw in your own suggestions in case we missed one.

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