'EverQuest' coming to PlayStation 2

Sony will announce on Tuesday the release of a PlayStation 2 version of its popular online PC game "EverQuest," as it tries to build an audience for an upcoming online add-on for the video game console. Sony Online Entertainment, a division of the media and electronics conglomerate, said it would release "EverQuest Online Adventure," based on the series of PC online games, for the PS2 next spring. The game will consist of packaged software and a subscription-based online service. "EverQuest" is one of the biggest financial success stories in the nascent world of online gaming, with more than 400,000 subscribers paying subscription fees--$12.95 a month as of April 25--for access to the huge virtual world the game occurs in. Analysts said the announcement helps Sony build credibility for its effort to push the PS2 online, but they questioned whether the "EverQuest" style of gaming will work on a console. For starters, much "EverQuest" activity centers on online chat, something that won't be possible on the PS2 without an add-on keyboard or voice capability. Sony is racing against Microsoft, which has said it would launch an online service for its Xbox game machine in late summer or early fall. --David Becker, Special to ZDNet News