EverQuest II
EverQuest II is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game (MMORPG) set in a fantasy setting developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment. EverQuest II, commonly referred to as EQ2 or EQII, released for the holidays in November, 2004. Its prequel, EverQuest (EQ) released 5 years prior. EverQuest II features many voice actors including Christopher Lee and Heather Graham and incorporates orchestral pieces by composer Laura Karpman.
| EverQuest II | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Daybreak Game Company |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | John R. Blakely |
| Designer(s) | Rich Waters Chris Cao Joseph Russo |
| Programmer(s) | Scott Hartsman Richard A. Baker Jon L. Davis |
| Artist(s) | Joe Shoopack Stuart Compton William B. Yeatt |
| Composer(s) | Laura Karpman Inon Zur (additional music) |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | MMORPG |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
The game is set in an alternate future 500 years after the events of the first EverQuest, and is meant to run alongside its predecessor without interfering with its original story. Everquest II features characters and locations from the original that have been altered by centuries of war and cataclysmic destruction. While the title did receive favorable reviews upon release, it was notably less influential to the genre than the previous installment, and it faced heavy competition from other MMORPGs released at the same time period, notably, World of Warcraft.
EverQuest II was originally released exclusively as a subscription-based membership. Years later, a free-to-play version was release called EverQuest II Extended (in Fall of 2010). In November 2011, the subscription service was cancelled in favor of making all remaining servers free-to-play with microtransactions as the revenue stream.
In February 2015, Sony Online Entertainment's parent corporation Sony Computer Entertainment sold it to investment company Inception Acquisitions, where it continues to develop and publish the game under its new name, Daybreak Game Company.