Daybreak Game Company LLC is an American video recreation developer based in San Diego. The company was founded in December 1997 as Sony Online Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment, but was spun off to an unbiased investor in February 2015 and renamed Daybreak Game Company. They’re identified for proudly owning, sustaining, and creating extra content material for the video games EverQuest, EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies, Clone Wars Adventures, Free Realms, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, DC Universe Online, PlanetSide 2, H1Z1: Just Survive, and H1Z1: King of the Kill, along with more moderen acquisitions Dungeons and Dragons Online, Magic: The Gathering Online and Lord of the Rings Online. Sony Online Entertainment began with Sony Interactive Studios America (SISA), an internal game growth studio of Sony, formed by 1995. In 1996, John Smedley was put in control of SISA’s growth of an online function-playing video game. The game would evolve into the MMORPG EverQuest.

Smedley hired programmers Brad McQuaid and Steve Clover, who had come to Smedley’s attention by means of their work on the only-participant role-enjoying recreation Warwizard. In April 1998, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) was formed by merging elements of Sony Online Ventures with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Within a matter of months after this variation, Sony Interactive Studios America was renamed 989 Studios. Towards the end of 1998, 989 Studios shifted its strategy to creating PlayStation video games. The corporate’s video game and online growth branch spun off; John Smedley, Brad McQuaid and Russell Shanks, as well as fifty five other ex-989 employees, based RedEye Interactive, later renamed Verant Interactive. Verant Interactive launched EverQuest on March 16, 1999, via Sony with modest expectations. The sport turned successful. Sales continued rising at a steady price until mid-2001 when progress slowed. As of 2004, Sony reported subscription numbers near 450,000. In slot situs , Verant launched EverQuest: The Ruins of Kunark, the first in a long record of enlargement packs for EverQuest.

In April 2000, Verant employed former Ultima Online developers Raph Koster and Rich Vogel. They formed an office in Austin, Texas, to develop Star Wars Galaxies for LucasArts. SOE acquired Verant in June 2000, and ultimately promoted Brad McQuaid to be its Chief Creative Officer. In October 2001, McQuaid resigned and founded Sigil Games Online, drawing a lot of the original builders of EverQuest from SOE. Developed by Sony Online Entertainment, LucasArts launched Star Wars Galaxies in 2003, which noticed fast growth, as expected. Bruce Woodcock estimates that Star Wars Galaxies reached practically 300,000 subscribers within the 12 months, earlier than trailing off. In 2003, the company additionally explored relatively untouched MMOG territory with the massively multiplayer online first-individual shooter PlanetSide and the PlayStation 2 MMORPG EverQuest Online Adventures. PlanetSide loved a fairly profitable launch, however it by no means attracted wide popularity. SOE launched two expansions for PlanetSide, a retail product titled Core Combat, and Aftershock, a free growth.

EverQuest Online Adventures was not as successful, but it surely spawned an enlargement, EverQuest Online Adventures Frontiers. The sport was shut down on March 29, 2012, after nine years of operation. EverQuest II was launched on November 9, 2004. The sequel was set hundreds of years after the original. In January 2005, Sony Online Entertainment announced the creation of Station Publishing, a new label for distributing titles made by exterior builders. In November 2005, SOE added the brand new Game Enhancements to Star Wars Galaxies, altering many of the game’s core mechanics. This upset players and critics, with the extent of concurrent gamers reduced to around 10,000; comparatively few for the MMO trade. SOE has produced numerous EverQuest expansions and spin-off video video games, including Champions of Norrath (for PlayStation 2) and Lords of EverQuest (Windows). They revealed Champions: Return to Arms, the sequel to Champions of Norrath, in February 2005. In August 2005, SOE entered a deal with Warner Bros.

Entertainment which noticed the acquisition and transition of The Matrix Online to the existing line up of SOE games. In April 2006, Sony Online Entertainment, Inc. became Sony Online Entertainment LLC, owned by Sony Pictures Digital and Sony Computer Entertainment America. In May 2006, it was introduced that SOE can be co-writer of Vanguard: Saga of Heroes. However, Sigil retained full improvement rights, and SOE’s function was only that of marketing, distribution, technical help, and internet hosting the game servers. SOE additionally introduced the discharge of Field Commander, its third sport for the PlayStation Portable System. In August 2006, SOE introduced the acquisition of developer Worlds Apart Productions, renaming the studio SOE-Denver. The studio has since released an online model of the WizKids pirates constructible strategy game. In November 2006, SOE launched its first PlayStation 3 title Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, throughout the launch window of the PlayStation three system. SOE additionally released Pirates Online Constructible Strategy Game, the web model of the WizKids Pirates Constructible Strategy Game.