In mid 2007, SOE announced their latest title, The Agency. (Click on the bullet in the logo to start the flash presentation). There isn't much in the way of information on the official site, but it does provide a general overview of the title. Also, at the SOE Block Party held during Comic-Con in San Diego last fall, a "first look" at this upcoming MMO was provided to those in attendance.

Naturally we were given a peek at the game in a live demo. While we sat there, two SOE developers were at their home office logged in and playing, while we watched on the big screen in the SOE press suite. It was fun to see how they moved in unison and explored areas of the world together. There was no in-game dialogue, so I would have to assume that the two were side-by-side, talking. However, that would be no different than talking with your pals on Skype, Ventrilo, or Teamspeak while playing.

The animation is quite compelling - at least while sitting and watching it on a large video screen. You see the smoke from your gun, the debris from explosions, and the shadows of enemies hiding in the corridors. This is all being taken in while you're covering your backside from attack, or watching your partner's backside... yes, from attacks! The depth of the areas you're traveling is more than just a sunset on the horizon or the outline of buildings. The artist's use of shadows and angles gives the feel of being inside the building or on the city street surrounded by people and places.

One of the neat things implemented in The Agency is actual world immersion. In one sequence shown to us during the demo, the agent was charged with following an enemy to determine the location of a target. The enemy was very cautious, and if the agent wasn't careful, the enemy would see him - and cover would be blown. You can hide behind objects in the street to keep yourself out of the line of sight, and an indicator over the enemy's head tells you if you're in danger of being seen. But the fact that you can choose where to hide and how to follow gives you a sense of control over how the sequence plays out - rather than the "go here, do this, don't do this" approach in most static FPS titles.

Some facts, as provided by SOE with the official announcement last year:

• Become An Elite Agent: The Agency offers hundreds of unique missions with varied end-goals requiring combat, stealth, and style. With gameplay ranging from sneaky assassinations to all out assaults, from vehicle challenges to casinos loaded with mini-games, there’s something for every aspiring agent.

• Build Your Own Agency: As players advance through the ranks of their faction, they’ll also begin building their own Agencies. Players will increase their power even further by creating Joint Agencies with others.

• Mercenary or spy, the choice is yours: In the Agency, collect the right weaponry, gadgets, vehicles, gear, attire and aliases to gain access to various locales and influence over the people within them.

• Put Operatives to work: Operatives are collectible non-player characters who provide the goods player’s desire, the services to keep them alive, and allow them to concentrate on the mission at hand. Operatives work 24/7, regardless of whether players are logged in, and they can even keep them up-to-date through email and instant messages.

• Fun Now, No Waiting: The Agency is not about waiting for the fun to start. At any point, players can take a break from their high-flying career to engage in a number of other activities. Veterans and new players alike can take on other players at the card tables, the shooting range, or in head-to-head combat.

"A first-person shooter ... is an action video game from the shooter game subgenre. Like all shooters, they involve 'an avatar, one or more ranged weapons, and a varying number of enemies'. But FPSs are distinguished by a first person perspective, that renders the game world from the visual perspective of the player character."

And then if we look at the definition of MMO...:

Massively multiplayer online game ... is a video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily computer games; most of the new game consoles can access the internet, and thus can have MMO genre games.

Of course, I could be way off base, too. This meshing could be so amazingly popular that it overshadows EQ/EQII and sends a message to WoW that they're not the only game in town! While I certainly hope for this level of success with The Agency, it's very difficult to say at this point how it will be received. And when I presented this quandary to Hal and Matt, they did nod in agreement - although they are quite confident they will overcome the hurdles in their path. With the exuberance and enthusiasm they both have, I'd be inclined to agree.

Keep an eye out for The Agency. There are so many possibilities here it's difficult to consider them all, but don't look past the most obvious one: looking good in spandex with a big gun in your hand while driving a seriously cool car just can't be done in a traditional MMO.

And THAT, people, is what we call innovation!