Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) recently announced that Everquest II has shipped to retail. Everquest II is the follow-up to SOE's EverQuest, the 3D MMORPG that revolutionized the industry. The CD and DVD versions of the game carry an SRP of $49.99 and include the game, an in-game item and an exclusive in-box item. Limited quantities of the Collector's Edition (DVD) are available at an SRP of $89.99. Everquest II is rated "T" for Teen.

"Today is a proud day as we open our new online world to people around the globe," said John Smedley, president, Sony Online Entertainment. "Over the past five years, we've worked hard to ensure EverQuest II is fun, and meaningful to our players. We've spared no expense and we're confident players will agree that EverQuest II is an amazing interactive online gaming experience."

SOE is delivering attempting to deliver a groundbreaking MMO experence with Everquest II. Everquest II features a next-generation 3D graphics engine, which is designed to keep pace with hardware developed over the next few years. The game includes more than 70,000 lines of spoken dialogue, as NPCs (non-player characters) are given voiceover for the first time ever in an MMO game, bringing the story of EverQuest II to life. EverQuest II was apparently designed so that both hardcore and new MMORPG players will be able to play it easily, but still be addicted... I mean, still find plenty to do as they progress in the game.

Everquest II comes in three retail versions, all of which include a 30-day subscription (excluding SOE Station Access subscriptions) to the game's online world. After the first month, the game carries a monthly subscription fee of $14.99 for continuing access to the game world. Players can subscribe using a credit card, or purchase 30-day and 90-day SOE Game Cards, which open the new world of Norrath to those who choose not to use a credit card. Additonally, Everquest II is included as part of the Station Access subscription, which includes all SOE-published games for $21.99 per month. Titles included as part of the Station Access subscription include: EverQuest, PlanetSide, EverQuest Online Adventures, Infantry Online, Tanarus, Cosmic Rift, and Everquest II.

For more info, check out Everquest2.com.