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Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) is a Computer Game Development division of Sony that mostly creates Massively Multiplayer Online Game s. SOE is best known for producing '' EverQuest '', '' PlanetSide '', and '' Star Wars Galaxies '', which have gained hundreds of thousands of subscribers. SOE also owns '''Verant Interactive'''. HISTORY Sony Online Entertainment and Verant's history can be seen as starting with Sony Interactive Studios America (SISA), an internal game development studio of Sony that formed around 1995. In 1996 , John Smedley was put in charge of SISA's development of an online Computer Role-playing Game that would evolve into ''EverQuest''. He hired Brad McQuaid and Steve Clover as Programmers for the game in March. In April 1998, Sony Online Entertainment was formed by merging Sony Online Ventures with Sony Pictures Entertainment. {Link without Title} Within months SISA was renamed 989 Studios . ''EverQuest'', which was credited to being developed by 989 and published by SOE at launch, entered beta in 1998. Towards the end of 1998, 989 Studios shifted strategy to making PlayStation Console games only. The company's computer game/online development branch spun off, initially calling itself RedEye Interactive and then soon after Verant Interactive. {Link without Title} ''EverQuest'' was released in March 1999 and promptly earned commercial success. After EQ In April 2000, Verant hired former '''' MMORPG. {Link without Title} '' audience.]] SOE released ''Star Wars Galaxies'' in '' PlanetSide '' and the PlayStation 2 MMORPG '' EverQuest Online Adventures ''. Neither turned out to be hits, yet SOE still maintains and develops them ( As Of 2005 ). SOE continued producing ''EverQuest'' expansions, launching '' The Legacy Of Ykesha '' in March and '' Lost Dungeons Of Norrath '' in September. Currently, John Smedley is the president of Sony Online Entertainment. SOE's headquarters are in San Diego, California , with studios in Austin, Texas and Seattle, Washington (formed on February 3 , 2005 ). The company released the first SWG expansion, ''Jump to Lightspeed'' in October 2004 and '' EverQuest II '' in November 2004. SOE continues to maintain its other online games, including the original ''EverQuest'', and releasing more EverQuest expansions. Sony Online Entertainment released another expansion for SWG in early November 2005. Many players were displeased with this expansion, because the New Game Enhancements were announced shortly after the release, so they were offered a refund shortly after it was released. On '' expansions. SOE has produced numerous ''EverQuest'' expansions and spin-off '', in February 2005 . SOE also makes more casually-oriented online games through Station.com , such as ''Jeopardy! Online'' and ''Wheel of Fortune Online'', '' Infantry '', '' Cosmic Rift '', and '' Tanarus ''. REFERENCES
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