2009 Sony Online Entertainment (Seattle)
Platforms: Sony PlayStation 3, PC
The fact that Microsoft just steamrolled through the online multiplayer domain with the original Xbox, left Sony at a very precarious junction. In an effort to finally give their fearsome rival a run for its money, Sony allied with big players like EA and Square Enix. Yet, even with these alliances, the company lacked a marquee IP – a behemoth that would shake the very foundations of Microsoft’s fiefdom.
With the coming of the PlayStation 3, Sony had begun entering new territories. They started creating fantastic titles that would cement their reputation as a creative powerhouse. Heavyweight blockbusters such as Heavenly Sword and Uncharted pushed technical and narrative boundaries to a new level, with more Hollywood-inspired offerings like Heavy Rain and high-octane shooters such as Killzone and Resistance showcasing the platform’s versatile collection.
Amidst this swirl of ideas was a bold, new project in the making: The Agency.
Development of The Agency began in 2005 with high aspirations for production value. Unlike most other Sony games, this game was targeting not only the PlayStation 3 but also Windows PC – a surprising move for a company so resolutely devoted to its philosophy of PlayStation exclusivity.
For Sony, The Agency was more than the answer to Microsoft’s question. The goal was to establish a powerful franchise that would serve as a gateway into the online gaming sphere. A domain where Sony found itself relegated to the backseat.
What Was The Agency All About?
The Agency: Covert Ops was meant to be Sony’s defining entry into the competitive online sphere, a daring move to claim a stake in the ever-growing multiplayer domain.
Drawing inspiration from both games and the world of cinema, the game sought to merge the thrill of a third-person shooter with the immersion of a first-person experience. It took cues from beloved spy narratives like Alias, James Bond, and Jason Bourne, promising a cocktail of stealth, action, and espionage, unlike anything Sony had attempted before.
This wasn’t just another generic shooter destined to be forgotten in a sea of mediocrity. Sony and SOE Seattle aimed to create something memorable, a game that would stand out not by following trends but by setting them. While the gameplay borrowed familiar elements from the genre, the team promised to innovate and deliver an experience that would feel truly unique and fresh.
The planned features were ambitious: players could customize their characters, commandeer vehicles, purchase resources using real currency, and switch between first-person and third-person perspectives on the fly. Despite its heavy multiplayer focus, stealth mechanics would reward players generously, offering high scores for silent kills. To add depth, the game included a handful of mini-games and side missions designed to unlock new content and keep players engaged.
Perhaps the most daring promise was the game’s accessibility. Sony wanted a world where even newcomers could triumph over experienced players by leveraging the game’s nuanced mechanics. It was a bold claim in a genre notorious for rewarding only the most skilled or well-equipped players.
Despite its ambitious scope, the ideas behind The Agency were undeniably exciting. A game that blended stealth and shooting, offered flexible perspectives, and aimed to be welcoming to all? It was a neat idea that captured the imagination of many, leaving players eagerly anticipating what could have been a ground-breaking addition to Sony’s legacy.
Infinite Delays
Conceptually, The Agency looked great on paper, but bringing such an idea to life required money, time, and, most importantly, a talented team. The Agency was in development by SOE Seattle, the same team behind several titles like Matrix Online, Ultima Online, Dungeon Siege, and Wing Commander, just to name a few.
Sony knew what they were doing: if they wanted to truly make an online-only IP, they needed a developer with experience, and SOE Seattle seemed like the perfect pick.
The Agency wasn’t aiming to be yet another multiplayer game that people would forget about in a matter of days. Far from it. With The Agency, SOE Seattle was going to inject so many ideas from different games into one. The game was going to be a stealth game mixed with shooting elements and also MMORPG DNA, taking cues from the successful offerings of the industry.
Three years into development (2008), Sony actively marketed The Agency across various platforms – magazines, social media, and their official websites – reassuring everyone that the game was in capable hands and would release sometime in 2009. However, as weeks turned into months and months into years, The Agency didn’t happen.
Despite releasing additional press materials to maintain interest, Sony never provided a concrete timeline for the game’s launch, leaving its future shrouded in uncertainty. Until…
The Agency Cancelled and Lay Offs
On March 31, 2011, Sony made the tough call to cancel The Agency and lay off 205 employees at SOE Seattle. After seven arduous years of development and ballooning production costs, the ambitious project was abruptly shelved, leaving behind the shadow of a once-promising concept that would never come to fruition.
The exact reason for The Agency’s cancellation is still unclear, but it’s not hard to see why things went south. For starters, the game may have been too ambitious for its own good. Reports of severe frame rate issues – sometimes dipping below 30 FPS in demo builds shown by IGN – didn’t exactly inspire confidence either.
On top of that, SOE Seattle was already stretched thin, working on three projects at once. With so much on their plate, it’s no surprise The Agency couldn’t make it across the finish line. Ambition is great, but sometimes, it’s just not enough to overcome the challenges of development.
With huge thanks to Yassine Bakrim for producing the piece, IGN for the wallpaper image and to Archive.org for the scans.
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