Archive translation. Specifications, services and availability reflect the original publication date. Verify current compatibility before production use.
Sony Online Entertainment used NXN Alienbrain to develop the online role-playing game EverQuest II. The digital production management system combined asset and project management for the large volume of production data.
The original EverQuest had more than 430,000 registered subscribers. Its sequel used a new 3D engine and was scheduled for release in winter 2003.
Managing a complex production
Sony Online Entertainment expected the sequel to provide a larger and more immersive world with new characters, visuals and objects. The team worked with more than 100,000 files in 2D and 3D formats.
Assets were held on a central Alienbrain server. Automatic version control preserved every version of every file, while thumbnail previews and search simplified access. The system was intended to reduce delays and automate asset-management tasks.
Producer Andy Sites said the configurable architecture saved substantial time and allowed the team to focus on building the game environment. EverQuest II is now developed by Darkpaw Games and published by Daybreak Game Company.
The production linked Sony, 3D animation and game development through a versioned asset pipeline.
