Formerly called
|
Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (1997–2015) |
---|---|
Subsidiary | |
Industry | Video game industry |
Founded | December 17, 1997 |
Headquarters | San Diego, California, U.S. |
Key people
|
Ji Ham (co-President) Russell Shanks (co-President) Laura Naviaux (CPO) Richard Lawrence (CTO) |
Products | Massively multiplayer online games |
Parent |
Sony Computer Entertainment (1997–2005) SCE Worldwide Studios (2005–2015) Columbus Nova (2015–present) |
Website | daybreakgames |
Daybreak Game Company LLC (formerly Sony Online Entertainment Inc.) is an American video game developer and video game publisher. It is a subsidiary of Columbus Nova. They are known for owning the franchise EverQuest, EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies, Star Wars Clone Wars: Adventures, Free Realms, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, DC Universe Online, PlanetSide 2, H1Z1: Just Survive, and H1Z1: King of the Kill, along with more recent acquisitions Dungeons and Dragons Online and Lord of the Rings Online.
In 2008, Daybreak Game Company's game EverQuest was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for advancing the art form of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs).
On February 2, 2015, Sony sold Sony Online Entertainment to Columbus Nova, who renamed it Daybreak Game Company.
Sony Online Entertainment began with Sony Interactive Studios America (SISA), an internal game development studio of Sony, formed by 1995. In 1996, John Smedley was put in charge of SISA's development of an online role-playing video game. The game would evolve into the MMORPG EverQuest. Smedley hired programmers Brad McQuaid and Steve Clover, who had come to Smedley's attention through their work on the single-player RPG Warwizard.