The MMORPG EverQuest was released on March 16, 1999, and thus celebrates its 20th birthday tomorrow. Executive Producer Holly Longdale spoke with PCGamer about the long success story and what makes the game special.
How successful is EverQuest today? That EverQuest is still successful is evident from the now five Progression Servers. These are servers that start in the original form of 1999 and are gradually patched. Something similar is planned by WoW with the Classic Servers.
When the first Progression Server launched in 2015, the demand was so great that it crashed. A few days later, a second server was set up and it also collapsed.
Higher player numbers than in 2015: Longdale reports that player numbers and revenue have increased since the introduction of the Progression Servers. Currently, EverQuest has more players than in 2015.
What makes EverQuest so special
Although the game looks dated, it is still popular today. Longdale states that the focus has always been on the current fans.
The community among players is better: The camaraderie among players is said to be something very special. EverQuest was designed from the beginning for players to play together, coordinate, and solve tasks together.
This led to a situation where it mattered if fellow players died in the game. Communities developed in the game that played together for many years.
Longdale mentions in the interview that mechanics like kiting were never intended. However, there was still the possibility for players to go solo. For most content, however, you need a group.
Parents and children play together: EverQuest has a relatively old community. Accordingly, there are many stories about how parents started playing EverQuest as children and how their children now play the game too.
What about new players? EverQuest doesn’t really focus on new players. The game is too outdated for that.
Instead, they are trying to bring back old players and engage the current hardcore fans. That’s why there are also the Progression Servers, which bring a lot of nostalgia.
What is EverQuest planning for the future?
The game stays true to itself: For the future, they want to continue to develop but not lose their identity. According to Longdale, they have learned that players are sensitive to changes like raids and new items.
That’s why they consciously avoid a revamp to the game’s entry, like what was done with Star Wars Galaxies. Many players left the MMO due to this change.
Currently, the studio Daybreak has no plans to end EverQuest, and it seems profitable to continue developing the game and opening new Progression Servers.
However, not everything is rosy at the studio:
