SOE is jacking out of The Matrix Online
by Krystalle Voecks 
May 29th 2009 at 12:30PM
Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, The Matrix Online, News items
Hang on. Wait a minute. Has anyone else seen a sign of the apocalypse today, or is the news that Sony Online Entertainment is actually shutting down an MMO the only one out there currently? We had to ask because when we saw the news this morning, we really couldn't believe our eyes. SOE, long heralded for keeping MMOs open even with very small communities, has finally decided to close down The Matrix Online, leaving the remaining Redpills to jack out for the last time on July 31st, 2009.
From what we've seen, remaining members of The Matrix Online community will have some community team interaction, as Daniel "Walrus" Myers is threatening to "[crush] everyone's RSI just one more time." Additionally, any MxO players making the jaunt to Las Vegas this year for SOE's Fan Faire will also be able to meet up with Walrus there, as he will be there for The Agency. Still, it's a sad day - and a memorable one - in seeing SOE shut down an MMO. We only wonder what this will mean for their other smaller-subscriber-number MMOs. Will we see any of them shuttered as well? Only time will tell.
[Via Tipa from West Karana]
From what we've seen, remaining members of The Matrix Online community will have some community team interaction, as Daniel "Walrus" Myers is threatening to "[crush] everyone's RSI just one more time." Additionally, any MxO players making the jaunt to Las Vegas this year for SOE's Fan Faire will also be able to meet up with Walrus there, as he will be there for The Agency. Still, it's a sad day - and a memorable one - in seeing SOE shut down an MMO. We only wonder what this will mean for their other smaller-subscriber-number MMOs. Will we see any of them shuttered as well? Only time will tell.
[Via Tipa from West Karana]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
THAC0 said on 12:43PM 5-29-2009
Thats sad. MxO was a really fun game when it first came out and had a great community. At first everyone could power level and the game was light and fun and it didn't take more than a month for them to put a stop to it and turn the PvE into a horrible grind of running up and down elevators all day. The live events with story line and character interaction were fun too. After the XP nerf I unsubscribed and I think i wasn't the only one and the game henceforth from that day was doomed.
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Bill said on 12:56PM 5-29-2009
Although I don't play MXO much anymore it is sad to think I can't jack in from time to time and run the streets and hyper jump over buildings. This game had a lot of flaws but offered ( or so we thought at first) a game where players actions had consequences. The community ( at least in the beginning ) was the top notch. I understand many people did not like this game but you really had to get involved in the story line to enjoy it and interact with the different factions. I will make sure and re sub one last time so I can run around to visit my favorite places and take some screen shots before the plug is pulled.
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Amana said on 12:55PM 5-29-2009
"..and coming up right after this story, stay tuned for 'Vanguard: Saga of HereNoMores', but first the weather.."
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JP said on 12:57PM 5-29-2009
Sucks for the community. I feel for you. I've been apart of a closure and it was sad indeed.
More realistically: get ready SWG players. TOR will essentially take the few die hard SW fans' subs too.
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Ay'enn said on 6:26PM 5-29-2009
Don't bank on SWG going away. The people who play it now are into the sandbox element primarily and then the SW element. Everyone I know who plays SWG will not be evacuating to TOR... If for some reason SWG is closed down most people will migrate to SWGemu.
Rich said on 1:11PM 5-29-2009
MxO was my first MMO and in all honesty it was the best one I've played so far. When Monolith was running it was fun. Sure it had alot of flaws but those were overcome with the community. Then SOE took over and it slowly went to hell. The only good thing SOE was finally do the LESIG thing and I had alot of fun doing that with my fellow LESIG people (even though some of them ruined it for the rest of us).
The community was the best part of that game and kept me playing for the longest time. So to KoN, Rakshas and AnteD's out there. I salute you.
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Bill said on 1:13PM 5-29-2009
Iterator FTW
Rich said on 1:16PM 5-29-2009
Amen Brother...
Sihada said on 1:51PM 5-29-2009
I was a part of the closed beta on MXO, and the beta testers BEGGED them not to release when they did because of the bugs. We were ignored. I jacked in to MXO earlier this year and found that many of the bugs that were there pre-launch still hadn't been addressed. Pity.
I love the Matrix universe and I really really wish that this project had been given to a team and a publisher better able to deliver on the potential of this brand.
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Dude said on 2:03PM 5-29-2009
TOR will kill SWG if this is SOE's attitude. They could try selling MxO to another company rather than just kill it off, but with Free Realms and The Agency in the spotlight, who cares? They obviously don't.
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Nadril said on 3:06PM 5-29-2009
Honestly I don't even know if MxO was making any money. It has a crazy small player base, and it's not like SOE is known for shutting down MMORPGs like some other companies out there.
I do like how when a game no one gives a shit about gets canceled though it seems a bunch of people always get pissed off at the company. Just looking for a reason, eh?
Dave said on 2:15PM 5-29-2009
They better lower the price of the Station Access then. Would love to play EQ2 and Planetside again.
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CCon99 said on 2:50PM 5-29-2009
That's a great point, they raised the Station Pass price because they added a game to the plan, now that one is coming off, they should lower it back to its price before the increase.
Dave said on 3:22PM 5-29-2009
I guess you can argue that they added FreeRealms in place of Matrix Online. Still $30 a month is a little too high with Matrix gone and SWG and Vanguard soon to follow.
Saltypoison said on 2:18PM 5-29-2009
This was my first MMO, and for all its flaws, i have very fond memories of it. The community truely made this game great.
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antitux said on 2:26PM 5-29-2009
I resubbed.
See ya'll at Mara C on Syntax
- tux0r
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kmaurer289 said on 2:40PM 5-29-2009
I will miss MxO a little. Not a lot. I left it the same time I left the rest of the Sony Access games, when I got better things to do then pay ever increasing (at the time) rates. And I was down to only playing the occasional EQ2 game. My EQ1 group had broke up, my EQ2 buddies had moved to Eve and then WoW, and EQOA wasn't worth it if it wasn't going to be moved to the new platforms.
MxO was the last of the Station Access games I left. I had played in the Beta and subscribed to the game before Sony added it to their stable. It had such GREAT promise. And for a while it seemed like it was going to do great things. But it never seemed to go much of anywhere.
But I will still remember it and miss it. It was never a great game, but it had one of the best communities in existence. Thank you all you virtual citizens out there... guess we take the blue pill after all...
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Lateris said on 3:18PM 5-29-2009
Vanguard will be next. Then SWG will follow.
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Jack said on 6:02PM 5-29-2009
Vanguard and SWG will have to go too they need the servers to for the casual none paying free realm players!.....
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leej said on 8:00AM 5-31-2009
I have to admit this news hits me with a touch of sadness. I was in beta and wasn't prepared to subscribe to the game in its HEAVILY unfinished state but DAMN the game had atmosphere; may have to resub myself and do some captures for posterity.
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