For most places here in the States Daylight Savings Time ends Sunday at 2:00 a.m.  Remember to set your clocks back!  For those of you not using Daylight Savings Time, this means that most U.S. game companies will be operating one hour LATER than they do in the summer. 

Here's a handy Time Zone Converter to help you plan for downtime and such.

Official SOE Podcast #73 is live!  This is Trick or Cast; hear all about Hubert and Emily's trick or treating adventures in the  latest Podramedy. There is an update on the Halloween Happenings in EQOA, PlanetSide and Vanguard, and a very special guest during the round table segment!

Want some SOE swag in your trick or treat bag?  Send in some listener e-mail! 

You can download the podcast from the Podcast Website and iTunes (search for SOE and click "subscribe").

All SOE game servers, including all TCG and MMO servers, will experience downtime tomorrow as they are taken offline for hardware maintenance.  This downtime is scheduled to start at 3am PDT and will last approximately 4 hours.

According to Jason "Pex" Ryan, this is to "Replace VTT modules (voltage regulators) on Core Koll switches 2, 3 and 4" in our network operations center".

See the official notice on the EQII forums and other SOE game forums.

The Official SOE Spook-Cast (also known as Podcast #72) is live!  Enjoy the interview with Tiffany Chu, Game Designer for Free Realms.  Check out the Halloween events in your favorite SOE games, and inside SOE is also all about Halloween as they ask developers Halloween questions.  Plus they need your help to solve the Candy Corn Mystery!

You can get the podcast at the Podcast’s official site or on iTunes (search for SOE and click "subscribe").

You might remember reading about a seemingly obscure company called Worlds.com filing a patent infringement lawsuit against MMO developer NCSoft (Aion, City of Heroes, Guild Wars) last spring. It was widely covered in the video games press, and widely criticized by most community members. The suit revolves around a set of patents filed by Worlds.com back in the late-90s for its Starbright World project; a "social network" for sick and terminally-ill children.

Around the same time, Worlds.com CEO Thom Kidrin announced he planned to go after other major MMO publishers like Activision-Blizzard (World of Warcraft) and Linden Labs (Second Life), essentially claiming that every MMO on the market today owes Worlds.com patent infringement damages. In addition, MMO developers and publishers would have to pay Worlds.com a licensing fee to use its"interactive virtual world system" technology (more on that later).

Meanwhile, another patent troll stepped up to the plate last week, hoping to make a quick buck at the MMO industry's expense, à la Worlds.com. As we reported a few days ago, Paltalk Holdings Inc. filed suit against a handful of developers, including Turbine Inc., Activision-Blizzard and NCSoft, among others. The suit claims the MMO companies are violating its patents for its HearMe technology (an inconsequential, business-oriented "online meeting service"), which Paltalk bought the rights to in 2002. Will the MMO industry collectively stave off these lawsuits, or is this just the beginning of a multi-million dollar litigious gang bang?

According to a Boston Globe article, Paltalk Holdings has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Turbine, Sony Corp., Activision Blizzard, NCsoft and Jagex. Paltalk claims the data-sharing technologies used in MMOs like World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Everquest, Guild Wars and Runescape violates two patents that Paltalk purchased from a company called HearMe in 2002. The patents cover technologies for sharing data among connected computers so all users see the same digital environment.

Some readers may think Paltalk has no chance of winning this lawsuit. However, Microsoft settled with Paltalk in 2006 by paying an undisclosed sum after Paltalk sued the industry giant for violating these same patent rights in Halo multiplayer features. As the article states, "Microsoft has conceded the validity of Paltalk's patents, making it tougher for Turbine and the other defendants in the current lawsuit to challenge them."

Back in July, ZAM editor Christopher "Pwyff" Tom wrote an editorial about PlanetSide's current-day relevance. "Interestingly, while Planetside is probably one of the best FPSMMORPGs I've played to date, it's also very sad to see that it's one of the most abandoned MMOs I've seen in quite some time," Pwyff said about the game, which was released by Sony Online Entertainment in 2003.

A few days after the editorial was published, SOE announced the game's existing servers would be merged into one on Aug. 25. The company stated the servers were combined "in the interest in maintaining a high level of competition and gameplay" in the MMO. But with only one realm to its name, what does the future hold for PlanetSide?

On Sept. 2, SOE President John Smedley made a cryptic post on his Twitter page that simply said, "PlanetSide Next..." He made another post 12 minutes later that said, "you will like." While this information isn't much to go on, it looks like SOE is working on a sequel (or at least an update) to the MMOFPS. It would certainly make sense considering PlanetSide has a loyal fanbase. Since many players complain SOE seems to have forgotten about the game, perhaps they will get the attention they crave in PlanetSide Next.

SOE Podcast 70 is now available! Hear all about Gen Con, planning for Dragon*Con, and the upcoming MxO Memory book.  Also featured is the news with Jason "Pex" Ryan, the SWG Team's favorite vacation spots, listener email (a great way to get swag, by the way) and server hamster conversations!

You can download the podcast from the Podcast Website and iTunes (search for SOE and click "subscribe").

Ten years ago, the launch of EverQuest arguably changed the gaming industry forever. Its combination of gameplay, story and cosmetic appeal was precisely what gamers had been waiting for and would soon be the inspiration for many great, and some not so great games to come. Over the years, Sony Online Entertainment has released a number of subsequent EverQuest games set in the world of Norrath; most notable of which being EverQuest Online Adventures and EverQuest II. While both titles continue to retain an active player-base, lately "Will there be an EverQuest III?" has been an increasingly popular subject. Keep reading for official confirmation that "EverQuest Next" is in development.

Are you a fan of the art from Sony Online Entertainment games? Well, the company has opened a new Art Portal site that targets an audience comprised of students and professionals in the art world, as well as players who appreciate the concept illustrations and graphics tied to SOE games.

The first thing you'll notice when you visit SOE Art Portal is a series of illustrations that were recognized in international juried digital art annuals and shows. There's numerous pieces of art from Legends of Norrath, as well as pieces from EverQuest, EverQuest II, Free Realms and The Agency.

There's also featured articles from SOE developers on topics related to art asset creation and blog entries by Rystall, the director of artistic development for SOE. So are there any ZAM readers out there who are art students trying to enter the gaming field? If so, what are your thoughts on the site?