EverQuest Goes Live

989 Studios announced Tuesday that its massive online RPG EverQuest is now available in stores, and the game servers are up and running.

Published by Sony, EverQuest will include over 70 adventure zones and 12 cities, as well as 60 unique skills for characters and 800 different types of spells. EverQuest will also include 3Dfx and Direct3D support, allowing the use of multiple camera angles and a graphically rich environment. 989 Studios claims that the online game can support more than 1,500 players per server.

EverQuest is not free, however, and as in Ultima Online, prospective gamers will have to buy the boxed version and pay a monthly subscription fee to play (though the first month is free).

"With free-roaming environments, superior graphics, and an evolving storyline, EverQuest will be the most comprehensive and versatile role-playing game available on the Internet," said Jeffrey Fox, vice president of marketing at 989 Studios. "EverQuest's evolving storyline puts the power of the character's destiny and, ultimately, the Quest, where it belongs, in the player's hands."