Sony Online Entertainment has today announced an incentive program for EverQuest players who purchase its upcoming real-time strategy game, Lords of EverQuest. Players who purchase the game and register their copy on SOEGames.net using their EverQuest account by January 3, 2004, will be eligible to participate in a special phase of the EverQuest II beta--which is tentatively scheduled for spring 2004.

　　"These special Lords of EverQuest promotions offer a unique value for EverQuest gamers to experience cross-genre entertainment," said Michael Lustenberger, director of product marketing at Sony Online Entertainment. "Anyone wanting to ensure that their copy of the game is available on launch day is strongly encouraged to preorder today, because quantities will be limited."

　　Current EverQuest players who participate in the promotion can receive an extra 30 days added to the end of their subscription and must have an active EverQuest account during the special phase of the EverQuest II beta. The full terms and conditions for the promotion can be found inside copies of Lords of EverQuest.

　　SOE has also confirmed an additional incentive for anyone preordering a copy of Lords of EverQuest from one of the company's retail partners. The offer is only valid while supplies last, but anyone preordering from Best Buy, Electronics Boutique, Fry's Electronics, GameStop, Media Play, or the Sony Station Store will receive a bonus CD containing three elite multiplayer characters and three single-player maps not included in the game. Lords of EverQuest is currently scheduled to be released in North America on December 2.