SOE's third annual block party is scheduled to be held this weekend:

Our annual Block parties are a blast and this year will be no different! Join us at SOE Headquarters for music, food, tours, previews of upcoming games, give-aways, raffles and much more. There will be activities for kids as well. Meet with dev team members and staff, socialize with employees and friends, and have a great time.

This event is scheduled to be held during Comic-Con on Saturday, July 26th. Even if you are not attending Comic-Con, stop by the block party anyway! All are welcome! Attendance is FREE!

This just in - from 4:00pm to 5:30pm you can meet comic book artist Jim Lee!

For more information, check out this EQLive article.

Check out our updated schedule ! We've added lots of exciting events to the line-up, including:

• VIP rock 'n roll karaoke party
• Several daytime and late-night* tournaments
  
• Career expo
• Special game-themed live events
• Exclusive first looks at the upcoming EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions
• Demos of FreeRealms , The Agency and ... something to do with capes

* Must be an All-Access pass holder to attend all evening events. Must be 21 or older, with valid identification, to attend certain evening events.

Amnerys just posted on the EQII official forums :

Please be advised that SOE phone support will be unavailable from 10am - 1:30pm (PDT) this Friday, July 18th. Phone support will resume at 1:30pm and available for the remainder of the day until 7pm. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.

Please plan accordingly!

G.I.R.L. Scholarship Program Helps Boost Female Educational Opportunity

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - July 8, 2008 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC today announced that Julia Brasil of San Francisco has won the 2008 G.I.R.L. Game Design Competition. The competition was the first of its kind and was promoted in conjunction with The Art Institutes system of schools, to encourage students toward career paths in the creative and applied arts, ultimately resulting in the development of games that are more interesting for women to play.

Brasil, a student in the Game Art & Design program, was awarded a $10,000 tuition scholarship toward her education at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco and a paid internship of up to 10 weeks at the Sony Online Entertainment studios of her choice in Austin, Denver, San Diego or Seattle.

“I am shocked and overjoyed to be the first G.I.R.L. Scholarship recipient,” said Brasil. “I’m really looking forward to my internship with SOE, and getting some hands-on experience at such a well-known company. It’s such a great opportunity.”

Rich "Greeblen" Schmelter, EQ EQII EQOA Customer Service Manager, posted on the official forums:

Greetings Norrathians!

In-Game customer support will be limited during the July 4th Holiday this Friday to allow some of our staff to spend the holiday with their families and friends.  However, we will have some dedicated GMs working on the holiday to assist with your in-game needs and we greatly appreciate your patience if you experience a longer then normal wait.

Phone and live chat Technical Support will be closed on 7/4, but we will be offering limited support via email during normal business hours.

Have a fun holiday weekend!