Hundreds of players descended on the office of Sony Online Entertainment in sunny San Diego on Saturday, July 28, where they were treated to food, game demos, live music, and more!

SOE hosted hundreds of players from across the country and other parts of the world, including Germany, Colombia, and Switzerland. The fans were in town for Comic Con or came to San Diego just to have some fun at Block Party. Buses from Comic Con started to arrive at 4:00, packed with partygoers, some even dressed as their favorite comics character! They were greeted by members of the SOE community team, who handed out free T-shirts and goodie bags for the guests.

A live band whose members include SOE employees rocked throughout the afternoon to entertain partygoers as they ate, drank, and played. Many prizes were handed out during the afternoon, including Razer gaming mice and other goodies. A hula hoop contest and face painting entertained the children – and some of the adults – who attended the party.

Many team members were on hand to chat and show off all of the great games SOE has to offer. Players had the chance to imagine what it would be like to become a pirate, Roman hero, spy, or even a Sarnak as they got a sneak peek at the new titles Pirates of the Burning Sea, Gods and Heroes, The Agency, and EverQuest II: The Rise of Kunark!

Game Designer Jesse “Loche” Benjamin and Community Manager Joe “GreyPawn” Pishgar manned the Star Wars Galaxies demo and answered many questions about the game. A visiting biker scout also took the controls to show the onlookers how the 501st Legion plays the game with style.

Star Wars Galaxies players from Bloodfin, Flurry, Kauri, Sunrunner, and other galaxies mingled and talked with Events Manager Jason “Pex” Ryan and Sr. Community Relations Representative Kelly “Valara” Knox. Meanwhile, Paul “Virrago” Williams happily manned the drinks booth, where players relaxed and chatted.

As the last buses pulled away from the office and sun began to set, a few players didn’t want the party to end! Players from The Matrix Online and PlanetSide stayed behind to chat with Community Manager Joel “Raijinn” Sasaki as the party drew to a close.

We hope everyone had as much at Block Party 2007 as we did! We’re also looking forward to seeing you at Fan Faire when it kicks off on Thursday, August 2, 2007.