Officials from publisher Sony Online Entertainment have announced a new agreement with Perpetual Entertainment to co-publish the developer’s online action role-playing game Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising. The game will appear on Sony Online Entertainment’s cross-platform publishing, distribution and marketing label Platform Publishing. The subscription-based massively multiplayer online title features squad based combat against both computer and player controlled characters. Stieg Hedlund, the game’s lead designer, was also lead designer on Blizzard’s Diablo II. “We are excited about Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising and about our relationship with the talented people at Perpetual," said John Needham, senior vice president and CFO, Sony Online Entertainment. "Our relationship with Perpetual Entertainment is an important element of the overall business strategy of Platform Publishing." “As the recognized leader in online multiplayer gaming in North America, partnering with SOE's Platform Publishing division to publish Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising was an easy and obvious choice," said Chris McKibbin, co-founder and president of Perpetual Entertainment. "Nobody understands the retail channel for online games better than SOE." Under the co-publishing partnership, Perpetual, which is also working on Star Trek Online for an as yet unannounced publishing partner, will host and operate the game, while Platform Publishing will be responsible for retail marketing and distribution of the game in North America.