PlanetSide 2 launch day roundup

SOE easing PlanetSide 2's grind for launch
PlanetSide 2's launch is mere days away, but SOE devs are still fine-tuning certain progression aspects of the new sci-fi MMOFPS. Creative director Matt Higby took to the forums yesterday to reveal that the time investment required to obtain high-end weapons will be reduced by about 30 per cent.

Some Assembly Required: Player-generated content at SOE Live
By now, everyone has made it home from SOE Live... yes, even that one fellow who kept disappearing, seduced by the one-armed bandit. As my first foray into the annual self-described "family reunion," I wasn't sure what to expect.

PlanetSide 2 takes a ride with Azure Twilight of the Vanu Sovereignty
Earlier this week, PlanetSide 2 unveiled a video of the Terran Republic's Black Widow Company showing off how they roll. If you favor the Terran Republic, that's obviously a good thing.

PlanetSide 2 releases huge beta update with metagame content
In less than two weeks, Sony Online Entertainment's new MMOFPS PlanetSide 2 is launching. And with that November 20th date fast approaching, the development team is cranked into high gear, deploying frequent patches to both add content and squash various bugs.

New PlanetSide 2 video features Terran Republic's Black Widow Company
If you've got an outfit that's gearing up for war in PlanetSide 2, you might as well try to get yourselves featured on one of Sony Online Entertainment's press videos.

PlanetSide 2 to feature one-click Twitch streaming
Sony Online Entertainment and Twitch want you to know that they've officially joined forces. Per this morning's SOE press release, the firms have conspired to allow one-click streaming inside the PlanetSide 2 beta client.

SOE Live 2012: PlanetSide 2 interviews emphasize universal appeal and focus on fun
Watching Creative Director Matt Higby in a failed trailer attempt or with Senior Art Director Tramell Isaac on Command Center videos, you get the idea that PlanetSide 2 developers are having fun.

SOE's Smedley responds to ProSiebenSat.1 concerns
Earlier in the year when Sony Online Entertainment announced the move of European EverQuest II player accounts to ProSiebenSat.1, many players voiced concerns.

PlanetSide 2 Command Center brings a beta update and spotlight on Heavy Assaulters
Creative Director Matthew Higby and Senior Art Director Tramell Isaac are back with the sixth episode of PlanetSide 2 Command Center, everyone's favorite show about the adventures of a wacky MMO.

Cold, tired, and dead: Hands-on with PlanetSide 2's newest continent
PlanetSide 2 is a game that's all about huge maps and war on an epic scale. The MMOFPS title's continents are massive -- dozens of times larger than the average first-person-shooter map and packed with structures to dominate, vehicles to crash, and enemy players to kill.

SOE shows off new PlanetSide 2 Esamir video
Yesterday we took you on a textual tour of PlanetSide 2's new Esamir continent. Today Sony Online Entertainment has released a new video so that you can actually see it for yourself.

SOE announces Esamir, PlanetSide 2's new, cold continent [Updated]
PlanetSide 2, currently in development over at Sony Online Entertainment, is an MMO like no other. The game is a first-person shooter that boasts a persistent online world, strategy-focused gameplay and a skill-based reward system.

PlanetSide 2 revises membership benefits
As players get ready to start blasting away for control of the landscape in PlanetSide 2, the question becomes whether you want to be a subscriber or just an occasional visitor.

PlanetSide2 Command Center video highlights Engineer class, new livestream, and more
In the fifth episode of Command Center, PlanetSide 2 devs Tramell Isaac (Senior Art Director) and Matt Higby (Creative Director) discuss various aspects of the upcoming MMOFPS.

PlanetSide 2's Higby talks member benefits, pay-to-win
PlanetSide 2 creative director Matt Higby took to the official forums recently to address concerns about potential pay-to-win aspects of the title's monetization scheme.

PAX Prime 2012: Hands-on with PlanetSide 2
Sony Online Entertainment's PlanetSide 2 is still in the process of development and beta testing, but the team brought the game to PAX for its North American tradeshow debut.

First impressions of PlanetSide 2 through the eyes of an FPS noob
Rather than give anyone the wrong impression, let me begin by saying that first-person shooters are far from being my thing. I don't pant in anticipation for the latest Battlefield or Modern Warfare game.

PlanetSide 2 mobile app to feature 'near real-time' map updates, voice chat
We first heard tell of PlanetSide 2's extensive metagame features at the title's big GDC reveal earlier this year. Skills, achievements, stats, and performance graphs are all part of the equation, as are external fansite-friendly data feeds and a mobile app.

John Smedley on PlanetSide 2's strengths and three-year plan
"PlanetSide 2 -- what is it and why do I want to play it?," asks SOE President John Smedley in a recent LiveJournal post (yes, LiveJournal lives!). In a little over 3,000 words, Smedley attempts to make the case for why PlanetSide 2 is a genuine contender in both the MMO and FPS markets.

SOE and Blur Studio release new PlanetSide 2 cinematic trailer
The other day I was talking to a fellow shooter fan about the merits of PlanetSide 2. There's the open world, the thousand-player battles, and the seamless gameplay transitions between air vehicles, ground vehicles, and foot soldiering.

The Firing Line: Three reasons to love PlanetSide 2
So you've heard of this PlanetSide 2 thing, and you're fairly sure that some significant buzz is building. You know that Sony Online Entertainment wowed a lot of people with its demo at this month's E3, and you know that the game is a high-dollar sequel to one of our early genre stalwarts.

E3 2012: Crashing and burning in PlanetSide 2
I used to think of myself as an OK pilot. Then I slid into the cockpit of a Terran Republic Mosquito at E3 yesterday and learned just how inapplicable real-world skill is in PlanetSide 2.

The Firing Line: PlanetSide 2's Matt Higby on the MMOFPS revolution
Sony Online Entertainment has begun carpet-bombing media outlets with publicity relating to its upcoming PlanetSide 2 MMOFPS. The game has been in development for quite a while now, but up until very recently the devs have kept a low profile.

The Firing Line: Epic SOE memories on PlanetSide's ninth anniversary
So PlanetSide is nine years old this week (nine!), and Sony Online Entertainment is journeying down memory lane to look back at its ground-breaking MMOFPS.

Take to the skies with PlanetSide 2's aerial combat trailer
Infantry may make up the bulk of PlanetSide 2's armies, but there's much more to a solid fighting force than footsoldiers. A new video of the game from Sony Online Entertainment shines the spotlight on the various forms of aerial support available to the PlanetSide 2 factions.

The Firing Line: A couple of PlanetSide 2 concerns
Now that the glow of PlanetSide 2's GDC demo reveal is a couple of weeks back in the rear-view mirror, I've had time to digest it all and adjust my expectations of the game accordingly.

PlanetSide 2's Higby talks resource costs, business models, and more on Reddit
Aside from the big GDC demo earlier this month, mass information dumps regarding PlanetSide 2 have been few and far between. Thankfully, creative director Matt Higby took to Reddit yesterday for an AMA (ask me anything) session that brought a few interesting nuggets to light.

GDC 2012: SOE's PlanetSide 2 gunning for the big time
Our PlanetSide 2 bootcamp didn't start on the war-torn planet of Auraxis. It started on a plushly appointed hotel terrace in the middle of downtown San Francisco.

The Firing Line: Thousand-player dogfights and more PlanetSide 2 conjecture
Welcome back to The Firing Line, boys and girls. Last week I talked at length about PlanetSide 2, and despite the fact that I'm apparently unqualified to do so according to some folks, I'm going to do it again this week.

The Firing Line: The pleasures and pitfalls of PlanetSide 2
My time in PlanetSide was a blur. It's also a ways back in the rear view mirror, and I've played so many MMOs in the interim that I can't even remember exactly when it was.