Planetside 2

[shiznitz]

The model should be a $25 box, $15 sub for 3 months with micro-trans for vanity stuff.  If you have a sub active, you get any released expansion at the time. If you come back after expansions, you pay $10 to catch up on top of your 3 month sub.

Businesses have to set a price based on what they are offering, not based on their costs.  I don't know if SOE has that mentality.

[Mrbloodworth]

 

[Sky]

 

[Kitsune]

Yeah, Planetside was always too expensive at full MMO price for a shooter.  Back when I was still playing EQ I could get it as part of the station pass and everything was chill, but it wasn't worth the full monthly fee on its own.  $5 monthly and I'd bite, though.

[Ratman_tf]

I think that if they came up with a reasonable way to charge for time logged in, it would feel better than plopping down 15 bucks a month. More work for the billing department though.

[UnSub]

No-one is a huge fan of pay-per-minute though. APB fell over before there was much evidence that modern FPSers would pay for blocks of time instead of a sub fee.

If SOE wants large player numbers, F2P is the best option. However, they'll need some kind of revenue system, probably coming from tiered abilities, cosmetic items and maybe some power-ups.

Multiplayer FPSes need population to survive, along with the cash revenue. A sub fee explicitly locks out a lot of that population. Even box cost and microtrans is a better option than a sub fee in this area.

[Typhon]

I think that if they came up with a reasonable way to charge for time logged in, it would feel better than plopping down 15 bucks a month. More work for the billing department though.

This is at odds with - "we've created a game that is only fun if there are people to play with".

It think FPS either need to go the GW route, or be F2P and have a vanity shop. 

Or go niche, but go full on persistent with factions and battles mean something and the possibility of losing the war.  Make it so that each full war lasts no more than a month, charge users per war (i.e. per month).  End of the month, the world resets.

[Malakili]

I think that if they came up with a reasonable way to charge for time logged in, it would feel better than plopping down 15 bucks a month. More work for the billing department though.

I feel almost exactly the opposite to be honest.  I like paying a flat fee and then not worrying about it all month.  The fact that I would know I was being charged for every moment I was playing would stress me out, even if the price ended up being cheaper.

[Mrbloodworth]

I would enjoy seeing a model like LOTRO.

F2p with restrictions OR A monthly fee granting full features. A kin to the fodder system. This way those who want to pay jack squat can, and those who don't like to count coins while we plan can.

It think FPS either need to go the GW route, or be F2P and have a vanity shop. 

Or go niche, but go full on persistent with factions and battles mean something and the possibility of losing the war.  Make it so that each full war lasts no more than a month, charge users per war (i.e. per month).  End of the month, the world resets.

You just described the (New) Global agenda model (Sans monthly payment). Only thing you lack is the boosters ( + to "XP"/loot gain for X time ).

[Mrbloodworth]

PlanetSide Next Producer letter!

Looking back through the archives, it’s been a while since we’ve done a proper Planetside Producer letter, so let’s get rolling!

Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Andrew Sites and about a month ago I joined the Planetside Next development team as the Executive Producer. While I may be new to Planetside, I’ve been around the block a few times here at Sony Online. I’ve worked in production on several SOE projects, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, Free Realms and most recently was the EP on Clone Wars Adventures. But enough about me, let’s talk about Planetside.

While combing through the Planetside forums, I can see that you’re not just amped about the promise of a sequel being developed, but even more so, you want some details. With Planetside now approaching its 8 year anniversary, it’s still easy to look back and see just how it set the bar for Massively Multiplayer FPS games. It was fun, fast-paced and most importantly, it offered truly MASSIVE FPS combat that hasn’t been recreated since. When we started designing Planetside Next, our goal was to build upon the original foundational elements that made it unique, while focusing heavily on the large-scale combat that set it apart from the competition. We’ve got some big shoes to fill, but as we begin unveiling the details, I think you’re going to be VERY excited to see what we have planned.

As you know, Planetside Next was announced by Smed via Twitter about a year and a half ago. Since then, the development team has been pining away on a new graphics engine, building art assets and designing new content. To support our ongoing development efforts, the team has increased in size significantly over the past several weeks. We’ve also brought back several team members from the original Planetside art, design and code team, as well as a ton of other talented, experienced MMO and FPS developers – many of whom I will begin introducing to you in my next update.

To say that the team and I are excited would be an understatement. Over the coming weeks and months, you can expect to receive a lot more detail about what we have in-store for PSNext. Much of this information will be presented to the PS community exclusively, because frankly, if your passion for the original didn’t exist, I wouldn’t be typing this.

Planetside set the bar for the Massively Multiplayer FPS market 8 year ago and we look forward to setting it again.

[HaemishM]

Why would you feel the need to copy and paste that? I just read that fucking thing and there is zero actual interesting content in there.

[Mrbloodworth]

Its what I have always done. If I find news, lame or not, I post it.

[WayAbvPar]

[LK]

Do you ever question if that's a good idea? Curious. I understand you're fulfilling some sort of need in yourself to share this stuff, but I don't know if you're considering the audience when you do so.

[Mrbloodworth]

I'm sorry, a producers letter was posted, I brought it here.

I do not see the problem.  If you don't care, don't read it? Thats what I do.

[Draegan]

I don't see an issue with what BW did.

[HaemishM]

My issue is more that the producer's letter said fuckall about anything interesting whatsoever. Nothing about the game's design features. It was a "I work here now!" post. Why copy and paste that? It was barely useful on the site it was posted on where only Planetside fans go. When I look at this thread being updated, I hope that it's at least updated with something interesting - or it's another MMOFPS is/isn't viable discussion.

You don't have to post useless producer's letters that say nothing about the game development. Post that there is a producer's letter that says so and so is now Exec. Producer, then post a link. You should only be posting the whole story when there's actually some sort of story to post.

[Mrbloodworth]

It put a number of conjecture points to rest, and included some info about the team itself and its development time. It was relevant to me.

I now return to you to the ongoing MMOFPS is/isn't viable discussion.

[Furiously]

It did contain something interesting to me. What they didn't say about planetside.  Actuallly they should put in some sort of guildwars hall of monuments thing and watch their subs rise while they milk the franchise before they crash and burn with the sequel.

[LK]

I don't doubt others took some value from it. That's reason enough to post something. But I think your perspective on what is actual relevant information and what is just marketing fodder for a fanbase crazed for updates of any value is a little skewed. I won't presume what the majority is here.

[01101010]

While I agree that letter is worthless, it does give us a heretic to burn when PS2 goes vapor. Now we know precisely who to throw stones at... or at least one more person.

[Count Nerfedalot]

Or hey! We could make fun of where he couldn't even get an informationless self-introductory puff piece right.   

My favorite is this line: "Since then, the development team has been pining away on a new graphics engine, building art assets and designing new content."

Nevermind that they hopefully weren't working on a new graphics engine for any significant part of that year and a half since the game was announced, or is this their third try now?  The real gem is his use of "pining away".  How the hell do you "pine away" on anything?  I don't think that word means what he thinks it means. 

[Pezzle]

Amped?  Really?  I have yet to meet a person who used that in conversation.

[DayDream]

With any luck, his poor use of language means he's got actual code monkey experience!  He's bound to get good results from his fellow code writing humans!

 

[Surlyboi]

While I agree that letter is worthless, it does give us a heretic to burn when PS2 goes vapor. Now we know precisely who to throw stones at... or at least one more person.

Smed is still your primary target.

Never forget.

[Sutro]

It's interesting insofar as the producer was the EP of Clone Wars Adventures. I, for one, am thankful I'm able to lower my expectations some more.

[Mrbloodworth]

It's interesting insofar as the producer was the EP of Clone Wars Adventures. I, for one, am thankful I'm able to lower my expectations some more.

Yeah, but having some of the original developers from PS1 Counters that for me.

[Yegolev]

Its what I have always done. If I find news, lame or not, I post it.

[Mrbloodworth]

You been snooping on my hard drive Yeg?

[slog]

He should said "Over the coming years ,weeks and months, you can expect to receive a lot more detail about what we have in-store for PSNext."

[LK]

Masturbating over every little development isn't going to make it come out any faster. Seriously detached from the hype machine. When it happens, it happens. THEN I'll care about it. Meantime I have more important things to do with my time.

[01101010]

Masturbating over every little development isn't going to make it come out any faster. Seriously detached from the hype machine. When it happens, it happens. THEN I'll care about it. Meantime I have more important things to do with my time.

Like this post! 

[LK]

 

[Sky]

Lorekeep, living up to the avatar.

[Tearofsoul]

I got a Planetside 2 new map for you, bitches :D !