MMO Site is reporting (and Smed has clarified in Update 2 below) that John Smedley sat down with Chinese gaming site 17173.com during their trip to China last week. The translation isn't that great but the interview has quite a few tidbits in it including the first timeline we have seen on beta.
When asked about the business mode and beta schedule, Smedley reveals that the game will be free-to-play, but it may not be the microtransaction type as he mentions the model of buy to play and Diablo 3's auction house. Smedley also thinks that EA's The Old Republic will be the last popular MMO with subscription fee. At last, the beta plan. According to Smedley, PlanetSide 2 will start large-scale test in US at the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012.
He also talks about the possibility of AI Alien invasions in the future. It also appears the game will be largely free to play according to Smed. Head on over to the full report here and as always, hit up the comment thread to discuss.
Update: The translations in the article are a bit off basti on the forums ran the original site through a translator and found the following.
John said "PlanetSide 2" will use the free model, the specific details of the charges has not been determined. Worthy of note is that free mode is not the same props charges, including content outright or similar Diablo 3, the auction transaction tax model so other charging methods.
Update 2: We asked for some clarification on the interview and translations. John Smedley got back with us a short time ago with the following.
On Auction House
We aren't doing an auction house like Blizzard. They asked me what I thought of that move by Blizzard and I said I liked it and thought it would help with farmers and that we were doing it years ago with Station Exchange. Check Checkers Specials and Dischem Specials. It has nothing to do with Planetside 2 whatsoever. Ive said before the game will be some form of F2P but we aren't announcing anything specific yet.
On Beta
I did in fact say we are aiming for late this year or early next year. No further comment about that. It's ready when it's ready and we are proud of it.
On Crafting
Not sure what they were talking about relating to “crafting” other than we want players long term to be able to make weapons. That won’t be there at launch.
On Payment Model
The game will be F2P. What form will it be? We're still working that out. But here's a hint - we like League of Legends a lot. (Source)
This clears up things a bit with the translations It also gives us a new tidbit on what type of payment model they are thinking of. Head on over to the forums to discuss! ALDI Weekly Ad is one of the best sources of special gift or decoration items.
265 comments
2011-09-08 07:32 AM
Source: MMO Site
Latest Comments
| 2011-09-12 08:57 PM | ||
| COMYYY |
PlanetSide 2 Gameplay http://news.mmosite.com/content/2011...d_beta_1.shtml The most unique part in PlanetSide 2 is the massive battlefield that can contain over 2,000 soldiers at the same time, says Smedley, but the two new features in the sequel to PlanetSide, skill and territory control system, are also something that the developers really want to offer to gamers. Skills directly affect a character's ability of increasing weapon damage, modifying vehicles, as well as crafting. Depending on the level of a character's skill, it may take a player some time to increase that particular skill's level. As Mr. Smedley has mentioned, the skill system found in PlanetSide 2 will be very similar to the one found in EVE. This also includes the ability to learn skills while a player is offline. Territory control is about taking control of resources, which offer the necessary materials for creating weapons and upgrading equipment. Smedley mentions that they are considering implementing PVE world events to the game in the future, such as having 3 factions work together to defend against an alien invasion. 
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| 2011-09-12 09:02 PM | ||
| BuzzCutPsycho |
Re: PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Adding PvE events would be a very, very bad idea. |
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| 2011-09-12 09:08 PM | ||
| Goku |
Re: PlanetSide 2 Gameplay
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| 2011-09-12 09:14 PM | ||
| BuzzCutPsycho |
Re: PlanetSide 2 Gameplay I imagine I can post when I'm not playing Bad Company 2 or (soon) Battlefield 3. Especially if I'm going to be the source of such excitement. |
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| 2011-09-12 09:17 PM | ||
| Bags |
Re: PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Y U POST WITH MISLEADING TITLE? I expected gameplay footage not an article stating what we already know. |
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| 2011-09-12 09:43 PM | ||
| Talek Krell |
Re: PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Why is this a thread? >_> |
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| 2011-09-12 10:07 PM | ||
| Lonehunter |
Re: PlanetSide 2 Gameplay
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| 2011-09-12 11:12 PM | ||
| Talek Krell |
Re: Chinese Interview with John Smedley "Drops" don't have to work like that just because WoW does it. If they are implemented I imagine they'd be given automatically as a reward for success. Example: Capturing an enemy base rewards you with a weapon blueprint that you may add to your inventory options. |
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| 2011-09-13 08:38 AM | ||
| Hamma |
Re: PlanetSide 2 Gameplay Edit: Nevermind - merged threads. |
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| 2011-09-13 02:06 PM | ||
| Kurtz |
Re: Chinese Interview with John Smedley
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| 2011-09-13 02:26 PM | ||
| Forsaken One |
Re: Chinese Interview with John Smedley
even the option to get it permanently via a lot of resources (aka nothing that is helped by or use's real life cash.) would be acceptable. |
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| 2011-09-20 02:51 AM | ||
| evok |
Re: Chinese Interview with John Smedley I highly doubt they would do something where drops are out of the blue, or enemies dropping weapons they weren't even carrying. The way I look at it, they would do something like weapons and other items hidden inside crates. Crates could be at bases, and only empires that were not controlling the base would be allowed to break them open. It would give more meaning to attacking enemy bases. |
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| 2011-09-20 11:42 AM | ||
| NapalmEnima |
Re: Chinese Interview with John Smedley
But this could be a way to introduce New Weapons. The cargo hold could have some "experimental stuff that was en route from A to B and was shot down". Heck, the auto mission system could even generate competing missions for all three empires to go get them from some place off in BFE. Preferably near the middle of the map, or a front line. They spawn some galaxy way above the flight ceiling, and it comes in smoking, maybe one of the engines explodes, and down it goes in some contested location. Or it goes down deep inside the territory controlled by Empire A. Empire B and C get the competing orders. Hilarity Ensues. |
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| 2011-09-20 06:11 PM | ||
| Talek Krell |
Re: Chinese Interview with John Smedley I think I like this idea. |
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| 2011-11-04 09:52 PM | ||
| Sardwyn |
Re: Chinese Interview with John Smedley Yes this would be good. Very in favour! |
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