[Edfishy]

Originally Posted by Mordelicius

If you look at the H1Z1 videos, you'll see Planetside 2 pistol animations. You'll see Planetside 2 suicide screen. It's difficult to shake off the notion that their attention and focus is now on this game and not on PS2.

I'd pose that their attention should be on H1Z1, and not Planetside 2. Under the plausible assertion that they've used PS2 staff to do freebie work on H1Z1 (Smed says PS2's staff is bigger, but I'm sure the PS4 conversion team is rolled into that), it all comes down to the old saying...


"One in the hand is worth two in the bush"

H1Z1

• Is launching with the correct expectation's management: "We don't really know what we're doing; help us make this game be awesome!".."Pls reddit!". Absolute honey for gamers.
  
  
• Is a golden goose for SOE if it doesn't make the same mistakes PS2 did: e.g. too much potential and too few meaningful updates thanks to an overspent budget and understaffed crew.
  
  
• Does not have PS2's launch difficulties thanks to the past year spent on upgrading the Forgelight engine. SOE can now focus on game features over performance improvements for H1Z1, and less staff working on PS2 means more toys for H1Z1.
  
  
• Is easy to get your friends to play. Just say, "It's an MMO Walking Dead!", and you can probably even get your girlfriend/wife/kids to play too! Unlike PS2's competition with COD and BF, H1Z1 is also the simplest of your choices for zombie/anarchy games to play with buddies. (Arma having too much overhead, Rust being too rough)
  
  Explain PlanetSide 2 and you either get hardcore buddies who are either expecting some tactical depth, or the casual kiddies expecting immediately gratifying Battlefield-isms.
  
  
• Depth and vision closer to what we wanted for PlanetSide 2. Player inventories, deeper, meaningful worldspace and engagements. Fundamentally, PS2's mechanics are that of a gimped casual gamer's Battlefield game (you could tell there was directional trouble when Higby and TRay struggled to play PS1 - at all - during one of their livestreams), and PS2's age is growing to the point where Battlefield games accomplish the niche better and look prettier.
  
  (I'd like to point out, however, that H1Z1's depth and vision are still tentative. We'll see how much SOE caves on the depth and mechanics when Early Access newbs complain about MLG Planetside players mobbing them at every turn!)

PlanetSide 2

• Has one chance at success relying on some major overhauls, that could take well over a year to accomplish at its current stop-and-go pace and understaffed team. Even then, it succeeds only if it also achieves a smooth PS4 launch. (Hint: A smooth launch likely requires a mid 2015 release date ... what are the chances of that happening?)

Most Importantly

• Smedley enjoys the stuffin's out of H1Z1. He was willing to show it in raw form without any of the corporate frills, and nearly had a nerdgasm in describing it. SOE (after cutting their teeth with PS2) has the tools and the talent to make a sick zombie game that the world wants. The fanbase for H1Z1 is new and unassuming, and PlanetSide 2's engine just lends itself to some mindless fun that is untapped by other AAA's.
  
  Put simply, I think SOE would have more fun making H1Z1.

Conclusion:

• H1Z1 is likely funded off of PlanetSide 2's fumes. There's no way Sony headquarters wrote SOE a $25 milion check for H1Z1 considering PS2 is still in the red, and so if H1Z1 brings about a profitable launch that holds its numbers, it'd be for the best to put all of the staff into the golden goose.
  
  After H1Z1 can keep itself afloat, call a ṡpade a ṡpade and either put Planetside 2 back into Beta (just say the beta is towards a free expansion that is intended to fix all the things), or write PS2 off as a loss, bring it down to quality of life updates by junior staff, and start over with a Planetside 3 in a couple years after H1Z1 has evolved the Forgelight engine. Otherwise you risk further reputational damage as insulted PS2 fans pollute the H1Z1 community and help them to draw conclusions as to what awaits their wide-eyed "potential".
  
  (Alternatively hand PS2 off to another in-house studio)
  
  It would be great if they could accomplish both H1Z1 and PlanetSide 2, but financially that is likely only to happen if H1Z1 brings home the bacon for the next year or two. "Surely they can fund both!" you say? Upgrade now.