By Nathan Grayson on July 11th, 2012 at 8:00 am.
Perhaps even this week, if rumours be true…
You can’t see me right now, but I’m – at least, near as I can tell – dancing some kind of jig. I think that’s the proper, technical term, anyway. I believe it’s something that occurs when people either become very excited or develop serious medical conditions. Regardless, PlanetSide 2‘s beta is officially right around the corner, so this is a glorious occasion. Specifically, in a new behind-the-scenes video, executive producer Josh Hackney noted that lucky fans will be able to play the beta on a PC that belongs to them in a house they don’t have to leave “within the next month.” Jubilation! That, however, ate up roughly three seconds of a 21-minute video. It’s probably a major understatement to say that there’s more after the break.
It’s actually all decently worth watching, if you ask me. The bits about the PlanetSide 1 community day and the ensuing multi-faction parade are even kind of touching – well, until the part where everyone decided to kill each other, anyway. That said, if you’d like to skip to some new gameplay footage of the Infiltrator in action, it’s at 14:30.
Beyond that, well, ohboyohboyohboyohboy - but with measured, coolly calculated reservations. SOE is, after all, prioritizing early beta access for long-time PlanetSide 1 players, early applicants, and contest winners. But hey, the beta form‘s still open right now, so why not try your luck? Then you can also be doomed to dance uncontrollably for the rest of your foreseeable future. Er, I mean, videogames!
11/07/2012 at 08:18 Xzi says:
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I was starting to chomp at the bit in anticipation of any small detail from the beta going-ons. Good news indeed. Although I hope that those of us who got PC Gamer codes are at least next in line behind the PS1 players.
11/07/2012 at 08:51 Biscuitry says:
I have good news for you. Those with PCG keys have equal priority to PS1 veterans, along with Fan Faire attendees.
11/07/2012 at 20:21 Xzi says:
Well you just made my day. All the cookies to you, sir.
11/07/2012 at 08:22 Malfious says:
I sold my soul to twitter for a few days, never got a key in the end.. hopefully the beta signup works
11/07/2012 at 09:40 Miltrivd says:
Been trying out beta keys for months but hey, I bet there are quite a few in the same situation. Just gonna have to wait patiently, somehow…
11/07/2012 at 08:56 Koshinator says:
So very sweet… Just can’t wait for this beta to drop (already got my key)
11/07/2012 at 08:59 Orija says:
I hope it isn’t region locked, and they do it on this side of the planet too.
11/07/2012 at 09:50 Longrat says:
From what I gather, it started off as region locked, and after some whining SOE decided to drop that idea. This is nice because A) It’s not region locked and B) it looks like, for once, somebody out there is LISTENING.
11/07/2012 at 09:15 vee41 says:
If this is true ( http://www.planetside-universe.com/showthread.php?t=44756 ) beta will start tomorrow. Woopcakes anyone?
11/07/2012 at 09:47 Longrat says:
It’s worth mentioning that one of the game’s creative producers, Matt Higby, said that he won’t cut his hair until the game goes into beta.
And he made a facebook event for him getting his haircut. TOMORROW.
So yeah, within the next month.. Could it be tomorrow?
11/07/2012 at 22:01 kaffis says:
Actually, the conditions were, Higby wouldn’t cut his hair until people outside Sony were playing from home.
Combine that with Josh Hackney’s producer’s letter, and it’s pretty evident that either today or tomorrow, the “External Technical Test” will start, with beta to follow on the heels of that.
11/07/2012 at 09:56 mandrill says:
I have a spare PCG code if anyone wants one. A friend in the industry had a bundle of keys and gave me one, rendering my PCG code surplus to requirements. Tweet me (@mandrill) and I’ll fire you the key. (first come only, sry)
11/07/2012 at 10:25 Longrat says:
Hey, is the key taken?
Thanks for the generosity!
11/07/2012 at 16:56 Max Ursa says:
already got mine bud, from PCG, cant wait!
11/07/2012 at 10:32 Real Horrorshow says:
It’d better be within 6 weeks. The rioting’s intensified to where we might not be able to contain it. People are starting to get desperate.
11/07/2012 at 10:51 Xotes says:
Why contain it? Let it spill out into the schools and homes, let the bodies pile up in the streets. In the end, they’ll beg us to let them play it.
11/07/2012 at 17:21 SanguineAngel says:
I’ve received reports of armed attacks on servers. There’s not enough beta keys to go around, and the underclasses are starting to get desperate
11/07/2012 at 13:37 Skabooga says:
We’ve had to endure much, you and I, but soon there will be Planetside again. A new age.
11/07/2012 at 13:53 Vorphalack says:
A bunch of pretentious old men playing at running the beta. But the beta left them behind long ago. We are the future.
11/07/2012 at 14:32 Reefpirate says:
Aquinas talked about a city on a hill, something something, *evil laughter* *camera pans out some more*…
(I know the quote but I don’t have time to look it up right now!!!)
11/07/2012 at 16:45 The Pink Ninja says:
A BOMB ?!
11/07/2012 at 11:28 Mavvvy says:
Oh great jumping jellyfish, prepare for battle, charge the enemy!
Been playing the original for the past week, still holds up after 9 years, especially since the servers have had such a good population lately.
The bridge battles…max crashes…last stands…amazingness!!!!
11/07/2012 at 14:14 deadly.by.design says:
Nice to see that Geordi La Forge is keeping himself busy these days.
11/07/2012 at 16:56 Max Ursa says:
spending his time reading books apparently
11/07/2012 at 14:30 Fincher says:
It was very silly of them to say it was going to start “soon” at the start of June. Very silly indeed.
11/07/2012 at 14:33 Reefpirate says:
They say soon all the time… It’s like a running joke until just recently. It is now ‘sooner than soon’ and ‘sooner than you think’. Well damnit, I thought soon was YESTERDAY.
11/07/2012 at 15:37 ocelot113 says:
And this is why I follow gaming news.
11/07/2012 at 16:33 Bobsy says:
Shitting fucking tigerballs, man.
Words cannot express how badly I want this. And the beta starting ready for the school holidays? Hell yes.
I so want to have a regular squad of infiltrators and engineers. For sneakytimes fun.
11/07/2012 at 16:54 derbefrier says:
game looks great but i am concerned. Will this game have a similar system to tribes where certain classes and upgrades have to be purchased with real money or suffer through being gimped for 300 hours while you grind out some form of XP. I mean F2P has been the worst thing to happen to competitive FPS games in my opinion so how has SOE planned to approach the micro transaction side of this? will it be pay 2 win like tribes or will they strive to make a truly competitive F2P game?
11/07/2012 at 17:05 Max Ursa says:
items such as weapons and abilities are not purchasable, only unlockable. there are booster implants, xp/resource rate upgrades and cosmetic options that are purchasable. it is not pay to win, its pay to have a slight advantage and look cooler/sillier. there are no tactical advantages that can be bought outright, just gained a little sooner than those who don’t pay.
11/07/2012 at 18:08 Vorphalack says:
I think it was the actual selling of new weapons that really undermined Tribes as a FTP game. When they willfully sell something as over powered as the Raider Plasma Gun, balancing it post sale will piss off everyone that rushed out and bought one. Therefore proper balancing is discouraged, and as the business model is selling more guns, you will tend towards inventory bloat rather quickly. I really hope Planetside 2 stays away from that trap.
11/07/2012 at 19:05 theallmightybob says:
last i checked they DID balance out that gun though. (the plasma) and people got over it (the angery consumer). all the weapons released since then cost almost nothing on the XP scale and seem well balanced. honestly i think i would be worried if planet side dident atleast look at everything tribes has done right in F2P.
12/07/2012 at 00:26 Vorphalack says:
Tribes has done a lot right, but the first round of weapon sales was not one of those things. Like I said i’d prefer it if Planetside just didn’t go there at all. I’m still not convinced the Plasma Rifle is well balanced though. I know they reduced its hit box size, but competitive matches still had it on the ban list last time I checked.
11/07/2012 at 19:13 derbefrier says:
Hell yeah, thanks for the info. now i can let myself get excited for this game as it does look spectacular.
11/07/2012 at 17:48 Billzor says:
In theory.
11/07/2012 at 20:45 Max Ursa says:
what do you mean in theory? can you please elaborate?
as i have said, the only purchasable upgrades are:
xp upgrades (+x% xp gain) get xp faster therefore skill up faster
resources upgrade (+y% resource gain) get more resources to spend on requisitions eg tanks, aircraft
booster implants (+z points to relevant skill) like in EvE, eg +3 cloak skill, +4 fire rate.
while the boosters do give a slight advantage, they aren’t ‘I WIN’ gear.
In theory…
11/07/2012 at 17:44 RegisteredUser says:
Not one, but two automatically checked newsletter boxes during signup.
Well done Sony.
And by that I mean: Hulk mad! Hulk smash!
Obviously they aren’t getting any real email from me, but still.
That is not playing nice!
11/07/2012 at 17:55 Jengaman says:
YAY!
If i get mine soon it might take away all my tribes time.
Im starting to get afraid of free to play overload when i have to level up stuff in Mechwarrior, Tribes, and Planetside.
Looks like I have to quit my job huh….
11/07/2012 at 20:24 Xzi says:
I’m with you there. I have no idea how the hell I’m going to manage my time effectively once Planetside 2, Guild Wars 2, End of Nations, and MechWarrior Online are all released.
11/07/2012 at 21:33 Jubaal says:
Hah I know what you mean. I’ll be over all those 4 like a rash too!