Sony Online Entertainment's PlanetSide 2 is shaping up to join the "most anticipated" list as its development continues. In a new column devoted to PS2, we begin by taking a look at the past, present and future of the game. Check it out and then leave us your thoughts in the comments.

As many of you may now be aware, and undoubtedly excited about, the official announcement of Planetside 2 was released not too long ago. The sequel to its notorious predecessor Planetside will be boasting a whole new arsenal of surprises for the modern gamer. Due to its age and the era in which it was released, however, many gamers who have become more active in the MMO/FPS world may not have had the chance to partake with the original title. In fact, there's a good chance that if you're reading this article that you're a 1.) Planetside veteran, who, like me, is foaming at the mouth in anticipation of the second installment in the series, or 2.) a newcomer who heard the term MMOFPS and went "...these exist?" But, I digress. Let's take a moment to reflect on what exactly Planetside was to the gaming industry.

Read more of Derek Czerkaski's PlanetSide 2: The Past, the Present, and Future.

TR for life! Bring your A game buddy ; )

Absolutely! Cymdai, from the Johari server, will be rolling TR as soon as he's able!

:)

TR for life! Only thing that really bugged me in the article was the NC being named the NCR, there was no "R".

Otherwise, great article and I'm personally looking forward to Planetside 2.

For people that haven't experienced the sheer scale of Planetside, they are in for a real treat when this game gets released. While other shooters do a good job of simulating that you are part of a larger war, in Planetside you actually are part of a larger war so every battle is unique. Combine that epic scale with the amazing graphics shown in the screenshots and this is a game that every gamer should experience. You won't regret it.

this game is going to break the FPS genre wide open,huge open maps and persistent battles,no more friggin instances

I can't help being intigued. I wonder how it's actually going to play, smoothness will be a huge factor.

not my type, but progress in the genre is always good, and that being said..

those of you that like it, you better go get active in its forums..and influence

judging from the direction SOE seems to be heading into, (EQNext, DCUO), it being simplification + standardisation, on top of what we already know of them, i cannot see this being a remake of PS..nor a "true" PS 2

Awww yeah.

Originally posted by solarine

I can't help being intigued. I wonder how it's actually going to play, smoothness will be a huge factor.

 

the original is a rather amazing technogical feet. With the second im sure SOE are confident it willbe verymuch playble with thousands of players, im sure they're testing the shit out of it with bots to make sure its servers and clinet are upto the task.

I completely lack any confidence in SOE.  I loved Planetside, with a passion... The concept was utterly perfect, sadly it was badly implemented at the time.  With that said, IF, big IF, SOE can look at some of the lessons from original PS, DAOC, and some of the FPS genre greats, they could really make a great, great game.

Sadly, I expect SOE to blow it...

Planetside has everything I want.  I loved it.  I cross my fingers every day for PS2, hoping that SOE doesn't ruin it.  Like the article says...  This game has potential!  More than the first ever did.

I played Planetside probably from release for about 8 months and them came back later probably in 2008-2009. Wasn't the same game. 

I loved playing the overpowered original terran pounder (the one that lobbed grenades vs infantry). Unfortunately I did get weapon locked once in a while even tho us defenders would repeatedly tell our guys not to come up to the control point. two locked down terran pounders could hold the CC from assault from below and a few guys having our backs from above we could hold towers for a long time.

I miss that game, tho. I remember intense ANT runs trying to refill the power on a base so it doesn't get lost.

One of my greatest gaming memories was a 3 way war on a base and I remember crouching down behind a barrier and rockets were flying past me killing people all around me  but I managed to survive. I kept sniping people from behind that barrier and ducking back down but I still managed to stay there for like  5 minutes. Then all the sudden I look up at a mosquito hovering right above me pointing the gun right at me. Lol I knew my time ran out.

now you got me hooked ... never played a MMOFPS, only coutner-strike, UT, Q3 and similar lan games. actualy waiting on firefall atm, but this looks much much much better.

Originally posted by haplo602

now you got me hooked ... never played a MMOFPS, only coutner-strike, UT, Q3 and similar lan games. actualy waiting on firefall atm, but this looks much much much better.

 

Yea i have played all those games too, but once i played planetside, nothing was the same, while the combat is similar enough, planetside persistence and its abilty to not only capture a battle in a video game but an all out war.

PlanetSide was groundbreaking. If PS2 will be nothing else than a graphical and UI update I will be extremely satisfied.

Hopefully it will be much more, which will mean I will have a very cheap gaming year after it's launch.

OP...nice article.I'm looking forward to the next one....and the game :-) .Realm vs realm conflict is what I MUST have in games I play.

It's really a shame the game released at an awkward moment in gaming history, ahead of it's time it truely was. 

Sadly a lot of that class flexibility is going to be taken away in Planetside 2, so we'll see how that turns out.