Sony Announces Free-To-Play Lineup For E3 2012

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Despite its PlayStation focus, Sony still hasn't forgotten about the PC gamer.

Sony Online Entertainment reveled on Friday its lineup of free-to-play titles that will make an appearance next week at E3 2012. Included will be the highly-anticipated MMOFPS Planetside 2, and an introduction to a new facial recognition and voice technology feature in EverQuest 2. Additional new titles include Wizardry Online and a FPS called Bullet Run.

"This year's E3 line-up features an unparalleled variety of free-to-play titles spanning across multiple genres and platforms – from kids and adults, to casual and hardcore," said John Smedley, President, Sony Online Entertainment. "With the largest and most diverse free-to-play line-up of any online publisher, SOE is delivering on all fronts with the massive show floor debut of PlanetSide 2, two entirely new titles and the latest hands-on game content from franchise favorites, plus never-before-seen MMO innovations that take immersive gameplay to an entirely new level."

During the show, Sony will offer a hands-on preview of The Last Laugh (DLC 4) for DC Universe Online. Attendees will also get a glimpse of Sunstone Valley, new regional content expansion for Free Realms that's expected to go live later this summer. Vanguard Saga of Heroes and Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures will also be on hand to demo, and EverQuest 2 will showcase its new facial recognition and voice technology feature -- SOEmote -- that was designed to "truly bring the roleplay back to roleplaying games."

E3 2012 will also be the first hands-on play with the PlanetSide sequel. "PlanetSide 2 takes all the groundbreaking features from the original game – massive multiplayer battles, distinct empires to rally around, and enormous continents where intense ground and air combat unfolds – and adds features that modern gamers have come to expect of the FPS and MMO genres," Sony said on Friday. "To dial up the E3 experience to epic levels, PlanetSide 2 has enlisted video game personality TotalBiscuit to live cast directly from the SOE booth at 3 p.m. PT on Tuesday, June 5, and Wednesday, June 6, as well as at 11 a.m. PT on Thursday, June 7."

Bullet Run, making an appearance at the show next week, is a new team-based multiplayer FPS that puts players in the ultimate reality TV show where "contestants showcase their deadly talents in the name of fame." Wizardry Online is an upcoming free-to-play MMO based on the classic Wizardry computer games. Wizardry Online retains the characteristic elements of the original Wizardry and merges them with modern MMORPG functions.

For additional details, check out SOE's E3 2012 announcement here. The company has also thrown open the doors to the Planetside 2 beta signup which can be accessed here. The beta hasn't actually started, but Sony will alert participants via email when the gates officially open for battle.

Kevin Parrish
27 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Wizardry Online will b a nice title to check out :D
    Reply
  • amuffin
    Guide to F2P

    Make game F2P.

    Make game ridiculously hard but still enjoyable.

    In order to win/do better at game, users need to pay money for better weapons/items.

    ???????

    Profit.
    Reply
  • 24oz
    Free to play = no play from me
    Reply
  • memadmax
    F2P = Fail2Play....
    Reply
  • AudieMurphy135
    Pretty obvious that the people above have never played a F2P game, very few are actually pay2win. Refusing to play a game just because it's F2P is extremely ignorant. Oh well, their loss!

    But anyways, I'm really looking forward to Planetside 2, and it's pretty obvious that it isn't going to be pay2win from what we've seen and heard about the cash shop. The fact that it's F2P is a pretty huge plus if you ask me.
    Reply
  • kcorp2003
    Planetside 2 is a good game.
    Reply
  • Marcus52
    I'd have an active Everquest 2 account right now if they hadn't mixed F2P players with subscription players. I was considering Vanguard - but they made that F2P too.

    As far as F2P being "pay to win" I think most of them are a lot more "pay to win" than the people who play them acknowledge, but the biggest issue I have is with the player base. There are more than enough loser mentalities in MMOGs these days without having to deal with "players" who think the game is actually free to play. SOE offers these games with no subscription fee because they make MORE money off of F2P players than subscription players. Paying for access to content and gear costs the average F2P account holder more than $15/mo.

    I don't have a problem with SOE offering F2P titles, or even making the games I like F2P and putting those players on their own server, as long as they don't pollute the subscription servers with F2P content. I won't play any MMOG that mixes the servers, or is F2P only. I'm not saying all the F2P games are bad, or are entirely bad, EQ2 was a very good game and likely still is. I'm just drawing the line at what I'm willing to put up with at "no F2P".

    But the whole industry has little to no standards in player base these days, so I'm drawing the line at a very low standard anyway, and maybe that's pointless. The best way to play is to gather together a group of like-minded players and put everyone else on "ignore" so you don't have to hear stupid anal jokes, bigoted language, and ignorant comments about politics, religion, sex, and business.
    Reply
  • nukemaster
    I full agree with the PAY TO WIN comment. F2P makes way MORE money because while the account is free they sell every little item for money. At the end of the day, I would rather just play on a level field(Pay to Play) then in a game when if you pay, you increase your chances to win(some games go as far as to "rent" in game items, so people pay again and again.).

    Some games just sell vanity(clothing and other "sick" looking items that do nothing) items. That is all fine, I don't honestly care about those as the do not effect the game balance.
    Reply
  • DRosencraft
    Wow... just wow... Companies make games, and people complain about the game not being good enough. They try to make a better game, people complain it costs too much. They make F2P, people complain there's not enough F2P. They make new F2P, people complain that F2P sucks and they should just make regular games. Can we at least wait until the games come out and we see what's in them before we pile on about how crappy free games are?
    Reply
  • Darkerson
    Looking forward to Vanguard, Wizardry Online, and Planetside 2. Just not enthusiastic about how they will be monetized, if EQ1 was an indication of how steep some of the prices will be.
    Reply