• PlanetSide 2's Update 8 Brings Harasser Buggy & More

    Details as well as screenshots and footage of the Harasser buggy have surfaced from Sony Online Entertainment for  MMOFPS PlanetSide 2. New helmets have been added as well, with their own pile of screenshots.

    Gallery: Harasser Buggy & Helmets

    VS MAX Protoss
    VS Max Action
    VS Protoss & Guns
    VS Protoss Front

    The speedy Harasser assault buggy is built for hit-and-run attacks with room for a dedicated driver, rumble seat which can hold any infantry class, and a top-mounted turret. The video above shows the armored vehicle in action!

    What else is making appearance in Update 8? Join us after the jump to find out.

  • The Best Way to Spend Your Station Cash in PlanetSide 2

    As you might have heard, players have the chance to pick up Station Cash cards at participating 7-Eleven retailers this weekend and redeem them for double Station Cash!

    These cards are available at US 7-Eleven stores and must be redeemed between 12:01AM PDT April 27, 2013 and 11:59PM PDT April 28, 2013 to be eligible for the bonus.

    Here are some ideas on how you can spend all of your extra Station Cash in PlanetSide 2!

    Boost Your XP Gain

    Boost Implants are like the gift that keeps on giving. If you're looking for more than just a quick fix, we definitely recommend spending some of your bonus SC this weekend on an Implant. If you've never bothered with them in the past, here's how they work: implants will boost the rate at which you earn experience or resources in PlanetSide 2.

    Depending on how much SC you want to spend, the implant lasts anywhere from 1 hour to 7 days.

  • Vostok Games Opens Up Survarium Alpha Registration

    Survarium is a game that we haven't been following on FPS General for a terribly long time, but one that is as exciting as anything else we're covering just the game. The game is being developed by the team who worked on the classic S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise that we loved playing and hate typing out.

    Vostok Games, the studio working on Survarium, has opened up registration for players interested in taking part in the alpha test phase. At this point, Vostok is looking to fill a specific need in testing, so while everyone is encouraged to enter, not everyone will be chosen for alpha.

    Here are some things you should know about the alpha phase:

    • Vostok Games is looking for a wide variety of testing candidates, so when you fill out the form honesty is the best policy. Whether you play casually or are a hardcore gamer with a $2,000 PC setup, it takes all kinds to make a game great so be up front about yourself.
    • Filling out the form does not guarantee you a spot in alpha test. If you are chosen, you will be notified via email.
    • Invites will be going out in waves, so if you aren't selected right away, don't despair - there's always next time!

    Check out the alpha registration page for more information on what to expect, and to fill out your registration form!

    If you're looking for more information on Survarium, itself, be sure to visit the Survarium Wiki at http://survarium.gamepedia.com.

  • The War Z Forums Hacked, Hammerpoint Taking Them Offline

    In the next line of the heart rending, soft-rock ballad that is The War Z, we learned this morning that the official forums for the game have been completely taken offline as a precaution due to malicious hackers gaining access to forum and game data.

    A quick visit to http://forums.playwarz.com/ can confirm that the entire forum has been taken offline, although this was done by the publisher as a safety precaution and not directly caused by an attack.

    We are sorry to report that we have discovered that hackers gained access to our forum and game databases and the player data in those databases. We have launched a thorough investigation covering our entire system to determine the scope of the intrusion. This investigation is ongoing and is our top priority. As part of the remediation and security enhancement process we will be taking the game and forums down temporarily.

    We are issuing this Security Alert to all Survivors as a precaution so you can take some precautionary measures on your own. We have already taken a number of steps to increase security and are continuing to work with external advisors and investigators to identify and implement measures to minimize the chance of this happening in the future.

    Clearly, the biggest concern here is financial information that players may have used to purchase the game through the website that hosts the forums. Thankfully, those payments were all handled by a third party and none of that information was compromised in this security breach.

    What you need to know is that the hackers now have access to your email address. While all passwords stored in the player database were encrypted, there is always the chance of this encryption being broken so you would be well advised to change your password - particularly if you use the same or similar password for other institutions. You can change your War Z password from the War Z launcher.

    Stay tuned to http://forums.playwarz.com/ as they continue to update players on the situation.

  • ForgeLight, Game Update 5 and Other Assorted PlanetSide 2 Notes

    Sony Online Entertainment's in-house game engine is known as ForgeLight and it's a powerful specimen. You might be unfamiliar with the game engine, but that's to be understood as PlanetSide 2 is currently the only game making use of it.

    ForgeLight will also be the powerhouse being the next EverQuest game, but as of right now it is exclusive to PlanetSide 2.

    Here to give us something of a tech demo are PlanetSide 2 Senior Art Director Tramell Ray Isaac and Technical Director Ryan Elam. This demo comes as part of the latest Behind the Battle Lines episode, a series in which PlanetSide 2 developers share behind-the-scenes insight on the game.

    In other PlanetSide 2 news, game update 5 has gone out and includes a couple worthy updates to PlanetSide 2, namely; rocket launchers and account wide unlocks. Basically, besides now being able to access Empire-specific rocket launchers, players can now use items purchased with Station Cash across all of the characters on their account.

    SOE will also be releasing a PlanetSide 2 Play App on iOS and Android devices that will give players the ability to stay connected to the game, even when they can't be fighting for their faction directly.

    Finally, this weekend will be Double XP and Double SC so make sure you get in on the bonuses and fire up PlanetSide 2 this weekend. 

  • Hey, PlanetSide 2 Looks Awesome With PhysX


    PlanetSide 2 has officially added in support for Nvidia's hardware-accelerated PhysX system and as is the way with these things, a comparison trailer has been released. If Comparing Games With and Without PhysX was a game, I would buy it and all of the DLC expansion packs for it in a heartbeat.

    It is almost a double edged blade in a way, because even mundane things like blowing up tanks looks so bland and unsatisfying when compared side by side with PhsyX enabled. It kind of looks like the game looks like pure crap without PhysX and, of course, this isn't true. PlanetSide 2 can more than stand on its own legs in terms of visual quality but the addition of PhsyX sure does look beautiful.

    Check out the trailer above and make sure to check out the Nvidia booth at PAX for some free PlanetSide 2 loot.

  • The War Z and What You Might Have Missed

    The end of 2012 was anything but kind to Hammerpoint Interactive and their zombie survival game The War Z. After a pretty dramatic few weeks, Hammerpoint was feeling the angst of the community in a fiasco that culminated in the removal of the game from Steam.

    It was at that point that we decided to take a calculated step backwards from covering The War Z. Well, it's been a few months now so we decided it's high time we take a look at what Hammerpoint has been doing in 2013 when it comes to The War Z and how the game is faring after all that negative press.

    The biggest news, perhaps, is the re-launching of The War Z on Steam. On February 26th, Hammerpoint re-released the game on Steam to very little fanfare. No major press releases went out and the forum announcement contained little more than a paragraph and a link to the games Steam page. Noticeably, the game had an updated information section that was more accurate to the content of the actual game than the original listing.

    It seems like the major focus these past months has been anti-cheat and dealing with hackers. The War Z became a place riddled with hackers, but this is not unique to the game. Anytime a game gets a decent following, you get a group of hackers that come out of the woodwork to do their level best to ruin the game for everyone else.

    There is a special circle in hell for these players. 

  • We're Excited for Survarium and So Can You!

    In 2011, GSC Game World didn't so much close as it dissolved. To this day, there has never been an official announcement that the studio has been shut down and yet most of the original development team has moved on to Vostok Games to work on Survarium. Sadly, with the downfall of GSC comes the downfall of the classic S.T.A.L.K.E.R. brand which, as much as we hate typing it out, is something of a cult classic in gaming circles.

    When Vostok was formed, they were unable to secure rights to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and decided instead to simply move on to a brand new, original IP. As sad as it was to see S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 put on indefinite hiatus, it was this decision that gave birth to Survarium. As the old saying goes, 'when God closes one door, He opens another to a post-pandemic, dystopian wasteland devastated by environmental catastrophe.'

    Or, you know, something like that.

    Survarium is an MMOFPS, a massively multiplayer first-person shooter, that puts players in the shoes of a survivor in the year 2026 (or so). The world has been ravaged by environmental disasters as mankind loses control of the world they created. New species have come into being and human beings are reaping the benefits of abusing the planet for so many long years.

    Like any good shooter, Survarium focuses on three core areas of gameplay; PvE, PvP and cooperative. PvE comes in the form of Free Play, where you are able to roam around the game world, carrying out tasks and struggling to survive in the harsh environment. It is in Free Play that the core storyline will unfold in Survarium and players will have to loot and forage if they want to survive for long.

  • PlanetSide 2 Game Update 04 Goes Live Today

    Big news for PlanetSide 2 fans out there as Game Update 04 goes live today, bringing some huge updates to the game!

    Perhaps the biggest feature included in today's update is the VR Training Area. Before you expend your resources on a weapon or vehicle that you've never actually used in battle, the VR Training Area will give you a chance to test these things out in a simulated combat environment. Not only can you test drive weapons and vehicles, but you can actually practice squad tactics and learn the mannerisms of different weapons without getting lit up on the actual battlefield.

    Other updates include a revamped respawn screen, some new weaponry, membership enhancements and some balancing changes as well. 

    The full changelog can be viewed in a post by Creative Director Matt Higby at http://forums.station.sony.com/.

  • Composing the Soundtrack in PlanetSide 2

    Sony Online Entertainment has released a brand new video for PlanetSide 2, taking players back to the beginning of the development cycle for a session with composer Jeff Broadbent, audio director Rodney Gates and producer Assaf Rinde. This is the first in SOE's 'Behind the Battle Lines' series, which will take players behind the scenes on various aspects of PlanetSide 2 development at SOE.

    We're suckers for video game music so it was fascinating to hear some insight into the writing process that went into the main theme for each faction. As Gates describes in the video below, each theme was crafted not only to be a great musical piece, but to reflect the culture of each faction. Composer Jeff Broadbent actually sat down with Rodney Gates to discuss PlanetSide 2 and get a proper feeling for the factions and what they represent. Using that conversation, he was able to compose the unique themes that we hear in the game every day.

    Check out the video below!

  • Firefall Gets Built-In Twitch Streaming Integration

    Red 5 Studios announced this morning that they have officially integrated Twitch.tv live-streaming into Firefall, removing the need for additional software. All you need to stream Firefall to your Twitch channel is included right in the game client.

    Speaking to Venture Beat, Red 5 Studios VP of Development James Macauley said:

    “We’re very excited to have Twitch broadcasting integrated into Firefall. By allowing players to stream from directly within the game, we’re expanding its online footprint and creating a whole new discovery mechanism.

    This, along with our revolutionary e-sports toolkit, provides our community with the technology they need to produce professional broadcasts of Firefall’s elite competitive gameplay."

    Twitch streaming is going live in a patch today so make sure you stay tuned to http://www.firefallthegame.com/ for more information!

    Source: Venture Beat

  • We're Livestreaming The PlanetSide 2 Ultimate Empire Showdown!

    Sony Online Entertainment has announced a really exciting PlanetSide 2 tournament, taking place later this week in Culver City, California. This is the first major PlanetSide 2 competition and SOE is pulling out all the stops to ensure that this is an event to remember. FPS General will be on hand at the event, and we're going to livestream the whole thing for you guys at http://www.own3d.tv/PlanetSide2. 

    The event sounds great and will feature three hand-picked teams to guarantee some amazing battles. Team captains will be on hand in the form of YouTube icons Total Biscuit, SeaNanners and Level Cap. These three captains will be joined by both members of the PlanetSide 2 community as well as Sony Online Entertainment developers to form some pretty intense and competitive teams. Only the most powerful faction will survive.

    In addition to the tournament, SOE has teased some exciting PlanetSide 2 announcements including information on their roadmap for the game throughout the next few months and some pretty interesting eSports initiatives. While we're down there, we'll be sure to do our best to grab some interviews with the team working on PlanetSide 2, so if you have any questions you'd like us to ask be sure to drop us a line in the comments below.

    We'll post an update on Friday with more information on when we will be streaming so make sure you like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.

  • SOE Teaming Up With MLG For eSports in PlanetSide 2

    Earlier this week, Sony Online Entertainment announced that they would have some exciting updates on PlanetSide 2 this week, teasing that they would have some eSports news and a content roadmap to share in the near future. Well, it looks like the near future is now and SOE has spilled the beans on both fronts. First, let's take a look at the eSports initiative.

    SOE is teaming up with Major League Gaming (MLG) to work side by side in implementing competitive gaming features and settings into PlanetSide 2. MLG understands how to create successful eSports leagues and what it will take for PlanetSide 2 to develop a long-lasting competitive scene, and they're bringing that experience to SOE who is committing the time and resources into turning PlanetSide 2 into a major eSports player.

    In addition to making PlanetSide 2 flourish in the competitive community, SOE and MLG will be creating original programming that will air on http://www.majorleaguegaming.com/. We're not sure what this programming entails just yet, but details and a programming schedule will be revealed in the near future.

    The second announcement today was the interactive Roadmap for PlanetSide 2 updates. Never before has a studio unveiled this level of transparency and community interaction in the development process of a game like this. Here's how it work: players can visit http://www.planetside2.com/roadmap to check out a 6-month projection of what is in store for PlanetSide 2 development. Every single stop on the roadmap includes a place where players can discuss these specific changes and share their feedback on how it can be implemented more smoothly.

    For example, this month SOE plans to introduce quite a few measures to protect players against spawn camping. One such addition will entail adding more windows and doors, so that you are more well concealed when you spawn. But maybe you think that SOE should not be affecting spawn camping? Simply hit the roadmap and let your thoughts be known.

    Don't forget, today is the Ultimate Empire Showdown and FPS General has boots on the ground in Los Angeles. Tune in later today as we live stream the entire event for your viewing pleasure!

  • Show Off Your Firefall Skills and Win Big From Red 5 Studios

    Red 5 Studios has announced an awesome competition for this weekend's upcoming Firefall beta weekend, giving players a chance to show off their skills on the battlefield for a chance to win one of two Firefall prize bundles, including a Razer 2013 Deathadder and Goliathus mousemat as well as Red 5 Studios and Firefall memorabilia, not the least of which is the brand new Brontondon plushies.

    The team will be doing three open beta stress tests for Firefall, but the Skillshot contest is just running this weekend. The competition starts alongside the upcoming beta weekend, on January 25th and through the 27th, giving players a chance to explore the riveting world of Firefall. The game takes place on Earth, two hundred years in the future.

    As mankind strives to harness the clean energy of Crystite, a horrific energy storm engulfs most of the planet, destroying much of the planet's life and resources. As the humans struggle to rebuild, a mysterious faction known as The Chosen emerges to destroy those who remain.

    Firefall is a free-to-play, massively multiplayer shooter but not in any way lacking the features of any other MMOFPS on the market. Players have access to customization, crafting, PvP, PvE and so much more in a massive, open environment. Plus, jetpacks.

    Okay, now back to those epic Firefall prize packs. Red 5 Studios is asking for video clips - 90 seconds or less - showing off your most impressive skillshots and other feats of prowess on the Firefall battlefield.

    A couple things to note: make sure that you do not use copyrighted music in your video and when you're all finished, publish it to YouTube and share it on the Firefall forums (or in response to this video on Red 5's YouTube channel, Stage 5 TV). The guys can't look at your video unless you follow these guidelines so stick to 'em!

    If you're no great shakes at producing videos, you can also capture a screenshot of one of your greatest exploits in Firefall for a chance to be featured on the official Firefall Facebook page.

    More information, and the full rules and requirements, can be found on the official site.

    Don't forget that the next Firefall beta weekend is running from January 25th through the 27th and Red 5 Studios will be livestreaming the action over on Twitch this Friday, January 25th at 12:00 PM (Pacific Time). YouTube icons Athene & Reese will be hosting the event, exploring the world of Firefall and racking up their own epic skillshots.

    Tune in and play this weekend!

  • Update: The War Z Removed From Steam

    Update: The War Z has since been removed from Steam due to complaints from the community that not all of the features being listed are available. We will keep you updated as we learn more! The original story is available below.

    Big news today from the Hammerpoint Interactive camp as The War Z foundation release has officially been made available on Steam! This is a step above beta testing and below final release, with a wealth of new features and tweaks.

    Hammerpoint Interactive's zombie MMO already sees more than 150,000 daily players, but the Steam release is sure to increase that number exponentially. The foundation release is available now and has been described by Hammerpoint as including:

    • Entirety of world map, all areas unlocked
    • Tweaked spawn points for loot and players
    • Clan support
    • Gold Coin shop
    • More zombies

    On releasing The War Z through Steam, Sergey Titov - Executive Producer at Hammerpoint - said:

    “The Steam platform gives us the ability to reach a huge audience of PC gamers and working with their team has been great. Now that we’ve reached the Foundation Release milestone we will continue to work, as promised, to add features and content that will satisfy our community and keep them playing.”

    Check out The War Z on Steam at http://store.steampowered.com/app/226700/, where it is currently available for $13.49 - 10% off the normal price of $14.99.

    For more information on The War Z, including complete guides on the game world, weapons, zombies, characters, loot and so much more, visit The War Z Wiki at http://www.warzwiki.com/.

  • Exclusive PlanetSide 2 Developer Q&A: Senior Designer, Jason Good

    We're proud to bring you a brand new interview this morning with Sony Online Entertainment's Jason Good, who is currently serving as Senior Designer and Project Manager on the awesome free-to-play shooter PlanetSide 2. Jason is responsible for both managing the team working on PlanetSide 2 as well as acting as senior designer on the game, although he tells us that his work definitely focuses more on the management aspect.

    This interview is the first in a series we will be releasing, in which we chat with folks working on PlanetSide 2 about various aspects of the game and the development process.

    You can read Jason's answers to our first PlanetSide 2 Developer Q&A below. Enjoy!

    Hey Jason, nice to speak with you today, so first off let's get you introduced to our readers. So, who are you and what do you do for SOE?

    My name is Jason Good, and I’m Senior Designer that is currently masquerading as a Project Manager for PlanetSide 2.

    If you don't mind, can you give us a little history of your work for SOE or PlanetSide 2 in general?

    I’ve worked at SOE for almost 10 years (yeesh, that’s a crazy statement to write). Many of those years I was with the Quality Assurance department, working on games like EverQuest, EverQuest II, Champions of Norrath and Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom. Around the time I had worked my way toward the management end of the spectrum in QA, the opportunity to move into development opened up, and I took it.

    Keep reading for from our discussion with Jason Good on all-things PlanetSide 2!

  • SOE Releases PlanetSide 2 Faction Trailers

    Sony Online Entertainment has released a few brand new trailer for their free to play shooter, PlanetSide 2. Each trailer is designed to showcase one of the three factions in the game; Vanu Sovereignty, Terran Republic and New Conglomerate.

    Whichever faction you support, this is your chance to show off a little faction pride! In case you're unfamiliar with the game, here is a little bit of lore behind each faction:

    Terran Republic – Like a militaristic government, the Terran Republic uses its Imperial authoritarian might to impel humanity to peaceful coexistence through any means necessary. 

    New Conglomerate – A loosely connected group of rebel factions and idealistic freedom fighters. They fight against the hegemony of the Terran Republic and the fanatical alien influence of the Vanu Sovereignty. 

    Vanu Sovereignty – A technocratic Empire that believes humanity can only evolve by rediscovering and tapping the lost technology of an ancient alien race.

    At the top of this post, you can check out the Vanu Sovereignty trailer and after the break, you'll find the Terran Republic and New Conglomerate trailers respectively.

    Show your pride by liking and adding your faction's trailer to your favorites on YouTube!

  • Improving Your Performance in The War Z: Lesson 1, Patience

    I've been re-learning some really good lessons lately while playing games, ways to do better; to suck less, to die less often, to have more fun. Stuff like that. Most recently, I rediscovered one really important thing in my previous play session of The War Z.

    Lesson One: Be patient.

    Take your time, scan your surroundings. Take it down a notch and play smart. When you don’t play patient you can easily put yourself in situations that aren't safe, and will most likely get you killed. You’ll see what I mean soon.

    I find myself running from building to building and only briefly looking out through binoculars from time to time. If you truly want to survive in the War Z, it’s smart to find yourself a nice vantage point; pay attention to where people might be coming from, read chat and sit tight for a little bit. People can spend abnormally long times in buildings picking up loot and rearranging their inventory.

    Taking this just a bit further, one way to get your heart pumping is to lie in wait. Stalk your prey and find the perfect opportunity to pounce. I used the Nord Military Base as my hunting ground, its a fairly popular location simply because it’s new and everyone knows military locations can drop some pretty nice loot. I got myself a nice vantage point but with only a shotgun I had to play it safe. I simply waited for some people to get close or I ignored them. No sense in running out in the open for a chance to dying.

    By playing patiently I got to set the terms for our engagement, and I chose to give them very little chance to retaliate.

    There had been some chatter long before I started the recording the last clip, I cut it out simply because it would have slowed the whole thing down and would have been less interesting. There were 4 or 5 in proximity chat trying to find each other, it seemed to be two groups who had spotted one another and were searching for the other. When I saw one of the guys lead with a hammer I figured it was my chance to act.

    Keep reading for a visual look on how you can learn to be more patient in The War Z, helping you ultimately take your game to the next level.

  • Former War Z Moderator Comes Clean: "Nothing in That Post Was True"

    We're not one for the drama here at FPS General, but when the integrity of a developer - one that we know to be passionate and dedicated to their game - is called into question, we feel it's only right to deliver the full story.

    A couple weeks back, a former War Z forum moderator took to the Internet to rage a little bit about Hammerpoint Interactive. Devin Hutchinson, alias DevinH, was recently relieved of duties on The War Z forums after his account was compromised by a malicious user. Hammerpoint allegedly made the decision to remove him from moderating after his account was breached and posts on the forum were deleted and tampered with.

    This didn't bode well with Devin.

    He took to 4Chan and Rhinocrunch.com to share his frustrations, and air what he claimed were some little-known truths about The War Z and Hammerpoint Interactive.

    "Everything I stated in that post was actually a lie."


    Among his allegations and statements, Devin revealed that Hammerpoint Interactive was going to halt production on The War Z completely if the game did not make them enough of a profit. If players didn't start investing in virtual currency and if new users didn't start buying the game, Hammerpoint was going to throw in the towel. You can imagine that this didn't sit well with players, some of whom have invested their hard-earned money into the game and hundreds of hours playing.

    The problem? All of Devin's statements were false.

    The former moderator has come out on YouTube today, completely refuting his former claims and revealing that everything he said was not true in any way, shape or form. "Everything that I stated in that post," he said. "Was actually a lie. Nothing in that post was factual or had any real backing to it. I made all of that up, and the reason being is that, at the time, I felt betrayed by the company."

    Devin goes on to say that he was simply seeking revenge on Hammerpoint for what he felt was a wrong done to him. He systematically was choosing things that would be feasible enough that the community wouldn't ask questions in the hopes that they would take him at his word. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened with many members of The War Z community.

    None the less, Devin has come clean now and we're glad that he has cleared the air on the matter. We firmly believe that games should be judged solely upon their merits as a game. Hearsay and drama in the community has no place in whether or not a game is worth your time, so make sure you visit places like http://www.warzwiki.com/ and our own War Z news hub to see what the game is all about for yourself.

    Remember stories like this before you take the word of strangers online.

  • Get Your Beta Key For Firefall Right Now, Play This Weekend

    FPS General and Curse are teaming up with Red 5 Studios to dish out beta keys for the upcoming Firefall beta weekend, which gets underway today. 

    Firefall is a great MMOFPS from Red 5 Studios that we've been playing in beta for a while. Unlike other games in the genre, Firefall features both in-depth PvP gameplay as well as a full, singleplayer or cooperative story.

    In Firefall:

    A starship disaster unleashes a titanic energy storm called the Melding. It envelopes the earth, wipes out most of the planet, and spawns hostile creatures who self-proclaim themselves the Chosen.

    Players must band together. Uniting in the form of armies, players will need to collect resources to craft weapons and vehicles to fight back the apocalyptic threat of the Chosen invasion. Special Nano-technology suits of armor called Battleframes enhance the human race in this future Earth and allow players to jumpjet across battlefields, wield a variety of exotic weapons of heavy destruction, and employ special abilities to reclaim the world.

    Red 5 has been working on the game for months, releasing steady content updates and bugfixes and we want you to check it out. The beta weekend is already going on on wraps up on December 2nd, so make sure you grab your beta key as soon as possible.

    The next beta weekend is going to start on December 7th and run through December 9th.

    Check out http://www.curse.com/betas/firefall-beta-key-giveaway to grab your beta key today! All you need is a Curse account, but you most likely already have one of those. And if not, well, they're free! Sign up today and grab your beta key.

    See you in New Eden!