John Smedley

August 2, 2012

IAmA John Smedley, 22 year game industry veteran, President of Sony Online Entertainment AMAA

I'm John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment. AMAA about the games industry, SOE, Planetside 2 (Ok.. catching some sleep so ending it now. thank you Reddit!) - be sure to check out /r/planetside - great community

Proof - https://twitter.com/j_smedley/status/231203746217086976

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Why can't i be in the beta/ tech tests right noooow :c

for people that have beta keys, what is the estimated date for getting into beta? and if I am currently subscribed to PS1 am I pretty much guarenteed on day 1?>

I've been unable to find the tweet for proof, but I remember seeing that if you got the free 30 days last month you are a vet.

And I predict the most asked question will be, "Can I have a beta key?"

On to my question... Maybe you've already stated this somewhere, but, are caves going to be in PS2? (Already in/Planning on it)

On a scale of 1-10, how sure are you about beta Monday?

And I don't mean the Smedley scale of 1-maybe, 1 being not at all and 10 being sure enough to stake your job on it.

When can we expect a PlanetSide 2 swag shop? I'm 110% sure that it'll make bank - plus I'm sure we all would spend money for dogtags and t-shirts :)

How long do you think it will take (if everything goes as planned) for everyone who has twitter/PC gamer keys to get in the beta?

Do you plan on working on bases in PS2 that outfits can deploy?

Outfit Bases sounds amazing. Are you also thinking of doing Outfit specific PVP with these bases? Say an outfit from another Faction could initiate a rivalry with your outfit, and then they could raid each others bases for points of some sort. And could possibly in turn limit that outfits resources. Will these bases give that outfit more resources?

Are you currently on track to start the beta on Friday or Monday?

Were you involved with any of the PS2 actual development and design?

Was Dave Georgeson involved in Planetside 2 as an advisor, etc.?

Im an aspiring game designer, im currently getting my associates in game design, whats the best way to get into the industry as a mechanical designer?

you're the president of a gaming company and you wouldn't even give your own son a job? should i be happy that you're making him work for success or disappointed in your cold heart?

Will beta really start on monday?

You seem to share a view with other Industry Veterans (GabeN, Blizzard, Notch) that Windows8 is not going to be a good thing for the PC Gaming World.

What are some of the specific reasons and what should M$ be doing to improve PC Gaming instead of seemingly actively trying to destroy it. Are we going to see Planetside 2 Linux at some point if M$ doesn't get their act together?

at Launch or later on for Mac?

Can you elaborate on why you share that view about Windows 8?

As a president of a company mainly dealing with MMOs, what is it like when you realise one of your products is starting to lose customers, and what steps do you take to try and rectify this?

What are good jobs in the games industry that doesn't require tons of math. Also any tips on getting started?

What would you recommend to a High school senior who is interested in the field, and did well in AP Calculus?

Is there anything against Computer Engineering as compared to Computer Science? Or are they pretty much the same as far as the Game Industry is concerned?

amateur level designer here, college path I'm taking will include enough programming to build an engine from scratch along with all the level/character/world design courses

Can i have a beta key for planetside 2 :P?

What would the recommended settings be for PS2? Also, how many players are you hoping to get online at one time, I mean maxed out not a rough idea.

For the people that dont have keys when can they play?

Just wanted to say thanks for being so great with the community! You guys are doing amazing and I was the guy who had drove 4 hours to play the game for 30 minutes at community day!

My question is if I had subscribed to PS1 about 10 days before you guys announced the free 30 days is that considered an active sub?

I am a 9 year vet and subbed again for Planetside Day before you guys announced the free month haha

What if I sub...right now? You can have my $15 if I get in beta on Monday.

Hmm, I could ask you about planetside 2 but that's too easy. How would you describe your progression from whatever beginnings you had to the point of becoming president of SOE?

How did you start out in the gaming industry? What made you think "This is what I want to do as a career".

As a 17 year old interested in this type of thing, is it hard to find your way? I'm not sure where to start once I leave school, what's a good path to follow?

First off, thank you for doing this AMA. Thank you for all the hard work you and the rest of the team have put into this game. I've been looking forward to Planetside 2 for a long while now and can't wait to get into beta. Anyway, my question for you is:

What is your most memorable moment working on Planetside 2? This could be anything, an interesting experience you had with other team members, a neat new game feature you watched develop over time or maybe something a fan did or submitted.

Will you (or anyone else at SOE) be doing this during beta or even after release?

What is the most exciting part about the entire game development process?

Interesting you should do an IAMA. You had to know 90% of the questions would be about Planetside 2 beta. But my question is this: What first got you into the games industry?

Early 80's= Radio Shack TRS-80 Color Computer (CoCo) Rainbow Magazine, had the same thing...lines of code. Hours of hard work typing in hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of lines of code for some pretty NOT amazing games. (Never did complete Dallas Quest)

EQ player since November 1999. Still Active

Edited to say: Only MMO ever played. When EQ turns out the lights like SWG, that will be the end for me. With a hectic life between work, returning to school, raising kids, EQ has been a great hobby the last 13 years and hopefully a few more. Thanks SoE

About how many people are registered for the beta? A guesstimate would even be nice.

is there any sort of schedule/idea on how long it will take before all beta key holders are in, and when people who registered get in?

I'm in Europe and already have a bunch of Station Cash sitting on my account ready for PlanetSide2. Europe players are now having to use Pro7, what happens to all our Station Cash? can we still use it for PlanetSide2?

does this mean european players who bought a bunch of "station cash" specifically for Planetside 2 are going to get screwed over?

actually canadian, just concerned about the Europeans especially after the recent station cash sale

IT is correct to refund people, but that PRo-something deal seems cumbersome and confusing. Why not let everyone use one system? What is the point of this?

Why are you such a liar?

So, the current ps1 subs/within last year subs is a pretty small pool right? So former subs will be invited pretty quickly then?

How soon will the Twitter keys be accepted in? Around two weeks or so?

Planetside 2 and EQ Next are what I understand to be your biggest projects currently. Any new IPs in development at SOE?

Are you mixing beta invites at all? What I mean by this, are you doing ONLY subscribed vets for the first waves, or are you peppering in some unsubscribed vets/keys?

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Hey! First of all PS1 was epic. The experiences I had in that game were the best experiences I've had in any game ever! I am hoping that PS2 will bring the same feelings I got to the new players that will join the game. Being one soldier among hundreds fighting a battle with lasers, rockets and vehicles flying around. Just epic. So thanks for the good times :D

My question is how far from completion is PS2? I saw you tweeted that the beta may come on Monday but just how far from a finished version are you guys? :D

Can you finally come clean about the decisions that were made regarding SWG? Mainly the CU and NGE?

EDIT: For everyone asking me to speak in a language you understand:

Star Wars Galaxies (SWG) went through 2 major revamps during it's life span. The Combat Upgrade (CU) which completely changed the way combat worked in the game and was met with negative reactions before and after it was released and ultimately led to a massive decline in subs. Most people who loved the game at that point quit.

Then they pushed the New Game Experience (NGE) that again changed the combat and by that time the servers became a ghost town.

SWG was a Massively Multiplayer Online game (MMO) unlike any other and many people were heart broken to see the game they loved be completely changed into something that they hated.

Any chance of a SWG pre-CU re-release?

With the benefit of hind-sight, what would you have done differently?

And bonus question, did you ever hear the Yivvits and Mr. Bubble SWG podcast impression of you?

Right, but what though? More class and customization possibilities or stricter adherence to "canon," etc?

What is your preferred whiskey. 'None' is not a valid answer.

Cheap stuff, huh?

Classy ;)

Haven't seen anything about it so, will the beta test starting monday still be under NDA? for those of us without beta keys who want to see it too.

How does SOE feel about SWGEmu?

Seaseme you guys have given nostalgia to alot of us old players. And for that, upvote

if I am currently subscribed to PS1 am I pretty much guarenteed on day 1?

How do you guys think about other games like Firefall or Defiance which are also coming on strong in the MMOFPS scene? Do you think that they're competition or do you think that they're catering to different audiences?

What's it like working for SOE? Do you guys have nice desk chairs?

Specs? I'd like to know how my fairly decent gaming PC matches up with your great business PC :P

What was your favorite game to work on\oversee?

Where do you keep the second key to the beta button? We know Higby has the first.

I'm really excited about planetside 2. Are you happy with how it's developing? Do you feel you guys are on schedule with the development of the game? thanks.

What is your favorite programming language? I saw you used to be a programmer at SOE.

Serious question.

Mr Smedley, Will we be able to pre-download the game via launcher pre beta launch and release launch? I have a decent connection speed, but with files over 10GB it will take a while on a 300kb/s download. Do you guys plan on allowing pre-downloads?

Will certifications be in Monday beta?

Can you make a 100% promises right here that i can later use later as incriminating evidence that you will NOT do anything to break PS2 like you have done to game in the past (BFR's for example)

What do you think about tie day friday?

How likely will there be new weapons / classes in expansions?

How will the beta work? Is it like GW2 where you can play 2-3 days. Or more like Blizzard betas, like where you can play as long as the beta is going on?

Are weather patterns going to be in the game?(Rain, Lightning , Fog, Snowstorms, Sandstorms, Some wierd plasma storm) Is there going to be any wildlife to play with(shoot)?

Tech Test/Beta expert here. Just thought i'd let you know for some reason i was left out for the invites? Must have been a technical error, did you want me to PM you my email so i can get the invite?

What are 1) your most frustrating and 2) most rewarding memories working on PS2 so far?

What do you think about the announcement SWTOR is going free-to-play? You're choosing for Planetside 2 to have a f2p model, do you think f2p is really the only way for an MMO to be successful these days?

Hi there, I'm currently studying Game Programming at university, Any tips for next year when I start looking for my first job?

How do you intend to deal with people with high pings? and what are the minimum specs for ps2 (right now and at launch)

Are you going to be working again this weekend? At the office all weekend?

Are you going to be working again this weekend? At the office all weekend?

What's your favorite type of Iguana and why?

Hey John, PS2 looks fantastic and really looking forward to it. How did you start in this industry and at SOE? Also, your thoughts on Universities starting new Masters courses in Games development? Do they serve any advantage during screening through cv's?

As President of SOE how much are you actually invovled in the developement of Planetside 2 ? When i hear president i think about a guy in a suite singing business documents or whatever, but you seem really invovled with the communty and replying to us on twitter regularly (appreciate it !!).

Do you think your work ethics are different to other people with your rank in the industry ? (not a native speaker so i hope my question is clear)

Heya! Thanks to you and your team for all the work you have put in on Planetside. If you can pass it along to the less public side of the team too please do. :)

Is there any chance we will see PS2 on linux in a hopefully not too far away future (like ~6months/year after release)?

Will we see the return of the Phantasm?

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Will people in the tech test still be in the first wave of beta invites?

All my outfit mates got into the Tech Test but not me. Why? I'm so lonely trying to take tore all by myself!

Can we expect the game to 100% go into beta monday? Delays are to be expected but we are all in the dark about what's going on behind the scenes so it's difficult when a delay is announced at the last minute lol

Can you do me a favor?

Keep Clegg around for a good time. He is a good dude.

By the way this game I am playing under a NDA is pretty good.

One question, I know current PS1 subs are getting in first. Are former subs who don't have active subs, but got the free month of play, in right behind current subs? Or are they grouped with the PCGamer/priority keys?

How do you feel about the rise of phone app gaming? Do you think it's very disruptive to your plans/profitability that a lot of popular games cost < 10% what a flagship PlayStation or PC game gets sold for?

Any way the beta will be available soon, because after the 20th, I won't have any time to game anymore. College is going to destroy that free time.

What lessons have you learned over the many years you've been in the industry that you've applied towards making Planetside 2 a success?

No question. Just wanted to say. Whoever decided to add Infantry Online (Harmless Games) is a hero. Spent years as a teenager playing it. Was generally one of the must entertaining games I've ever played.

Planetside 1 veteran here. I am/was Dizik from Ghosts of the Revolution from the Emerald server, and I have a few questions:

1. Although Planetside 1 still has a dedicated following, we all know that a lot of players left the game shortly following Aftershock's release. As I'm sure you know, not everybody was a fan of the addition of BFRs, turning Auraxis from several continents to planets, etc. This also happened to be around the same time that World of Warcraft launched. Would you consider a negative reaction to Aftershock, WoW's release, both, or something else altogether to be the main reason for the mass exodus?

2. Despite losing a large number of players, how do you explain the cult following that Planetside 1 has?

3. What are a some of the mistakes from the Planetside 1, as well as other SOE games, that you were able to learn from to make Planetside 2 the game that everybody is eagerly awaiting?

4. What are some of the things that you really wanted to be included with Planetside 2, but you know are never going to happen (i.e. something way to ambitious considering today's technology, etc.)

5. Finally, my current rig is going to struggle with Planetside 2. Help a brother out. ;)

Do you demand that everyone at soe call you Sir Mister President of Soe the Great John Smedley because you should also will my gtx 560 be able to run ps2 on ultra or high settings

2 7970's crossfired. If that can't run the game on ultra nothing will.

In 2009 there was a survey that was emailed to people about the possible development of Planetside 2. What were you able to take away from that survey, and did it have an impact on what is being done now?

In 2009 there was a survey that was emailed to people about the possible development of Planetside 2. What were you able to take away from that survey, and did it have an impact on what is being done now?

I like turtles, do you like turtles?

Do you regret hiring Abashi and having him do "customer support" on the original EQ forums?

I cut my MMORPG teeth ranting on the old EQ boards, and I couldn't stand Abashi when he came in.

Long time player of EQ here, was addicted for quite a long time.

Any news on EQnext? Is it on schedule? How are things coming along?

after hearing about PS2, getting a beta key and getting super excited, I bought PS1 and subbed. Been playing for over a month now.

With that said, do I qualify as one of those who will get in because of being subbed? I won't be mad, I'm having fun playing PS1 till I get in. Hope the game is going well, and I'm super excited to play!

I've not played the game, yet, but it seems there's a lack of landing/repair pads for aircraft. There are 'air towers' but those seem to be spawn pads, which would cause issues when people land there. Plus there does not appear to be a way to get back to the pad if you jump off (if you, say want to land at a tower, switch your loadout, or fight off an intruder, then fly away). I'd feel kinda dirty having to land on the floor.

Is this because I've just not seen the game or is this actually the case?

What faction would you recommend for players with higher latency (eg. Aussies)?

Any chance we might get a Logitech Gamepanel applet for PS2? It looks like I won't be needing 3rd party VOIP, so that frees up my G510's LCD to display PS2 goodness.

Can I have 500 doughnuts from Krispy Kreme? You are just too awesome to have done this to penny arcade. What's your favourite game of all time, if you can't come up with that what's your favourite game currently?

How long 'till priority keys get in, after the closed beta starts on Monday?

What PS Faction does the majority of the dev team prefer?

If I were to buy PS1 and sub to it would I get into the beta on monday? even though I already have a PC gamer keys since about 2 months ago?

How many PS1 veteran subs are currently active? Wondering how many you have to invite for the first waves of beta.

No question. Just wanted to say that despite it's flaws, I really enjoyed my time playing Star Wars Galaxies. I've yet to see an MMO or multiplayer-heavy game foster the kind of community that game did. Thanks.

No question. Just wanted to say that despite it's flaws, I really enjoyed my time playing Star Wars Galaxies. I've yet to see an MMO or multiplayer-heavy game foster the kind of community that game did. Thanks.

How soon can we expect to see my most <3 thresher make an appearance hovering across the battlefield at 90kmh? Also will I be able to deploy sneaky minefields as an infiltrator like you could in PS1 with combat engineering+stealth wraith loaded with full ACE's in the trunk? Not gonna lie but I would be pretty upset if I won't be able to run behind enemy lines and fully mine a bridge or canyon to cause some vehicle mayhem :D Thanks in advance

Have you considered making a steam-workshop-like feature where the community can model and submit cosmetic items for the developers to review and add to the cash shop?

Less work for the devs, more items in the shop, lots of money made/saved.

how large of a risk is it that the servers will just shit themselves once you go into open beta or release?

and the thing on monday will everyone be able to get in?

EQ: Next - When will we see it and why isn't it right now?

Give the PS2 dev-team a hard-earned vacation ... sooon!

Are you skipping the usual friends and family beta and just grouping it with current vets (when beta starts on Monday)?

Can you teach me your ways and then hire me...please.

Hi Mr. Smedley. First of all, wanna say I love how much interaction you have with the community along with the dev team for PS2, certainly something we don't see much in this day and age.

As for my questions, just a couple.

1. Can you go into any more detail about how the PS2 servers function? I may be misremembering but I seem to remember something saying that people connecting to servers that are technically further away shouldn't have completely massive pings like they would in other games. If I'm wrong then ignore : ).

2. I've been curious about the population cap. So is it simply 666 of your faction on a continent and that's it or is it based on 2000 max with a mixture of any? Also, will there be anything in place for outfits to get on the same continent when player counts are high?

Might have more questions later but that's all I can think of at the moment : /.

Have you guys considered adding a feature whereby the color/look of your character changes the higher in BR you get, or the more certs you have, kind of like PS1?

How will people getting acces to the game? ps1 vets ---->twitter keys----->sing up keys or?

And 1 more question. How long will it take to others with keys to join the game after vets get access to it

What's the status of Sony's trademark on 'Soon'?

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On the subject of people wishing to create Planetside 2 content: when are you looking to do away with the NDA, some time during the beta, or at release like the registration email suggests?

It seems particularly counter-intuitive to carry an NDA to the final stages of a beta that anyone can sign up for and get in to. Not to mention that fans themselves can more than help drum up excitement and advertise the game's release with their content.

So John, did you get involved in the Payday/Left 4 Dead crossover deal, or did the boys bring that to you to approve after they'd already gotten started with it?

What are your thoughts the future of the PC/MMO industry, given the swift decline of SWTOR?

is there any word on how Australian's have handled playing on the us servers? just interested I think a lot of Australian's would like to know :) Thanks in advance :)

Do you know if Elder Scrolls Online is going to be supported by the PS3, or is it a secret?

So, when are we going to have a sequel to Tanarus?

Any plans to provide an API for third party applications to hit, similar to EVE Online?

I still miss the gratuitous spell effects from early EQ1. They made me feel powerful, even at a lower level. I loved playing with the third-person camera and watching the effects go off.

Can medics get giant, insane, and impractical EQ1-style sparkle effects for revives and healing in PS2? I'd pay a stupid amount for that.

Will there be locks on team vehicles preventing a random player from taking your vehicle? (if they are certified to use it)

Is the server code for SWG Pre-CU and Pre-NGE really gone or was that just the line to get people to stop asking about it?

What is one piece of advice you could give everyone here, regarding anything.

When if do you hire college students for internships (Looking into something in the industry)

Did TSR Tim ever become the president of SOE? You should at least give him an extra ham in his christmas stockings.

So Blackbird...true or false: Tanarus just wouldn't die.

Do you ever think MMOs will return to their UO/EQ/AC style roots of heavy exploration and emergent gameplay rather than the Skinner Box style gameplay the genre has moved towards?

Will it be against the NDA to talk about my super secret special club next week? (The no beta invite club, TNBIC™)

This isn't really a question but I would like to thank you and all of SOE for bringing a sequel to my favorite game ever and one I still play even today.

Have you given any thoughts about space/naval combat? Is it part of your 3-year plan that you guys are employing?

I definitely want to see naval combat, and beach landings and everything. There are going to be some people arguing "community splitting" just because players in naval ships aren't holding a rifle, but fortunately I think you can see past that objection.

What games do you see as being PS2's competition?

How long do you plan for the beta phase to last? And is there going to be an open beta?

A lot of the mmos in the industry have copied everquest and I feel that the only big change to MMOs in the past 15 years was when SOE upgraded the Ultima Online generation of MMO to the EverQuest generation. Infact it didn't seem like the current generation of games got most of the Ultima Online feature set till EQ2/Vanguard (housing, boats, guild halls etc)

But aside from features where do you see things going next for a truly new generation of MMO? VR (Oculus Rift)? User generated content? (minecraft)? I'd be interested to hear your visions and prophecies!

Any plans to perhaps open an office in Florida? EA is here, but they it's their sports division, yech :P

Out of curiosity, what were the numbers for SWG subscriptions like right after the NGE and/or around the time when it was shut down? I realize that the numbers were dropping even before the NGE.

And while the NGE was bad, messups happen and if you admit the messups then that's great.

Welcome to reddit John

It seems that it is a rarity that people in your position in the gaming industry are so active in communicating with their fan/user base. I remember distinctly that you would be in the Everquest chatroom when there were service outages or just to chat with your customers.

Why do you think this level of communication is such a rarity? What sort of benefits have you found from being so close and open with your audience? Has it bit you in the ass ever or has it mostly been positive experience?

A skunk just sprayed somewhere near my house. I have no air conditioning so I can't close my windows. It's also 90 degrees outside. How do I sleep comfortably without letting the skunk stench waft inside?

When you said people with active ps1 accounts, does that include accounts that would deactivate with a subscription after the free month period ends (in terms of getting into the beta Monday)

What chance do those that obtained codes through the April PC Gamer have of getting in on Monday (if it starts then)?

Any thoughts on being able to holster weapons? For immersion/videos, etc when you're chilling at home base?

Hello, Marketer here!

Basically I am looking to get into the business side of the game industry. I feel I have an advantage having a business degree, experience in marketing B2B software, and being a passionate gamer.

Do you feel there is a disconnect between the overall business/marketing strategies and the design side of gaming? The perception of the larger companies (EA, Activision... etc) with the online, vocal minority seems to think this. I am interested in an internal opinion on the matter.

Assuming SOE could get the rights and jump through all the hoops and such, would you guys ever consider doing a redo of SWG? Maybe call it SWG2 or something?

For me at least, and I think a lot of people, SWTOR has been a bit of a let down. It just doesn't have that feel of true sandbox RPG that Galaxies had.

I for one would gladly buy into it.

What about honest to god space combat in PS2 and not the indirect fly-like-RTS combat of EVE? You're not going to let that slip through your/our fingers are you?

Also, what about EQ Next?

Just 10 questions for you

1: How's your day been?

2: How do you feel about the fact that when PS2 gets popular, there will be an inordinate amount of people complaining because they expected too much?

3: How long has PS2 been in development/concept?

4: Are they dragging "How I Met Your Mother" on a bit now?

5: Do you think the opposition is under-represented in the Czech Republic's Parliament?

6: Jeff and Annie; will they or won't they?

7: Do you think PS2 will have the most success out of all of SOE's games?

8: How much time do you get to play? And which games do you like playing?

9: Steak; rare, medium or ruined?

10: If a train was on the tracks to run over 5 people, would you intentionally change its course to run over 4 people instead?

what describes a PS1 vet ? people who bought the game BEFORE you gave out the free month ? people with active subs before you handled out the free month (INCLUDING freshly bought ps1 players?)

will people with current ps1 subs be in on monday ? (including people who bought the game 7 days before u gave out the free month to old players?)

Since you're making a free-to-play game, how do you feel about popular free-to-play games right now, both MMOs and competitive multiplayer? Do you feel like free-to-play is where all multiplayer-only experiences are headed, in one way or another? Does it bother you that these free-to-play games require a server connection and will therefore die one day with no way to dust off an old copy of League of Legends, for instance, and be able to play with a bunch of friends long after it's had its run? I personally like that most of these multiplayer games are moving to free-to-play, but I have to admit there are problems with both preservation and the way the creators are monetizing them.

I only ever played the PS1 trial, and somehow got the free 45-day sub that was given out after what I believe was a hacking incident. It's still active on my account until the ninth because I only bothered to look at my SOE account when Planetside Day got announced and PS2 news was picking up.

Am I right if I say that I won't have "active sub" priority with this, but will if I buy a month now? That's what it seems like based on your response to another guy about getting in day one.

Will you be wiping characters before beta? Will you be wiping characters after beta?

I've been voice acting for about 9 months as a hobby and last weekend a couple of my voiceovers exploded in popularity on YouTube, leading me to decide I'm going to make a serious run at paid work. What I'd really, really like to do is voice act in video games. I love games, I love characterizations, this is what I want to do. How can I get to a point where I'm auditioning for roles like people do for you and your colleagues? I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to angling for game work and anything you can tell me would be met with huge appreciation...

Many thanks for doing this AMA - I really believe this forum is a great way for people to talk to professionals when otherwise they never would.

What's the beta key hierachy? It'd be nice to a definitive answer on this, including if there's a difference between PC Gamer/Twitter/Event keys. Sorry if this was already asked.

Will the people who are currently participating in the technical test be allowed into the beta on the day it starts?

When can we expect to see a creative use of the LucasArts license? Star Wars + Planetside = It Prints Money

Can I get a definite answer on this: PCGamer keys > Twitter keys or PCGamer keys == Twitter keys?

Thanks for doing this!

Do you think SOE will ever venture into a sandbox style MMO? Personally my favorite gaming memories we getting a group of friends and just doing whatever we felt (I know this is somewhat achieved in PS2).

Can we buy weapon sound packs in the PS2 item shop? I'd like to customize the PEW PEW PEW of my VS weaponry for real $$$$$.

Really pumped that you have also played EvE Online. Has experiencing other mmo's especially those focused on massive scale helped? Any plans to run a single shard/server like EvE?

Does faction bias play into development? (ex. a 3d modeller on the PS2 team who loves Vanu makes cooler art for Vanu infantry)

Can we talk to Kevin Butler instead please?

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Say hello to the people in your usabilty lab for me, they're great people (though they won't know who this is).

Question: If you could have any semi-super power (Mystery Men not Marvel), what would it be?

BRING BACK ONLINE JEOPARDY, ASSHOLE. That is all...

So, as we get closer and closer to the Beta and eventual release, has there ever been a time where you thought to yourself "I wish I had a different group of ravening fans"? Also, have you ever looked back at this entire thing and either thought you could have communicated differently or wished you hadn't said anything?

Thanks for the AMA!!!

I just wanted to say that until it was ruined, SWG was the best game I have ever played next to a couple of others. The best MMO by far.

How important is industry experience when considering a new IP/game design document? I'm assuming very, but you know what they say about assumptions.

Don't want to be selfish but follow up: in your experience how hard is it to get the necessary support for new IP's?

When can we have a PS4? I'm sick of my PC outperforming a much more fun gaming system. I hate keyboard and mouse, and small screens.

You said you play League. Who's your favorite champ?

Oh Sony online entertainment, you guys are the ones that ruined one of the greatest games ever made. Star Wars Galaxies thanks for that not only did you save me from wasting the last 6 years of my life you also robbed me of one of my favorite things I've ever done. You people are also the reason I will never own a Playstation and its not because your products are inferior its simply out of principle.

I wanted to thank you for the years of enjoyment that my dad and I got out of Tanarus. We started playing when I was 12 right after the name was changed from Armorgeddon and I played it through college.

I also enjoyed Planetside 1 and am looking forward to the PS2 beta. What are your goals with PS2? Are you just releasing another MMO or are your ambitions larger?

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I know you have said in previous answers that all twitter key holders will get in most likely in 2-3 weeks, if everything goes well. However, do you know when about they will START being let in? Would it possibly be within the week after beta releases on Monday? Could you give a rough estimate? Thanks!

Can you guys make more classic games for online purchase. Please?

Talk to whoever you need to talk to in order to get Battle Toads. Please.

Is there ever going to be a solution to the Voice Over issue of most games? Generally the initial game and sometimes first expansion has voice overs for the game giving you a great immersive experience but then later on (no doubt due to players chewing through content and the cost) the npcs start to drop to text only narrative

Will there ever be a way around this? Perhaps community voice over packs or something?

No questions here. But I want to say thank you for EverQuest. When it came out, it was one of the few ways for me to keep in touch with my brother who lived across the country at the time. My childhood was forever changed positively as soon as we found EQ. With that, I'm really looking forward to EverQuest Next.

I played PS1 since beta and thought it was an epic game way ahead of its time. Why do you think it never really took off as a major FPS? What lessons do you think you learned and will apply towards PS2?

is it certain that everyone who registed will get in beta?

I was going to ask why gaming as a whole has disappointed me for the past ten years or so when it struck me: commercial/pop gaming is almost analogous to commercial/pop music. It's for the masses and is designed to appeal to the largest audience rather than someone who is passionate about gaming. Do you find that to be true and do you find yourself yourself being more impressed by indie games than by big-budget studio games?

i hope my question will be answered :)

i bought planetside roughly 1 week before you gave out the free subscription to old players, and i have an current active subscription since then, the 30 free days that came with the game and i paid a 1 month sub on the same day the 30 free days were to run out. so im subbed till next month 22., do i have a chance to get in on monday?

Hmm, thought of another couple questions:

1. Are you guys being super careful to balance out the cash shop in PS2? Now, I know these seems like it should be obvious but I would hate to see this game take a turn like Tribes:Ascend did. They didn't test the content thoroughly and had to make knee-jerk patches to try and fix new weapons that were much too powerful.

2. Along the same line, how are you planning to work in buying things for resources compared to buying for cash (mostly talking about weapons here). Since they are supposedly available for both currencies then are you going to make the weapons incredibly expensive like Hi-Rez does or are you going to try and strike a nice balance? This is probably one of my biggest worries because many times (in Tribes: Ascend most definitely) I feel like I can't play properly unless I buy something for cash because you don't anywhere near enough XP to buy things. Will it be reasonable to expect someone who uses only resources to buy a weapon whenever they feel they need or will they see themselves having to save up through months of gameplay?

so the people with keys will get in on the first 2-3 weeks. what about the people who signed up for keys on the website but don't actually have them yet?

how do you feel about the swgemu project?

When are you going to follow me on twitter?

@arclegger. I'm somewhere in between @kanyewest and @Higbys_beard

Do you have a Twitter I can follow?

if i subscribe/buy PS1 now do i get day 1 PS2 beta access?

Why are your products so hard to uninstall?

Would you rather fight a 100 duck sized horses, or 1 horse sized duck?

Will there be a way of transferring my station cash to my Pro7 account?

In your opinion, what will it take for MMO's to be successful on consoles?

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I swear to you on everything that is my lowly life, my last name is Smedley. Are you long lost family? I must know.

Our family tree doesn't exactly present itself that easy.

I'm proud to know that a Smedley has made it in life.

There is a small town just about a mile northwest of me in Southern Indiana named after a family of Smedley's. It is rough. Everyone forgets that last 'e'. And judging from the initial slide on that site, I would fit in his clothes either.

Why was remote play advertised for Vita, demonstrated that is 100% capable, and then crippled when the Vita was released?

What do you think of the recent rise of the MOBA genre and the free to play market?

Also do you think the MMO genre will be making a leap to the console and handheld market anytime soon?

If I have a 45-day non-recurring subscription of free playtime, and were to subscribe today on my veteran PS1 account as well, would my account be activated as an actively-subscribed-veteran and get in the first wave(s) of the beta, or would it not go through until mid-August, and not be eligible for the first wave(s)? If not, would a new account that subscribes today be considered an actively-subscribed-veteran?

Do you ever get irritated by the whole playstation(psp/ps2/ps3) hacking scene, with all the custom firmwares and piracy?

I'm a business analyst for an MMO. Nerd out with me for a moment: what are the biggest metrics you plan to have your eyes glued to during this beta? How will you know it's a hit and not hype?

As an honest question, why is the PS3 better than a X-Box 360?

Where do you think the game industry is going? Do you think the standard concept of handheld controller is here to stay?

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How many servers will there be on PS2 Launch? Also do you know the number of 'active' subscribers to Planetside? Can't wait till Monday!

Best email to contact support for my SOE username? ^{_^} Tried resetting password, prompted to security question, and none of my answers are working :(

Is it possible for a light assault to jetpack vertically and stick C4 onto an aircraft? If so, that will be my specialization.

Is TrackIR support planned at all? How polished is Joystick support, especially supporting more than one stick, for people with things like rudder pedals.

I bought and played PS1 on release with my friends, but sadly lost interest after a few months. When I saw the email about PS2 beta, let me tell you, I spent 4 weeks going back and forth with support trying to get access to my old account (that sat unused for nigh on 8 years) to be able to register for the beta.

But finally yesterday we got it settled and I was finally allowed back on. Now to hope I get in. Put in a good word for me! I am old'ish after all.

Expansion for space combat? Capturable guild owned capital ships/orbital bases?

Hey, Smed! Whenever I see your name, "Everquest" immediately flashes into my mind (I'm an old fart,was in beta.) What a long, strange trip it's been, eh?

If I am a PS2 Veteran but, used a twitter key on my account, will I still get in when all the other vets do or will I have to wait for the other keys spot in line?

Did I shoot myself in the foot?

Why did Sony persecute Geohot when he jailbroke the PS3? When the Kinect was hacked Microsoft embraced it and the product became the best selling electronic product launch in history.

Edit: I'm the dumb. :(

What prompted SOE to take over Monolith Production's "The Matrix Online" and drastically downsize assets associated with it? Was this mutual? More Monolith's plan? More SOE's plan? As a player from launch date with Monolith Productions to its demise with Sony Online Entertainment, I am greatly interested in the decision-making process associated with that game.

What do you think the biggest innovation in the MMO market has been? In the game industry?

Is PS2 going to have quality support for ATI Eyefinity and Nvidia 2D surround? Allowing the large aspect ratio is not good enough. In most games HUD elements and menus get incredibly distorted, sometimes making the game unplayable. Additionally, a single viewpoint camera does a terrible job of rendering objects on the edges of the display.

HUDs and menus should be properly scaled. There should be a spherical camera or 3 separate cameras rendering the seen. Are their any plans for this?

Everquest franchise... Seemed like a lock, loyal fanbase, original ideas...how'd that get ruined?

Despite my many dashed hopes, I am still, on some level, anticipating EQ:Next. Original EQ was bar none, by far, the most fun I ever had in an MMO. Luclin, and especially PoP, made me unbelievably frustrated, and ended my EQ days. So we went to SW:G, which was pretty darn awesome in its' heyday. Then SOE did it to me again. I still tried EQ2, regretted it quickly.

Please, please, please do not make EQ Next a WoW clone, point and click, crap game. I know this isn't a question, and I am bashing you a little, but your company has created my two favorite examples of online gaming. Please do this right. I have faith in you!

just purchased the original Planetside, downloading now :), thought I might as well get a little Planetside experience before PS2 :)

I'm surprised i haven't seen this, but what is your favorite game of all time, then what is your favorite playstation exclusive?

Do you know your employees secretly refer to you as the "death star"?

it may just be a QA thing :)

How do you feel about DC Universe Online? What do you think went wrong?

Well, the fact that the game went from $50 to free to play after population numbers and server numbers decreased quite a lot definitely says something went wrong.

Have you played DayZ?

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PLEASE BRING BACK BACKWARDS COMPATIBILTY PLESE I BEG OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

fuck you kindly.

do you ever plan on making another eqoa? that was my favorite mmo of all time.

is there any release date for everquest next yet, and are the rumors that it will be multi platform pc/ps3 true?

I've heard people say that a second expack was 90% done for eqoa but was cancelled, is that true?

been a big fan of soe since i was like 9, thanks for all the fun games

A lot of questions so you can answer as many or few as you want.

1. I am a possibly aspiring programmer. Is the games industry in need of programmers?

2. What are the most needed jobs in the industry? Hardest?

3. What do you think separates SOE from other companies?

4. What is the work environment like at SOE? Stressful? Do you enjoy your job?

5. What consoles do you own, if any?

6. Favorite game of all time?

7. What features are you most excited about in Planetside 2?

8. What game are you looking forward to the most that doesn't involve SOE?

9. Can you tell what an average day in the life of you entails?

10. Thank you for all your hard work for everything. As a gamer, I really appreciate people like you who spend time with their community. I think that is what makes a company successful and consumers happy. Thanks for all that your doing!

Being a PS1 vet, with an active subscription, would a beta key have been emailed to me?

Also, regardless of how it ended, SWG was my favorite MMO, great work.

When SOE officially acquired IP and rights of Everquest from Verant and Brad McQuaid, how much of the lore had already been written?

It seems that once Verant finally left EQ (shortly post Planes of Power expansion), that SOE really began to run in different directions with the story.

Did SOE have to hire new writers to fill the void left by Brad McQuaid? I know that much of the game's depth was often attributed to "The Vision".

I had no idea there was another EQ in the works. Lost nearly a decade to the original and finally got the balls to delete the game from my system just a few weeks ago. I still blame Verant

Long live Fansy THE FAMOUS BARD!

Not really a question but I had to say it.

RootKits. That was the bane of my existence when I was ripping my cd's for a digital collection. What up wit dat?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal

I don't mean it as an angry post, more as a contextual one. I dig your style and your honesty.

Whatever happened to SOE Denver? I was in college, and it was one of the few places I saw internships posted, then it up and vanished.

I miss the old star wars galaxies before the updates. It was before the combat upgrade. Could you bring it back for me to provide me some nostalgic memories?

I'd really like to do a Planetside 2 live stream during the beta. Is that going to be possible or will there be an NDA against it? Is it possible to get special permission to do some Planetside 2 streaming or video content?

I sent an email to one of the SOE PR reps about this but never heard back.

Thanks.

Never expected to see this; SWG hate and all. you don't seem to be the person who'd make those decisions that really fucked it up for a couple million folks.

If I were to purchase the original Planetside tonight, could that have any influence on me getting into the beta sooner? I might just do it either way, but I'm still curious.

First i didn't know the answer and second they are always pushing away the date that they said.

I grew up with the SoE games, pretty much every single one of them. I'm a college student going into computer science/programming. How do I intern with you guys next summer?

Mr. Smedley, if you'd indulge me for a slightly long post:

I just wanted to thank you for giving Planetside the second chance it needed. I played EQ1 from 1999 to 2006ish, as well as Planetside 1 for...well my account has a six year ribbon on it. I was a proud member of Keepers of Johari for those entire six years and I can't tell you how much of the stuff that appears to be in PS2 was talked about over our Teamspeak at great length. To say I'm excited would be a vast understatement.

The only question I have at the moment would be that since PS2 will be a no-subscription game, I'm assuming like most games there will be a premium account type payment plan that will offer additional benefits. If that is the case, will the SOE All Access Pass apply to this plan?

Thank you again for sticking with Planetside. I've played every major released SOE MMO to date...I've been there for all the ups and downs, and if PS2 is half as good as I think it's going to be, I really think SOE is going to change some minds and turn some heads. And if EQ Next has the same kind of passion and innovation that PS2 has, then I'll wait patiently for the return of my first MMO love.

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Hey John,

thanks for entertaining me for 11 years starting with EverQuest.

I'm currently subscribed to the all access pass and I've been a PS1 vet since 2003. Does the all access pass count for being subbed when the beta rolls around?

Thanks!

Thank you for the AMA John, I've always been a big fan. Your hands-on community oriented approach to the MMO world has always been admirable.

My question: With the success of the EverQuest guide program, why has it not been continued in recent SOE MMO releases? It utilized free, talented workers who had a true in-depth knowledge of game mechanics and appreciation of the game. That, and it dramatically reduced the time it took to receive first line customer service support.

Thanks in advance for answering!

I'm hoping to be an indie game developer one of these days, what perspective technologies or trends would you recommend that I read up on or experiment with in order to be ahead of the curve?

Why did you fuck up Planetside 1, and how do you plan to fuck up Planetside 2?

I don't know ANY of the acronyms..

Can you give us any info on Bungie's new game? In progress? ETA?

when are we going to get to see some of the other continents? As far as I know we've basically only seen Indar so far

I'm an employed, salaried programmer, 21 and still in school. I'm confident in my knowledge (I picked up a new language enough to comfortably use it in a few days) but I obviously still have things to learn. Though, having this job, gave me a rather strong integration to using Databases and a bit of administration (and even IT stuff..)

To get in the gaming industry, what do you think I should try to focus on from here? I assume database knowledge is becoming more important as more games have heftier online requirements (and an obvious need to be efficient). They also assigned me to reporting and told me it's an extremely important position. What might differ between what I do there (mostly numbers, revenue, performance, etc) and in the gaming industry?

Sorry, I should have formatted a bit better, but this is one of the neater AMAAs I've come across. I've worked hard since I was about 13 to get where I am, and I'm willing to work harder to get where I truly want to be.

The decision to charge a monthly fee for the online game called Infantry by SOE was one of the worst things that happened in my childhood of gaming. You had such a burgeoning community of over 30,000+. After SOE decided to charge a monthly fee, it went down the drain and was never the same.

Why did SOE decide to do that? I really loved that game.

Hi John, signed up just to say that I would never, ever give money to SOE ever again for what was done with SWG.

I'll boycott your company as long as I'm a gamer, and encourage others to do so as well.

Where do you see PS2 in 5 years?

Why isn't there 1S1K melee in PS2? NC get a 1S1K sniper, but a cloaker that does work getting in the right spot can't backstab a guy?

How can a CS grad get hired? What skills would be looked for? I did see a hiring position for a scaleform developer....

With Sony's declining status in the worlds markets, how protected is SOE(And PS2) from being taken down with it?

How do you feel about Brad McQuaid being invited back to work on VanGuard?

What happened with the spy vs spy game?

As a computer science masters student and someone who is interested in the field (and a PS1 CR 5 veteran), how would you say your company stacks up with some of the others in terms of atmosphere and quality of life?

Many of the exit reviews at Glassdoor (http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Sony-Online-Entertainment-Reviews-E21279.htm) are quite negative and certainly turn off my colleagues and I from considering SOE - would you give a response to the primary complaint of nepotism within company culture?

How come Sony games don't have that PS1 startup intro they used to have?

Are the UI going to be as customizable on PS2 as you guys claim? From the gameplays I seen, the UI looks relatively the same in different videos.

Not to turn the attention to other MMO groups (hence no names being dropped), but with some people planning to do real time cross platform connectivity between two different games, has this changed long range plans to move into the console market? Or even just between two different styles of games that can persist in the same universe?

Also, as a long term EQ/EQ2 player, can you share any hints on EQ Next?

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As a long time EverQuest player, I'd like to know a couple things:

The last time I recall seeing adverts for EQ were during the first Living Legacy. Why was there no advertising for EQ for so long before that, and why has there been none (That I have seen) since?

What is the general plan for EQ Next?

Can I have a Breezeboots Frigid Gnasher?

Murloc on itemization wtf?

How do you feel about Project SWG? Would you guys have it shut down if it gets up and running?

Question regarding EQ next..

Any plans to reduce some of the 'hand holding' endemic in MMOs today and go back to the EQ1 roots? I loved the world of that game, how you could [theoretically] kill everything, or go everywhere. Quests weren't handed out by the dozen, nor was there an arrow pointing you to the quest objective, nor a minimap pinpointing your location so you never got lost. You had to explore for the sake of exploring, and learn the landscape like you'd learn the area you live in. And I especially loved how the classes weren't watered down copies of each other. Each class had some unique and powerful abilities. I won't miss hell levels though.

Basically what I'm wondering is will the game be a sandbox or a theme park.

PS: Grats to you and the team on PS2. I am very much looking forward to it. Just don't release it in September or October.. I will be very busy with Borderlands 2. :D

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I've heard you're a fan and player of EVE online. Any substance to this?

How do you feel about the Matrix Online shutdown? Any prevention methods you could have used or do you feel it could be brought back in a F2P model?

Will EverQuest Next be a return to the roots of what made EQ great? (immersive world, no instances, living breathing NPCs, group focused content, making your own stories) or will it be more... a WoW clone?

I'm an ISS major that had a lot of class discussion in the PSN breach. Can we discuss the security breach of PSN? What are your takeaways from it? What is the number one rule that was determined from it? What is SOE's CBA like on the new security?

Thank you very much if you answer!

I QA'd on untold legends 3: Dark Kingdom and EQ at your guys' company. Enjoyed it enough that I left for school to become an artist (to be honest I sorta felt SOE was going nowhere at the time).

Well you guys really turned it around, I know it's a long shot but if there are any artist positions at your studio here's my portfolio!

http://jeffberry.carbonmade.com/

congrats on PS2, looks amazing

do you know how many players are in a platoon in ps2?

As a color blind gamer I am always concerned about usability. How do you intend to allow color blind people to enjoy your game or is it something you don't care about?

Could I request another game like Lord Of The Rings: War In The North, a co-op action RPG, please. Also, an Unkarted game, naughty dog's wacky racers side to Uncharted, aha. Thanks.

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As a vet of ps1 it was disheartening that balance was so skewed. I was a vs player and having staff play specific factions certainly made things feel like bias. I remember when brewko was playing nc and used meteors on vs to throw the battle. I paid for years and between those antics and unbalance of weapons it seriously made the game miserable. I wished brewko would have been fired. He had no business working in customer service.

Thanks for the AMA. Good to see SOE interacting a bit more closely with the community.

After seeing some of the design decisions that have changed from Planetside 1 to Planetside 2 (Lack of vehicle exit/enter animations, class system, rather than armor-based certifications, tank drivers being able to operate the main turret), did the design team feel as if the PS1 mechanics wouldn't draw in a large enough crowd, who would be used to these mechanics from other games, perhaps most similarly BF3?

And, do you feel as if the lack of these mechanics might alienate some of the PS1 fanbase?

Loved PS1 and SWG. I can honestly say that I've had the most fun out of all my years in gaming from those two. All I can say is, please no CU/BFR-esque updates.

Why wasn't there ever Star Wars Galaxies "Classic" servers - despite the massive media upset and subsequent population plummet after the NGE?

Hey! =) Really love the answers you're giving.

One question: if I subscribe to Planetside right now, will I get into the beta on Monday?

I do hope you are reading new and see this even as I'm a bit late to the party.

You were a co-founder your own game company back in the early days of game development. How did you come about founding your company? Were you pushed or did you organize others together? Did you always know you wanted to be the head of a company? And lastly, what words of advice would you give to those that aspire to become the next John Smedley?

Thanks for doing this John.

You made EverQuest! Bravo!

I always thought the depth and lore of EQ made it great. Everyone is racing to the shallow end of the pool for combat system depth and are clearly creating most quests procedurally. I understand that EQ was different in that many of the famous quests and items were adapted from a real D&D campaign and this someone really thought about them.

How do you plan to make EQ Next that great? How will you create deep rich folds of combat, exploration, and lore?

Dust 514 is a HUGE title for the ps3, but so many people have never even heard of it. How does Sony plan to get the word out, considering this game would need lots of consistent players to properly function?

Hey Smed, what kind of Anti-Aliasing is Planetside 2 using? Is it just FFXA or do we get some options?

Hi John,

I remember being really impressed when EQ was being rolled out over a decade ago when you called me up personally to confirm that my technical/connectivity/account issues were resolved. I was a tester, was having some problems once the game went live, and all of a sudden there was a call from John Smedley.

To this day I remember you asking what I did for a living or something along those lines, I said I was in college, and you laughed and said "My college experience would have been very different if EQ was around." Anyway, thanks for imparting quality customer service at an impressionable age.

My question: What on earth happened with the MMO genre? Why is their so little innovation in that space since EQ? I mean Guild Wars 2 comes out later this month, and finally--maybe--there's a worthy PvP successor to DAoC? Otherwise so many expensive-to-make games have come out, often with huge licenses, only to fail miserably. I hope you have some insight.

There was an homage thread to EQ the other day on reddit. You might enjoy checking it out. Cheers!

Big fan of all SOE products, first most being PS1. I was involved in original beta of PS1 9 years ago. My question is that I just resubbed 5 mins ago... Think I'm in the clear for first wave?

Also, need a PS2 store like EVE Online store. I'm thinking $$$ :)

why did you fuck up poxnora? i remember harbingers were like 400 dollars each and people had tons of money invested in them until you decided to sell them for like 50 bucks each and release new LE runes every month. i was pissed. to redeem yourself you should make a classic version of pox that only uses the first few sets, i would enjoy that

Will PS2 have an old PS1 base? It will be nice to see it in the new game.

i was pretty surprised to see you were a pretty chill guy, cheers

-jesuschrist

How long has it been since your network has been hacked? I keep losing track.

Planetside 2 yadda yadda yadda... Why wont you do an EQ classic server (no, not another lame progression)? If enthusiasts can make decent emu versions and operate them for free with thousands playing from just word of mouth....what the heck is stopping you from doing it and making decent money while showing love to the classic fans?

I'm curious about the role that Producers play at SOE, and specifically on PS2.

Also, thank you so much for this game, I've been waiting for so many years to wreak havoc in a late model Liberator.

First, thanks for your integral role in bringing EverQuest to life. It will always have a special place in my heart and I spent 5+ fantastic years playing it - I started playing on Day 1 of launch. Do you have any backstory on how you convinced Sony to give something like EQ a whirl? I know The Realm, Ultima Online and Meridian 59 were doing okay, but was that enough to convince them to give you funding? What was the first indication you had something amazing on your hands? And lastly, do you have a favorite memory from working on EQ?

Thanks!

When are you going to release Subscription/Premium details from your store?

What Joystick do you personally recommend?

Hey Smedley! Started playing EQ in '99. Remember how magical the game felt for many years? Being the first and all.

Do you think any game is going to come close to that feeling again? I wonder if it's just an age thing.

Anyway - best wishes & keep on rockin'. Don't forget some sort of Halas McQuaid type reference. Got to keep the band together even when folks are off doing their own thing.

See you in EQ Next!

I am in need of a job. I've basically spent my whole life on video games, and am quite knowledgeable. Can you get me a job working for SOE? I can do most anything I put my mind to.

I'm currently in my junior year studying industrial engineering and I would like to get into game production so I'm applying to several internship positions next summer- what do you recommend that I do/learn in order to increase my chances at getting into gaming industry?

Ps2 looks really cool and I'm very excited to play it, but I'd have to say that I am QAY more excited for eq next, any chance we will hear more information about it this year?

Does your company employ any lobyists, so you can change the laws to your licking? (i probably sound like an ass whole but im actually curious)

Know any good schools in Texas with good game industry programs?

Why did you allow Lucas and the EQ team to ruin SWG?

any chance of seeing servers in oceania/australia for ps2?

What's your net worth?

I shot you in the back of the head. It was my first TK, I felt pretty bad about it. But I also wrote a rap about it. I'd show it to you, but it breaks NDA and stuff. edit: Oh yeah, awesome work. Loving every moment.

Tanarus 2?

I have been subbed to planet side 1 just since mid-july not a vet but a active subscriber I also got a beta key will I get in day 1?

Hi John, I know this is a long shot, but here it goes.

I just got WFRed from my QA lead position at HP. I live close to SOE in SD and have interned at SCEA as a software developer. Is there any way you can get me a job? :)

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Why is EQ2 free to play model so much worse than every other mmos free to play model?

Doubt this will be answered but...

I played SWG from day 1 until the last day. I loved it for the RP tools you put into the game. Yes, the combat got progressively worse but everything else was ahead of its time.

Here is the question. After playing SWG and having a rather poor relationship with it (Not the game itself but how it was managed), would you say that I should feel more comfortable about playing SOE's current games seeing as they are completely in SOE's control?

Can we have something similar to ANTs in PS2? I'm gonna miss the feeling of saving a whole base at 10% NTU by dropping from a Gal with a fully charged ANT...

Great job fucking up SWG.

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Who do you like more, your son or your daughter? I go to school with each and I ponder this everyday

Personal favourite game SOE has produced?

Do you prefer red wine or white wine?

Fantastic game you guys are developing so far, and I'm looking forward to playing the finished product. Tough question, but any major mistakes from the first game you learned from and will change for Planetside 2, and how so?

Are you planning on making a Star Wars: Battlefront 3 anytime soon? Nearly half the world will be elated if said question's answer is a yes.

A growing concern for me in online games is the division of solo and group play, especially in PVP based games like Planetside.

While I like when games reward teamwork and cooperation it's also unfun when either they require it to be successful or punish solo players by allowing team work to be too strong.

This became an issue for me in Planetside 1 when I felt that some of the rock-paper-scissors balancing required me to rely on my team to make up for my weaknesses, this is understandable, but often I felt that certain situations were too hard to counter. For example I've seen a BFR brick wall a large number of tanks at a bridge, having solutions be elaborate plans like galaxy drops or hoping for a skilled infiltrator keeps a solo player from feeling they can find a way around an obstacle.

Do you plan on having a safer playing environment in PS2 for solo players?

i have a comment instead of a question. my company works for sony as your registered agent. since i am more technically inclined (aka gamer) than my coworkers i like to grab stuff for tech companies such as yours and i end up contacting companies if things get complicated.

i must say, the people in your legal department are very polite, professional, and prompt to respond. professional is not a strong enough word to describe their demeanor really. it is a treat to work with them compared to most companies. if you get a spare moment, please shoot them an A+

and if you get another moment, please shoot me a beta key :)

Wow I used to be your neighbor kinda star struck right now

I worked for SOE in San Diego about 7 years ago doing tech support for everquest and some other online games.

The outsourcing company you used was horrific. We got paid weekly, and had to go down to a special office and hopefully get paid. Sometimes they just wouldn't show up. One day... no one showed up. Turns out everyone in the outsourcing company quit their jobs so you brought in a different company that said instead of giving us any benefits (Despite working full time) that we would have "hot dog" days once and a while. I walked out that day.

I also worked at Rockstar Games. Worked insane hours doing "mandatory overtime" that they couldn't tell me it was "mandatory" but if I didn't work it they would "let me go".

With video game companies having a bad wrap for how their workers are treated, what do you think you can do to improve the work environment of your own employees?

I got out of the industry as fast as I could but I couldn't help but wonder how awesome of a job it would have been if someone just treated us like human beings that had even a shred of value.

The fact that you are replying to all these comments tells wonders about what youre trying to do. Thank you for replying honestly and thoroughly. I've been a big fan of many SOE games, including PS1 and SWG, but the latter never seemed to just "grab me".

My question is: If you could have changed anything about SWG and its development/deployment, what would it be? Also, what can we expect from SOE in the future? Please dont be vague!

What are your musical preferences?

^{and can I have a beta key?}

Do you think SWG would have lasted longer without the CU and NGE? Prior to the changes it was my favorite MMO and I've never found another that captivated me the same way.

Are the PC Gamer keys the same priority level as the Twitter ones?

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I've been waiting for a long time for this, you sir .... SUCK DICK. you fucking suck!!!! god I've hated you for so long. How the fuck you are still employeed? You must suck major dick during meetings? lol. SOE? Seriously you fucking DESTROYED starwars galaxies. Ok go ahead and post some PR bullshit how you optimized game earnings graph characters upwards dynamics. trust me when I say this asshole is the asshole of gaming. He might as well me Mr. EA. Fuck you asshole. You're a fucking disgrace and you should regret ever coming here you asshole dick suck

This interview was transcribed from an "ask me anything" question and answer session with John Smedley conducted on Reddit on 2012-08-02. The Reddit AMA can be found here.