WIth the unveiling of the Nexus map, PS2's creative director speaks to ZAM

The guys that they have working on it, they like the game, they care about the game. GoldenBoy for example has been casting for a really long time. He has a little less familiarity with PlanetSide, but Jax, our other caster, is a really hardcore PlanetSide play and he is super energetic. I feel we’re getting there with casters—we’ve also worked with TotalBiscuit—getting those really good caster dynamics, combined with having a really good camera that allows viewers to understand and enjoy the action, if those things come together we can be really successful.

I suggested that the plans that Matt had laid out had a strong sense that everyone can aspire, that there is a clear path for players to better themselves. It seems clear how the average outfit could plot its route from standard players to top tier pros—as long as they were good enough, of course.

That’s one of our goals with the whole system. PlanetSide 2 is a very unique FPS game; you log into a server that your character lives on, you are playing against the same rivals and playing with the same friends that you did last night. The sense of community you get from that is very strong.

With eSports, I got to hang out with TwF from The Future Crew who has killed me hundreds and hundreds of times on Connery; he’s a really good player. When their outfit shows up places, I bounce. I just hate being there, because they’re so good.

To me that’s really cool. That I could be playing against somebody who won a championship the night before, because they’re going to be working really hard to give them the ability to continue to compete. So I have this connection with players that you don’t really get anywhere else.

I can’t play with HuK in StarCraft. I can watch his stream and maybe chat with him. But I don’t get a chance to run alongside him, or maybe I get a chance to revive him one time when I see him dead in a fight. That’s a really cool thing and hopefully it allows our players to have relationships with pros that you don’t get anywhere else in eSports.

In an ideal world, it ends up being almost like a legitimate team sport, like NFL or MLB; you are rooting for your home team. I’m going to be watching PlanetSide 2 and I’m looking for the outfits on the Connery server, because that’s the server I play on and I know those guys, I’m rooting for them. Roster is important and the individual twitch mechanics are important, but I’m cheering for my home team and hoping they win. I don’t think that’s something that happens anywhere else in eSports. There are some collegiate leagues where you root for your college team, but there’s nothing like that in games like StarCraft or League of Legends or Dota; where you really feel like you have a home team that you’re cheering for.

That’s something I think, uniquely, that PlanetSide 2 can deliver.

When the partnership with Major League Gaming, many gamers scratched their heads and wondered how PlanetSide 2 could possible work as a “true” eSport. Higby was not only aware of that, he believed strongly in just how PS2 could enter the fray.

A lot of times people look at PlanetSide 2 and say to us “Hey how’s this going to work as an eSport? This isn’t anything like it.” I think we have so many different advantages and so many different tools we can use to make it a really compelling and different experience.

Yeah, it might not look like StarCraft or Call of Duty or League of Legends, but NASCAR doesn’t look like golf, which doesn’t look like professional swimming. Those are all legitimate competitive games that all have competitors and fans who are passionate about them. They don’t need to look the same in order to be successful.

I think it can really help tighten up the communities on the servers…it has a really amazing potential.

To wrap up, I asked Matt about the team’s plans for SOE Live. Some of the festivities cannot be revealed yet—it’s only fair to keep some surprises for attendees after all—but it will certainly be a time to be enjoyed for even the most hardcore of fans.

Many eyes might be on the knee-quivering reveal of EverQuest Next, but PlanetSide 2 will be bringing its own brand of thunder to ensure it leaves its own mark on the event.

That I can promise.

I’d like to thank Matt Higby for being so generous with his time and for being as open as always.

Are you looking forward to Battle Island Nexus? Let us know your thoughts. Also, will you be going to SOE Live? I’ll be the TR infiltrator with an English accent and a smug grin--that isn't TotalBiscuit.

See you at Planet Hollywood.

Scott “Jarimor” Hawkes, Editor in Chief