PlanetSide 2 is one of the best-looking MMOs out there, and Sony Online Entertainment knows it. Powered by an engine it calls "ForgeLight," SOE plans on developing its upcoming games exclusively on the engine.

"Every internal product that we make from here on out will use ForgeLight," senior art director Tramell Isaac told Shacknews at GDC. "We can put 2000 people on a server, and we can have all those guys running at 60fps. We can have upwards of 200 on screen at one time. You can't do that with any other MMO, period. You just can't do that. Then on top of that, you can do it with visual fidelity that's comparable with any other first person shooter out there."

Read more: But what about PS4? »

Ooh, aah, with so many things to unlock and buy in PlanetSide 2, how do you know which to get? Thanks to today's patch, you can now try before you buy and play with every toy in the game in a new virtual reality training area. The hefty update also brought cloaking for quad bikes, bug fixes, and a bajillion balance tweaks.

Watch: Passengers on quads too »

Sony Online Entertainment's FPS PlanetSide 2 launches today on PC, and a new trailer shows just how massive the MMO can be. Players are able to jump into futuristic vehicles and gear, and start killing the enemy on the planet Auraxis without dropping a dime.

Watch: Planes, mechs and jetpacks »

All the giddy fun of jetpacking, stomping around in mechs, roaming around in tanks, zooming about in VTOLs, and generally shooting faces will be opened up to everyone on November 20, when Sony Online Entertainment's free-to-play MMOFPS PlanetSide 2 will officially launch.

Watch: A showmatch fresh from Vegas »

PlanetSide 2 is going the free-to-play route, and is still hashing out the details of its membership models. Sony Online Entertainment recently shared some early plans on its membership benefits, along with thoughts on where those benefits would cross the line into "pay-to-win."

Read more: Membership benefits outlined »

You really want to get into the PlanetSide 2 beta--but somehow, access hasn't managed to land in your lap. What's a gamer to do? Shell out money, of course.

Sony Online Entertainment is now selling the "Alpha Squad package." The $40 bundle includes 4000 Station Cash, redeemable for in-game items in any SOE game. In addition, it includes an exclusive decal, "Founder" title, exclusive camo set, three weapon unlocks for each of the three empires, and a 10% experience and resource boost for 6 months.

Read more: Instant access to the beta »

The Planetside 2 beta has started to roll out, but if you didn't get in this round keep your chin up. Sony Online Entertainment has assured that the waves will continue to hit in the coming weeks, and has detailed exactly how they'll be stacked to assure loyal customers get ahead of the unwashed masses.

Read more: Active Planetside subscribers come first »

The PlanetSide 2 beta was supposed to kick off today, "barring any unforeseen circumstances." Oh no! Unforeseen circumstances have arisen, and it'll now be a few days late, to ensure it's all polished and shiny. No one wants a free-to-play MMOFPS caked in crud and filth, after all.

Read more: Tweeting the old Twitternet »

We're rather enthused by SOE's upcoming free-to-play MMOFPS PlanetSide 2. Soon, we'll be able to see if the game lives up to its promise, as SOE president John Smedley has said the beta for the game should begin early next week.

"The beta will start next Monday or Tuesday, barring any unforeseen circumstances," the enthusiastic president tweeted.

Watch: Death is no Excuse »

Sony Online Entertainment's upcoming MMOFPS PlanetSide 2 is quite an ambitious undertaking. If you haven't been following the free-to-play shooter very closely, this seven minute video from E3 should cover the bases. This is the same presentation shown to attendees of E3--and if you couldn't find a way to sneak into the convention center, this is a great alternative.

Watch: Seven minutes of PlanetSide 2 »

Sony Online Entertainment has announced that the annual event previously known as "Fan Faire" has been redubbed "SOE Live." Plans are underway for this year's event, which will take place October 18-21 at Bally's in Las Vegas. As usual, it will cover the gamut of SOE's various offerings, including DC Universe Online, EverQuest II, Free Realms, Magic: The Gathering - Tactics, and more.

Read more: New name to reflect broader SOE line-up »

Some of the most admirable aspects of PlanetSide 2's ambitious massively multiplayer FPS world are its scale and persistence. With the battle taking place on maps larger than Call of Duty games, it's no surprise that players will want stay connected to the game--even when they're not playing it.

While most multiplayer communities offer web-based stat tracking, SOE promises to take it "a step further" with PlanetSide 2. Creative director Matt Higby told us at Game Developers Conference about their plans to open up the real-time data of the game. "We're real interested in seeing the state of battles that are occurring on the map at any given time, seeing their friends that are online and fighting, being able to see what region they're fighting in."

Read more: Data free for iPad and Android app makers »

Sony Online Entertainment's ambitious massively multiplayer FPS PlanetSide 2 will be free-to-play. But, how will SOE make money?

Microtransactions, of course! However, creative director Matt Higby reassured us that the game won't be "pay-to-win." At Game Developers Conference last week, Higby promised that "anything that affects gameplay, such as grenades or medkits or implants that give you additional power within the game, will be exclusively unlocked via [in-game] resources."

Read more: PS2 to offer 'sidegrades' »

A new clip for PlanetSide 2 outlines the evolution of the upcoming free-to-play shooter from Sony Online Entertainment, detailing how the new look was born out of the original title's vision. The clip is short and sadly low resolution, but boy does PlanetSide 2 look pretty. The video is a nice companion piece to an earlier clip released by the developer which detailed the story behind the game's three factions.

PlanetSide 2 is set to launch on the PC later this year. Beta registration for the title began in late December 2011.

Watch: War on a massive scale »

You're no doubt already signed up for Planetside 2's beta, but maybe you'd like to learn more about the game's factions. Well, the team at Sony Online Entertainment have you covered in a new video that dives deeper into the game's story. The trailer, found after the break, examines the game's three primary factions.

The free-to-play title is set to arrive in 2012.

Watch: Detailing the factions of Planetside 2 »