Planetside is taking a note from its sequel, Planetside 2. The MMO is going free-to-play sometime in the future according to Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley, though he didn't give an exact time frame for when it would make the switch.

Read more: 'We aren't raising your taxes, we are making a game free' »

MMO magpie Sony Online Entertainment has relaunched its 'Station Access' subscription under the new name 'All Access' and knocked $10 off the monthly price. It includes membership to ten SOE games, four of them free-to-play, for only $5 per month more than a single subscription.

An All Access sub will let you play DC Universe Online on PC, EverQuest, EverQuest II, EverQuest Online Adventures for PlayStation 2, PlanetSide, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes with the single subscription fee. Read more »

[Update 12:30pm - XdM] An anonymous source at Sony Online Entertainment tells Shacknews that rumors of layoffs and the cancellation of The Agency are accurate. According to the source, a number of the layoffs also reduced the size of the EverQuest 2 team and although the Planetside Next team also took some layoffs, the project is alive and well. Read more »

Following word of a sequel to Sony Online's massively multiplayer shooter PlanetSide, company president John Smedley has outlined his hopes for the project.

"To me, Planetside Next means we get a chance to take the essence of everything that was fun in Planetside and make it a lot better," he wrote in a blog post noticed by PlanetSide-Universe. "Massive battles on a scale no other FPS will touch. None of this 64 player stuff. REALLY MASSIVE. With much better organization, and a tight focus on making sure the action is always going on, with awesome graphics." Read more »

Sony Online Entertainment has revealed plans to followup up its massively multiplayer first-person shooter PlanetSide (PC) with a new game set in the same universe.

"We plan to expand the PlanetSide universe with another game and we need your help with the design," reads a mass e-mail recently sent to current and former players. "Don't worry about the original PlanetSide, it isn't going anywhere." Read more »

According to this post on the PlanetSide forums, the subscription fee for this MMOFPS will be increasing. It previously cost $12.99 a month to play, as of April 2 it will be $14.99.

Sony Online Entertainment sent along some more information on their free PlanetSide promotion program we mentioned the other day. Interested players will be able to download a PlanetSide "Cannon Fodder" demo allowing them to play until Battle Rank 6. Upon exiting the game you will be directed to a website where you can choose to upgrade to a monthly subscription. There is also info about current players upgrading to Aftershock.

The PlanetSide forums have a new post by SOE's Enrico Pallazzo, outlining plans for this MMOFPS as the developers are planning to add several new vehicles and weapon variants. New players meanwhile will be able to play the game free of charge for up to 12 months. They will however be limited in how far they can move up on the BattleRank and CommanderRank. Thanks Evil Avatar.

Over at GameCloud this morning you can find a PlanetSide Q&A. Sony Online's Thom Terrazas is asked about the current status of this massively multiplayer first person shooter which launched two years ago.

There's a new team letter on the PlanetSide website, written by the latest Producer and Design Lead on the game. SamhaynePS explains what's in store for Sony Online Entertainment's MMOFPS. Thanks Blues News.

HomeLAN Fed has posted a new PlanetSide Q&A. Dave Georgeson of Sony Online Entertainment is asked about the status of this MMOFPS and plans to add new content.

The official PlanetSide website has been updated, offering information on Continental Dominion and Capitol Buildings which are being added to the game. There are some screenshots and a movie on this page. Thanks PlanetSide-Universe.com.

The PlanetSide website has been updating, offering a look at gameplay update plans. There is also a related producer's letter. Thanks HomeLAN Fed.

Action Vault has a new PlanetSide Q&A. Producer Dallas Dickinson is asked about future plans for this MMOFPS and the overall patching and updating process.

There is a new producer's letter on the PlanetSide website, mentioning among other things that there will be a server merge for this MMOFPS. Sony Online will fold Konried into Emerald and Johari into Markov, "to do our part in heightening the action in PlanetSide by putting more players into combat-heavy areas".