SOE turns directly to gamers on Reddit and Twitch to promote H1Z1 game

GamesBeat's Dean Takahashi interviews Sony Online Entertainment chief John Smedley on the way to market games by going direct to the consumer.

[ColManischewitz]

Ugh. I'm sick of zombie games.

[ATi_Elite]

With the EXPLOSION of DayZ unto the scene it's time for COPY and PASTE gameplay as every Publishers pumps out a Zombie game.

Some have been pretty good and H1Z1 seems to be on the right track but they gotta have a strong focus on combat.

DayZ is real-life combat first which makes it so tough and NERVE RACKING, then it adds all the cool stuff as a secondary feature.

most other Zombie games have so much cool stuff but lack the finite details to CLone those INTENSE DAYZ moments.

[Einhert]

Day Z is a glitchy and buggy mess built on a terrible engine.

All the immersion and tension is lost when you see a zombie doing movements to the tune of benny hill then flapping their arms around hitting you through cover.

[MysticStrummer]

Love the concept of DayZ, but the execution is another matter entirely. H1Z1 so far appears to be better, though as you say more realistic combat is a must. The stream didn't show that but the devs quickly pointed out that the combat will be less arcadey in the final version.

[GarrusVakarian]

"DayZ is real-life combat first which makes it so tough and NERVE RACKING"

Lmao....the streams ive watched say otherwise. Day Z seems to be 90% running across fields or open areas, 10% glitchy/buggy encounters with strangers or zombies.

I honestly don't see why DayZ is so loved. I've never seen such a boring, buggy mess of a game. I'm not hating on DayZ just because H1Z1 will be a direct competitor either, i haven't seen a thing on H1Z1 and i don't particularly care for the zombie genre in general.

[ATi_Elite]

I like all the DayZ is buggy quotes. Dayz is buggy is so LAME now a days.

I guess you guys have NEVER EVER updated DayZ.

it's not that buggy, hasn't been for a long time.

Sure install the mod and it's a Mess but update it or the Standalone and it's pretty smooth. The buggy argument just shows that you haven't played the game EVER or in a very long time.

it's as if people just immediately Spurt out Rumors and false facts without checking, I play Dayz almost daily, it's pretty smooth except for bugs on items changed.

Beside you have your nerve talking about buggy when you SAME PEOPLE play BF4 or COD or Fallout 3 or SKyrim.

like anyone here has played H1Z1, not even in alpha yet and NOT based on Real world Ballistics like DayZ is is my point.

[Revvin]

What world are you living in? DayZ standalone is a joke right now. It shipped 18 months after the date Rocket originally gave and has far less content than DayZ mod - especially DayZ Epoch which has shown where DayZ standalone could have been if Rocket wasn't slacking off climbing mountains or obsessing over re-writing the inventory system so we could change our shirts and trousers separately FFS.

DayZ standalone zombies animation is better but still poor, they still sink through floors, walk through walls and objects like counters and shelving racks in supermarkets where players can easily get stuck on these objects. There is no way to set up a camp, there are less zombies, loot doesn't spawn properly - just exactly WHICH DayZ game are you playing?

Lets just get this straight, Rocket did not invent the zombie game genre and even with Bohemia's full backing cannot fix fundamental problems in the game engine that could mean zombies will forever walk through walls. H1Z1 is based on a tried and tested engine, has a development team that appear to have a plan on how they will deliver this unlike Rocket who released a roadmap WITHOUT discussing it first with his employer - Bohemia or the rest of the development team.

[adorie]

We don't even know very much about Sony's Zombie, I think we should be a little more reserved till the gameplay is shown in-depth.

While Day Z is an awesome game, it's not even complete and merely shows it's great potential.

Personally, Day Z is a gank fest and I'm not really ok with that, it's fun as heck, but peopleplay too many games within the game.

It's very hard to progress and should you get lucky with circumstances and meeting the right people, losing it all is just a gank-team away.

[mopground]

this comment is sooo right. thats why its still the most played zombie game atm. theres simply things in dayz that make it thrilling that no other survival has or will come close to. those animations where cant move actually make it more intense.

i saw the livestream of h1z1 it was an improved warz. yet noone here is complaining about how lackluster it looked, or that the guy playing glitched through a wall. this argument that dayz is buggy but h1z1 is so much better is one based on no evidence

[TitanUp]

publishers can make a better game than an arma mod. those arma guys have started something and that formula is going to get improved either by them or by others.

[TheGreatAndPowerful]

Get it onto the PS4 and you'll have all the promotion you'll ever need.

[frostypants]

Dude...DayZ is an unfinished game in alpha and has major issues. Stop pretending that it's something it's not. Your comparing a game that will never support more than 100 people or so (if it ever works properly) to a game that will be finished in a matter of weeks and will support thousands.

[SamPao]

Stop trolling

[MysticStrummer]

"Ugh. I'm sick of zombie games."

How lucky for you that most games don't have zombies then.

:D

[hellzsupernova]

i want a good one. Like the division quality with Zombies cause if you actually look at it currently there are not any really really good games. You have Left for Dead and The Last of Us if you want to count that.

Both of those games are very different and do not do what this game is doing. DayZ is way too buggy and the controls are too stiff just is not fun, and i played the mod originally it had a terrifying sense to it. But it does not have the polish level i want.

The market is ripe for a truly great game. and im waiting and watching this with hope

[DLConspiracy]

I am sure it will be fun, but that doesn't change the fact that there are way too many zombie games these days. Nothing to really set them apart.

[SamPao]

Obviously there is enough demand

[DLConspiracy]

I am a horror nerd and have been for 30 plus years. Even I am tired of zombies.

[S2Killinit]

This is a whole new take on the zombie survival horror. It all comes down to how its implimented but if what they are talking about is trye, this game is going to be unique in many ways

[godofboobees]

Where are these zombie games? Please enlighten me with a list

[DLConspiracy]

Apparently you don't play games much. I am not putting a list together. There are far too many. http://forums.infestationmm...

[sAVAge_bEaST]

The Zombie Apocalypse, has already began.

[Grave]

Truth. I am a college senior who refuses to buy a smart phone. I will not become infected with the head-down disease.

[MysticStrummer]

I like that they're asking players about this stuff. Only time well tell if they listen to the answers they get, but it's a good start.

[Transporter47]

Honestly I really want to try this game out. I hope they also improve the game like gamers want it.

[cfc78]

Big zombie fan bring it on the more the merrier but don't over do it,H1Z1 looks very promising to me can't wait to get in there and start kicking some zombie ass.

[Predaking77]

I like good zombie apocalypse games I just hope this game will be available on PS4.

[Ripsta7th]

Sony you better upgrade servers before getting serious this next gen. Can't believe I'm unable to play online ? I thought if you had logged in a day before you wouldn't be affected? All u get is "Sony Entertainment Network is currently busy" this is one of the only things that pisses me off from SOE

[Tommy_titfer]

People should play Planetside 2 before having the gall to say Day Z (which only exists in mod and alpha form) is buggy to which I believe H1Z1 is using the same engine as PS2... The same engine and studio which has nearly had a game out for 2 years and still bares the same bugs and imbalances and more than it originally released with.

[WeAreLegion]

Judging from the subreddit, these guys want to involve the community as much as possible. They respond to all the questions and ask us to keep sending suggestions. This game is going to rock!

[Stapleface]

Well, they wouldn't answer my question. I simply asked if you would be able to drink your urine to survive, as that is a viable survival technique when shit gets bad. No answer. So I'll take that as a no. So when they say it's a survival game, I'll ask can you drink your piss? No, well then it's not much of a survival game then is it? That goes for Day Z, Rust, etc. Add urine drinking for thirst damn it. That's next gen.

[Wizziokid]

I do love the "I'm sick of zombie games" comments yet the people saying it still click on the article..

I do hope this game will be awesome but I need to see more full gameplay before i decide anything. But if Planetside 2 is anything to go on, we should be fine

[urwifeminder]

Very apprehensive to try this after how disappointing planet side 2 is online the grind destroys the fun .

[ThreshStar]

I think we need to make a distinction here:

There are a LOT of unfinished, early-accessed, indie-based "Sort of about Zombies but more about the cruelty of modern gamers"-type Zombie games.

We have yet to actually experience a completed, open-world, MMO Zombie-type game.

Maybe this one is it. If not, 0 for 24.