PlayStation LifeStyle » Socom

SOCOM 4 Opens Fire with Double Experience

Jonathan Leack — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:56:51 +0000

Following several memorable releases, tactical shooter fans have waited patiently for a proper SOCOM title. SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs debuted just about a month ago, and didn’t successfully fill that gap. It didn’t help that the PlayStation Network was down when it released, effectively making the first couple of weeks uneventful. Now that the PSN is back up, Zipper Interactive, the game’s developer, is doing what they can to make up for lost time.

Zipper Interactive’s community specialist, Chris Roper, has announced that any and all competitive online games for SOCOM 4 currently reward double experience points. This will only last for a short period of time, and no end date has been given, so be sure to hop on and take advantage of the opportunity sooner rather than later.

SOCOM 4‘s lead designer recently left the company which may signal a change in direction for any titles released in the future. If you’ve been playing the latest SOCOM, what do you think? Do you feel anything needs to be changed to bring the series back to its former glory? Post your comments in the section below.

Retrospective From Sony On Success of 3D Gaming Incoming

Paulmichael Contreras — Thu, 12 May 2011 20:14:48 +0000

It seems like only yesterday that we were in Sony’s Culver City studio lot, giving our initial impressions on some of the first titles to be enhanced with stereoscopic 3D. But as of next month, it will have been a full year since Sony pushed gaming into the next dimension, and they intend on reporting whether that experience has been a good investment or not.

At the upcoming Develop Conference in Brighton, Senior Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Mick Hocking will be giving a keynote presentation at the conference. Titled “The Stereoscopic 3D Experience – The First Year of 3D on PlayStation 3,” it takes place on July 21st, the last day of the show. The entire presentation will be presented to the audience in Full HD Stereoscopic 3D, as well as in surround sound. Several case studies will be presented, such as SOCOM 4 and Killzone 3, as well as horror stories and what not to do when developing for 3D. Mr. Hocking sounded excited to be able to share his experiences to the Develop Conference attendees:

I’m really looking forward to giving this keynote at Develop. I’ll be doing a 3D post-mortem from Killzone 3, and also showing how we implemented 3D as an advanced post effect in SOCOM 4. I’ll look at how we used a 2D camera for 3D augmented reality in EyePet Move. Actually being able to show these on a big screen with surround sound will make all the difference for the audience.

The Develop Conference takes place from July 19-21. At last year’s Develop Conference, we spoke to Mick Hocking about Sony’s 3D plans and it will be interesting to see how they have changed since 2010;

PS3 Review – SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs

Daniel Bischoff — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:01:32 +0000

Unlike other SOCOM games released for the PS3, SOCOM 4 returns to Zipper Interactive’s experienced hands for a numerical sequel worthy of the SOCOM name. With a full campaign mode, online co-op missions, and the biggest online multiplayer mode the SOCOM series has ever offered, do you even need full PlayStation Move support? Still, in an online world of fast paced first person shooters, can a tactical third-person shooter survive?

I wasn’t entirely sure of the answer to that question myself. New to the PlayStation brand, SOCOM 4 was my first foray into the storied online tactical shooter. Friends would always say how great SOCOM was but the series has never been a system seller. Not knowing what to expect was a blessing and a curse at the same time. I forgave faults that were disguised as design choices but was confused on more than one occasion. Despite being green to the series, a few things stuck out as definitive plusses and minuses.

SOCOM 4‘s single player campaign puts you in control of Cullen Gray, the epitome of everything you’ve already seen in a military game’s narrative character. As the Operations Commander, Gray is tasked with every objective you’ve already seen in every other military game. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Ops Com is tasked with a bunch of different missions in Southeast Asia. Gray picks up a pair of South Korean operatives within the first fifteen minutes of the game and orders them around like he does his token Navy Seals. Honestly, Zipper treats every character as disposable to the point that their lives only matter so you don’t fail out of the campaign. I would regularly command each squad ahead of me just so I wouldn’t take the first round from an enemy sniper.

It doesn’t help that the story in SOCOM 4 is totally confusing and off-putting. At first I thought I was just missing all of the backstory from previous SOCOM games. How stupid of me to think that anyone behind SOCOM 4‘s narrative would care about any established backstory. You can probably guess the ending before the opening cut scene finishes and if you don’t there’s nothing mind-blowing after that anyways.

Campaign missions alternate between all out firefights and stealth missions. There are some interesting set pieces where gun fire erupts across the current setting, but as engaging as those are the firefight missions completely ignore other gameplay elements like tactical orders and flanking. They turn every mission into a series of shooting galleries which feel totally out-of-place in such a tactically oriented game. In the stealth missions you take control of Yoon-Hee Park, codename “Forty-Five.” I won’t get into the sexism behind making the sole female character a stealth-oriented soldier, but I will say that the stealth missions she stars in are so linear and, well, boring that they won’t be pleasing feminist and male gamers alike.

What’s more, SOCOM 4‘s single player suffers from abhorrent difficulty spikes. It’s not like you won’t know what you’re doing, but you will feel like a failure no matter the difficulty level you’ve chosen. Later missions really stick it to you without warning. The first objectives in a jungle mission were simple enough, especially thanks to the ability to order my unit out in the open, but when I turned the corner several rockets landed right in my face. SOCOM 4‘s campaign is long enough and doesn’t need the sense of time-wasting I was left with. I wanted to walk away from the game on several occasions. If it weren’t for the multiplayer rewards I reaped from finishing the campaign, I’d advise you not to waste your time.

SOCOM 4‘s competitive multiplayer is really the game’s saving grace. Matches are responsive and game types are varied. You can go old school and play rounds with one life per player or try new modes like Bomb Squad which pits teams against each other defending and defusing bombs. Either way won’t fail you. Games are normally filled to the brim with 32 players and maps that are just big enough to hold all of the action in.

One thing I can praise SOCOM for is the ability to retool your load out when you die. Is a pesky sniper getting the best of you? Spawn with a long-range rifle yourself and hunt the bastard down. Find yourself outgunned in small spaces? Time to switch your secondary weapon over to a shotgun or submachine gun. SOCOM 4‘s multiplayer is easily the strongest option on the game’s menu.

No matter what you’re doing, kills will earn you weapon mods. That means across all game modes and game types each kill you earn will build up to that much-needed silencer, scope, or under-barrel shotgun. Just like my inexperience helped and hurt my single-player experience, the weapon leveling system will hurt your arsenal. Do you switch it up and try a new gun or stick with old fully customized, fully outfitted faithful?

Luckily, SOCOM 4‘s co-op missions will allow you a ton of computer player opponents to headshot you way to all those weapon parts without having to dive back into the messy single player campaign. Co-op missions range from shooting digital fish in a barrel to having your ass and your friends’ asses handed to you. There’s no soul crushing difficulty spikes here though. You’ll be fully aware of increased enemy threats before you even select a mission.

Oh, and SOCOM 4 supports the Move controller and stereoscopic 3D. While my experience with 3D in SOCOM 4 was short-lived, it also felt completely unnecessary. There’s a reason 3D isn’t a selling point like it was for Killzone 3. Move support on the other hand does feel fast, responsive, and comfortable. If you’ve got the sharpshooter peripheral you’ll probably enjoy hitting the reload button like I did. Adjusting the sensitivity of the Move to your liking is critical and while the game is certainly enjoyable with it, it doesn’t make up for any of SOCOM 4‘s shortcomings. You’ll probably also get your ass kicked if you take it online unless you’ve had your hand surgically replaced by the Move.

When I sat down to write, I was prepared to be more positive about SOCOM 4. Multiplayer and co-op make for a ton of fun and the game is built solid from the ground up, but don’t waste your money if you only plan on playing SOCOM 4‘s single-player campaign. Maybe you’ve already been playing the beta over PSN. If you’re enjoying that then SOCOM 4 is a must-buy. If you’re not… well quit playing the beta! Why are you forcing yourself to do that?

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score

+ Online multiplayer and co-op.

+/- Move and 3D support anyone?

- The same sniper killed me over and over and over again in the campaign.

SOCOM 4 Joins The 3D Movement

Kishen Patel — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 22:02:57 +0000

The delay of SOCOM 4 raised a great deal of disappointment among fans as it was one of the highlights of the holiday season. Although gamers will have to wait until January of 2011 to get their hands on the tactical third-person shooter, PlayStation enthusiasts have another treat to add to the list of features for Zipper Interactive’s upcoming shooter.

Spotted in gameplay videos from the Eurogamer Expo in London, the pause menu for the SOCOM 4 demo featured settings in the video category for a 3D mode. While one of the key features of the TPS has always been PlayStation Move support, stereoscopic 3D has not yet been announced or even mentioned for that matter. Regardless, until the official fact sheet is released for the game, it is safe to say that 3D along with Move support will be present in the title.

SOCOM 4 hits store shelves in January of 2011. Keep up with PlayStation LifeStyle for the official release date.

[Source]

PSLS Explores Gamescom in PlayStation Home

Mike Hartnett — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:14:29 +0000

This past Thursday, Sony went ahead and made the epic decision to not only share their recently released Gamescom space with all European Home users, but North American Home users as well! We decided to head on over to this new space to check it out and see if it lived up to the bill, in addition to snapping a boatload of in-Home photos for everyone to check out.

Upon entering Home’s Gamescom inspired space, simply entitled ‘The Gallery’, the first thing most will notice is the exceptional modern design and and PlayStation themed items throughout. Whether it be the entrance, which is flooded with familiar PlayStation controller logos, or the gigantic PlayStation Move controllers found all around, this space is mighty pretty. There’s also a very short trailer from Gamescon playing in the center of the room, but nothing worth seeing, really. Next comes the space’s music, which conveys an overall “techie”, yet calming theme, with the second tune made up from a slowed down, slightly remixed version of the music heard in Home’s bowling alley, which is quite a soothing treat for the ears.

Then we have, more than likely, the main reason that many of you will choose to visit this space… the goodies and the rewards, of course! There are two main rooms on either end of the space itself, both of which feature PlayStation Move inspired artwork along with a group mini-game entitled ‘Reel of Fortune’, which requires four players in order to begin. Once started, a trailer for a particular Sony title from Gamescom comes up for a few seconds, then it’s each of the player’s jobs to stop a spinning roulette wheel, of sorts, in order to correctly identify the game which was just shown. All players must answer correctly, however everyone gets up to three chances, so it’s not really all that difficult.

Upon successful completion of Reel of Fortune, each player earns a picture frame related to the trailer which was just shown, with eight trailers in all, each with corresponding rewards. The following winnable items are as follows:

Killzone 3 Picture Frame Display
LittleBigPlanet 2 Picture Frame Display
SingStar Dance Picture Frame Display
Dead Nation Picture Frame Display
Infamous 2 Picture Frame Display
MotorStorm Apocalypse Picture Frame Display
Start the Party! Picture Frame Display
Socom: Special Forces Picture Frame Display

Note that these aren’t the same picture frames which display images from your HDD, but rather pieces of art with glass covers to hang around your personal space. One cool thing is that the Infamous 2 framed picture actually shows the first “new” Cole, as opposed second “new” Cole, but that’s pretty much it concerning free items in the space. There is, of course, a commerce point to purchase furniture items found within the space like rugs and couches, although one interesting inclusion was the PlayStation Move motion controller for $.99, which was initially a free obtainable item, given away during E3 2010 in the E3 event space.

So, that’s pretty much all there is to know about the all-new Gamescom space within PlayStation Home. Be sure to stop on by and take a look around, as this space is quite impressive, at least from a design standpoint. For those of you who may not have access to your PlayStation 3 or Home at the moment, we’ve gone ahead and included tons of pics from our visit yesterday, which you can view below.

For all the latest Gamescom news, in addition to all the Home goodness you can handle, be sure to stay tuned to PlayStation LifeStyle!

SOCOM 4 Deployment Delayed

Anthony Severino — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:43:00 +0000

SOCOM 4, the first game in the series to arrive on the PS3 that is developed by Zipper Interactive — the talented team responsible for creating the long-standing franchise — has been long pegged for a holiday 2010 release date. It was also set to be one of the first “hardcore” games to released this year that supports Sony’s upcoming motion controller, the PlayStation Move. However, news just in from the battlefield is, SOCOM 4 won’t be deployed until next year.

Yes it’s true. SOCOM 4 will not be releasing in the 2010 calender year like initially planned.

Over at the official SOCOM 4 website, Zipper Interactive’s Senior Community Manager, Jeremy Dunham broke the sad news:

“Dear SOCOM faithful,
Some of you may have heard through your favorite media outlets that SOCOM 4 is now a 2011 title, and we are writing this letter to you, our community, to confirm that SOCOM 4 is indeed scheduled for release in 2011.
While we’re certainly aware that you’ve been looking forward to playing SOCOM 4 this year, we don’t want to take any shortcuts. Instead, we want to deliver the best and most immersive SOCOM game we possibly can and we’re going to use our extra time to do just that.
Over the coming months, you can expect further updates on our 2011 release, in addition to other gameplay and feature announcements on the official SOCOM 4 blog, which can be found at blog.socom.com.
On behalf of everyone here at Zipper Interactive, we want to thank you for being patient and thank you for sticking with us — it will be worth the wait.
Sincerely,
The SOCOM 4 Team”

While anything worth playing is worth waiting for, we can’t help but be disappointed that there is now a “hardcore” void in Sony’s 2010 PlayStation Move line-up. On the bright side, if Zipper’s last game — MAG — is anything to go by, you can fully expect one hell of a multiplayer experience backed by tons of community support when SOCOM 4 finally releases in 2011.

What are your feelings about SOCOM 4′s delay? How will this affect PlayStation Move’s launch for you hardcore gamers out there? Let us know in the comments below…

Zipline into Zipper’s New Podcast

Kishen Patel — Sat, 08 May 2010 21:39:33 +0000

Sony Computer Entertainment American studio, Zipper Interactive, holds an immense amount of respect in the minds of PlayStation gamers everywhere. From the Washington based studio composed of executives and developers with extensive military backgrounds, Zipper Interactive brought us the SOCOM series for the PS2 and PSP, with an official sequel to the series coming to PS3 this year, and of course their most recent blockbuster hit, MAG. Fortunately for avid SOCOM and MAG fans, the Zipper community managers have whipped up a weekly fix for news hungry fans.

Like other prestigious studios, Zipper has followed the path of development houses like Insomniac Games, Kojima Productions, and Criterion by producing a weekly podcast. Spear-headed by IGN veterans, Jeremy Dunham and the newly appointed community manager, Chris Roper, the Zipline Podcast brings Chris Roper’s “Roper-Report” experience from the Podcast Beyond with nothing but MAG and SOCOM focus along with anything else PlayStation related in the news feed.

With episodes releasing every Friday at an average length of 30-minutes, the Zipline Podcast is a great listen for both hardcore SOCOM and MAG fans and casual PlayStation enthusiasts. Check out the latest episode on the SOCOM blog and be sure to subscribe to their RSS feed to stay tuned into the latest episodes. Just hit the link from your PSP’s web browser to add it to the built-in podcast reader.

And the Secret Game Is… SOCOM 4

Kyle P. — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:42:04 +0000

For days gamers have been eagerly awaiting GameTrailers unveiling tonight of the “surprise Sony sequel“. However, the guys at Zipper Interactive took the liberty themselves, and revealed the game on the PlayStation Blog. This game may not have been what many gamers expected, but it will be a welcome addition to a long-standing series.

Zipper Interactive is looking to, once again, prove they are the masters of the tactical shooter. Socom 4 is scheduled to hit PS3s later this year. Unlike Confrontation, which was handled by Slant Six, not Zipper, Socom 4 will boast both a singleplayer and an online component. No one better can explain the premise of the game, other than Zipper Senior Community Manager Jeremy Dunham:

As the Ops Com, your mission is to command an elite five-man squad charged with stopping his aggressive agenda before it’s too late. In only six days, you must lead your team through a hostile jungle and urban environments against an army of well-armed rebel insurgents that completely outnumber you.
If that setup doesn’t whet your appetite enough, you should also be pleased to know that in addition to the SOCOM’s single-player operation, players will also be able to enjoy a 32-person multiplayer mode that boasts more Special Forces units than ever before!

Zipper made clear that throughout the game development and release, the studio’s earlier release, MAG, will still be 100% supported. Later tonight, on GameTrailers TV, the world premiere trailer will be shown. In fact, GameTrailer TV’s Geoff Keighley just posted on his twitter account, the following message:

Reveal trailer for SOCOM 4 from Zipper tonight on GTTV. This is a real full-blown SOCOM.

This certainly gets us excited here at PlayStation LifeStyle. Are you excited this ‘mystery game’ was indeed Socom 4? What game would you rather have it been? Post your responses in the comments section below.

Sony Deploys New PSP Anti-Piracy Strategy

Steven Garcia — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 09:42:54 +0000

It’s no secret that Sony’s first foray into portable gaming has unfortunately been plagued by an aggressive barrage of piracy. We know this. Developers know this. Sony knows this. However, the one thing that seems to elude everyone affected is how to stop it. With the recent release of SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3, Sony hopes to deliver a solid solution that will succeed where countless firmware and hardware revisions have failed.

Anyone wanting to shoot it up online with the latest installment of the PSP franchise will first have to register the game through the PlayStation Network. While digital copies will do this automagically, UMD versions of the game are packaged with an activation code. “But what if I buy it used,” you ask? Well, Sony’s gotcha covered and is ready and willing to serve you up another activation code–for a small $20 fee, of course.

Now before you go grab your pitchfork and set out to round up a posse, we should tell you John Koller, director of hardware marketing at SCEA, stopped by IGN to set the story straight, saying:

Today’s consumers are more tech savvy and better connected to the internet than ever before. Piracy continues to be an issue of concern for the PSP platform. SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 is a trial run for a new initiative we are exploring for the platform. We will continue to explore this as an opportunity for the platform going forward, but we have no announcements to make on future iterations at this time.

Despite this being merely a “trial run” –wink, wink, nudge, nudge–, we wouldn’t totally dismiss the notion of every forthcoming online title implementing this feature, unless, of course, reception from the gaming community is extremely negative; a completely possible scenario. Still, it’s interesting to see how Sony has managed to not only find a viable way to combat piracy, but also capture a portion of the revenue from used game sales.

How this will ultimately affect the used game market gives birth to many unanswered questions. Will a used copy of such a game don a lower price tag to reflect the added burden of having to purchase a new activation code? Surely Sony doesn’t expect Gamestop and co. to eat the costs themselves, do they? Also, will consumers be less likely to purchase UMDs knowing they’ve been somewhat inherently devalued? Go ahead and sound off in the comments below, or hit up the source link for the full interview while we all patiently wait for this story to develop.

Activation Is Required!

[Source/Via]

SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 Demo Enlists Next Week

Kishen Patel — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:49:36 +0000

One of the most popular and successful series in the PlayStation family is the tactical third-person shooter series, SOCOM. Originally developed by Zipper Interactive on the PlayStation 2, the SOCOM series has since then seen various spinoffs spanning into the territories of the PSP and PS3. Fortunately, now that the final game has been dated, fans of the series finally get a taste of the next SOCOM from Slant Six.

PSP owners were disappointed to learn that SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 was delayed into 2010 due to management reasons due to the slew of games that came out in 2009. However, the realm of uncertainty will soon come to an end when the demo releases next week on the PlayStation Store on February 11.

For those of us interested in the game, will the demo make a difference in the purchase decision? Post your thoughts in the comments below and stay connected to PlayStation LifeStyle.

[Source]

PS3 Review – MAG

Paulmichael Contreras — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:51:13 +0000

The day is finally upon us. MAG, which came out of nowhere at Sony’s E3 press conference in 2008, has finally been released. Touting game modes that can contain 64, 128 and 256 players in a single map, this title truly has some innovative aspirations. But does the execution match the concept?

Which faction will you choose?

MAG definitely earns the “massive” part of its name. If you’ll recall, the title of this game as it was first publicly known was Massive Action Game. When you start out, you first choose a faction for your character. There is only one character slot from the beginning, so what you choose you have to stick with, at least until level 60. The only game modes available to you are Training and Suppression. The initial training is a laughably-short tutorial, which has you moving, running, jumping, ducking, crawling, shooting your primary and backup weapons, and tossing grenades. Other training is available for those looking for some more specifics. The other mode, Suppression, is as small as it gets for this game’s real modes – 64 players, 32 per team.

If that sounds like a lot of competition, well it definitely is. That mode is fun to simply shoot all enemies and not worry about objectives. It is in the later game modes, which have to be unlocked as your player progresses, is where this title both shines and frustrates through no real fault of the game itself. MAG was, after all, developed by Zipper Interactive, the same folks who brought us the wonderful SOCOM series for the PlayStation 2. Those games required strategy and communication amongst team members in order to win a match.

Even the largest of SOCOM: Combined Assault’s battles were two teams of 16 players apiece. So if a handful of people did not have microphones, the team did not suffer too much. MAG practically requires that everyone wear a headset and take an active role in communication. This title is not for the casual gamer. If you are in a vocal squad and have a competent leader, your team should be well off. If not, you do not stand a chance against an organized enemy. Oh, and one more thing – be sure to have at the very least three medics on a squad, because when the action heats up in those Acquisition and Domination modes, people will be falling to the ground all around.

Considering MAG can host a whopping 256 players one may think the graphics are going to take a major technical hit. While not as stunning as Uncharted 2 and it lacks the frame rate of Modern Warfare 2, MAG does offer some nex-gen flash. While the graphics are not as robust, it is a trade off for the massive amount of players, bullets, explosions and smoke that can be on the screen at any given time, a trade off that is well worth it. The audio, however, is nice and crisp and in full THX surround sound. On a 7.1 system every speaker was being used, and there were some nice effects. For example, if you are near someone who is talking on the microphone, friend or enemy alike, you can hear them speaking from their in-game character, location and all. This does muffle their voice a bit when you have the volume low, but it is a nice feature that adds to immersion and can even help with reconnaissance.

The maps are massive, especially in the 256 player Domination mode. Though you only see a fraction of the level while running around unless you wander off from your squad, you can take a look at the entire location by hitting select to bring up a surprisingly detailed map. There are countless routes to take and multiple spawn points to keep things fresh – there are only 3 maps per game mode at launch, after all. In the fullscreen map, you can see every building, player activity and vehicle locations at a glance, and even hover over some items for more information. It is a marvel that the game keeps a steady framerate with so much data to constantly process.

Playing this beast is an adventure in and of itself. There is nothing quite like rushing into a base with your squad and a neighboring squad, or even your entire platoon if you can get organized enough. Overtaking the opposition there is rewarding, and defending these locations perhaps even more so. Being on the receiving end of a successfully choreographed assault, however, can be controller-throwing frustrating as you die countless times and lose bases, and other battlefield resources often. Losing can be a bit overwhelming as you see red objective square flashing everywhere all while trying to keep an eye out for enemies. But these moments of pain are worth the inevitable victory and the experience/skill points that go along with them. Losses are not all negative, since you do earn experience to help your character level up and earn new skills.

Reaching a new level will reward you with a skill point. Skill points can be spent on skills that give you new abilities, weapons, items and customizations. This is where you can fine tune the play to what you enjoy. There are ample combinations that should satisfy even the most niche shooter player. On occasion you can respec your character and try something completely different. Just don’t forget to change your loadouts.

What are YOU looking at?

In the end, this is one of the most rewarding games available. It requires that you actually invest some time in learning the ropes, and those of us who are twitch-shooters will definitely not fare well at first. The game gives bonuses when grunts are near leaders, which is a nice motion to encourage teamwork, and seems to serve its purpose quite well. There are rewards aplenty to be found for good performances, and if you get a good group together the hours will just fly by with each round. Yes, if you land in a bad squad the experience can be frustrating, and yes, the graphics are rather lackluster. But the pros far outweigh the cons here. Every FPS fan who enjoys playing online should pick this up for their PS3. This is the kind of game people will play for as long as they can, and if Zipper keeps the DLC flowing, it may be played for a good long while. I’ll see you on the massive battlefield.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score

An incredibly “massive” experience.

Less then spectacular graphics with immersive audio.

Can be very frustrating when your team is unorganized.

SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 Not Ready for Deployment

Kyle P. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:31:56 +0000

Although the tactical PSP shooter, SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3, has been delayed numerous times by developer Slant Six, it looks like there will be at least one more delay in store for the game. Slant Six has been awfully quiet on the situation, as the game was originally scheduled for a late 2009 release, and has suffered long standing and questionable delays.

For un-specified reasons, the pushed-back January 12th release date, is not going to happen. Whether it has to do with the development of the game, or if it is a crowded launch window, is not yet known. However, according to a SCEA rep, a new and solid release date is going to be announced “in the coming weeks”.

[Source]

MAG Deployment Imminent, Goes Gold with Open Beta

Dan Massi — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:50:58 +0000

MAG is getting closer than ever. The title is scheduled to release a mere month from now, with a date of January 26th in the US. Massive Action Game has been heavily anticipated for quite some time. It is the first PS3 title from SOCOM developer Zipper Interactive.

Zipper Interactive today has announced that MAG has gone gold in North America, Japan, Korea, and the rest of Asia. Zipper also revealed that the European discs “are finishing up final quality assurance rounds right now”, and they expect those editions to go gold in the coming weeks.

The team also brought exciting news, announcing that the formally exclusive MAG beta will be brought to everyone on PSN. They have described this beta as the final taste to the game, and it will launch January 4th.

MAG launches January 26th 2010 in both North America and Asia. Also expect the title to hit January 28th in Japan, plus January 29th in Korea. Will you be picking up the title? Post your comments below!

[Source]

SOCOM’s War To Have a Cold Front

Paulmichael Contreras — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:43:53 +0000

"This place is too damn hot!"

The SOCOM series of third-person tactical shooters has a long history on the PlayStation consoles. Beginning on the PlayStation 2, it had one of the best online multiplayer offerings for all of the last generation of consoles. SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation is the series’ latest offering, the first developed by Slant Six instead of Zipper Interactive, available only on the PlayStation 3. Although the game has received multiple updates since it released October 14th 2008, it hasn’t really received any traditional DLC. Until now.

"Ugh...T-t-too...D-d-damn...C-c-cold!!!"

DLC is finally coming over to this game in the form of the aptly-named “Cold Front” pack, and with it the 1.6 update will also be applied. This patch includes numerous fixes as well as two new factions, the Dutch KCT and the Italian COMSUBIN as well as various new weapons. The DLC will contain a lot more content, however:

New Russian / Eastern European Area of Operation
Snow setting complete with snow effects, new snow gear and camo for both the Special Forces and Mercenaries, and thermal vision
New ARMS RUN gameplay mode
5 New Maps
All new mercenaries characters with new looks and new VO.
New Special Forces squad, the Russian Spetsnaz
Gun turret emplacements
New music
All new character specialization/progression system
New weapons
New Trophies

While the game update will be free of charge, the new DLC will be priced at $14.99. However, if you purchase the pack within the first 24 hours of release you will only be charged $9.99. Considering the game can now be picked up for $28 from Amazon, that’d be $40 for the DLC and game together. That adds a lot of appeal to this game, and the recent patches have cleaned up much of what was wrong with the game initially. Has this convinced any of you to take the dive into SOCOM?

Screenshots of the upcoming DLC below!

SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo Saga Continues

Dan Massi — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:14:57 +0000

SOCOM fans can rejoice as the SOCOM saga will continue before years end. Slant-Six will deliver another episode of the team based action game exclusively to the PlayStation Portable. Wraith is back for this installment leading his team of Navy Seals and is hot on the trail of a former KGB agent.

SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 will release November 24th just in time for the busy holiday shopping season. Fireteam Bravo 3 will feature online co-op and over 70 weapons, below are the some of the great new features available in this latest installment.

New Special Forces Kommando Speizialkrafte (KSK): Play as the deadly KSK. Formed at the end of the Cold War, the KSK operates under the Special Operations Division. KSK operators go through an intense training program, taking up to three years to complete over 20 counter-terrorism specialist courses. Special Air Service (SAS): Compete as the elite British SAS. Often considered the template by which other Special Forces are organized, the SAS has its origin in the North African Theatre of World War II. The motto of the SAS is “Who Dare Wins,” a solid description of their skill and mindset.

New Weapons F2000: The German KSK are outfitted with the powerful F2000 assault rifle. The F2000 offers the most popular features of the modern assault rifle including a compact bullpup layout, completely ambidextrous handling and a modular design with plenty of options and add-ons which allow the rifle to be tailored for any mission or tactical situation. AS-50: The British SAS come armed with the deadly accurate AS-50 BMG sniper/anti-material rifle. The AS-50 .50 BMG sniper/anti-material rifle enables operators to engage targets from long range with high accuracy. Lightweight and transportable, the AS-50 can be disassembled in less than three minutes and serviced without tools.

Pre-orders are available now from most major resellers including Amazon.com.

[Source]