It’s not hard to imagine that Sony knew Microsoft would choose E3 to make its curtain-call announcement of Final Fantasy XIII for the 360. It’s likewise reasonable to believe they searched their catalog of works under development for the best candidate to generate any buzz. What we got was a mixed bag — the trailer of an incredibly expansive shooter, but it didn’t even have a title. It was just MAG: Massive Action Game. It sounded tempting, but very incomplete.

In fact it was shown to a focus group less than a month before E3. One among that group, after seeing the MAG E3 debut, reached out to me, under a promise of anonymity, to describe what was shown and asked of the group. Put simply, MAG — whatever title it comes out under — will be a mercenary combat MMO. We're told that it will more than likely carry SOCOM branding, as Zipper Interactive is behind it. And if so, it could be called SOCOM: Shadow War or SOCOM: Zero. Though Sony did stress it was a brand new IP at the press conference.

For purposes of identity protection, my source, who has experience in other video game focus groups, will be called Orange. Being identified could cost Orange, and others, future work.

“They gave us six options for taglines at the end,” said Orange, who could only remember four: MAG: Shadow War; MAG: Zero; MAG: Global Assault and MAG: Final Hour. Orange said the group liked Shadow War and Zero. Orange reasoned that Zipper Interactive's involvement means all signs would point to a repurposing of SOCOM IP for this one, rather than creating a new title outright. Indeed, when providing me visual examples of certain factions that he observed, Orange used images from SOCOM 3.

“We were all deliberating what sort of game it was similar to, and for the most part, SOCOM and Planetside (another Sony title) were the only names that came out, based on what we have heard and seen,” Orange said. The group members saw, or was described, gameplay but could not perform it themselves, which indicated it was in a far less complete stage than other games for which Orange had been in a focus group. All the group saw was a “touched up” version of the trailer that ran at E3, Orange said. Then they were asked questions, mostly regarding the game’s story and the scope of its battles.

SOCOM and Planetside were the closest cousins, Orange said, because the game involves “troop like gameplay with a 3rd person view. The game is set following catstrophic events in the near future — “2015 to 2020, around there,” said Orange — in which mercenaries, aligned with certain factions, are engaged in relentless secret wars for control of resources.

Orange saw three factions — Americans, based in Alaska (“I can assume a snow level,” Orange joked) Europeans and a Middle East faction. Orange provided two .jpgs from SOCOM 3 that were close analogues to the MAG Europe and Middle East factions. If Sony chooses to go forward like this, the obvious Middle East motif could cause some PR problems (although, “It was a black American soldier they showed us, if that makes up for it.”) To Anglo players, that kind of garb clearly says “terrorist,” and not mercenaries, especially considering the regular fatigues and high-tech suits worn by Americans and Europeans, respectively.

Orange said the presenters focused on two topics: Whether the story justifying the state of current events in the game was believable enough for gamers, and whether the scale of combat was appealing. MAG is promising multiplayer battles of up to 256 participants, broken down into 8-member units aligned to one of two sides. There will be no third-party intercessions on any battles, Orange said.

“For MAG they were all about scale,” Orange said. “That was the word they were going for. Massive (as in the scale of the level). With 256 players, they don’t want it to be a clusterfuck of deathmatch. They want vast levels where troops can approach from all angles.”

At that scale, you can be an independent operator assigned to one unit, knowing none of the others on your side, or you can gather up to seven of your friends and jump in as a squad, with other participants added in if your unit totals less than eight. Obviously, it’s not obligating you to find 127 of your closest friends if you want to see the largest scale of combat MAG will offer.

That said, mission objectives for these battles will definitely be in the hands of a few human players. We’ve reported on the concept of ranks in MAG, where players accumulate experience and ascend a shot-calling ladder within the game, such that they are either grunts, lieutenants, or generals in charge of the whole operation. You’ll ascend in rank according to a points accrual system that Orange was able to describe loosely.

“When they were describing it, it kept reminding me of Alterac Valley from World of Warcraft, if you are familiar,” Orange said. “What happens is: You get points for contributing with your troop/overall team. If you happen to win or do better than the rest of your team, you get more points. So the more you play, or the more points you get, the higher your rank goes.”

Some speculated/wished that at high command levels, the game moved back into some sort of top-down/RTS interface. That sort of happens. “Everyone is in the field,” Orange said, “but the person in charge is capable of looking at the map and commanding the overall group or individual troops. He is also capable of things like airstrikes and parachute drops. He could either control and babysit from far back, or jump right into the action [with a weapon himself.]”

Orange didn’t like the fact another human player could set all the mission parameters. “Why would I want someone telling me how to play the game?” Orange said. “Perhaps I know more about the certain terrain than they do, should they have the ability to penalize me if I don’t listen? Granted, penalizing and kicking were not mentioned but they’re always a possiblity.

While Orange did not see individual character classes or their abilities demonstrated, Orange came away with the understanding that all units could be comprised of a single class if they desired. Also, once a character achieved a certain point ranking, certain options became customizable, such as appearance and equipment/weaponry upgrades.

In all, Orange described an appealing game, and it’s a logical progression from MMOs set in fantasy contexts. After all, there are, at least for narrative purposes, kingdoms and heads of state in those worlds too, and adventurers set off on individual quests and find combat there. Given a good enough story to set it up, what should preclude that kind of experience in the modern world?

Don't forget that since this is all coming out of a focus test it could be very pie-in-the-sky stuff, though certainly ideas that are tickling Sony's collective grey matter.

Character growth will be accomplished through an advancement tree, which allows players to fine tune their players throughout massive campaigns. "MAG will deliver an intense and long lasting shooter experience," said Beaudoin, who also described the game as "a workout even for the PS3 architecture."

More on this title as it develops. No release date was specified. Gallery below.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Release Date [SOCOM]

If you think Quarantine looks nice, hit the jump for Crossroads - definitely my favorite of the two.

But that's not necessarily a bad thing. A developer doesn't always have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to hardcore shooters, and SOCOM is about as hardcore as they come.

The team did talk up a few of the changes coming to this latest iteration while they were showing SOCOM Confrontation off during last Friday's SCEA Pre-E3 Judges Day held by Sony in Hollywood.

In SOCOM Confrontation, you can now fully customize your character, tweaking the look of your character head to toe, with the type of special force unit a gamer chooses providing them access to different bits of customizable gear. Customization includes the ability to add armor to your character, though the more body armor you wear the slower they move.

Players can now sprint in game. Running, something that long ago became a mainstay of most shooters, has somehow never shown up in SOCOM titles before. Now that it's in the game, I'm not super impressed with the way it's being implemented, mostly because it doesn't allow you to change directions as you run. It's an odd choice, one that seems to indicates that Slant Six isn't really behind adding sprinting to the game.

The biggest change to actual SOCOM game play would have to be Slant Six Games' use of the Sixaxis motion controls in the game. While you're never forced to use them, you can use tilting and up-and-down motions to go prone, squat or lean. Leaning with the Sixaxis took a little getting used to, but seemed to work well. It was a little unsettling that players don't lock to cover, as with most games that use a cover system, but the end result felt far more organic, and, I suspect, true to life.

These few changes, Sixaxis controls, character customization and running, are so slight that they're not really noticeable. Instead the chief focus of the team, it seems, is to create a next-gen version of the popular PlayStation franchise that emphasizes graphics over any significant shift in gameplay.

And the graphics are a significant step up from the PS2 entries in the series. They don't however leave other PlayStation 3 titles in the dust; instead they seem to be about on par with some of the better titles I've seen hitting the console recently.

The thirty minutes I spent with SOCOM Confrontation was liquid fast, interrupted only occasionally by in-progress bugs. The map I played on, a next-gen version of classic "Crossroads," is as deep as I remember it, with the ability to go through most doors, access most rooftops, and create choke points by blowing select access points. The map is packed with nuance, lots of tiny little details that breath life into it.

But most of the changes I noticed on the map and in the game were cosmetic, changes to the look and, perhaps, the depth of the game, but nothing that really changes the way you play the game, for good or bad.

I think this, coupled with the fact that SOCOM Confrontation is online, multiplayer only, will feel more like a title meant to tide SOCOM fans over until the next full installment hits, rather then quench their thirst for some Playstation 3 SOCOM gaming.

First up is SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, due out in September for the PlayStation 3. We've got screens, concept art, and a giant fact sheet after the jump that contains all you really need to know about that latest game in the SOCOM series. Enjoy!

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Slant Six Games
Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system
Genre: 3rd Person Shooter (Online Only)
Players: Multi-player (32 players)
Launch Date: September 16, 2008
Rating: Rating pending (targeting M-Mature)

OVERVIEW

Following its success as the number one online PlayStation®2 franchise,
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs breaches onto the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system this fall with SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation. The highly anticipated title promises to deliver the ultimate next-generation online combat experience, exclusively on the PS3.

With the power of the PS3, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation will deliver the most intense and authentic high definition modern combat action. The title's focus is on online play and the global community and clans that support it. With an emphasis on Tournaments, Clan Ladders, Leader Boards, the latest title in the multi-million unit selling franchise is exactly what SOCOM fans have been clamoring for.

Delivering a global-scale combat experience that has been refined over four generations of the SOCOM franchise, SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation gives players the opportunity to battle against the best and brightest from the U.S., Europe and Asia. Additionally, players will be able to modify their appearance through facial and physical customization.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation features seven North African environments, including a 32-player version of the most popular SOCOM map of all time "Crossroads." Additional themed packs containing new Special Forces, weapons, maps and features will be made available for download via the PLAYSTATION®Store.

KEY FEATURES
Intense online combat experience with up to 32 players delivered in High Definition

7 highly detailed maps, 5 scalable for 8, 16, and 32 players with night and day versions.

New engine built for PS3 with advanced physics, lighting and ballistics including penetration modeling

Choice of playing as one of five special forces units: United States Navy SEALs, Special Air Service (SAS, United Kingdom), Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK, Germany), Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE, Spain), 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (1er RPIMa, France)

Comprehensive player customization including facial and camo customization

Customizable load outs and gear, including weapons modifications

Up to seven different game modes, including all from previous SOCOM games. Full support of the Dual Shock 3 SIXAXIS™ wireless controller, offering greater control

Advanced voice communication systems and immersive audio

Unrivaled Community Features with increased clan & ladder support

Tournaments available at the regional, national and global levels

Advanced player matching enable players to form teams with their friends and easily join an online game

Integration with SOCOM.com: Stat tracking, clan management tools, My SOCOM pages and more

Check out the jump for details on some of the screens taking from the Crossroads and Urban Wasteland maps. I can't wait till this game hits, looks like it's going to be a total blast.

On the Crossroads map:

Three on one? All’s fair in love and war.

I’m a huge fan of architecture and the way cities look. I took a trip to New York City a couple weeks ago and came home with more pictures of random buildings and streets than I did of the actual thing I went there to see.

So, there’s a lot for me to like in this one screen. The way that the tile gives way to basic dirt, the street lamps, and the brick work are all pushing my buttons over here. It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?

Do you see that lion in the background, just to the left of center?

If you wanted to, you could travel all the way over there. Same thing with the tall building in the center, and the rooftops to the left, front, and center.

Two more bits. First, if you have a proper weapon, you can snipe from this position and pick people off from across the map. Second, do you see the birds flying in the air? You can shoot them. We don’t encourage that sort of thing, and you’re really better off shooting at the enemy, but hey... you can shoot them.

This is an image from the same angle as the post from the other day, but a bit lower to the ground and more detailed. You can see some things that were blocked or covered before. The bicycle, the garbage bags (there are two), and the fuel can, for example. There’s even a transformer on the electrical tower.

For those of you who don’t speak French, “Bain pour hommes" translates to, “Men’s Bath.”

On the Urban Wasteland map:

This is a shot from Urban Wasteland. We can get a good look at the wrecked building, and can probably figure out some decent working strategies for this specific point. There are pretty clearly four levels at work here— the beginning of the stairs (off-screen), the first landing, the second landing (off-screen to the left and top), and then the walkway in the top right.

It seems like it’d be pretty easy to pick people off from any level of the staircase, which means that you’ve got to stay on your toes when ascending or descending. The real question is what’s in the rooms that the staircase comes from and goes to?

The team just announced the release of a new downloadable map pack for SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault. This third downloadable map pack includes SOCOM and SOCOM II maps Crossroads, Fishhook, Frostfire and Guidance.

Crossroads is a SOCOM II urban map based in North Africa. Crossroads consistently ranks as the most popular classic SOCOM map and a next generation version of Crossroads will be featured in SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation. It is playable in a day or night setting with up to 16 players in Suppression, Demolition and Control gametypes.

Fishhook is a SOCOM II map based on a seaside North African village. It is playable with up to 16 players in a day or night setting in Suppression, Extraction, Control and Breach gametypes.

Frostfire is a SOCOM map which features an oil drilling platform off of the coast of Alaska. It is playable in a day or night setting with up to 16 players in Suppression, Control and Demolition gametypes.

Guidance is a SOCOM II map which features an ex-soviet military base in Russia. It is playable in a day or night setting with up to 16 players in Suppression, Demolition and Control gametypes.

The best part, the new map pack is totally free. Sounds like just the thing to hold me over until SOCOM Confrontations hits in September.

NEW SOCOM 3 AND SOCOM CA MAP PACK RELEASED... FOR FREE! [SOCOM, thanks txshurricane]

SOCOM Confrontation Marching Out on September 16 [1UP]

* Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEALs, United States)
* Special Air Service (SAS, United Kingdom)
* Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK, Germany)
* Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE, Spain)
* 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (1er RPIMa, France)

Interesting way to try and push gamers to team up more permanently.

SOCOM Confrontation Special Forces Unveiled [1Up]

[www.ps3fanboy.com] New First-Party Bluetooth headset unveiled, to be included in SOCOM: Confrontation bundle?

Breaking the Silence - New SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Screens! [PlayStation.Blog]

Yep, the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem. Unfortunately, I've been on step one for about three years now. It seems this is as far as I'm willing to go.

While I play the above, I have to wonder: what are you playing this weekend?

He explains of the PlayStation Network release:

Since we can count on the hard drive to be in every PS3 console, SOCOM Confrontation uses a very aggressive data streaming system which in turn allows for much greater detail in the game environments. For this reason alone, the level of detail which you will see in the environments and characters in SOCOM Confrontation is not possible on any other game console.

Technically, Luisi is right. No other console manufacturer is providing downloadable games of this size with a default amount of reliable storage. The game, given the caveat of pre-alpha software looks pretty good as it stands now, with three new in-game screens now on the official PlayStation blog. Visually possible on other consoles? Sure. But remember that "technically."

Inside the Developers Studio: Seth Luisi [PlayStation.Blog]

While talking to SCEA Marketing Maven Peter Dille earlier this month, we slipped onto the topic of SOCOM Confrontations, the online only PS3 shooter that will be sold as a downloadable title in the Sony store. I told him I was surprised that such a strong franchise would make its Playstation 3 debut in a form that didn't include a single-player campaign. Dille said Confrontation was a chance for the developers to focus on a specific type of play for a specific type of player and that it wouldn't be the only SOCOM game coming to the PS3.

"In the case of SOCOM: Confrontation, the SOCOM franchise has been around for awhile and (the developers) were focused on a style of play that hasn't been tapped yet," Dille said. "I don't think people should conclude that it will be the be all and end all of the SOCOM franchise."

The idea that SOCOM 4 or something like it will be coming to the Playstation 3 is sort of a no-brainer, but it does the heart good to hear that coming straight from SCEA's mouth. Brian Crecente

By: Brian Crecente

The Xbox Live Arcade wasn't just what helped define the Xbox 360, the Xbox 360 defined what gamers and developers thought of downloadable titles.

They were, according to the 360, smaller, less fully featured games, sometimes retro titles, that sold for much less than a full game. And for the most part Nintendo followed suit when their Wii came to market.

But Sony had a different idea in mind, and now they have an uphill battle as they try to redefine what downloadable games mean to both the people who play the games and those who make them.

"The assumptions you laid out are correct," Peter Dille, Sony Computer Entertainment's Senior Vice President of Marketing, told me in a recent interview. "Because Live has been around for awhile people assumed that Sony would create a service that has checked the box in every case, if Microsoft is doing something we will too, but we are doing a lot of things differently. "

Chief among them is what sorts of games make it to the Playstation Store. While the store is already home to the sorts of demos and short-play experience games that you find on the 360's Arcade, soon it will also be home to a pair of titles that will be instrumental in Sony's battle to reshape how people think of downloadable games.

"Live Arcade offers something for people who want a certain thing," Dille said. "But a lot of the products you have seen on arcade are 'been there, done that', some feel like PC shareware practically. Our strategy was to develop games specifically for the PS3 that would show off our console."

"The games you play via Live Arcade, are those really next gen games? We are using an online distribution network in a very different way, we are not delivering yesterday's games. Online can be many things, but when it is used as a distribution vehicle it shouldn't change the game design."

While you could argue that games like Blast Factor, which plays in 1080p, and flOw, which supports the SIXAXIS motion controls, aren't really that different than games like Geometry Wars Retro Evolved, that argument starts to fall apart when you look at the Playstation Store's upcoming line-up which includes Warhawk, SOCOM: Confrontation and Pain.

In Pain, gamers have to launch a character imbued with rag-doll physics into a cityscape where they inflict damage to both the environment and the person they've just launched from a giant slingshot. While the basic game seems to include enough features to give it quite a bit of life, developer Idol Minds plans to release periodic content for the game to expand both how and where you play the game.

"Pain shows off the Playstation 3 and lends itself to episodic content delivery," Dille said.

To me, Pain represents perhaps a half step forward in online distributed console games, but Warhawk and SOCOM, they represent a leap. Both games promise to feature robust online environments, large multiplayer gatherings and both the graphics and mechanics of a game you'd expect to find sitting on a store shelf, rather than available for download from an online store. But when news first hit that Warhawk was going to be a downloadable game, most gamers seemed to view that as a step down for the title.

"We didn't make any announcement about Warhawk, all of these expectations were based on rumor or innuendo," Dille said. "We clarified our strategy at Gamer's Day."

Not only did they confirm that Warhawk would be an online-only downloadable title, but they also unveiled another interesting twist on Sony's take on Playstation Store games, that the game would also be available in stores. The Blu-Ray version will be a sort of Director's Cut or Special Edition of the Warhawk purchased online. It will come with a slew of behind the scenes and making of videos as well as a Bluetooth headset. While not yet finalized, Dille said the same will likely be true for SOCOM: Confrontation when it comes out.

"We want to use the network store to offer choice, if you don't want to leave your couch or get in your car you can just download it," Dille said. "We give people a choice and give our retail partners a chance to participate in Warhawk."

While I still think Sony faces an uphill battle in changing the notion of what a downloadable game is, Dille believes they've already won over gamers and developers.

"I think gamers got it before (last month's) Gamers Day," he said. "Six months in we had about one million seven hundred thousand users online," Dille said. Six million pieces of content have been downloaded since the launch. "We feel like people got it. We think our 44 percent attach rate will ramp up very, very quickly, as more people understand what we are doing and with the coming of Home."

"Internally, people are very, very excited about developing for the network. We are seeing a ton of great products coming for the PSN," he said. "I think there has been an education process. Our third party partners had certain assumptions about what we would offer on the PSN. They probably didn't start imagining what they could do. Did any of them imagine we would be developing games like flOw or Pain? Now we're evangelizing a different type of experience."

One that is different from the 360, in part, because of differences in the two consoles' hardware, Dille says.

"We happen to have a hard disk drive in every Playstation 3.," he said. Microsoft "is selling to a fragmented user base. We can talk to the developers and say there are no limitations on what you make for us."

And changing gamers' and developers' preconceived notions of what makes a downloadable title is just the beginning for Sony, their next big nut to crack is true episodic content.

"I don't think anyone has done episodic content in gaming well," Dille said. "Currently episodic content means delivering content periodically. Whether or not it has that story line is the missing ingredient. When you contrast that to things like TV with Lost and the Sopranos. I think as an industry we haven't tapped (episodic content) yet. We want to get people to stand around the water cooler and talk about games they way they talk about TV, 'Did you install the latest content of this game that explained a plot or cliff hanger?'"

"You have to separate a distribution vehicle from a game experience."

Of course, the down side is that five of those are for Sony's own MLB 07: The Show. The other two are for the stunning Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and SOE's port of Championship Sprint, which I can only assume indicates a May 31 release of the arcade racer.

Now, for the Weekly Bitching Update. There are new trailers for Folklore, LittleBigPlanet, Heavenly Sword, Lair and SOCOM Confrontation from Gamers Day that we PLAYSTATION 3 owners would just love to see on the Store, yet they're still not up. They should be. Maybe I'm just bitter about not getting into the Warhawk beta. Michael McWhertor

Instead, you'll find Sony Online Entertainment's hi-def port of Midway's Rampage World Tour (five bucks), and a trailer for the arcade classic Joust. That's it.

Hey, Sony, we'd love to see some of this stuff show up on the Store. Really. Can you make that happen? Michael McWhertor

Among the Playstation Portable games on hand to check out, two really stood out from the crowd. Of course, God of War: Chains of Olympus looks brilliant, but I was pleasantly surprised to find SOCOM Tactical Strike taking up a lot of my time.

Unlike the Bravo Team games for the PSP, this particular title is essentially a real-time strategy game. You take command of a group of four SEALS (you can also play as units from other country's special forces) and command them through missions using the face buttons in real time. You can never actually take control of them and you can only see the action from above one of the four units, no sort of god view.

The game's stripped down commands make are built in a way that make issuing commands to the two pairs of men simple, but can stack up to get them to do some pretty intricate things. The game's pacing is perfect for play on the PSP and the nine maps are relatively huge.

While I didn't get a ton of time with the game I left pretty impressed with what it seemed to offer, a deep, handheld tactical game with a SOCOM flavor.

Second video after the jump. Brian Crecente

Sony Computer Entertainment of America this week unveiled a new SOCOM Navy Seals headed to the Playstation 3's online store. A trailer for SOCOM Confrontation, an online only game, was shown during SCEA's Gamers Day at their Santa Monica Studios.

The game will support up to 32 people and be sold both online and on a blu-ray disc. Gamers will be able to form clans in the game and customize their uniforms, the developers said. It will also feature a number of playable special forces units from around the world.

The game, due out this holiday, will be host to lots of online events and regularly scheduled tournaments, the developers said. Brian Crecente

SOCOM Confrontation
FACT SHEET

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Developer: Slant Six Games
Platform: PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3 ) computer entertainment system
Genre: 3rd Person Shooter (Online Only)
Players: Multi-player (32 players)
Launch Date: November 2007
Rating: ESRB M, PEGI 16+
OVERVIEW

Following its success as the number one online PlayStation 2 franchise,
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs breaches onto the PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3 ) computer entertainment system in high-definition this holiday-season. SOCOM Confrontation delivers the ultimate next-generation online combat experience made possible by the power of PS3.

SOCOM Confrontation focuses on online play and the global community and clans that support it. With support for Tournaments, Clan Ladders, Leader Boards, this latest title in the multi-million unit selling franchise is exactly what SOCOM fans have been clamoring for. Additionally, players will be able to modify their appearance through facial and physical customization.

A global-scale experience, SOCOM Confrontation gives players the opportunity to battle against the best and brightest from the U.S., Europe and Asia.

SOCOM Confrontation deploys with five new North African themed maps, including a 32-player version of "Crossroads." Additional themed packs for SOCOM Confrontation will be made available for download via the PLAYSTATION Store.

The second season of SOCOM Hell Week, in which a bunch of SOCOM gamers get abused by real Navy Seals, is well underway. I've upped the first two vids here.

My favorite part? When the drill sergeant is forced to read off the idiotic gamer tags of his "recruits." Elvis, douce, President Pain. Yeah, you know that guy wanted to slap their faces off. Brian Crecente

Including Sony's recent price drop of the PSP Core Pack, a number of new initiatives, including the "Dude, Get Your Own" campaign, will attempt to reach young teens. That means more UMD movies aimed at kids as well as videogame content that focuses more on the younger market. That doesn't mean we won't get titles like God of War or SOCOM, of course, but don't be surprised if software like Konami's Brooktown High find a wider audience.

More details from Koller at Kohler's blog, including an interesting hint at how God of War PSP will play. Michael McWhertor

For PSP, a New Focus On Teen Market [Game|Life]

As we reported yesterday, Sony has officially dropped the price of the Playstation Pportable Core Pack today.

The PSP will now sell for $169.99. And in a very smart move, SCEA also dropped the price of two of the better PSP games, adding both Daxter and Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror to the PSP Greatest Hits collection, making them both about $20 each. That, is three good reasons to buy a PSP.

"We have always been passionate about making great entertainment accessible to everyone, and the new price for PSP, as well as the continued growth of the 'Greatest Hits' library, reflect our ongoing commitment to supporting and expanding the PSP community," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "We are pleased that we are able to engineer savings for the consumer at this stage of PSP's lifecycle, allowing more individuals to experience PSP for the first time. In particular, we have recently seen a steady rise in the number of teens adopting PSP as their primary handheld entertainment system, and we expect the new price will accelerate that trend."

The press release goes on to say that gamers should expect new titles from the God of War, Ratchet & Clank, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs and Syphon Filter franchises.

"Ready At Dawn couldn't be more pleased with our success bringing Daxter to the PSP platform last year, and now we have another opportunity to blow away expectations of what a developer can accomplish on a portable when Kratos hits the 'small screen' in God of War," said Didier Malenfant, co-founder and president, Ready At Dawn Studios. "PSP is an ideal platform for us to work on because we have a high level of freedom to be creative, and we can deliver gameplay experiences that rival ones you'd get from a computer entertainment system."

The press release goes on to point out that SWAT, Monster Hunter Freedom 2, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles and Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology are all headed to the PSP this year.

It all sounds good... until they hit my sore subject: Media.

"SCEA also continues to evaluate expanding PSP's entertainment options as more and more PSP owners use their system for watching movies, playing music, and viewing photos. SCEA remains committed to driving the development and distribution of entertainment content for PSP.

OMG, how can they still be evaluating a major function of their handheld more than two years after it launched? How! HOW! I actually sort of went off on the PSP development guy that was at the Sony Blogger Congress at GDC this year when he said something like this.

I can't remember exactly what I said, but it was something like: You guys keep saying the same thing, when the hell is it going to actually happen?

No answer, really.

The other big question is when is the PSP 2.0 coming out. Come on Sony, there's nothing wrong with releasing improved models shortly after you release the original. Just look at Nintendo, they screwed all of those DS fat owners over and no one seemed to care. Brian Crecente

At the Sony press conference — which turned out to be less a press conference and more of a free dine and wine where a bunch of gamers sat around on bean bags and played Loco Roco to the cooing of their own personal booth babe — I had the opportunity of trying out SOCOM 3: US Navy S.E.A.L.S. at the Sony booth.

I noticed something was a bit odd when I wandered into the SOCOM 3 building and everyone was lying flat on their backs, wearing headsets, staring unblinking at the ceiling. But that was as far as I got before an obsequious Sony bimbo (and, lest I be accused of chauvinism, this bimbo was a guy) said that the cave was full, and suggested that I "climb to the roof."

Climb to the roof I did. As it turned out, SOCOM 3's press both was a two storied miniature building. On the ground floor, players laid flat on their backs and played SOCOM 3 on a monitor embedded in the ceiling. On the roof? Inverse. Players laid flat on their stomachs, inserted their faces through the floor, and stared down at a monitor... as well as the person laying directly below them, twenty feet below.

Three things happened to me in quick succession as I lay down to play SOCOM 3:

1) My crippling vertigo kicked in.

2) Slick from a day wandering the halls of heat-emanating nerd ubiquity, my glasses slid off my nose and crashed down on the horizontal display below.

3) As I stood up to ask the adorable Aryan booth babe standing near me to somehow fetch my glasses, I realized that laying with all my weight on my crotch had given me a quite visible erection. And then she realized it too.

How was SOCOM 3? I dunno. I think I ran three hundred clicks to Charlie or something. Florian Eckhardt

While I love this idea because it lets you really decide if you think the maps are worth the money. What I don't like is that map pack one is just a collection of maps from SOCOM II. That's right, Sony's charging for old maps. I don't mind finding a couple of "classics" mixed in with original stuff, but don't make the whole thing rehashed maps.

The pack includes After Hours, Liberation and Last Bastion. Brian Crecente

SOCOM 3 News Flash [SOCOMBLOG]

It's our pleasure to announce the SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault for PS2 and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 for the PSP! We at the SOCOM blog are pleased to be the first to announce these new titles and hope you'll help us make some noise. SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 build on the strengths of the multimillion-selling franchise to firmly establish both its single-player and multiplayer as equally outstanding game experiences. Created in association with U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 places you in the role of an elite SEAL commander!

The games don't have official dates yet, but Zipper says they will launch this fall.

Hit the jump for the official details on the two games.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault:
SOCOM: U.S.Navy SEALs Combined Assault offers all new 4-player cooperative gameplay and classic 32-player competitive gameplay. Both multiplayer game modes will have an expansive list of community features - including friends list, chat functionality, a detailed ranking structure, expanded stat tracking and more.
Mission design, layout and enemy behavior will allow you to decide how to approach a given enemy, whether through stealth or raw offense.
Enemy behavior has been enhanced to make them more tactical, intelligent and deadly. Vehicle driving behavior has also been improved for more realistic movement and decision-making.
New weapons, including non-lethals such as tear gas, pepper spray projectiles and concussion ordinance, and defensive equipment such as flak vests.
3 vehicle classes including the light, agile but vulnerable Recon class, the fast Support class, that focuses on troop transport, and the heavily armed and armored but slow Armor class.
SOCOM: U.S.Navy SEALs Combined Assault and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 both take place in the same massive area of operation with an in-depth, unified story arc.
Crosstalk functionality between SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2 will be enhanced through cinematics, voice-over, in-game cut scenes and action events that combine the efforts of both SEAL teams, in addition to numerous unlockables.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2:
An intense single-player campaign with 14 missions across diverse terrain and environments.
Non-linear mission progression enables players to strategically choose which mission they will take on next.
Dynamic mission generation allows for nearly endless replay. Once a player completes a single player mission map, that map can again become active multiple times with new objectives and enemies.
Command Equity is what SEALs earn when they perform well with core aspects of a mission. Command Equity points are earned through mission performance and used to purchase special military assets such as weapons, satellite intelligence, air strikes and more.
Local Influence is the civilian counterpart to Command Equity, and deals with how the SEALs interact with local populations during the campaign. Local Influence rating determines your standing with the local population and the higher the rating the more chance there is that they will give you free intel and access to black market items and equipment.
Enemy tactics and behavior have been dramatically improved for more authentic and immersive scenarios and combat.
Over 40 authentic weapons and equipment options offer the ability to customize the gameplay experience.
Multiplayer - Players will be able to team up and compete with friends in Ad Hoc and Infrastructure Modes through a Wi-Fi connection. 16 players in close proximity (via Ad Hoc mode) and across the country (via Infrastructure Mode) can play together wirelessly.
Playing wirelessly includes 3 new multiplayer game modes including Tug-of-War Control Points, Capture the Flag and Target.
Expanded online community support features include: tournaments, clan challenges and ladders and enhanced friends list and instant messaging features.

Announcing SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2!!! [SOCOM Blog]

Sony's working on getting another SOCOM out the door for the Playstation Portable. The tenatiave title for the game is SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo 2 and will include 40 weapons, a selection of different terrain types, and ten new multiplayer maps. The title is expected to hit this November.

New PSP SOCOM Coming [PSP Rumors]

Reader Ryfael sends word that Sony is surveying SOCOM players about a wide range of things from what they like about the game, to what they'd like to see in future iterations to what they think of the military.

My favorite creepy question:

Has playing SOCOM made you more likely to consider joining the Navy SEALs or any other branch of the military?

Hit the jump for screenshots of all of the survey questions.

Always up for pre-orders on hopes and dreams, GameStop is taking reservations for Zipper Interactive's upcoming SOCOM game. There are rumblings that the game will be a PS3 launch title, and the retailer lists this SOCOM title as dropping this November for the PS2. Pure speculation at this point, but SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals Combine Assault could be that rumored fourth game.

Pre-Order Here [GameStop] Thanks, SK!

You're looking for a SOCOM: FTB headset, but no luck. What do you do? If you are an enterprising DIY type, you make it. The Living PSP points to a How-To involving a PS1 A/V cable.

I cut the cable in half ( that way I can make two) and I used a meter to tone out which wires were which on the end. The bottom three are for the left and right channels on the headpones and the top one is for the microphone. I soldered one female 3.5mm mini jack to the cables corresponding to the headphones and the other cable to the top for the microphone. I was then able to connect my headset from my PC directly into these connectors.

With all that ingenuity, you'd think this dimestore MacGyver could've done something about those painful-looking earphones.

More Here [Living PSP]

The first pack will include updated maps from SOCOM 2. After Hours, Last Bastion and Liberation have all been reworked to include new game types, respawn modes, day and night options and weapon customization.

A second and third map pack will be hitting in the next several months.

Purchase info for SOCOM 3 [Amazon]

PS3 Secrets Unveiled [Computer and Video Games]

Much like they nabbed Guerilla Games Sony just snatched up Zipper Interactive according to Next Generation. Sony already worked very closely with Zipper Interactive, maker of the SOCOM series, and now relations just got a little tighter. Kind of like when you give your girlfriend a key to the apartment. She's already staying there every night, now she can just let herself in if you're too busy in World of Warcraft to get to the door. Sorry, babe.

Sony Acquires Zipper Interactive [Next Generation]
Sony Nabs Guerilla Games

Zipper has updated their SOCOMBlog with the details of the latest patch for SOCOM 3. Patch 1.2 hit the PS2 today and includes a bunch of fixes. To get the patch you need to log-on to the server and download the patch to your memory card. Here's the full list of fixes:

* Resolved a hardware compatibility issue that was causing disconnects.
* Resolved an issue with "slow" DHCP servers that prevented some players from obtaining an IP Address before timing out.
* Resolved several issues where the player would be stuck with default weapons and equipment in game instead of the weapons and equipment they selected.
* Resolved the Clan Challenge issue where the wrong team would receive a forfeit when the other team does not show for the match.
* Updated libraries to resolve some of the voice chat issues. Some voice chat issues still remain and will be addressed in a future update.
* Resolved several stability issues with ranked and clan games.
* You now get credit for kills when you blow up a vehicle and the explosion kills other players.
* Resolved an issues with ladder ownership that was causing ladders to not be climbable.
* Resolved an issue where a late joining player would be seen as alive by some players.
* Resolved an issue where the round timer was incorrect in extraction games.
* Resolved an issue where the M1025 would be damaged by its own turrets.
* Resolved an issue where the secondary DNS server would not be used when accessing the SOCOM Community pages.
* Resolved an issue where players were able to walk in mid-air.
* Resolved an issue where players were able to run and shoot while equipped with the RPG or LAW (though the RPG/LAW does not appear to be equipped to other players).
* Resolved an issue where players were able to fire their primary weapon while the RPG/LAW was equipped.
* Resolved an issue where players are able to create a 1 round ranked game.

SOCOM 3 1.2 Update [SOCOMBlog]

GotFrag is hosting a Socom FireTeam Bravo tournament at the Cyberathlete Professional League's Winter Championships.

The Sony sponsored live smackdown will unfortunately not be open to all comers. Instead, the tourney is going to pit GotFrag against the CPL. The winner of the one-on-one tournament will walk away with a Playstation Portable. The GotFrag crew will also be raffling off two PSPs to the crowd that shows up to watch. The whole thing goes down at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Dallas.

Got Frag Socom Tourney [GotFrag]

Everyone who owns a Playstation Portable is probably waiting for next week's launch of SOCOM Fireteam Bravo. And, as a beta tester, let me tell you it is very much worth the wait.

One of the biggest issues for the shooter was how they designed the targeting system, which relies on a locking system. While that sounds like it completely destroys the skill involved in a shooter, Zipper managed to figure out a way to craft target locking in a way that still takes skill into account.

Today's post over on the SOCOMBLOG explains how they did it:

Our primary goal when we started last year was to create a killer control system that would allow players to experience SOCOM with one analog without making it cheap or too easy. To do this we implemented a system that took all sorts of elements into account and gave feedback to the player through the size and position of the crosshair reticle. So here s the lowdown on how this system works before you get to use it next week:

Target locking and visibility: most of the beta testers realized this after a while, but just because you have someone target locked, doesn t mean you ll get a kill, or get one quickly. There are three main factors that determine how lethal you are when you have an enemy locked:

Accuracy
Hit location
Distance

The article goes on to detail how these three factors work to make locking a thing of skill instead of something that involves a bunch of button mashing. The system takes things like your position, movement, cover, and even the weapons recoil and accuracy into account. It truly is a thing of beauty and something that I think will help turn portable shooters around.

I'll try to post up my impressions of the entire game later today.

< a href=" http://socomblog.typepad.com/socom/2005/11/the_truth_about.html">The Truth About Target Lock [SOCOMBLOG]

Ah, proof positive that voice chat is coming to the Playstation Portable.

PSP SOCOM Voice Chat [Kotaku]