The game, surprisingly, mostly delivered on its promises with those characteristics largely being brought to fruition. The graphics and presentation, while far from stupendous, were adequate all things considered, and the gameplay had that finely-tuned feel that required skill on the part of the player to be optimally efficient. Maps were also nice with lots of elevation and diversity that encouraged skirmishes between bunches of players at every turn. They never really reached the heights of some of the Battlefield series’ maps, but they came close enough to deliver a fun experience to those who gave it a chance. As an online-focused experience, MAG featured several modes such as factions, which put two teams of 64 players against each other in a capture-the-flag sort of mission, Sabotage, with two teams of 32 players in a capture-and-hold game that would end with one team trying to take the other team’s base, as well as a handful of other modes that used its massive lobby potential to great effect. And for a short while, it was a sight to behold it working out with so many players on the same map together in a video game in 2010.

MAG was received relatively well by critics for that massive online capability as well as it’s good controls and leveling systems. There were some gripes here and there about bugs and a somewhat bland feel for the overall tone of the game, but overall opinions of the game were pretty good with a lot of 7s and 8s across the board. The game even sold relatively well for a short time, making it look like yet another success story for the PS3 ecosystem. What MAG was not particularly well prepared for though, was that 2010 was a year with a lot of other great shooters. Battlefield Bad Company 2 which would have a massive chunk of the online first-person shooter fanbase locked up upon its launch, as well as Halo Reach which of course would take much of the spotlight away from any other shooter at the time, especially for those gamers who owned both PS3’s and 360’s. I mean, if 2010 you had a choice between the new Halo game, the new battlefield game, or some newcomer called MAG, what would you choose? MAG was by all means a competent game with plenty to offer its players, but unfortunately it just didn’t pop off the shelves when it was contrasted with other games in the franchise that had much more of an identity as well as massive built-in audiences.

MAG was just outmatched in basically every way, and its short window of existing without major competition was not enough time for it to solidify its own audience, nor were its massive lobbies enough to set it apart from its competition on a conceptual level. Unfortunately, MAG would end up in bargain bins very shortly. Now it’s one of the PS3’s least sought-after games with there being essentially nothing to do with it given that it’s servers are long since shut down. It’s a shame that such an ambitious project had to give way to the whims and harshness of the gaming space, but at the end of the day, players are going to go where they think other players are going to go. Especially with multiplayer games but it’s also the fact that most people don’t buy every game that comes out. Especially with the casual shooter audience, where usually, only one or two games are left standing once the dust settles every year. This is magnified even more by the game’s reliance on its multiplayer modes. With no campaign, MAG went all-in on multiplayer functionality. It was a bold gamble, and one that sadly MAG ultimately would lose.

So where would a MAG 2 fit in today’s gaming landscape? Well, it’s certainly no secret that Sony has wanted their own flagship shooter franchise for a long time. Killzone certainly came close in some ways, but Sony has never really been able to get something as substantial as Halo off the ground. MAG was clearly another attempt at this, and despite Zipper Interactives valiant strides in this area, Sony shut them down shortly after MAG failed. They did their best with Unit 13 on the Vita, but sadly neither of those really took off either, so Zipper was defunct in 2012 in an effort to re-align Sony’s resources. Given that the developer is gone, it’s hard to say if a MAG 2 would ever really be a thing, especially considering that the entire PS4 generation, which was wildly successful, still wasn’t a friendly-enough environment for Sony to want to take a risk on that IP. Sony seems to be more keen on just supporting the hell out of games like Destiny and Call of Duty with exclusive betas, DLC, and marketing rights for now, and I can see why that seems like the safer, more profitable strategy.

Still, the allure of a super successful shooter franchise for PlayStation doesn’t seem to have totally waned over at Sony. With Guerilla hiring for a new team to work on “networked gaming” and other acquisitions and diversifications surely on the way, they may finally get their wish of having a Halo equivalent in the ecosystem one day. That said, it probably won’t be MAG 2. If Sony were to dig into any of its previous FPS IPs in an effort to make something today, Killzone and Resistance would likely be better picks due to the relevance they still have with many gamers new and old. It’s never fun to hear for fans of MAG, but the odds are not looking good for a sequel to the little shooter that could. To put even more salt in the wound, we should also remember that the Battle Royale craze has already come and likely seen its peak in popularity with games like Fortnite. For another MAG to come out it would need something a little more than the “we have giant lobbies” hook. That was pretty cool ten years ago but wouldn’t really be very impressive today.

Whatever happens or doesn’t happen with MAG going forward, it’ll always be a game that is remembered fondly by those that really gave it a chance way back in 2010. It was ambitious and surprisingly well-made all things considered. Despite it not really amounting to what it was clearly trying to, MAG was a fun experiment if nothing else. And perhaps a fun memory is what its better off staying.

Killzone 2

While Guerrilla Games has become well-known for the Horizon series, remastering Killzone 2 for the PS5 seems a given. It’s the game that put the company on the map and its excellent visual fidelity, attention to detail, fun gun play and solid multiplayer would make a smooth transition over to the console. If a new sequel on PS5 isn’t coming any time soon, then it makes sense to revisit Killzone 2 in some capacity.

Gravity Rush 2

There’s some insane creativity at SIE Japan Studio, and that’s no more apparent than in Gravity Rush 2. Developed by the Team Gravity division, the world is larger, livelier and more destructible than its predecessor. But it’s the sheer imagination, in gravity-defying encounters to exploring Kat’s mysterious backstory, that lent the game its own unique charm. Despite good reviews and the developer’s pedigree, Gravity Rush 2 averaged roughly 103,000 copies in Japan during its launch month. Its online service was subsequently discontinued in July 2018.

A veteran game developer named Charles N Cox who worked on SWAT, MAG, and SOCOM has posted on his blog that he had enough for first person shooters.

Now, those games are… err, not something that sell really well, but his reasoning makes sense.

“Money isn’t an acceptable stand-in for ethical behavior. Just as legality doesn’t equal morality, so too does profit fail to imply ethical superiority. Great, we’re all making these games. Should we? Did we ever ask?”

“Screw it, I’ve been in the business a full, stormy, self-doubting decade and the world can hear me loud and clear: I will never work on a first-person shooter game, ever again. Period,” He wrote on his blog.

“The problem here is that money isn’t an acceptable stand-in for ethical behavior. Just as legality doesn’t equal morality (seriously, it doesn’t, spread the word), so too does profit fail to imply ethical superiority. Great, we’re all making these games. Should we? Did we ever ask?” he wrote. “I had an experience that forced my hand – I haven’t stopped asking since.”

It would have been awesome if he had made a new SOCOM game but even Sony doesn’t seem to be interested anymore after they shuttered Zipper Interactive.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

If the release of MAG (Massive Action Game) passed you by with an unenthused grunt, then a new reason to pick it up is just around the corner.

MAG 2.0, a massive update for the 256-player online shooter will be released in a months time.

• PlayStation Move support
• An increased level cap that goes to level 70
• A revamped Skill Tree that allows for the deepest character customization and specialization ever found in a first-person shooter
• A brand-new in-game economy that lets you earn credits to spend on weapons and items from the also-new “Supply Depot”
• Our useful “Clan Deploy” feature that enables clan leaders and officers to queue up to 128 of their fellow clan members into a single game
• A “MAG News” page that brings players up to date on all the latest happenings the moment they log in
• A multitude of updates that refine existing weapons, maps, and vehicles
• Important bug fixes and other enhancements that streamline the overall experience

Zipper Interactive is keen to add that a piece of soon-to-be released DLC will contain a new game mode, Escalation, and 9 all new weapons.

Stay tuned as more specifics about this huge update are released.

MAG had a great feel to it, and if it’s flaws can be fixed, it would make for a great game. Let’s hope MAG 2- IF this is even official- does exactly that.

On SOCOM’s official site, Zipper Interactive posted:

“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”

I’m not in a hurry, guys. Your last title, MAG, released earlier this year, was prettygood- but that’s about it, it was nothing remarkable. Something I would attribute to a few rough edges and a general lack of polish. The game’s response at retail, which was tepid, would tend to reinforce my statement.

Just take your time, and, as you have said, make it the best game you can. Good luck, and I look forward to SOCOM 4.

• A new “Happy Hour” Double XP bonus that’s applied to the first hour of any player’s gameplay session in a 24-hour period.
• Suppression will join Sabotage as a “Faction Neutral” gameplay mode, allowing any PMC to battle each other on any Suppression map.
• Faster download and patching code that allows us to update MAG with more content and bigger file sizes in a speedier way.
• Redesigned versions of the Flores Basin (Raven) and Alyeska Terminus (Valor) Domination maps that include new obstacles and repaired exploits.
• New lighting effects for more attractive and realistic environments.
• Various fixes to address bugs or glitches to improve MAG’s overall performance.

This week sees the release of ‘major’ DLC for MAG, MAG Interdiction. Designed for 128 players, it will pit two factions against each other for control over three different command posts. The DLC also brings with it new trophies, and three new maps.

Moreover, however, as a treat to all MAG players, Double XP will be awarded to players starting Friday, June 25 at 7:01am GMT through Sunday, June 27 at 6:59am GMT.

What are you waiting for, then? Go get the DLC now! We’ll see you online.

When fans praised the online shooter on twitter, MAG devs replied saying:
“Wait until you see what we have coming down the pipeline over the next few months”.
They also added that they are very excited about it.

Besides The Trooper Gear Pack, MAG hasn’t got any downloadable content yet. Could this be pointing out to a new DLC?