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.

It’s not done. We never definitely retire any franchise. It’s sometimes great to have a fresh look at the classics that we have…Never say never. I feel sorry for people who are longtime SOCOM fans, and there are many people who still play SOCOM 1 and SOCOM 2, especially those seem to be their favorites.

While it’s good to hear that SOCOM continues, this doesn’t indicate when we’ll see a new title in the franchise.

Which begs the question: What about MAG? What about news on that, maybe a possible sequel? Where’s the love, people?!

Nonetheless, it’d be great to see a new SOCOM game, maybe an HD collection of the entire franchise. What say, Sony?

Source: MP1st

After earlier reports that Sony was closing down Zipper Interactive, the studio that handles the SOCOM franchise, it’s been confirmed.

After 17 years of being founded, the studio is being shut down by parent company Sony Computer Entertainment. In a Twitter post, the developers bid their fans a hearty farewell.

“After 17 years it’s time to head off into the sunset,” they said. “A sincere thank you to all our fans for everything you’ve done for us. Farewell.” Sony hasn’t confirmed the exact reasons for this, but it’s been a long time coming, seeing as Zipper Interactive delivered several unsuccessful games in quick succession.

The studio was already downsized after SOCOM 4. Even MAG and Unit 13, great games in their own rights, did not do very well in commercial terms.

It’s extremely sad to see such a talented developer go. Shame, really. And what the hell is Sony going to do with SOCOM now?

According to Kotaku‘s sources, Zipper Interactive is being shut down. Plenty of people knew this was going to happen, especially after delivering three disappointing games which failed to live up to expectations both critically and commercially.

SOCOM 4 was released at a time when PSN was down for two months, and their latest game for Vita – Unit 13 hasn’t set the charts on fire. Zipper was already downsized by Sony after SOCOM 4, and it seems like they were planning to shut it down for a long time.

Sony has plenty of studios, and it is unfortunate to see people losing jobs, but let’s hope they find another one soon. MAG was an ambitious game but never really managed to bring a lot of traffic to PSN, although, at its core Zipper created an amazing game.

We’ve asked Sony for confirmation and will update once we receive proper information. Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

You need to unlock these levels yourself if you want full access to them all the time. We reviewed the game and gave it a good score. You can check out the review over here.

Jump into the action with Unit 13 for PlayStation Vita and conquer 36 tactical missions and 9 high value target battles as you help take down global terror networks and earn your place in the military elite. Unit 13 is the perfect on-the-go action shooter. Wi-Fi connectivity adds fast 2-player co-op action, and 3G compatibility keeps you connected for instant social updates and new daily mission challenges.

This final installment of the Unit 13 training series takes you through the game’s numerous ways to connect, play, share and compete with other players all across the globe.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Unit 13 is a third-person shooter from Zipper Interactive, and just by hearing the developer’s name, you can probably guess how the game will look like. Yep, the visual style is a lot like SOCOM 4, and I have to say, I really enjoyed playing this game on the PS Vita. The portable’s dual analogue sticks come to good use here, and they’re quite responsive once you crank up the sensitivity from the options menu.

There is no story mode here, it’s purely a pick-up-and-play game. Yes, there are 36 missions available to you, and several special missions where you eliminate a high value target. So, when you combine so many missions, along with the online mode, and the daily challenges, there is a lot of content here at your disposal. It’s satisfying to play, gorgeous to look at on the Vita, and is wonderfully designed.

Now, before you get disappointed at the fact that there is no proper story mode, you have to realize that it’s not really Zipper’s strength. In fact, none of the games they’ve released so far featured any sort of proper story mode, even SOCOM 4. This is a perfect setup on a portable device, and works wonders when you just want to have that quick game, and you can use variety of playstyles to complete a mission.

There is an in-depth scoring system, and whatever you do – complete objectives, kill people, gets you scores. You can also compete in leaderboards for daily challenges, or for even missions and it brings in a sort of competitive spirit never before seen on a portable device. What makes it an icing on the cake is the smooth responsive controls. Compared to Uncharted: Golden Abyss, it’s a lot more responsive here, although, there is a little auto aim as well.

There are a bunch of characters here with special abilities, from offensive to defensive, and depending on the requirements for a specific mission, you can pick your choicest operative. You can level them all till ten, and unlock different weapons and equipments in the process. The 36 main missions will take you a while to complete unless you go in all guns blazing, but hey, who wants to do that when playing stealthy is so satisfying?

I love Zipper’s netcode, I really do. Each and every one of their games features splendid netcode, and offers lag free gameplay. Unit 13 is no different here. When you play with a buddy on PSN and complete missions together, you won’t really encounter any issues that will hamper the experience.

The game runs really smoothly, and is a nice surprise, considering the visuals are quite good. The main issue I have with the game is that the AI is extremely dumb, which is a little disappointing. They seem to spot you even if they aren’t looking in your direction in some cases.

There are nine HVT missions, which require stars to unlock. You can gain stars by completing the main missions. If you keep completing each mission and gain five stars in the process, you will have enough to unlock them all. So don’t go rushing in and try to complete objectives under the time limit, and it is also really satisfying to play this way.

The game is not really that sophisticated. You can use Vita’s touchscreen to disable bombs or perform certain actions. Most of the maps aren’t that big, but there are a lot of maps here, and they’re quite varied and interesting. I mean, it’s not really oozing with good art design considering its Zipper, but they’re nice to look at on that gorgeous Vita’s OLED screen.

Unit 13 is well worth the money, and it’s a game that I have enjoyed a lot. There is a lot of content here, and considering the fact that it looks and runs so well on the Vita, fans of Zipper and Vita owners shouldn’t overlook this title. It’s a great pick-up-and-play game, and is potential system seller for the Vita.

This game was reviewed on the PS Vita.

This video which is being narrated by a dude named Christian, shows you some gameplay mechanics and how to effectively play Unit 13.

The game will be released on March 6th. Stay tuned for our review soon.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Sony has just announced a new shooter for the Vita and it’s called Unit 13. The game is made by Zipper Interactive, who also made MAG and SOCOM Confrontation on the PS3. It seems that they are developing titles for the Vita now, and have stopped PS3 development.

They specialize in tactical shooters and Unit 13 looks like one as well. It takes advantage of Vita’s unique back touch function.

Fast action, on-the-go gameplay was a key goal for the Unit 13 team. The game is designed for players to move quickly into the action, choosing from one of six Operatives with unique abilities to tackle 36 action-packed missions across nine unique locales. Missions come in a variety of sizes and difficulty.

Some are smaller bite-sized battles; others are longer, more challenging, multi-objective missions that are a good test for any skilled shooter fan. As you make your way through the variety of missions, you unlock the right to take on the tougher High Value Target (HVT) enemy battles. After completing an HVT mission, you can share them with friends and nearby players through PlayStation Vita’s “NEAR” feature.

It is a launch title for the Vita, so shooter fans should be excited about this game. Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Source

Check out the new trailer from SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs. The trailer is called Demolition and is released due to the demolition pack’s release on PSN. SOCOM 4 was a pretty good game, and loyal fans of the series should find this interesting.

The pack costs $9.99 and there is no discount for Playstation Plus members. In “Demolition”, each team vies for control of a bomb placed on the map. Once a team grabs the bomb, they need to carry it into the opposing team’s base, arm the bomb and defend it until the base is destroyed.

The pack is now available in the Playstation Store. Tell us what you think in the comments section below. Did you like SOCOM 4 and are you planning to buy this pack?

Complete SOCOM 4 single player campaign with the help of our video guide.

***Please note this walkthrough was not uploaded by GamingBolt.com.

Special thanks to Youtube user SunDaygoPinoy.

Without further ado, let’s begin!