The SOCOM: Confrontation public beta hasn't exactly been smooth. Good thing it's a beta. And good thing it's getting patched today with 8:00 AM EST — server maintenance will take 1.5 hours. But the Public Beta 1.10 Patch isn't a cure-all. According to the SOCOM Online Team: "The server maintenance and patch are not meant to address all issues. We will have more updates to both the server and client in the future".

Full statement after the jump:

Read More »

We know the deal with Japan and the official Bluetooth PS3 headset, but that's of only trivial interest to most of you. Of a more direct interest should be the US details, which Sony have divulged today. The headset will, aside from launching in a bundle with SOCOM: Confrontation, also be sold individually, and will see a release sometime in "spring". As for pricing, you may as well buy SOCOM, as the SOCOM/headset bundle will cost you $US 60, with the headset alone costing you $US 50.

Official Bluetooth Headset for the PLAYSTATION 3 [PlayStation.Blog]

There's a SOCOM Confrontation closed beta party going on right now. And you're not invited. Bummer. Ah well. No rule against sticking your head in through the window and sneaking a peek, is there? These (blurry) pics come courtesy of a friendly neighbourhood tipster, and show...well, a bunch of stuff we're sure hardcore SOCOM buffs will appreciate.

Read More »

The SOCOM Confrontation public beta is set to run for the entire month of September, the developers announced today, and there are two ways you can get into it.

Gamers can land entry to the public beta by preodering a copy of the game at GameStop, which will also give them two keys to the beta to share. They can also get in by downloading the June issue of Playstation Network video show QORE. GameStop beta keys go live on September 1, while the Qore when start on September 8.

Unfortunately, this is only for North American gamers. Other regions will have to wait to see what their local Sony tells them.

Public Beta Info No Really! [SOCOM]

I had a chance to sit down and get a nice long demo of upcoming SOCOM: Confrontation for the PS3. As someone who wasn't big into the previous titles in the series before, I wasn't sure how in the hell I'd like this one. As it turns out, it's very easy to pick up and get into. And of all the major PS3 releases this fall - and there's a lot of them - SOCOM is the game you might want to keep an eye on.

It seems like every online shooter coming out nowadays is held to a much higher standard than before when it comes to features and modes. Everyone is trying to outdo each other by having larger multiplayer maps, better cover systems, or smarter AI bots. So it was refreshing to see that SOCOM: Confrontation went the simple route and included none of these.

SOCOM is strictly multiplayer-only (read: no bots) and consists of seven maps. Five are for 32 players and the other two are for only 16. The level I was shown was for 32 players and we played against the QA testers back in Foster City. The game was a little laggy, but nothing that broke the gamplay.

Read More »

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 catalogueof 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. 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.

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.

Read More »

Sony saved the final announcement of its E3 keynote for a concept using the placehold title of "MAG: Massive Action Game", Unveiled by Andy Beaudoin from Zipper Interactive, MAG -- whose trailer looked like "SOCOM set 15 years into the future", according to our eyes on the scene, will immerse players in large online battles of up to 256 players. The trailer featured multiple terrain types, complex tactics, and sounds very much like a SOCOM MMO at this stage.

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.

The extremely popular SOCOM franchise will finally bow on the PlayStation 3 this fall when SOCOM Confrontation hits the PlayStation Store (at least in North America) on September 16, according to 1UP. The latest issue of EGM features a SOCOM blowout, with details on the new SOCOM.com, a revamped community web site with a heavy feature load out and additional details on Slant Six's multiplayer shooter.

Read More »

Yup, even the wee little PSP Store gets an update today. Up for download, and purchase, is SOCOM US Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo, which will set you back $US 15. It's joined by the PS1 version of Warhawk, which is worth a look for $US 6. There's a few other bits and pieces, like a PS3 TV commercial (YES!) and a Gangs of London wallpaper (ALRIGHT!), but really, SOCOM and Warhawk should do you for this week.