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SOCOM: Confrontation 1.30 patch adds in D-pad lean-in
We've brought word previously that SOCOM: Confrontation was getting a 1.30 patch to fix a large set of bugs and add in tons of community-requested features, including Trophies. You can find a whole list of those changes here. However, the v1.30 patch will also be adding more than just the previously revealed content. The patch will also add in the ability to use the D-pad for the lean-in feature, instead of using the regular Sixaxis controls. Players can toggle between the two options in the middle of battle as seen in the clip above. Also featured in video (after the break), SCEA and Slant Six shows off the new transparent scoreboard. However, there's still no mention of a release date for the v1.30 patch. Fans have been waiting for the patch since news first came out nearly a month ago, and hopefully, they won't have to wait much longer.
SOCOM so-not-coming to Europe in 2008
Hope you weren't waiting for your SOCOM fix, our dear European reader. Looks like SOCOM Confrontation has been delayed to "early 2009," according to Eurogamer. While American gamers have had their hands on the game for a few months, the experience has been less than stellar, with a very buggy launch followed by a number of frequent patches. Perhaps when Confrontation lands in Europe, the game will actually ... what's the word we're looking for? Oh yes -- work.The game will be bundled with the official PS3 Bluetooth headset, just like it did in America. Should it be priced the same as in the US, the bundle will still be a terrific deal.[Thanks, Christopher G.!]
SOCOM: Confrontation team working on next patch with Trophies
SOCOM: Confrontation didn't launch with Trophies; instead, it shipped with a lot of bugs. Slant Six even admits that "the launch was pretty rough on all of us." However, with patch 1.20 already out fixing a majority of the problem issues and a 1.30 patch coming soon, things are turning around.In fact, the much coveted Trophy support is said to arrive in the upcoming 1.30 patch, among other new features. You can find a list of all the new features and bug fixes for the new update after the break. The crew notes, however, "that some items listed may be delayed to a following update if additional development is required beyond what our schedule for the 1.30 update allows." That means, don't take it as a 100 percent guarantee.[Thanks Ryan and DeforMAKulizer!]
SOCOM Confrontation patch 1.20 out tomorrow
Unfortunately, SOCOM Confrontation has been plagued with a number of game stability issues since release. The bugs have been significant, rendering the game unplayable in many situations. A patch tomorrow will fix a myriad of problems: Fixed many issues which would cause the game to crash, hang, disconnect and exit to the PS3 XMB. Fixed an issue which would cause large numbers of players in a high player count game to be simultaneously disconnected. Fixed an issue which would cause players to be invincible. Fixed a physics issue which would cause players to occasionally "warp" around on the map. Fixed an issue where a "corrupt save data" message would be incorrectly displayed after updating the game. Fixed some player model issues related to team swapping. Client/server optimization. Fixed an issue where the scope camera had an incorrect offset from the barrel of the gun while prone or leaning/peeking. [Thanks, DeforMAKulizer!]
SOCOM: Confrontation trophies to be patched in soon
Would-be digital soldiers were disappointed this week to find that the recently released SOCOM: Confrontation was launched sans trophies. We're not exactly sure why, though rumor has it that the title's much-coveted cups just weren't shiny enough. According to Sony PR rep Jennifer Clark, "The trophies will become available via patch in the coming weeks." In the mean time, highly skilled players will be mailed postcards which, depending on the level of militaristic prowess displayed in-game, will be adorned with gold star stickers, or scratch-n'-sniff stickers in the shape of a bundle of grapes, proudly displaying the words "Grape Job!"
PSN Thursday: Ain't no Booty here, but there's SOCOM
Now that the unscheduled PSN maintenance is done with, we can get on with Booty business. Oops, it appears the Age of Booty won't be starting on PSN today. Despite Capcom's previous announcement, checking the publisher's press site reveals the game now has a November release, along with PC. However, there is SOCOM: Confrontation and the demo for Motorstorm: Pacific Rift available this week. Check out the full North Amercan update after the break.The European PSN update for the week can be found over at SackBoy central PS3 Fanboy.
American PSN Store releases for October 16th
Hey, look. This update looks pretty familiar. It's mostly similar to the European update today, with the exception of SOCOM: Confrontation, which is now available to download for $40. We humbly request that you grab the bluetooth headset bundle rather than the downloadable version. The more PS3 owners with headsets, the better. Whoops, we're getting off topic. Here's the full release list:Playable content SOCOM: Confrontation ($39.99) Sno-Cross Championship Racing PS1 game ($5.99) MotorStorm Pacific Rift demo (free) Add-on content Tiger Woords PGA Tour 2009 "Spyglass Hill" add-on course ($7.49) Eye of Judgment Set 3 expansion ($14.99) Eye of Judgment Set 2 & 3 expansion bundle ($19.99) Rock Band DLC (listed after the break)
No Trophies for SOCOM at launch, to be patched later
"The trophies will become available via patch in the coming weeks," SCEA's Jennifer Clark told us when we inquired about the game's strange lack of Trophies. Yes, if you buy SOCOM Confrontation, you'll find that it's absent of the collectible Trophies everyone's been raving about. It's strange that Slant Six wasn't able to include Trophies into the final version of the game, but this may explain why we had so much trouble finding out the Trophy list so soon before the game's release. We're hoping that the Trophies that are enabled will take advantage of a retroactive rewards system. Undoubtedly, hardcore SOCOM fans are ready to spend hours in the online world of Confrontation. Of course, let Burnout Paradise teach a lesson: perhaps it's best not to expect retroactive Trophies to um ... y'know, work.
SOCOM confronts Japanese players in new trailer
Are Japanese players even interested in the very-Western SOCOM franchise? We're not entirely too sure, but this new trailer released for the Japanese market will try to attract players to the 32-player online fragfest. Thankfully, video footage of the game can be understood in any language. Chances are, though, if you're one of the many that are eagerly anticipating the game -- you're already in the beta.
SOCOM: Confrontation Public Beta Manual is a bit late
It has been 10 days since the start of the SOCOM: Confrontation beta, but Slant Six has finally provided a manual for us. We are not sure why this wasn't provided on or before the day the public beta was released, but better late than never, we suppose. Check out the manual here.Those of you who are looking forward to another patch for the beta shouldn't have to wait much longer -- another patch is in the works and the focus of it will be to resolve the following issues: Abnormally long network synchronization issues when some users in a game have a poor network connection. This issue causes 4-7 minute (or longer) load times when late joining a game. An issue where respawn game late joiners were sometimes stuck in spectator mode and could not respawn into the game. Remove the latency detection network test which is causing some users with poor network connections to receive the network latency icon (red X). We'll provide you with an exact release date as soon as the information is available.[Via SOCOM.com]
SOCOM: Confrontation beta patched, actually playable
It was a rough weekend for the SOCOM faithful as server and network code issues made the game nigh-unplayable for many. Sony was well aware of the problem, promising a fix before the end of this week. Surprise: the fix arrived early this morning, and we – along with, oh, everyone who waited for the beta – were eager to see what exactly was fixed.Turns out the answer is (at least in our experience) quite a bit. We were irked to find that our character customization data was wiped by the 1.10 patch, but them's the breaks in betaville. Rebuilding our characters wouldn't be worth it if we couldn't get into a match, though. Happily, we have found that almost all front-end network issues (login errors, general slowness, etc.) have been nipped, we can finally join games, and, when we do, gameplay seems less laggy. It still takes quite a while to load into a match, but knowing that you'll actually be able to play once you do makes the waiting much more bearable. For those who are in the beta, let us know what your experience with 1.10 has been like in comments. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
SOCOM: Confrontation public beta to be patched
We know that a number of you have been having problems with the SOCOM: Confrontation public beta. Well, there is finally some relieve in sight: it has been announced that a patch will be applied today at 5AM PDT/8AM EST/12PM GMT. There will also be server maintenance at that time for about 1.5 hours.According to the SOCOM blog, the Public Beta 1.10 Patch won't fix everything, but it should "address a number of stability and late joining issues," lower the volume of the proximity chat by 50%, add support for European EULAs as well as dedicated servers for Europe and Australia. They are also looking into other issues, with a promise of "more updates to both the server and client in the future."
SOCOM beta keys from Eurogamer today at 4PM (UK only)
Eurogamer will be giving out their SOCOM: Confrontation beta keys starting at 4PM UK time, which is half an hour from now. You must be in the United Kingdom, and you have to first register here with Eurogamer. Make sure you are signed in, and keep checking their page for more information. They will be given out on a first-come, first served basis. Finally, unlike the US beta keys, these UK beta keys will only work on one PS3. Good luck! [Thanks John R.!]
PS3 headset priced at $50 for North America
The PlayStation Blog has listed some details for North America about the new PS3 headset available this fall. The peripheral will be available in the $60 SOCOM: Confrontation bundle, or as a standalone peripheral for $50, similar to the price in Japan. Some features of the headset include: "High-Quality" mode with use on PS3, offering noise cancellation and a better chat quality on the console. The quality of the headset will allegedly allow for more accurate commands of AI-controlled squad mates in Confrontation. There will also be "voice animation" where the player's avatar will "mimic" them during voice chat. There will be an in-game status indicator exclusive to the headset. It will display connection status, battery charge, speaker volume and mute status. Cradling the set back on the dock will turn it into a "desktop microphone" while charging. So, what say the headset purchasing vox populi? Is SOCOM worth spending an extra $10 for your fancy new Bluetooth PS3 headset? Gallery: Official PS3 Bluetooth Headset
Eurogamer to give away 6,000 SOCOM: Confrontation beta keys (for UK only)
Those of you on the other side of the Atlantic might have not heard much about those SOCOM: Confrontation beta keys since they were mentioned last month, but now we have a little bit of news for you guys in the UK. Apparently, Eurogamer will be have 6,000 of them to give out to UK gamers whenever the beta begins. No other information was available, but details should be announced in "the next few days."Furthermore, late last week we learned that the US beta was delayed until September 5th. We knew that Europe was suppose to get the beta on the same day as the US, but as of now Eurogamer claims that "Sony has yet to confirm exact details for Europe," which hints at a delay. We'll keep you updated as soon as more information is released.[Via Three Speech]
SOCOM beta confronted by delay
Over at the official PlayStation Blog, SOCOM: Confrontation producer Seth Luisi has confirmed a massive or slight delay (depending on your level of SOCOM infatuation) for the game's public beta. Originally slated to begin yesterday, the virtual doors will instead open this Friday, September 5. (QORE subscribers will be let in the following Friday, September 12.)Luisi says the delay was prompted by the team "working so hard to ensure the final product is fantastic," which we believe is Ye Olde Spinne for "we found a bug." Thankfully (and thoughtfully) the beta's run won't be cut short by the delay; it will last a full month, from 9/5 to 10/5. (Make that three weeks for QORE readers viewers.)
Official PS3 headset priced at 5000 yen in Japan
The official PS3 headset, which will be bundled with SOCOM Confrontation, really may be as high as $50 when it releases as a standalone product later this year. This would make the $60 SOCOM bundle an obvious deal, as it would give players both the headset and access to the online shooter for only $10 more than the headset alone.The headset, which will debut on October 30th in Japan, will cost 5000 yen (~$45.93). It is supposedly of a much higher quality than the headset included with Warhawk last year.%Gallery-26269%
SOCOM public beta slightly delayed
While many (including ourselves) were excited for the launch of the public beta come September 1st, news on the official SOCOM site tells us that the public beta has been delayed (again). Thankfully, the wait isn't too long: the public beta will now be available on September 5th, with Qore purchasers getting access on September 12th. To make up for the delay, the beta will also be extended a few days, with a new end date of October 5th.Those that want to get access into the public beta can go to GameStop to pre-order the game. With a pre-order, you'll get access for yourself, and two friends, to join this sneak peak at the online shooter.[Thanks, frankym!]
SOCOM Confrontation beta goes global, Europe gets access on 9/1 as well
Just like your friends across the Atlantic, European gamers will be able to enjoy the SOCOM Confrontation beta on September 1st. In fact, the beta will be global so players from Asia, America, Europe and Oceania will be able to play each other all on the same day (unlike some other beta programs). Each region will have different methods of acquiring access to the beta, so keep a sharp eye out at your local retailer for any pre-order incentives they may have.[Thanks, raj!]
SOCOM Confrontation beta features detailed
Just a couple of weeks to go until those with GameStop pre-orders for SOCOM Confrontation will gain entry into the public beta for the game. (Qore subscribers will need to stay patient for a few days after that – d'oh!) With the sneak peak looming, the SOCOM Blog has posted some salient details on what to expect content-wise.The latest update details the "Crossroads" map, which will be playable in both 16- and 32-player variations. Available game modes will include Extraction, Suppression, and the less friendly sounding Elimination. Beta players will have access to weapon and gear customization, as well as clans and stats tracking – player data will be deleted once the game hits retail, so bold beta entrants best not get too attached to their accomplishments.On another SOCOM Confrontation related note: we've toyed around with Sony's official PS3 Bluetooth headset (included in the $59.99 retail bundle) and not only is it well designed, but it acts as a far-field microphone while in its charging cradle so you never have to go without voice chat.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
