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American special forces open a drone hacker lab
Battlefield drones are evolving quickly, and there's only so much militaries can do to keep up -- they're not used to competing with consumer tech that can improve in a matter of months. To that end, US Special Operations Command (aka SOCOM) is taking the unusual step of opening a drone hacker lab in Tampa, Florida at an unspecified point in the future. The organization's James Geurts hopes this tinkerer mindset will help special forces "get out in front" of threats that could easily prove overwhelming, such as drone swarms. There are also more direct problems to solve, such as balancing weapon payloads and portability. You may need a drone bigger than something like the tiny, kamikaze-oriented AeroVironment Switchblade (above) to take down a target, but you can't always field more conventional runway-bound drones to do the job.
US Special Operations are getting a 'missile sub' delivery vehicle
Although Lockheed Martin has come under fire for the controversial F–35 fighter jet program, the aerospace company's Submergence Group just announced a $166 million defense contract with the US Special Operations Command to build a new "missile sub" meant to carry Navy SEAL and other special operations scuba divers into battle. Operated by a pilot and a navigator, the 30-ton Swimmer Delivery Vehicle will carry a team of six divers to an underwater location in a completely dry environment. Once the sub reaches its drop point, it can launch the dive team through an onboard airlock system.
SOCOM spiritual successor H-Hour gets pre-alpha trailer
Pre-alpha action for H-Hour: World's Elite was shown off in trailer form today. The developer, SOF Studios, stressed that the tactical shooter hasn't been tuned or polished yet, so the smaller details seen in the teaser video are best viewed in a more forgiving light. The game comes from former SOCOM Creative Director David Sears, who earned $252,662 on Kickstarter in July 2013 to develop what he called a "spiritual successor" to the series. H-Hour: World's Elite is a team-based PC and PS4 game, and as such it will feature community and clan management support. The multiplayer shooter is currently aiming to enter its beta program in July 2014, launching in full on PC in January 2015, according to the reward tiers on its Kickstarter page.
MAG, SOCOM PS3 servers signing off for good
Servers for MAG, SOCOM 4, and SOCOM: Confrontation are shutting down on January 28, 2014, Sony has announced. As it stands, the server shutdowns will essentially make MAG and Confrontation obsolete, due to their reliance on online play. The news follows the closure of MAG and SOCOM studio Zipper Interactive last year. When asked then about future SOCOM entries, Sony Worldwide Studios chief Shuhei Yoshida said his company never retires a franchise. Nonetheless, today's news will sound like a death knell for fans of the long-running shooter series, and certainly as one for MAG, which will go offline two days short of its fourth birthday.
Yoshida on SOCOM: We 'never retire any franchise'
Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, wants to quell fears that we'll never see another entry in the SOCOM franchise. Even though series creators Zipper Interactive was shuttered back in March, "never say never," he said."It's not done. We never retire any franchise," Yoshida told Official PlayStation Magazine (via UK) when asked about future entries. Yoshida then pointed to Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, the recent resurrection of the Sly Cooper series, as a sign. "It's sometimes good to have a fresh look at the franchises we have."The last game in the series, SOCOM 4, was far from the series' best. So while it's hardly confirmation we'll see a new SOCOM game in the future, at least Zipper's closure is not the death knell we feared it was.
Vita shooter Unit 13 deploys on March 6
Unit 13, Zipper Interactive's pocket-purposed over-the-shoulder shooter, will be released for the Vita on March 6, 2012. This is in line with Zipper Interactive president Brian Soderberg's original prediction for a "right around Vita launch" release window; seeing as the Vita hits US shores on February 22, we suppose that's close enough to still count. Zipper Interactive is, of course, best known for creating 1998's Top Gun: Hornet's Nest for Windows PC. It's also the studio responsible for 2010's MAG and the SOCOM series, which we're guessing probably factored into Unit 13's development more than any Tom Cruise-based development experience.
SOCOM 4 review: Covert oops
When it arrived on PlayStation 2 nearly a decade ago, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs was unlike anything console gamers had experienced before. Rather than running and gunning, it focused on strategy, stealth, teamwork and a fair amount of realism. At the time, the idea of a military shooter in which one or two shots would take the player down was more or less unheard of, but it was a great representation of the authenticity the series strove for. True to its namesake, the title drew upon the field tactics and training of the elite U.S. Navy SEALs, putting players in command of two, two-man fire teams as they snuck behind enemy lines, destroyed targets, rescued hostages and generally worked to get their job done like ghosts. Now the first numbered installment in the series since 2005 is finally here, and if it weren't for squad commands and a familiar acronym in the title, you might not give it the time of day -- for good reason.%Gallery-87398%
NAVY SEALs getting fancy LCD sunglasses, will surely show up as DLC in next SOCOM game
We're still a few years away from getting some consumer-friendly LCD sunglasses, but wouldn't you know it the military's already rocking a pair. The Office of Naval Research TechSolutions department has delivered the first 30 sets of what it calls Fast-Tint Protective Eyewear (FTPE). They can change tint automatically based on exterior light, much like currently available prescription glasses, but thanks to their LCD construction can go from dark to clear in just a half-second. This means a SEAL squad could blow a door and infiltrate a room without having to ask the terrorists to hold their fire while everyone takes off their shades. Initial reports are good and SOCOM is planning on buying another 100 sets. Maybe by the time they're delivered someone will release a picture of the things and we won't have to use a random photo of camouflage shades like this one. Update: Travis wrote in with a link to James Vaughan Photography, which has a few photos of prototype versions of these glasses. We've grabbed one. [Image Credit: James Vaughan Photography]
SOCOM 4 confirmed for April
After seeing its deployment delayed into 2011 way back in July of 2010, Zipper Interactive's latest entry in the SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs franchise finally has a more tangible release date: April 2011. The date was nonchalantly dropped in a Wall Street Journal article on PlayStation Move, which the game has become a key "core" title for. SCEA subsequently confirmed to Joystiq that its release is indeed set for April. Mark your calendar -- with a bullet! [Thanks, Devin]
Undead Labs: Current MMOs are "barely even games"
Undead Labs has a new game designer, and he's come out swinging against the established MMO format. Richard Foge, who previously worked on God of War, SOCOM and Guild Wars, says he "loves the idea of MMOs" but isn't satisfied with the current market. In a recent manifesto on Undead Labs' site, Foge professes his love for console games and his puzzlement as to why MMOs haven't advanced as far: "MMOs get breaks because of their social nature, but if you really look at them closely they're barely even games. Mario 64 (nearly 15-years-old at this point) feels better than any MMO I've ever played. MMOs aren't even close to keeping up with cutting edge videogames from a gameplay or presentation perspective." The solution, he thinks, is to skew more toward console action titles. "What if we replaced all the math with action?" he muses. Undead Labs' first MMO, a zombie-themed romp through the post-apocalyptic world, is being made for consoles instead of PCs. The perfect platform for an action MMO, in his opinion, isn't the PC: "I believe that MMOs can and should compete with the best triple-A games. And I believe consoles are the perfect place for MMOs to make this stand."
Rumor: SOCOM's Slant Six working on multiplayer Resident Evil
Known best for its work on the SOCOM franchise, Vancouver-based Slant Six Games is rumored be working on a forthcoming Resident Evil title for Capcom. The game is said to be named "Resident Evil: Raccoon City." According to a document handed to Kotaku, the unannounced RE title is team-based, with various Slant Six employees' LinkedIn profiles indicating the studio is working on an unannounced "multiplayer action game." The Slant Six official website indicates that "an amazing new project" is in development in conjunction with a "new publishing partner on a world class franchise." For its part, Capcom maintains that it "does not respond to rumors and/or speculation," and Slant Six had yet to respond to request for comment as of publishing. Sharing one of its biggest franchises with a Western developer wouldn't be a new strategy for Capcom -- Dead Rising 2 was developed by Vancouver-based Blue Castle Games (which Capcom subsequently purchased), and Devil May Cry is now in the hands of Enslaved developer Ninja Theory.
PlayStation Move review
The PlayStation Move. It's funny to think just 15 months have passed since Sony first unveiled its motion controller, and now we're mere weeks away from hitting the retail market. To be sure, it's not like the company didn't have waggle on the mind already -- patents dating as far back as 2005 reveal as much, and of course the incredible success of Nintendo's Wii proved there's a market for more physically exerting gameplay. And it's not just PlayStation; Microsoft's got its controller-free Kinect motion camera system coming this November. So, in the year where all major game consoles now ask you to get off the couch and earn arm muscle, how does Move fare? Read on for more!
'Battlestar' composer Bear McCreary scoring SOCOM 4
The grizzly-named composer Bear McCreary, most famous for putting together the score on the recent Battlestar Galactica TV series, has announced on his blog that he'll be composing the music for Zipper Interactive's upcoming SOCOM 4. McCreary previously did the scoring work on Capcom's Dark Void (and 8-bit spin-off Dark Void Zero), and for SOCOM 4, he says he's written, "muscially, a franchise re-boot," with over eight hours of original music featuring "ethnic percussion, virtuosic Asian stringed and woodwind instruments, and the spectacular, other-worldly tones of the gamelan." Insert joke here about how that Indonesian ensemble's name actually looks like "game LAN." He also says that the soundtrack will fulfill his dream "of a video game score that would feel as if it were being composed specifically for each player, adapting and shifting perfectly to capture the mood of the individual gamer." Which sounds fun, but if we start hearing an orchestral version of "All Along the Watchtower" as our individual score, what exactly does that mean?
Underage PlayStation site hacker sentenced
Ever wondered what kind of a penalty bringing down the official website of one of the largest commercial technology manufacturers in the world for 11 days carries with it? If you're the heretofore unnamed 17-year-old from Latrobe, Penn., who managed said feat after being disqualified from a SOCOM tournament for cheating, you're facing 12 months probation, 250 hours of community service and owe $5,000 in damages to Sony. That was the sentence recently handed down in the grand jury investigation into the teen's "cyber attack" on the official PlayStation site in 2008. Sony's legal representatives initially sought over $33,000 in damages from the young man, though the presiding judge ruled such a fee was "excessive" and reduced it by quite a bit. Personally, we think 33 Gs would help get the lesson across better. When we were kids, we'd drop five dimes on stuff everyday, you know? [Via GamePolitics]
New SOCOM 4 screens released, Operations Commander detailed
Operation Commander Cullen Gray has been through a lot. In his 36 years, he's seen military action the world over, been field-trained with various Special Operations units, worked with NATO and now he's about to star in a popular war-based video game franchise. SOCOM 4 has the fictional Cullen Gray acting as an addled operation commander who "will pursue success at all costs." The EU PlayStation blog has a rundown of Gray's entire dossier and a handful of new images (seen in the gallery below). And if you're wondering who it is that he resembles while you're browsing the images, it's obviously Lost's Matthew Fox. WE HAVE TO GO BACK, CULLEN! %Gallery-92173%
Ubisoft, Sony, EA and Disney settle voice recognition lawsuit
One year after a being sued for allegedly infringing on a voice recognition technology patent, publishers Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Sony Computer Entertainment, and Disney Interactive Studios have decided to settle the matter out of court, according to Gamasutra. On November 10th, 2009, Bareis Technologies, LLC filed a lawsuit claiming titles such as SOCOM, Tom Clancy's EndWar and NASCAR and Phonics Quest, infringed on a 1996 patent that outlined a process of speech recognition templates to be present on optical disks in order to access specific information and issue commands for control purposes. Originally, Bareis Technologies' patent was largely targeted towards accessing specific music tracks on audio CDs, making no mention of the concept being used to control game functions. According to the report, the U.S. District Court's Eastern District of Texas Tyler Division approved a motion applied by all defendants in the claim requesting a mutual dismissal on April 21, 2010. That, in turn, dismissed all counterclaims made in the process. The terms of the settlement were not revealed, although the court documents obtained by Gamasutra state all parties will pay their own legal fees.
Interview: SOCOM 4's Travis Steiner
SOCOM fans are by far some of the most vocal and opinionated people in gaming today. Having endured the rocky launch of SOCOM Confrontation, the revelation that SOCOM 4 would include support for the PlayStation Move motion controller was met with a large amount of skepticism. We spoke with Zipper Interactive about their plans to address fan concerns, and the challenges of balancing a game with two very different control inputs. Some fans didn't take well to the announcement that SOCOM 4 would use the Move controller. How do you address concerns that motion controls will "ruin" the experience? First and foremost, SOCOM 4 was designed with the DualShock in mind. When we started this game over three years ago, Move didn't even exist yet. I cannot emphasize this point enough: the game supports both controllers. And again, we designed SOCOM 4 with the DualShock in mind. What ended up happening is that when we found out about the Move, we decided to try it out and see if it fits with the SOCOM experience very well. And so far, the reaction of the people that have tried it is that it's actually integrated quite well. The key there is that it's an optional control mechanic, and in no way is any other part of the SOCOM game being hindered or negatively affected by Move's integration.
PlayStation Home integrates into games, beginning with SOCOM Confrontation
We've seen many games unlock new content in PlayStation Home, like the Batcave from Batman: Arkham Asylum. However, what we haven't seen yet is the ability to unlock content in-game from Sony's online world. That changes this week, with the addition of the SOCOM OPFOR game space. A Home-exclusive minigame will challenge players to assemble an assault rifle in 12 seconds or less. The prize? A golden AK-47 that can be transferred into SOCOM Confrontation. Likely, this is just the beginning for expanded Home integration. Associate Producer KC Coleman commented on the PlayStation Blog: "It's truly a win-win-win situation. It's a win for Home because we have opened up a huge door that will allow developers to continue to blur the line between PlayStation Home and PS3 games." See a trailer after the break.
Slant Six enacts 'temporary' layoffs; Star Wars Battlefront Online rumored to be canceled
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo and Confrontation developer Slant Six has instituted layoffs, according to statements given to GameSpot by managing director Brian Thalken. Thalken called the dismissals "temporary," with the goal to bring back as many of the affected staff as possible at a later date. He did not specify just how many employees had been laid off, but said the company will continue to offer benefits to those affected. "Our current project needs do not align with our current staffing levels," Thalken told GameSpot. The studio's last release was SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 in February. Additionally, Kotaku reports that, according to its sources, the rumored Star Wars Battlefront Online, which Slant Six was reportedly developing, has been canceled by publisher LucasArts. The game was never announced, and its existence was only suggested by an earlier rumor. As such, its possible relationship to the recent studio layoffs is unconfirmed. We've contacted Slant Six to clear up the issue.
Hands-on: SOCOM 4 (with PlayStation Move!)
There are two questions I'll try to answer with this quick hands-on preview. Firstly, is SOCOM 4 the true sequel to the SOCOM franchise we've been waiting for? Secondly, does the PlayStation Move controller work as intended? It's hard to answer the first question, especially within the constraints of a ten-minute demo. What I can say is that even in this early state, SOCOM 4 looks very good, sporting incredibly detailed environments. While the early code has a noticeably choppy framerate, there was already a large number of objects in the environment. Whether it's a car, a trash can, a thrown-out mattress, there are tons of objects to take cover behind in the world. Controlling your squad should be familiar to anyone that's played a recent SOCOM game. Holding L1 on the Move allows you to slightly slow down time and direct your team to move to position and await orders. You can even call in an airstrike by holding down the Move button and holding Down on a target. After sneaking down an alley, we were able to catch a large squad of soldiers lounging in an open field. They had no idea what hit them as the bombs dropped. %Gallery-87398%
