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MotorStorm, SOCOM, Eye of Judgment Legends servers going away soon
The online multiplayer servers for the PS3's Motorstorm: Pacific Rift and the PSP's MotorStorm Arctic Edge and SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 will be shut down on October 1, according to an alert on the UK PlayStation site. If you have fond memories of sweet offroad racing and coordinated military strikes with friends, you should revisit them now before it's too late.Before those three, the PSP's augmented reality card game The Eye of Judgment Legends will go offline on August 31. We've asked Sony to verify these dates are worldwide, and don't just apply to the UK.
PS2 and PSP SOCOM servers shutting down at the end of August
Amazingly, Zipper Interactive servers for SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs have continued to be active since the game's original debut on the PlayStation 2 in 2002, meaning that crazy people dedicated fans with online adapter-equipped PS2s have been able to keep playing for nearly 10 years. Now though, since Zipper Interactive doesn't exist anymore and everything, the servers for four PS2 SOCOM games and four PSP SOCOM titles will be taken offline at the end of August.PlayStation 2 SOCOMs I, II, and III (as well as SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault) will be going dark, as will the PSP various SOCOM titles, Fireteam Bravo (I, II and III) and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Tactical Strke.If this outage affects your regular gaming routine, we offer our most sincere condolences. Also, we'd like to point out that many thousands of games have been released since 2002, some of which you might enjoy. Perhaps this will be a good opportunity to go check some of 'em out?
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.
Sony teases 'very robust' 2010 for PSP, which still struggles with piracy
After completing 2009 with redesigned hardware and several high-profile games (including Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, MotorStorm: Arctic Edge and LittleBigPlanet), the PSP platform is looking for another strong lineup to carry it until the end of another year. Sony's senior vice president of publisher relations, Rob Dyer, told Industry Gamers that third parties will provide a "very robust lineup" in 2010 -- albeit one that has to face a very old problem. "I think we had a great lineup last year. The biggest problem that plagued PSP was piracy; we have not been able to slow that down," Dyer said. "We think we have some answers going forward, but we're not ready to talk about that publicly at this point. So we're working on fixing that, because that's been a big problem. Publishers, when they put out good games, are not getting the same sales results that they got a few years back. So piracy's been a big issue and we're working on that very diligently to bring about some solutions." Some solutions include the PSP Go, which focuses on digitally acquired games (through the PlayStation Store, of course!) and -- as recently demonstrated by third-person shooter SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 -- a form of potentially consumer-unfriendly online activation. And while Sony appears pleased with the platform's longevity, six years is a long time to still be tinkering with anti-piracy experiments. "We're into the sixth year now on the platform, and that's a long time for a handheld," Dyer noted. "I think given where we're at right now, we're doing very, very well. But yes, the business has had problems and I think it all stems, candidly, from the piracy."
SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 requires PSN activation for online play
Sony's taking a fairly unconventional approach to putting a stop to piracy on the PSP platform. The recently released handheld shooter, SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3, comes bundled with a code which, once redeemed through the PlayStation Network, allows the player to access the game's online modes. Folks who purchase the game directly through the PSN are automatically online-enabled -- but those who nab the game illicitly won't have access to the code, and will have to shell out $20 to unlock a license which lets them play online. Sony's John Koller recently spoke to IGN about the activation procedure, saying it's "a trial run for a new initiative we are exploring for the platform." Obviously, it's going to be very effective at sticking it to software pirates worldwide. Oh, and people who rent games over GameFly, and people who buy used games, and people who borrow games from their friends. That'll teach you, everyone!
Review: SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 (PSP)
The SOCOM series traditionally focuses on tactical decision-making rather than big action; large set piece battles become few and far between when players utilize the correct tactics to mechanically disable the opposition. In SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3, the careful execution of enemy forces still exists, but in the end, most missions boil down to the same tactic found in other shooters: survival. In Fireteam Bravo 3, the SEALs have infiltrated an action movie and there's no turning back. %Gallery-50260%
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 demo deploys Feb. 11
Gear up and get ready to roll out, soldiers. We've got a SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 black-ops mission that needs the expertise of veteran men and women -- those who have played through not one SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo game, but folks who have also survived its sequel, SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 2. This isn't some kind of joke or theme in some blog post; you better be ready to put some foot-mobiles down. Intel comes courtesy of PlayStation.Blog, which reports enemy units are on the move and should enter the DMZ any minute now. By Thursday, February 11, PSN will be crawling with hostiles, so safeties off, PSPs plugged in to charge and have your screen wipes at the ready. We're going to need maximum visibility for all our troops in the field.
SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 deployed February 16
Hopefully, the third time is the charm for SOCOM Fireteam Bravo. After two delays, the Slant Six-developed co-op shooter is finally making its way to PSP on February 16 on both UMD and PlayStation Network. As per usual, online multiplayer is central to the upcoming SOCOM sequel. Fireteam Bravo 3 will not only support sixteen player Infrastructure play, it also features four-player co-op -- a first for the franchise. Considering Slant Six's track record, it'll either play like the brilliant SOCOM Tactical Strike ... or like SOCOM Confrontation.
SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 delayed one more time
News of yet another SOCOM delay should be unsurprising to those who have been following the franchise since Slant Six took the reigns from Zipper Interactive. Fans have only recently received the long-awaited SOCOM Confrontation 1.60 patch, one that fixed crucial game-crashing bugs; after months of suffering through bugs and game balance issues, Joystiq commenter Solace went so far as to call Confrontation a "glorified beta." For reasons not yet revealed by SCEA, the upcoming PSP installment, Fireteam Bravo 3, has been pushed back from its already-delayed January 12 release date. Considering Sony's admitted failure at marketing the upcoming tactical shooter, a later date will certainly give the publisher more time to prepare the title for retail. A new release date will be announced "in the coming weeks," according to an SCEA rep, but we wonder if SOCOM fans will have any patience left when that day comes.
SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 also joins the Q1 party
Just when you thought those Q1 delays were over, SCEA comes in with a surprise. The upcoming SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 for PSP will miss its original late November release, and will instead come out on January 12th, 2010, two weeks before Zipper deploys MAG on PS3.SCEA Senior Producer Mark Rogers says that developer Slant Six is not responsible for the delay and "development is on schedule." Instead, Rogers blames marketing, saying "some high value visual assets (screens and video) have only recently been made available to global marketing and we have decided to move the release and allow time to get the word out to everyone." So, although assets have been available since April, marketing hasn't received them until "recently." We're not entirely sure how this makes sense, but the end result is clear: you'll be waiting longer for this game, as someone gets their act together.%Gallery-50260%
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 reporting for duty late Nov.
Atten-hut! Upcoming PSP title SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 has just been cleared for deployment. On November 24, several strategic retail locations will become targets of tactical invasions. These may include actual Targets. Once on the shelf, the title should be able to blend in amongst the other games. So, in preparation of Operation SOCOM Release, your orders are to form a squad and gear up. Your country needs you!And, if you want to be all you can be, note that SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 has some incentives for pre-ordering. If you purchase early at select retails or pick up the game via PSN during the first 30 days following release, you'll get access to some specialized troops: the Kommando Speizialkrafte and Special Air Service, the former being an operative "under the Special Operations Division" and the latter being an elite British soldier who is "the template by which other Special Forces are organized." Each comes armed with the F2000 assault rifle and AS-50 BMG sniper/anti-material rifle, respectively.
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 features four-player co-op campaign
It's true, the third installment in the SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo series will feature four-player co-op through the game's campaign, which is nice if you actually have three friends and don't just pay random strangers to stand around you sometimes. The feature will be available in both Ad Hoc and Infrastructure mode, so you can all hang on the couch and play, or you can use the wonders of the internets to get some people together online. Also, when playing co-op, all missions will be unlocked and available for selection, so you don't have to worry about that jerk Donny's lack of progression getting in the way of the group's fun.SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 is currently slated for a Winter 2009 release.%Gallery-50260%
Play SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 at PS.Blog event
Want access to the Sony E3 press conference? Want to get your hands on an early version of SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3? Want to face Professor PlayStation and yours truly in a tamale eat-off? Well, you can do all of this if you stop by the PlayStation.Blog reader meet-up on May 31st in sunny LA.The PS.Blog team will be joined by ye olde PS Fanboy team. For more details, head on over to Facebook. Hope to see you there!
New SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 screens emerge
click to enlarge As we told you before, the PSP's upcoming SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 looks to be a more action-oriented entry in the popular franchise. There's a bigger focus on firefights this time around -- and we don't mean the kind with hooks and ladders. You'll be blasting away, sneaking up on unsuspecting turret-jockeys, and leading your four-man team into a series of shootouts that make that bank robbery scene in Heat look like a day in the park. A really, really boring day in the park where nothing happens.Though their static presentation may not adequately capture the game's intensity, these latest screenshots from Sony Gamers Day 2009 should at least awaken that inner desire to shoot people getting in the way of freedom.%Gallery-50260%
SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 trailer: less tactics, more strike
PSP owners have been rather divided by Slant Six's previous PSP game, SOCOM Tactical Strike. Much to the dismay of series regulars, the military strategy game relied too heavily on "thinking" instead of "shooting." Looks like Slant Six is rectifying that for its upcoming Fireteam Bravo 3.The debut trailer for Fireteam Bravo 3 shows Slant Six's amazing PSP engine returning for a game that looks far more action-packed than the previous handheld outings. In addition to the standard multiplayer the franchise is known for, Fireteam Bravo 3 will expand the series by offering cooperative online play. This first trailer certainly has us excited. Check it out after the break.%Gallery-50260%
SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 coming to PSP
It's been a while since the PSP saw a real SOCOM game. Fireteam Bravo 2 released in 2006 and successfully delivered a 16-player online experience on-the-go. Fireteam Bravo 3 is being worked on by Slant Six, the same team behind the lackluster SOCOM Confrontation on PS3 and the sublime SOCOM Tactical Strike on PSP. The original SOCOM developers, Zipper Interactive, are undoubtedly too busy working on MAG to place their efforts on a handheld SOCOM.New to Fireteam Bravo 3 will be the ability to play missions with other players. The story will take operatives on a quest to find ex-KGB agent Alexander Gozorov, believed to be holding information on an upcoming attack with WMDs. In addition to the campaign, players will also be able to compete online, communicate via voice chat, battle for medals and earn ranks on the online leaderboards. A teaser trailer for the game will be released tomorrow, so stay tuned.%Gallery-50260%[Thanks, Oizu!]
