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First Impressions: MAG
It's a technical marvel, really, to be able to shoot at 256 people at once. Very few games have been able to get this many players into one enclosed space, and even fewer have been able to do it without having everything lock down in lag. But Zipper Interactive's MAG is taking the bull by the horns and is following in the footsteps of games like PlanetSide to deliver a true "war" experience to the PS3. With the impending release of MAG to the shelves of stores everywhere, my editor wanted me to get down to the front lines of combat and find out what the fuss was all about. To that end, I've joined up with Shadow Raven Industries to get a taste of the combat that MAG has to offer. Follow after the break, and let's break down how this "Massive Action Game" plays out.
MAG in open beta until January 10th
It's last minute, we know, but if you're a PS3 owner then you might want to scoot over to the PlayStation Store and download the MAG open beta client. The system's MMOFPS will be online until the 10th, when they take the game off the store and prep it for the official January 26th launch. Beware you have room on your hard drive and time to leave your PS3 on to download, however, as you'll be looking forward to a 2 GB download. A headset is nice to have too, so you can communicate with your squadmates (they'll appreciate it,) but it's not required to play the game. So this weekend enjoy conducting a war with 255 other people on the battlefield with you. Try not to get shot too much!
PSA: MAG open beta starts today
If you haven't managed to weasel your way into the MAG beta through the dozen or so channels that have popped up over the past few months, you've now got a sure-fire way to enlist in the Shadow War. Starting today, anyone can download and play MAG, without the cumbersome requirement of a GameStop pre-order or Qore subscription. If you're interested, hop on it with a quickness -- the beta's only running until January 10!
MAG beta open to all on January 4
Exciting news for those of you who were unable to get into the MAG beta via Sony employee status, email invitation, Qore subscription, GameStop pre-order, Europe-only signup, or Joystiq contest! Now Sony has announced a MAG beta for everyone -- including the people who, somehow, didn't get into it already! The new beta file will be available for download on PSN starting January 4. Existing beta members will be able to update their files now to prepare for the upcoming trial -- which means that you shouldn't delete your MAG data yet! The beta is short-lived, lasting only until January 10, so be sure to get your fill of 64-player "Sabotage" and 256-player "Domination." Or, at least, be sure to play enough to tide you over for sixteen days. %Gallery-51370%
SOCOM: Confrontation 'Cold Front' trailers arrive, DLC coming later today
Detailed a couple months back, SOCOM: Confrontation's DLC pack "Cold Front" arrives later today on the PlayStation Network for the introductory price of $10 ($15 after December 20), though we're just seeing it in action today with a couple of gameplay trailers. The DLC includes not just five new maps, but snow effects, a new gameplay mode and ... wait, what's this? Fancy new clothes! Nothing says "tactical warfare" like goose down jackets! Get a taste for the DLC, then test your mettle against the urge to get fashionable, just after the break. [Thanks, Edgar]
MAG: Massive Amount of Game data
Click to MAG-size. There's been some confusion about MAG, Zipper Interactive's 256 player super-multiplayer game. Some had wondered if the game would be made available as a PSN download, similar to Sony's other online efforts, like Warhawk and SOCOM Confrontation. However, Jeremy Dunham replied on the PlayStation.Blog confirming that the game will be "disc-based only." Dunham also added that "the game is so huge when moving everything off-disc, your hard drive is secretly thanking us." Anyone that participated in the beta will likely complain about the massive amounts of data that had to be downloaded during each game update. Considering the beta is but a taste of what's to come in the full game, the necessity for a retail-only release seems all the more evident. %Gallery-51370%
Newest MAG trailer airdrops televisions into battle
There's nothing quite like seeing thousands of home theater setups falling from the sky, as evidenced above by the latest trailer for PS3-exclusive MAG. Aside from reminding us of the not-quite-an-MMOs impending release date, the video shows off a variety of different gameplay types, and asks if we have it in us to earn our fellow players' trust. We suggest that those of you looking to enroll with the toughest, most ragtag group of rumblers this side of the Colorado sign up right here. Can you earn our trust? (Hint: You earn our trust by leaving friendly comments ... and maybe sending us booze. Maybe.)
Face off against Zipper Interactive in MAG beta's closing ceremonies
Got some complaint about MAG that you'd like to directly file with the game's creators? You'll have your chance to do so this Friday, when a number of Zipper Interactive staffers will join in the Shadow War as part of the beta's closing ceremonies. All you have to do is join in a fight, and keep an eye out for squads using the clan tag [ZIP]. According to the developer's blog, they'll be playing for two hours starting at 9 p.m. EST. Remember, present your suggestions in a courteous, congenial manner. For instance, "hello, Zipper Interactive employee. I think the game would be improved by limiting the number of times a first aid kit can be used in a single spawn. Thank you so much for listening. I'm going to fire bullets at you now, okay?" [Via CVG]
MAG Beta now pre-order exclusive, servers running 24/7
The MAG beta program is getting one final, well-timed push before Zipper Interactive gears up to launch the impossibly oversized shooter. The game has officially moved onto Beta Phase 4 -- a shift which not only makes 6,000 changes within the game (including modifications to the skill tree and an increased level cap), but also makes the beta exclusively available to those who've pre-ordered the online FPS at GameStop. Yes, if you've been playing the beta using one of the other promotional access codes, you'll be shut out of the proceedings. However, as a side bonus, Zipper is now keeping the game's servers open all day, every day. That's right, you no longer need to sacrifice your nightly Murder, She Wrote viewings to adhere to the beta's odd schedule. Thanks, Zipper!
Over 8,000 updates and bug fixes in latest MAG beta update
Looks like a certain beta testing community hasn't neglected its duties as a stalwart lookout for bugs, errors and other unsavory in-game snafus. This morning, Zipper Interactive launched a patch for the MAG beta client which includes over 8,000 updates and bug fixes. The patch will be automatically downloaded and installed next time you hop into the Shadow War. A brief synopsis of the important changes can be found after the jump. We elected to not include the full list of 8,000 updates, as it would have delayed this post until mid-April, at which point it would have been fairly useless to you.
MAG pre-order beta has begun, game to launch on January 26th, 2010
If you've been itching to try out your trigger finger with 127 of your friends, then your wait is pretty much at a close. MAG's public pre-order beta has gone live as of Monday and you can jump in by simply going out to your local GameStop/EB Games and pre-ordering the game.The beta will be continuing until November 20th for all of the pre-order beta players, while those who got in thanks to their Qore subscriptions will find their play time ending on November 8th.MAG has been confirmed for a release on January 26th of next year, so there will be some downtime between the beta and the release of the game for Zipper Interactive to do some bug fixing and further polishing.
Wishes do come true, Planetside 2
"X game sounds a lot like Planetside. I wish they'd make a sequel to that game." is something we've heard over the years as similar-yet-different titles have been announced and released. Well who says wishes don't come true? As it turns out, SOE is planning to "expand the Planetside universe with another game" and is asking players of the original for their input via survey. Rock Paper Shotgun picked up the scent of impending sequelosity, which is a word we've just made up that describes a sequel revelation of such ferocity that it slaps your jaw to the ground.There are a lot of games, such as MAG, that are attempting a Planetside-ish experience. However, nothing new has really attempted the scope of the game, so hearing that another is on the way infuses us with a intoxicating blend of hope and curiosity.
Sony accepting applications for European MAG Beta
PlayStation.Blog recently dropped an announcement that will send European fans of acronyms and large-scale combat through the roof. Zipper Interactive is going to be handing out 16,000 beta codes for MAG to those living in Europe over the course of the next few weeks. To apply, go to the blog's "Competition" page and fill out the appropriate info. It's first come, first serve, so ... come! Be served! If you're not fortunate enough to live on the West-Eurasian Peninsula, take solace in the fact that Zipper's going to eventually need to enlist everyone on the planet to test out the game's enormous server load. Also, remember that we've got freedom and liberty and stuff.
The Daily Grind: Is MAG an MMO?
It sports 256 players on a map. 8 man squads, 32 man plattoons, and 128 men on one side in their company. It has a "shadow war" online mode where companies compete to win battles, pushing active warzones back and forth on the map, meaning that each battle has an effect on the online gameplay structure. Winning battles means securing contracts for your group, who works for one of the 3 in-game factions that are struggling for dominance.MAG is, without a doubt, one heck of a first-person shooter. It's players per map rivals PlanetSide's 300 players per continent, coming only 44 players short of the popular MMOFPS's battles. However, with multiple objectives per map and the 256 players being squeezed into smaller battlefields than PlanetSide's continents, one could say that the game is going to be much more chaotic and interesting.With all of this in mind, we ask you for your opinion on the following: Is Sony's MAG an MMO? It certainly sports the necessary components of persistence, character development, team mechanics, and player count, but we want to hear from you, the readers. Drop your thoughts into the comment box below, and let the discussion begin.
PAX 2009: MAG producer explains the game's original server technology
Making online, 256-player battles unfold without lag or disconnection issues is nothing short of pure techno-wizardry. However, according to producer Alan Van Slyke, who recently spoke with us at a PAX preview event, that's exactly what MAG will bring to the table thanks to a groundbreaking new form of server architecture."Before we started working on the front-end client technology, we started building the servers. We wiped the slate clean and asked 'what do we need to do to scale to these numbers to make sure it's not laggy, and make sure people can't exploit,'" Van Slyke explained. What they decided was that peer-to-peer hosting was insufficient -- instead, the MAG team created their own networking solution which would host and authenticate game data from a (presumably beefy) central server.Van Slyke couldn't reveal the specifics of the technology (the patent for which is still pending), but promised that it would reduce latency and completely eliminate connection griefing which has plagued other multiplayer shooters in the past. In addition, he said Zipper's not worried about having its servers crushed by a day-one rush of new recruits, explaining that "we've invested a lot in our server technology and our load test harnesses and the things we can do to replicate the scalability of it to ensure that it's stable and rock solid."
Sony details MAG pre-order bonuses: where to get what
Following a weekend of 256-player mayhem at PAX '09, Sony has unloaded more details on the pre-order campaign for its "massive action game," MAG, which releases on January 26, 2010. First up are three exclusive in-game characters, each corresponding to one of the game's three PMC armies -- with custom gear -- and available via a different retailer. GameStop has the S.V.E.R. soldier contractor for offer while Game Crazy is offering the Raven recruit -- we're not sure why, but Sony's keeping the wraps on where you can pre-order to receive a Valor grunt.Reserving the game via Amazon will grant you access to your very own S.V.E.R. "personal space" (read: apartment) in PlayStation Home. If you want the most alluring incentive, however, it's back to GameStop for access to the public beta of MAG beginning October 10. (Qore subscribers will be let in on September 17.) Initially, the beta servers will only be online during specific play windows, but Sony has confirmed that they'll be up-and-running 24/7 after November 9.If you want all of the goodies, you're going to need to mount your own MPC ("massive pre-order campaign").
Hands-on: MAG's 256-man multiplayer
I, like most people, have never participated in a 256-player virtual battle (or, due to its uncannily enormous amount of participants -- is it a war?). Though Zipper Interactive's MAG is built on incredibly strong first-person shooter foundations, incorporating fast-paced combat and a plethora of unlockable character modifications, the takeaway impression from my recent time with the game during a Sony preview event at PAX is, as you might guess, it is enormous.The game does an excellent job of partitioning players off into smaller, 8-man squads. Though most of your contact is with your immediate teammates, there's a constant sense that you're part of something bigger. There's nothing intangible about the cause for that feeling -- you are a cog in a much larger military machine, rewarded for spinning in accordance with your higher-ups' orders.
September Qore heads to Skywalker Ranch, subscribers get MAG beta
September's episode of Qore features a view from Skywalker Ranch, as the soundtrack to Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is mixed and mastered at George Lucas' famous estate. Qore also sits down with gear head Jay "Retired for 10 Seconds" Leno and talks about his involvement with PSP's long-in-development installment of Gran Turismo. But, the real meat of this month's episode is access to the upcoming MAG beta -- for gamers not lucky enough to have been invited already.Users are automatically entered into the beta test -- set to begin later this month -- if they are Qore subscribers. If you're thirsty for large-scale online battles, users who subscribe to Qore on or before September 17 will also be invited. Sadly, purchasing September's episode alone will not net you the beta access. Even sadder, we're used to having to pay our way into these exciting bonuses.Check out a preview for this month's episode after the break.
MAG public beta now underway, first wave of invites sent
Based on the hojillion tips we recently received informing us of this news, we wager that most of you probably already know this -- still, we thought we'd pass it along for those who don't check their email as religiously as the rest of us. The first wave of invites for the MAG beta have been sent out -- for all you know, there's one sitting in your inbox this very second.See, now we know you're not reading anymore, because you're too busy checking your email. We could say something like "you have a dumb and ugly face" with no fear of retaliation. Of course, we won't do that, because your face isn't dumb, or ugly. It's precious and beautiful, like a beautiful alabaster doll's face.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
MAG deploying in North America on January 26, 2010
The exact release date for Zipper Interactive's multi-multi-multi-man FPS MAG has been up in the air for a while now -- but a recent announcement on PlayStation.Blog has made the game's launch date decidedly cemented. It's hitting store shelves on January 26, 2010, landing atop an ever-expanding aggregate of first-quarter blockbusters. However, most of its seasonal competitors don't allow for four to the fourth power players to square off in a single battle, so we don't think it'll have any trouble holding its own.Honestly, we'd hoped it would land a bit closer to the game's initial announced fall launch window -- but hey, at least now Zipper's got a bit of extra time to nail down an actual title for the game.
