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MAG trailer requires your inspirational battlefield speech
Do you frequently find yourself filling the role of an inspirational leader amongst your group of friends? Do you utter phrases such as "once more into the breach" and "screw your courage to the sticking-place?" You sound like a likely candidate to win a recently added contest on PlayStation.Blog -- all you need to do is write an "inspirational battlefield speech" for Zipper Interactive's upcoming plus-size shooter, MAG.Winners may hear their speech included in an upcoming trailer for the highly anticipated title, and will receive an ambiguous "fantastic MAG prize" to boot. Unfortunately, the contest's rules hamstring entrants by prohibiting cursing and quoting other legendary leaders. You'll have to save your profanity-laden Churchillisms for your Anachronistic Civil War Re-enactment Club.
Zipper dev diary reveals the three factions of MAG
Out of all of humanity's social needs and desires, we all love the feeling of belonging the most. People just can't get along without the comfort and support that can be provided by bowling leagues, church groups, family circles or bloodthirsty para-military contractors. The latest developer diary for Zipper Interactive's 256-man melee, MAG, reveals the three PMCs featured in the multi-multi-multiplayer shooter. You'll get to choose between the traditional military forces of Valor, the high-tech armada of Raven or the brutal, low-tech armies of S.V.E.R. (pronounced "sever"). Check out the three outfits in the video above, and let us know who you're thinking about enlisting with.
Second MAG dev diary talks framerate, inspiration for 256 players
Are you excited for MAG? Zipper Interactive's PS3 follow-up to the SOCOM franchise will melt PS3s everywhere with its ambitious 256-player online multiplayer. In spite of the unprecedented number of players being tracked, Zipper's targeting a steady 30fps beat, even when all 256 players start converging on one point. The notion seems a bit staggering, and we have our doubts -- remember the framerate of 4-player N64 games?Certainly, we want Zipper to deliver on all of its promises. The end of the dev diary makes us hungry for more, when the developers explain their vision: "In other first-person shooters, you might see big events, like helicopters going down, or explosions, and buildings on fire. Those things are all scripted; they're happening outside of the gameplay space. In MAG, it's the first first-person-shooter where all those things are happening around you as an effect of gameplay."%Gallery-51370%
MAG dev diary takes a look into the Shadow War
By now, you must have heard about MAG -- an ambitious 256-player online shooter. We've seen it in action and have even tried it out for ourselves, but what's it all about, and what's this Shadow War we keep hearing of? Luckily, this developer video diary (posted after the break) gives us a look into the storyline of MAG and its fictional Shadow War backdrop and answers all those questions.We get a closer look at the maps, weapons and characters seen in the game, while Zipper details the various PMC groups vying for power in the Shadow War. The clip also shows off some all-new gameplay footage, so make sure you don't miss it.
Joystiq interview: Zipper Interactive's Russ Phillips on MAG
(click to massive size) Last week we had the honor of being some of the first people outside Sony to try out MAG, Zipper Interactive's first game on the PS3. While you can find out a lot of information from our hands-on report, we wanted a bit more insight into one of the most ambitious shooters to come along in recent memory. Russ Phillips, art director for MAG, was kind enough to answer some of the questions that came up during our extended demo of the game. Hit the jump for the full interview.With competitive shooters these days, one of the things that really drives the community is online integration. The ability to log on, see your character and his stats, see how your clan is doing, etc. Is that something that you guys are looking at integrating into MAG?Definitely! We want you to be able to follow your character, build a career with him, and be able to get on any time of the day -- especially to follow your Faction's progress and what is actually going on in the 'Shadow War' so we'll have websites dedicated to providing this information. I think any player that has played a game like this will want to know where they sit and and where their faction sits. So yeah, we've given a lot of thought to that.%Gallery-51370%
First MAG footage shown in new trailer
You've already read our hands-on impressions of MAG -- if not, why not? -- and now you can see it in action in the video above. Included is almost a minute and a half of footage, which will no doubt quench your thirst for some insight into the title. Surprise surprise, it's looking great.
Joystiq hands-on: MAG
Little has been heard about MAG, Sony's ambitious 256-person online shooter that was announced during last year's E3. In fact, other than the CG trailer shown at the conference, there has been an almost total lockdown on any information related to the game. Last week, however, all that changed during Sony's Seattle Gamers Day event. The event was held at developer Zipper Interactive's Redmond, Washington headquarters, where studio heads Jim Bosler and Brian Soderberg took the stage to explain MAG, the technology behind it, and how the game actually works with 256 people. With a long history of making online shooters (the developer was the first to bring an online game to the PS2 with the first SOCOM), Zipper has been working hard to make sure that players will experience a smooth and pleasant experience, even when playing against a couple hundred other people. In fact, it's been running weekly 256-player tests since late last year with SCEA folks in California in order to test the network technology -- Zipper says it's already achieved smooth gameplay. Concept-wise, the idea behind MAG was to be able to re-create battles on the scale of Blackhawk Down, with hundreds of well trained soldiers engaging in highly coordinated battles across large areas. In order to do this, the developer has created one of the most robust command systems we've ever seen in a videogame.%Gallery-51370%
MAG: May Also Get ... a subtitle
Little is known about the upcoming PS3 shooter, MAG. Zipper Interactive is promising a 256-player online experience and has attached quite an appropriate title to the game (MAG, as you may know, is short for Massive Action Game). While it gets the point across succinctly, the marketing gurus at Sony may be looking for a beefier title. Sharp eyes have noticed another URL points directly to the recently opened MAG official website. MAGShadowWar.com is owned and operated by SCEA -- coincidence? We think not.While it's far from concrete, it looks as though MAG will cover the Shadow War. Hopefully, it won't be long until Sony reveals some real info about the game, because it's obvious we're desperately looking for anything surrounding this anticipated title.
Official MAG site launches, hides secrets
Looks like Sony is slowly starting to promote its upcoming Zipper-developed follow-up to the SOCOM franchise. MAG, or Massive Action Game, promises online multiplayer action for up to 256 players. The official website for MAG has just launched, and it's definitely hiding some secrets. Look around the map for a few hotspots. Pinpoint a certain location and you might get a very small glimpse into the upcoming game. If you find any cool tricks with the site, definitely let us know in the comments section.[Via PS3center.net]
Sony considering subscription fees for MAG, according to PSU survey
The Bitbag reported that a PlayStation Underground survey was sent out asking customers "15 questions related to payment plans" regarding a game that sounds a whole lot like MAG. The survey hints at plans for a monthly or yearly fee for the 256-player MMO title, as well as the possibility of paid DLC.Videogamer contacted a Sony representative, who issued a standard reply of "we don't comment on rumor and speculation." Do keep in mind these types of surveys are designed for companies to hear consumer feedback, so if you receive one of them, be sure to let Sony know how you feel.Source - The BitbagSource - Videogamer[Via Joystiq]
SOCOM PS2 & PSP sequels lay in wait
Sony is looking to cash in, at least one more time on its current-gen console, with another SOCOM sequel, accompanied by a Fireteam Bravo sequel for the PSP. The formula has proved to be successful four times — 3 titles for PS2, 1 for PSP — in less than four years, which suggests that squeezing in another set of entries before the PS3 debut would be a smart move.According to an EB Games listing, which has since been pulled, SOCOM US Navy Seals Combined Assault (PS2) and SOCOM US Navy Seals Fireteam Bravo 2 (PSP) are headed to their respective platforms later this year. While we all know that trusting an EB listing is dangerous, especially one that was obviously premature, the details that were posted on the page (reproduced by PSPCave) were too exact to be mere predictions. Expect an official announcement at E3.[Thanks Mark]
