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160°

Layoffs at SOCOM developer, Sony confirms

TVGB: "MAG and SOCOM developer Zipper Interactive is seeing a reduction in head count; according to multiple tipsters, up to 33 people have been let go."

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thatvideogameblog.com
the_kutaragi_baka5496d ago (Edited 5496d ago )

the D-B seth luise should have be among those 33 laid off.

Well now that socom has officially been ruined, zipper can you at least give us Socom II HD NOW???

TOO PAWNED5496d ago (Edited 5496d ago )

called this years ago. Mag sold purely, so did Socom 4. They make mediocre games (look at the reviews) that sell badly. I am surprised Sony didn't do this sooner. Probably worst first party SCEA studio in USA. Always sad when people lose their job but they had it coming. Bad game play, ugly graphics, bad controls. Good bye.

raztad5496d ago (Edited 5496d ago )

I'm among the few thousand that bought/kept/enjoyed MAG. Around 170 hours clocked in the game. Probably my most played game ever. Just yesterday got SOCOM 4, out of watching iWaggle3D SOCOM 4 with MOVE video, and some other impressions. Never played SOCOM before and I dont care about how good it was, or how it compares. I have a gut feeling I'll be having fun with its multiplayer until Twisted Metal drops.

BTW, it is not like Zipper is being shut down, but the eventual commercial failure of SOCOM 4 might have a deep negative impact over new releases. Death of SOCOM perhaps?

Headquarters115496d ago

Good! Thats what they get for putting that STUPID cover system in SOCOM. Sure it works great in games like Uncharted 2 where it takes more than a couple bullets to drop someone.

But it is s*** in SOCOM. It is so easy to camp with that stupid cover system, so frustrating. And the Maps in S4 are horrible! So cluttered and I've been killed so many times by someone hiding in grass. Or getting sniped across the map by a MG.

Confrontation was a WAY better Socom game.

MidnytRain5496d ago (Edited 5496d ago )

It's not good for people to lose their jobs.

The more health you have, the less a cover system is needed. The grass is meant to used for stealth and is useful in the campaign and co-op missions on Hard difficulty and high enemy count. It needs to be harder to kill someone at a distance - harder than it is at close range.

otherZinc5496d ago

People should be getting "fired"! They released some garbage games, especially SOCOM 4.

PirateThom5496d ago

Trying to make a game like SOCOM appeal to a wide audience was the worst mistake ever.

Ninver5496d ago

power of tha dollar mate.

DA_SHREDDER5496d ago

i wouldn't say worst mistake ever, but makes me wonder if they even have a QA dept. BTW, MAG is such a better game imho and if I was working at Zipper, I would have bet the farm on MAG2 then the turd that is Socom 4. Imagine how good MAG would have been if they had just dropped Socom4? If I was a dev I would have been critically honest about the game cause there is just too much $$$ riding on everything these days. For me its food or video games? Guess which one I pick? Video games aint gonna feed me and the kids, so we just stuck playing Black Ops till something as good or better comes out. Here's that Battlefield 3 is actually good on consoles cause i cant get a decent pc to save my life.

ivant5496d ago (Edited 5496d ago )

Zipper shouldn't have even bothered making a SOCOM, what with the popularity of Modern Warfare .... and to a lesser extent Bad Company.

Ideally, they should have beefed up MAG with better graphics, physics, vehicles, and destruction, and maximum 64 players.

But MAG would have been a huge hit had they simply used the Warhawk game engine with similar glorious Warhawk gameplay(land/air combat) as a FPS with 32-64 players.

Everyone knows how awesome Warhawk combat is.

Everyone knows how popular Modern Warfare is.

Then why the f*ck not combine the best from both you halfwits. Talking about developers ignoring the obvious.

I hope SOCOM is put to rest once and for all. Bring on Starhawk and Battlefield 3.

Dark_king5496d ago

MAG was and still is my favorite FPS.I wouldn't have near as much fun with only 64 players.The sheer number of enemies and troops to command is what make the game great.
I hope next gen Sony makes a MAG 2 but I believe they need to include a PSEye with the PS4 so everyone has a mic.If everyone had mics I think more people would have stayed.

RustInPeace5496d ago

Well, ill be the only asshole playing this game when everyone else jumps on MW3s dick. I sold my copy of Ops for this game, and to me, it was the best decision. I'm tired of the exact same formula used in the past 3 or 4 CoDs. I wanted something different and not another $65 camp-fest. Loyals or not, everyone complaining about every little thing (graphics, cover system, no doors(?)) apparently love to pay for the same exact thing every release. And just about the cover system, how about making use of the maps they give you and change up your tactics and try not to just run-and-gun down the same path every spawn...?

Damn Zipper for trying something a little different... Damned if you do, damned if you don't...

kingjoker345496d ago

How about not changing a formula if it WORKS. people enjoyed socom on ps2 for a reason.
people dont like socom 4 because it is not a SOCOM.
and seriously im not a graphic whore, i like game play over graphics but when teh gameplay sucks and the grapahics suck that is not a good combo.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5496d ago
SlickShoes5496d ago

Sad stuff, SOCOM is an abomination in its current form though.

It doesnt cater to the old school fans and all the things it has tried to copy from todays popular shooters it has pretty much butchered!

It is now stuck in a middle ground where old school fans dont like it because it is missing features that created the community like lobbies and decent voice comms. And the new games don't like it because it does nothing that Call Of Duty does not do already.

A multiplayer game that makes it difficult to join up with your friends and clan is destined to fail.

I think this has to be the end for socom, I had lots of great memories with 1,2 and 3 but this one will be visiting the great trade in counter in the sky.

THC CELL5496d ago

still hope they make mag 2

Max_Dissatisfaction5496d ago

Ouch things not going too great at SONY-land lately. SOE also had a couple of lay-offs earlier and a couple of studios completly shutting down too. At this rate I doubt SONY will buy Sucker Punch...heck at this rate I doubt Sucker Punch would agree to being bought by SONY

5496d ago
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210°

Petition Launched for Socom 2

Socom fans speak out on Change.org with a petition to bring back Socom II Remastered to PlayStation 4. Will it even make a difference?

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urgentfury.com
s2Celerity4086d ago

Greatest game to ever exist, this would sell consoles for sure.

urgentfury4086d ago

I agree it would sell some consoles but I am not sure the numbers will be staggering enough. I do however think that the franchise should be revived and brought back to its roots.

Crimzon4086d ago

I can't speak of the roots of the franchise since I never played SOCOM 1 or 2, but was the last game on PS3 really that bad? I saw a lot of the fans of the older games speak poorly of it back when it launched, but as someone new to the franchise I thought SOCOM 4 was incredibly fun and enjoyable to play. I was really disappointed when Sony shut down the servers for that game.

I was really impressed with that game on a technical level as well. The gameplay was enjoyable enough, but the levels being so large, with complex geometry and so much foliage while letting 32 players run around with no lag was very impressive at the time, especially since the graphics were actually really good in my opinion.

It was frustrating to see Sony shut down Zipper Interactive. I guess their games weren't for everyone but I really liked MAG and SOCOM 4. Same goes for Sony Liverpool and Wipeout HD. Sad to see great developers like that gone and Sony use the money to fund rubbish like The Order instead.

Commodore4086d ago (Edited 4086d ago )

To Crimzon:

SOCOM 4 (We don't even consider it a SOCOM game) was so terrible, it was amazing that the game even got made with the amount of misdirection Zipper went with. Every previous SOCOM was based on 1 life, no respawn. That gave it the thrill and intensity that no other game has ever done to this day. It was a cluster **** of every current game at the time. Call of Duty and Uncharted mainly. Wall hugging? No thank you.

SOCOM 2 would still have it's core base but people today who can't handle waiting 5 minutes for the next round when they die. They do something stupid like rushing into a room and not working together as a team....and then they die.

morganfell4086d ago (Edited 4086d ago )

Compared to the other SOCOMs, SOCOM 4 was bad because the MP was completely different from previous titles and what people wanted was the gameplay they had previously enjoyed.

Confrontation turned out to be good but you wouldn't know it from some people. Persons that liked SOCOM 2 didn't like Confrontation because they played it for the first month or so then quit. It took 6 months and over 600MB of patches but eventually Confrontation had a really good SOCOM II vibe. Those that stuck it out or else came back to the game after that 6th month were pleasantly surprised.

The main thing missing from COnfrontation, and SOCOM III for that matter was the Breach mode as itr was never the same after II and it was my favorite game mode. Playing SOCOM II and Breach on Sujo or Sandstorm was a blast. But it was winning Breach mode as a SEAL on Enowapi that took the most skill.

Sujo: https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Sandstorm: https://www.youtube.com/wat...

2014 Gameplay for Fish Hook, SOCOM II: https://www.youtube.com/wat...

BattleAxe4086d ago (Edited 4086d ago )

It will never happen. I'm not sure why people keep kicking this dead horse. The Playstation Blog already had a petition with something like the second highest votes out of all the petitions on Playstation.Blog Share, and Sony didn't do anything about it back then. H-Hour is what everyone should be concentrating on right about now. Socom 2 was awesome, but it's time to stop living in the past, and start moving on with your lives.

Helix4085d ago

you all do realize HHOUR is coming out by Sofstudios

www.sofstudios.com

morganfell4085d ago

Yes, but despite the pedigree H Hour isn't SOCOM. If you look at the most recent vids it is quite apparent.

BattleAxe4084d ago

^^^

Well at this stage of H-Hour's development, what do you expect? And unless you've been playing the alpha, how can you talk about pedigree? Zipper was a well funded studio, whereas SOF Studios is just getting started.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 4084d ago
Bigpappy4086d ago

Being a huge Ghost fan, I have always had an interest in playing the early Socom games. It was this and GOW that always caught my interest. Not big on Uncharted and Bloodborne or D'Souls (not saying those are bad games).

lilbrat234086d ago

I remember never sleeping playing this game on the PSP I wish they would also release a Vita version of this game. The online was epic.

ZombieKiller4086d ago

I would buy this again in a flash. I've been waiting for another really good Socom game. Where camping is legitimate instead of running around like a chicken without a head.

Sorry A.D.D. world, but camping IS A STRATEGY.

harbie4085d ago

Damn can't agree 1million times lol ;)>. Never before have truer words been spoken. SOCOM II is the greatest game of all time.

You can still play it today via Xlink, come join us, until SOCOM II HD finally comes out! :)

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 4084d ago
s2Celerity4086d ago (Edited 4086d ago )

We can do better than this people, let's get it started! http://imgur.com/w2yBsrg

NO_FEAR4086d ago

This was the all time best game on any console at it's launch. It was a pivotal moment in console gaming history. Millions of fans enjoyed it and it formed bonds of friendships that survive to this day. It spurred the competitive gaming scene. A great game will always be a great game. This timeless remaster would be enjoyed again by old fans and new alike.

s2Celerity4086d ago

Still playing multiplayer on LAN through a PC application that connects ps2 ip's together. Cant believe it's been almost 12 years

harbie4085d ago

Xlink is the app if anyone is interested in playing SOCOM 2

HELVEG264086d ago

Yup Sony should bring back a Classic SOCOM, its still sorely missed by thousands even after all these years. There is a lot of money to be made for them if they get it right. This game sold consoles!! Always a deciding factor in the past when choosing between a PS or XBOX.

s2Celerity4086d ago

No doubt in my mind this would sell consoles. It's the most addictive experience out for almost a decade now.

OUROSMAG4086d ago

Wasn't the studio behind SOCOM shut down?

s2Celerity4086d ago

Sony still owns the rights and has given it to another studio before as well. Anything could happen

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70°

Broadening your Audience - It Can be the Death of you

Ever wondered how the third iteration of video game series always end of worse than the second part? Kyle Flanagan explains how the concept of broadening your audience can make your games worse.

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30kpolygons.com
MasterCornholio4412d ago (Edited 4412d ago )

Imagine if they made Dark Souls for casuals?

The franchise would never be the same after that.

Mutant-Spud4412d ago

Yeah and we casuals still wouldn't want to play it!

DCfan4412d ago

MGS is unfortunately going that route.

DCfan4412d ago

Everything about MGSV screams 'westernization'.
Its not like the game is not popular enough.
And did you forget Kojima's talk about westernizing MGO?

DanielGearSolid4412d ago

Personally, the game still feels like good ol' MGS, but with better controls, to me...

I don't think they're trying to "broaden their audience" per say... I feel like it's more taking elements from Western games that can fundamentally improve their game... But, thats just me

jeremyj29134412d ago

That's what Capcom tried doing last gen and look at them now.

100°

SOCOM: Developer Home Movies

TRS writes: "As a token of appreciation for the SOCOM fanbase’s support with H-Hour, David Sears has shared some never before seen footage from his home movie collection. The following footage was filmed during the early production days of SOCOM at Zipper Interactive on a research trip to Morocco."

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therealsocom.com
SynGamer4739d ago

Looking at the kickstarter, it doesn't look like they are on pace to hit their goal. Perhaps if it was $100,000? That, or if it actually had "SOCOM" in the name, but sadly Sony owns that IP.

BattleAxe4739d ago

Come on people, where is the Socom fanbase when we need them? Help support the H-Hour kickstarter!

http://sofstudios.com/index...

r214739d ago

Journalists need to spread this info. It should help gain more support.

REAL14739d ago

We seriously need this. I hope it really happens.

JordanCabot4739d ago (Edited 4739d ago )

I think we should follow them on social media websites and people will also come to know about them.

http://www.alphaimpactwindo...

RowSand4739d ago

i smell New socom game in the future