Sony Adds Sucker Punch To Their Roster

Posted By: Bret

Yup, its true. Sony has bought Sucker Punch. Now what does that mean? It means that InFamous might actually become infamous. Here is a perfect explanation as to why I say this. Remember Socom 1, 2? Well Zipper Interactive developed those games as an independent game developer. Those Socoms are known as the greatest in franchise history. So what happened to Zipper after these titles? The same thing that is happening to Sucker Punch, they were bought by Sony. The next two games put out by Zipper never came anywhere close to the marks of the first two in the series and many blame Sony's "new path" that they went with.

Maybe I'm wrong, but Sucker Punch might be regretting their decision within the next few years. Time will only tell, so sit back and we'll watch where Sony takes the famous InFamous.

FREE SOCOM 4 Avatar Theme Pack

That's what the title says and that's exactly what you get, FREE SOCOM 4 avatars.

All you need to do is go here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps3

-Press the "click to expand" on the SOCOM 4 game at the top of the page

-Play the game correctly and win

-By winning you will be told to type in your email address

-Your code emailed can be redeemed off the PSN Store

Posted By: John

SOCOM 4 Map Flythroughs

Zipper has released all map flythroughs for SOCOM 4's Multiplayer today. Simply click on the thumbnails or map name to access the video flythrough:

Courtesty of SOCOM.com

Cesspool
Cesspool takes place in a Southeast Asian slum and surrounding urban decay. We drew inspiration from the campaign mission Means to an End (and a scene or two from the Incredible Hulk film), and especially wanted to incorporate the almost maze-like layout most real world slums seem to have. This was actually the second multiplayer map built for SOCOM 4 (the first map built will sadly never see the light of day).
- Christian Sadak, Designer

Collision
A salvage yard in the middle of a slum, flooded by a broken sewer main, forms the backdrop to this classic meat-grinder. A mound of burning tires brackets one side, while the other is dominated by a poorly-illuminated warehouse full of explosive chemicals. Evidence of a failed UN mission is hidden throughout the area. On this map battle is channeled into a labyrinthine junkyard overlooked by a handful of critical vantage-points. The fighting over these strategic locations tends to get pretty intense, with a lot of tight corners and blind spots.
- Chris Donovan, Artist

Sacrifice
Sacrifice is a map that was assembled with a lot of verticality in mind. Towards the end of production we had a review of all of our multiplayer maps. Sacrifice was about 70 percent complete at that point and originally took place in a large valley. It felt too similar to our previous ruins map “Abandoned”, and overall the map was quite flat. After multiple tests we decided that it just wasn’t working, and we needed to do a full reset. With a fresh start we decided to mix it up, and try to push the vertical aspect for the new layout. After a few weeks of re-assembly we arrived with the level playing out on the side of a cliff. Adding this vertical element really changed up the gameplay; it not only keeps players on their toes, having to watch their flanks, but they have to watch for bullet fire from above as well. Gaining the high ground and defending it is the key to victory on this map.
- Chris Miller, Artist

Bale Out
A temple courtyard in this jungle village is host to a make-shift supply depot, flanked on either side by streams and clusters of stilted huts, windmills and rice silos. A stalled convoy of trucks winds its way through the village along a dirt road. Strangely desolate, the deserted trucks and abandoned livestock anticipate the impending struggle for control. Fighting on this map will often be confused with much back-and-forth, but the central temple will always be hotly contested for its resupply opportunities.
- Chris Donovan, Artist

Outpost
Outpost takes place in a military forward operating and supply base, based off of the campaign levels "Uninvited Guest" and "Countdown". This map was initially much larger and included more military complex elements (airfields, artillery batteries, etc), but was scaled down when we wanted to ensure SOCOM 4 included smaller, more intimate maps (in the same vein as Desert Glory or Night Stalker). A favorite at Zipper is to play this map with only shotguns and grenades and let the chaos ensue!
- Christian Sadak, Designer

Von Heine Express
Von Heine Express is the largest environment-based map in SOCOM 4, primarily created for players seeking medium- to long-range combat. The train tracks passing through the center of the map create the shortest route between spawns, while the large areas on either side of the tracks are great for flanking enemy positions. However, the wide-open spaces and long sight lines in Von Heine Express create the ideal playground for snipers, so be sure to stick to the rocks and vegetation as you don't want to be caught out in the open in this mission.
- CJ Heine, Designer

Assault & Battery
Assault & Battery really takes players into the jungle. Its dense nature and overgrown aesthetic encourages players to stalk their prey from the brush; mastering this play style for this map will definitely give you the edge. In some game modes players can risk climbing the center tower to gain access to BXM 500 sniper rifle -- a great reward for anyone willing to expose themselves to a 360 degree threat. The open layout of Assault & Battery can be taxing on new players, but taking the lower routes, hiding in brush, and staying behind tall cover is key to being successful on the battlefield.
- Chris Miller, Artist

Rush Hour
Set on a heavily-damage elevated freeway, Rush hour is a fast map with clearly defined routes that always lead to the hotly contested center. The daring and skillful can push right up the crumbled overpass smack in the center of the road. Sweeping overpasses provide elevated flanking routes for strategic approaches. Shattered windows and crumbled concrete give access to building interiors perfect for defensive stands or methodic room-to-room clearing.
- Chris Brockett, Designer

Port Authority
Port Authority takes place in and around a shipyard dry dock. We drew inspiration from the shipyards and dry docks in New York City (especially one photograph in particular). This map in particular has lots of good sniping and overwatch areas that can only be reached via climbing, jumping, or vaulting.
- Christian Sadak, Designer

Abandoned
Abandoned shouldn’t be a stranger to anyone who has been playing SOCOM since the beginning. This MP map has been a staple since the beginning of the franchise, and it’s now been re-envisioned for SOCOM 4. While it looks different than you may remember, great efforts were taken to ensure the layout remains completely intact. Originally released on SOCOM 1 it became a fan favorite, and then returned in SOCOM 2 in the cover of nightfall. Now we’ve taken it back to its roots and over the top. It’s been a while since players have had their hands on this map, so during that time the natural elements have encroach upon it. It’s really overgrown and thus “abandoned”.
- Chris Miller, Artist

Posted by: John

SOCOM 4: Multiplayer Map First Look

For all of you who were able to grab your SOCOM 4 beta codes from Killzone 3 or at PAX East, you can now redeem your access codes today.  In anticipation of such, Zipper wants to give all of their fans a look at 2 SOCOM 4 multiplayer maps that have yet to be seen!  These maps haven't been seen outside of Zipper interactive yet so get excited!

"Von Heine Express was actually one of the last MP maps we finished; the idea behind it was to create an environment that captured the spirit of our classic SOCOM 2 map, Fox Hunt, but built on the themes of SOCOM 4 and made for great sniping scenarios."

The map is set on the coast of Southeast Asia in a military base that has abandoned train cars.  Apparently this map has only been seen once and that was at PAX East 2011, when it was a part of Zipper's SOCOM 4 Championship Tournament.

Here's a video for you guys:

Von Heine Express
(Click the link)


The second map that Zipper is unveiling is Cesspool.

"Cesspool was one of the earliest MP maps developed for SOCOM 4 and it came about because of how much we loved the thematic from our 'Means to an End' single-player mission."

In Means to an End, you will be thrown into a city slum landscape that's under siege by the insurgents (led by the "bad guy" General Razad).

"That SP mission was only an inspiration, though, and Cesspool was created entirely from scratch and is excellent for close-quarters combat-oriented players."

And here's a video for that one:

Cesspool

(Click the link)

Now the catch is that these two maps are NOT available in the beta but you'll be able to experience them when the game hits shelves on April 19th.

Posted by:

Summary of Zipline 33

Yesterday Zipper Interactive was in the recording room again giving us Zipline 33 where the main topic of discussion was the ongoing Socom 4 beta. Seth Lousi joined in this episode giving us his opinions and thoughts on several different areas of the game that have been asked about on the socom.com beta forums. So heres what we know.

The biggest concern so far in the beta has been the camera angle that is extremely too close. Zipper has before confirmed that they are adjusting the camera further back, but how far? Well, we still didn’t get an answer because it has not been decided, however it was mentioned that in addition to a camera relocation, peripheral vision is also being expanded left and right.  It is also TBD if the camera will be changed in both classic and re-spawn modes. 

Several bugs that we see in the beta have already been fixed such as grenade accuracy and HUD indicators (names over peoples heads). It’s possible that we will see these changes in the beta, but the main focus is getting these fixes into the final version, so only time will tell. 

There are a slew of additions that the community has been demanding for Zipper to add into the game as well. Things like D-pad lean, guns going hot when near an enemy, grenade arc, and better mic system are all things Seth really wants in the game. The only problem is the difficulty of rearranging these implementations into the game. So keep your fingers crossed that we get these features at launch, or at all for that matter.

Zipper really is listening to its fan base, but it’s just impossible to get every little request put into the game. Updates and patches are expected from them after the game is released. They have proven with MAG to support their games far after they have been released, giving us a lot of hope to see the best game possible!

Posted By:

Socom 4 beta!

Hi guys it's Bretto and LindsayBrohan here. As most of you know, our close friend was flown out to Washington yesterday to beta test the new Socom 4. Just to give you guys a heads up there are a lot of updates that we'll be filling you in on within the next couple of days. Unfortunately right now we're driving up to the Great White North and we can't give you all of the details via iPhone. We will stay in touch and you'll be hearing from us soon.

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