"The Real SOCOM" Blog presented by David Doel

SOCOM 3 & Combined Assault patched

2008-07-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Who would have thunk it! Zipper is still supporting SOCOM 3 & Combined Assault (which work off the same servers) with patches. Today they released version 2.3 (for SOCOM 3) and version 1.4 (for Combined Assault). You can check out all the details at SOCOM.com here.

Unconfirmed: Confrontation delayed till October 14th

2008-06-30T09:36:00.001-07:00

JBlack261 has discovered that on GameStop's website SOCOM Confrontation is now listed with an October 14th release date.

This would also go hand-in-hand with what we heard in a couple of videos from the media event where you could hear Allen Goode saying "the game is slated for a fall 2008 release", and we all know that September 16th is still considered summer.

Well as long as it ensures the game will recieve a proper launch with a steady framerate and stable netcode, I'm ok with it.

"The Real SOCOM" Podcast - Episode 3

2008-06-27T21:58:00.001-07:00

Listen here (direct download) - 59:31
Subcribe here (RSS reader)
We are also on iTunes here

I'm back with a new podcast, once again co-hosting is Hellman, and we're just in time for the embargo to lift. We discuss all the stuff that came out today, a couple topics we forget to talk about last time, Zipper's game, and also forgot to do a map of the week segment! I made it up to you though by including some funny pre-show test records and bloopers. You'll just have to wait till after the outro music for those.

Enjoy!

LOTS of stuff

2008-06-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

Geez, I hate these embargoes cause once they end everything goes up at once and it's hard to track it all. This is what I have for you so far. I will update this post with more links as I find them:

GameTrailers map fly-throughs
IGN hands-on + new videos
GameSpot demo video
GameSpot hands-on
PS3 Fanboy hands-on
SOCOM Headset officially shown
1up Hands-on preview

Two embargoes now?!

2008-06-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry to induce headaches here, but now it appears that there MAY be two embargoes on the SOCOM event. One, which ends today (Friday in the east), and another which ends Monday at 8am according to Joystiq, according to DarthArino.

To add more fuel to the fire, in IGN's latest Podcast Beyond (which I linked to in the previous post), mentioned that Greg and Chris were going to check out something on Friday, and that embargo would be lifted at 8am EST on Monday.

So now the speculation begins. If there is indeed a 2nd embargo, what could it be on? SOCOM Confrontation beta? Zipper's new SOCOM game? Who knows. All we have left to do is play the waiting game.

Tomorrow (Friday) morning...

2008-06-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

We will have information from the SOCOM media event that was held this week according to today's IGN Podcast Beyond.

Let's hope that means 12am PST (3am EST).

Finally, a clear explanation on how 'team-switching' will work

2008-06-26T11:53:00.001-07:00

Originally posted on SOCOM.com:

Hey Slant Six, why add team switching?

That's a good question. The decision to implement team switching stems directly from the core premise of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation; pure online competition. The ranking system in Confrontation is meant to truly reflect individual skill and teamwork, and in order to do that all other variables must be controlled. If a team only plays one side of a map then we can’t determine who truly is the most skilled, flexible and capable team. Would anyone claim that they have played a game where all the weapons, attachments, maps and game modes are 100% balanced in every way (including the previous SOCOM? Does that stop people from taking advantage of those subtle imbalances and aiming to play under the most advantageous conditions? Not a chance.

In order to make a game truly competitive it must be as fair as possible and that means leveling the playing field. There is a reason professional sports have the competitors switch sides part way through a game. Surface irregularities on an ice rink or tennis court could unbalance a sports competition, so the players always switch ends. We don’t want people walking away from a match attributing their win or their loss to the location of their spawn or the weapons their team had. In addition, we feel that players will have the greatest investment in their Clan-specific Special Forces character, or at least have a preference for playing Commandos or Mercenaries and we want to ensure that in ranked games everyone gets equal time with their preferred character.

In ranked games players can expect to play a total of 10 rounds, each round being 6 minutes long. At the 5 round mark the teams will switch sides and the players reverse roles. This is the reason that each player has two avatars: your Commando (Special Forces) and a Mercenary. You will be playing with these two characters each time you jump into a game. Players will be able to create multiple preset loadouts for each avatar which can be easily selected during the course of a game. At the beginning of each round players will be able to choose the loadout they want to use.

If at the end of the 10 rounds both teams are tied at 5 rounds each then the team with the best overall performance is awarded the victory. This is where individual skill blends with being a team player to tip the balance in close matches. So if you have a camper playing with you, hanging back and not pulling his weight you may want to persuade him to change his play style.

Finally you can disable team switching in custom matches.

My comment to that was:

I understand what you're saying, but I'm not yet convinced.

And you can't blame me for feeling this way when no one complained about how this was handled in previous SOCOM games. We've been waiting for a true SOCOM experience since SOCOM 2, then we finally are offered what seems to be one...yet now you guys want to change aspects of the game that was never broken to begin with.

My big problem with your method here is that in classic SOCOM, it was all about those heart-pounding come back victories. Your team was down 4-0, but then you all agreed on a new strategy, banded together, and came back to win 6-5. This is what classic SOCOM is about.

Are you making us play 10 rounds in every match, even if it's not needed? If a team wins the first 6 rounds, are they going to have to play the next 4 as well? Your explanation is hazy in this regard.

I'll let you know if I get a response to this.

Embargo until Friday

2008-06-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

New update from Abigale on the boards, like I suspected and was told by 1up, there is in fact an embargo on yesterday's event, and it lasts till Friday:

Hi, Folks!
I just wanted to let you know that you are right and I was wrong. There is an embargo in place until Friday. I had thought there wasn't so that's what I told you last week. I'm very sorry. I am not part of the Marketing/PR department so sometimes I don't get all the details of what they are doing. At any rate, I am very sorry that I told you there was no embargo. It was my mistake.
But I do have to say that we are not the ones that got you all looking so forward to this. I keep reading that we shouldn't have set you up for a let down. Well, we didn't let you know about it. As far as I know, it was kept a secret by us until some of the people that were invited mentioned it. Then we really had no choice but to admit that we had it scheduled. I hadn't wanted you to know it was coming for just this reason. I know how hyped up you guys get.
So hold on until Friday. And go ahead, let me have it for giving you the wrong info. I try very hard not to make mistakes with you guys but hey... It happens sometimes.

A possible embargo on today's event

2008-06-24T17:28:00.001-07:00

The reason I haven't posted any new info on the SOCOM media event today is because nothing has hit the wire. There is quite possibly an embargo on the event (according to Matt Leone of 1up.com), despite what we had initially heard.

I wouldn't expect the embargo to last past midnight PST though. So hopefully we will get something before we're all in bed tonight.

SOCOM media event next week

2008-06-18T15:58:00.001-07:00

In case you don't already know, there is a SOCOM Media Event on June 24th (next week). An entire event for 1 day? Definitely expect some great stuff to come out of it.

Sadly I wasn't invited (cry for me), but just keep a close look here on the 24th, assuming there is no embargo, and I'll link you to all the right places.

I'm also going to try and roundup Hellman for a podcast on that day so we can discuss everything that went down and everything else that we have made a note of and want to discuss.

Encouraged clan play. A brilliant accident.

2008-06-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

I'm going to do something I haven't done in a while, write an editorial. Usually mine are slightly negative and trying to shed light on something I think needs to be looked at, but in this case I want to shed light on something I think is going to have a profoundly positive impact on Confrontation.

Encouraging clan play is one of the best things they could have done for SOCOM Confrontation. First of all, if you aren’t already aware, being in a clan is being encouraged in a few different ways. It’s the only way to join a Special Forces team (ie: Navy SEALs, British SAS, etc) and have access to a new weapon, new gear, and be a part of the clan leader boards. At first I wasn’t so sure about this idea to push people into a clan, but now it’s all making sense and if you look ahead, post-release, it’s going to help keep the community for Confrontation going strong.

If you aren’t following what I’m alluding to here, I’ll make it a little more clear. The online mode in the original SOCOM was able to create a very strong community, almost by accident. A large part of the reason for this was the lobby system that was implemented in conjunction with the lack of a fleshed out friend’s list. What I mean by this is the friend/clan list in SOCOM 1 only told you who in your list were online, it did not tell you what room they were in. This caused each clan to have a “home server”, so you always knew where to find their rooms or could at least narrow down where they’d be playing. Which also meant that it, almost accidentally, caused communities to form around each server and you really got to know the people you were playing with and against as you would keep running into them in that single 256-max player servers (‘US East 5’ for example).

So what does that have anything to do with this? Well the encouraged clan play in Confrontation is almost like the SOCOM 1 lobby system in that they will both, almost by accident, strengthen the community. What the encouraged clan play in Confrontation will do, is firstly, cause people to join a clan. That part is rather obvious. But the ramifications of this will be huge.

For anyone that has been in a clan or a guild, one thing you realize is that often times you’ll just play the game so you can play with those people, because you enjoy spending time with your clan mates or guild members. And if you take a look at all the most successful online games (World of Warcraft, Counter-Strike, SOCOM II, Halo 2, etc), clans/guilds are a HUGE part of those communities.

So not only is pushing clan play in Confrontation to the benefit of Sony/Slant Six, as it will build a strong community and help keep this game going for many years, but it will also benefit the player in ways that might not be as obvious. Taking the examples I used in the paragraph above, something else they all have in common that goes hand in hand with clans/guilds, is voice chat. Whether it’s through Ventrillo in World of Warcraft, or it’s built in like it is in SOCOM II, voice chat is integral to those experiences. And if you are familiar at all with the state of online gaming on PS3 right now, voice chat is very underutilized.

But with clans being so prominent in Confrontation, what this will end up doing it pushing people to use voice chat more. No longer will we be in games where only 50% of the room has a headset, and the other 25% has one but doesn’t want to wear it, because with clan play you WANT to talk. You want to have conversations with the people you play online and have become so familiar with. So because of this, I predict SOCOM Confrontation will be one of the first PS3 games where you find 9 times out of 10, that almost everyone in the room is using voice chat.

So the way I see it, encouraged clan play is the SOCOM 1 lobby system of 2008. Both are brilliant accidents that did/will strengthen the community.

Pics of Viral Labs & European Q&A

2008-06-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

European Q&A #1
New pictures on SOCOM.com

Check out both links.

I think Viral Labs is looking pretty nice. Seems to be some nice potential for choke points along the catwalks, and that dome structure looks pretty diverse and interesting. Also, there is the addition of the water which you CAN swim in (one of the pics has a playing climbing up a ladder out of the water), so that should add an extra layer of strategy to the entire thing.

New map shown in latest issue of GameInformer

2008-06-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

As said here on the SOCOM.com blog.

Luckily one of the community members over on the Playstation.com boards, Culkid, has the issue and was nice enough to give us details about it:

i loved the new preview, however GI seemed to say some negative things like they dont see it becoming as popular as COD and halo. they did say a few things. ill list what i read

NEw map called Viral Lab. its the inside of a domed industrial facility surrounded by metal catwalks and water.

they said you can only have one character at a time and the only way to get a new character is to leave your clan

each character "seals, sas, ksk, UOE, RPIMA have their own specific weapons, camo and specialized armor

in the photos:

let me say i dont know if every screenshot here are from this new viral labs but let me describe each picture:

the first one has terrorists on top of a cat walk shooting at seals below. the seals are crouched behind 2 water turbines.

the second one has a seal prone on a catwalk shooting at a standing terrorist on another catwaelk

the third one has seals shooting at terrorists on a catwalk. the terrorists are standing by a big satellite

the fourth one has a SEAL with an ACOG scope on an M4A1 shooting at a terroriost. someone must have thrown a smoke grenade because the effect is AMAZING

the fifth photo is seals running outside *seems to be 2 facilities in this viral labS EMPHASIS ON THE S. meaning seals start in one lab and terrorists start at the other. water surrounds the lab

Sounds really cool. Almost like a spiritual successor to Chain Reaction, one of my favourite SOCOM II maps.

Be sure to pick up the issue yourself when it hits newsstands. It's the one with the inFAMOUS (Sucker Punch's new PS3 game) cover story.

A look into your Confrontation web profile

2008-06-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

I first got this from a guy name 'evilone' on neogaf who found it on the Japanese Confrontation website, then posted here on the playstation.com boards last night. Now PAs_Scorpion has taken it to the next level and has posted a breakdown of exactly what we are seeing in this image. Take a look and prepare to drool:

Hit detection map, built in clan/friends list, complete breakdown of stats by weapon, medals, mail, a calendar, and...and...replays?!

Want in the beta? Spend $2.99 this Thursday

2008-06-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

Sony has just introduced Qore.

If you click the link it explains it a little better, but basically it's an interactive magazine you can buy each month from PSN with,

"exclusive news, developer interviews, in-depth game previews and behind-the-scenes looks at PlayStation games and special access to game demos, special beta invitations, game add-ons and other downloadable game-related content."

Seems interesting enough. With exclusive SOCOM stuff coming in the first issue including an exclusive theme and a beta invite, they obviously have me pegged for a purchase.

Concerning the beta though, there are questions swirling whether this is for the private or open Confrontation beta. I'm pretty sure it'll be for the open beta as the private was supposed to be invite-only. I'll keep you updated when I find out for sure though.

Closed beta update

2008-06-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

Straight from Abigale:

Hello, All-

I know you are all waiting and wondering what’s going on with the closed Beta. So I wanted to give you an update. I’m getting a lot of questions here and in PMs so I will answer what I can.

First of all, the closed Beta has not started yet. We are getting closer to it, but as of right now, anything you have heard about it starting already or people getting emails about it is not true. I know there are rumors floating around to the contrary but I am here to tell you they are just rumors. No one has been notified of anything yet.

I told you all in this post a little about the selection process. I told you that I was making lists to send to the group that was actually handling the Beta. Well, that has already been done. Those lists have been sent and it is now out of my hands. So if you didn’t get on one of those lists by now, I cannot add you. I’m very sorry but it’s too late.

And finally, I know you all want to know how you will be notified. If you are selected to apply for the closed Beta, you will get an invitation sent to the email you have registered for your PSN account. That will be the only way you will be contacted. So watch your emails!

If you do not get an invitation for the closed Beta, you will still have an opportunity to get in the open beta. Watch the blog on socom.com for a little bit of information on that later this week.

Hang in there, folks. We are getting closer and we will get this show on the road as soon as we can!

Slow news week? Check out last week's 1up Yours

2008-05-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

On last Friday's 1up Yours podcast, SOCOM Confrontation was discussed for about 5min, and in a very positive light. Garnett Lee, known for being a hardass and loving to play devil's advocate, seemed to really be impressed with SOCOM Confrontation after getting his hands on it at Sony Judge's Day two weeks ago.

Check it out here at around the 69min mark.

"The Real SOCOM" Podcast - Episode 2

2008-05-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

Listen here!

Subcribe here to the podcast for your RSS reader
We are also on iTunes, here.

Yes, it's finally here, the long awaited Episode 2 of "The Real SOCOM" Podcast. Once again Hellman joins me (David Doel) for another great discussion, this one being roughly 55min. We cover everything that we can think of from our impressions of the gameplay videos, to ranked games being stuck to match making, to the name of Hellman's dog (no lie). And of course, like every show, we have a map of the week, but you'll have to tune in to find out what it is.

Enjoy the show!

*feel free to leave questions/comments below in this blog post, or drop me an email at daviddoel@therealsocom.com.

A new gameplay video

2008-05-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

Check it out.

The audio is really good in this one too. You'll notice the voice of the woman from Single Player in past SOCOMs, giving you your objective. At one point in the video you can also hear radio chatter from what sounds like another person playing (who's obviously got a headset on).

Gametrailers walkthrough part 1 & 2 in HD

2008-05-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Part 1
Part 2

Definitely check out both videos!

GameSpot posts a great video interview. IGN posts written impressions

2008-05-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Check out the GameSpot video interview here. It shows how the Sixaxis works in action (which looks REALLY good) and if you take a look at the TV near the end you'll see the knife attack!

And here are the VERY positive written impressions from IGN.

Sony adds Youtube support to PS3 dev kits - what that could mean for SOCOM

2008-05-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

Check it out

The functionality, which is being debuted in the free Mainichi Issho daily news and entertainment service, will allow uploads of user-created movies to YouTube directly within the game - making the PS3 the first games console to have official support for YouTube, according to Sony.

What does this mean? Well just imagine having the ability to upload your clan wars to Youtube, directly from within SOCOM Confrontation. Thats just one example. This also opens up the possibilities for machinema, videos of your strategies, and so on.

First round of Q&A answered

2008-05-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

Go check out SOCOM.com where they have finished up the first round of getting your questions answered. Most interestingly, armor is confirmed to be in the game, but is sounds like it'll be properly implemented rather than making things more complicated, as a later comment from Seth Luisi shows:

Seth Luisi replied on

05.15.08 06:24 AM

We've had the armor in the game for some time and have been testing it with our QA group. Basically, normal players are just picking the armor which they feel looks best, "unless" they want to play a specific role like getting to the satchel first (lightest armor) or defending the bomb plant point (heavy armor).

So far, armor has been a good addition to the game. It is not over done like other games out there but it does mean something if you do want a slight edge in a specific role.

Keep an eye on SOCOM.com for more Q&A answers.

New IGN interview

2008-05-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

Definitely worth checking out.

Confirmed:
- 4 original maps
- 3 classic maps (making it 7 maps total)
- 5 of the maps will work with up to 32 players
- 2 of the maps will work with 16 players max (hopefully the 2 additional classic maps)
- Maps designed to work with all modes
- Night/Day on all maps

As well as other stuff I'm sure I forget. But thats why you need to read through the interview!

Get your most pressing questions answered!

2008-05-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

Assuming you're a Playstation.com member, simply go here and post a question (1 question per post). Abigale will send them off and get them answered by either Slant Six or SCE. Just make sure you read through the thread before posting your question to ensure it hasn't been asked yet.