SOCOM: Confrontation X-Play Preview

X-Play has received a new preview with Slant Six Games' SOCOM: Confrontation (online only) for the PlayStation 3. In the preview, the game developers tell us about the game's 32-player matches, clan management and features, event calendars, and more. Enjoy!

SOCOM: Confrontation Closed Beta: Get In on It

David Brothers of Slant Six Games posted today on the offiical SOCOM blog about the Closed Beta for SOCOM: Confrontation. If you want to get in, all you need to do is go here and get in on the action. It would help to take part in discussion and such on the forums as well. Head over now!

[Closed Beta? Wait!]

SOCOM: Confrontation on Latest 1UP Show

The latest episode of the 1UP Show featured some new gameplay of SOCOM: Confrontation. Right now, I'm totally in the Grand Theft Auto IV hype mood, so I'll save this for another day.

SOCOM: Confrontation to Include Seven Multiplayer Maps, Clan Support, More

Today, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe officially announced SOCOM: Confrontation for the PlayStation 3. The game is going to include all these features when it releases late this year.

• Intense online combat experience with up to 32 players delivered in High Definition
• Seven highly detailed maps
• New engine built for PS3 with advanced physics, lighting and ballistics including penetration modelling
• Choice of playing as one of five special forces units: United States Navy SEALs, Special Air Service (SAS, United Kingdom), Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK, Germany), Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE, Spain), 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d’Infanterie de Marine (1er RPIMa, France)
• Unrivalled Community Features with increased clan & ladder support
• Tournaments available at the regional, national and global levels
• Advanced player matching enable players to form teams with their friends and easily join an online game
• Integration with SOCOM.com: Stat tracking, clan management tools, My SOCOM pages and more

You can view the press release below. [VG247]

London, March 28th 2008: - SOCOM: Confrontation™ brings the highly decorated SOCOM franchise to PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™). Focused exclusively on on-line play and powered by PLAYSTATION®Network, SOCOM: Confrontation delivers the contemporary combat experience that the SOCOM series is known for.

SOCOM: Confrontation allows players to freely associate, form teams and compete in up to 32 player battles and massive player tournaments. Customize your character and equip him from a selection of weapons. Recruit others, or be recruited, into an elite unit formed from free agents or friends you have served with before. Whether you are a Squad leader, or a soldier taking orders, everyone has a part to play. This is the chance for your team to confront the best soldiers the world has to offer and prove your superiority.

Featuring some of the most highly trained Special Forces regiments in the world, SOCOM: Confrontation is, like all true military scenarios, all about strategy and teamwork. Reward your troops not only when they are brave and fearless but when they use intelligence and work as a team. Trawl the world for the best soldiers to strengthen your team as you lead your men against other highly skilled outfits.

Country Name (abbreviation) Name in full
USA SEALs US Navy SEALs
UK SAS Special Air Service
France 1er RPIM 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d’Infanterie de Marine
Spain UOE Unidad de Operaciones Especiales
Germany KSK Kommando Spezialkräfte

SOCOM Confrontation’s online offering on PLAYSTATION Network is supported by SOCOM.com - which allows you to manage your team online away from your PS3 – and will be backed by regular downloads from PLAYSTATION Network, including new Special Forces characters weapons and maps.

Competition is also a major factor in SOCOM Confrontation and many tournaments are available for you to show off your clan’s military knowledge and prowess. Choose from pre-set tournaments tailored to your schedule; these run on weekdays and weekends and are split on a regional and global basis.

Key features that make SOCOM Confrontation such a great online game include:

• Intense online combat experience with up to 32 players delivered in High Definition
• 7 highly detailed maps
• New engine built for PS3 with advanced physics, lighting and ballistics including penetration modelling
  
• Choice of playing as one of five special forces units: United States Navy SEALs, Special Air Service (SAS, United Kingdom), Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK, Germany), Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE, Spain), 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d’Infanterie de Marine (1er RPIMa, France)
• Unrivalled Community Features with increased clan & ladder support
• Tournaments available at the regional, national and global levels
  
• Advanced player matching enable players to form teams with their friends and easily join an online game
  
• Integration with SOCOM.com: Stat tracking, clan management tools, My SOCOM pages and more

This is a 21st Century game for the 21st Century online soldier. SOCOM Confrontation™ launches on PS3 and will be available on Blu-ray Disc and as a download from PLAYSTATION Network.

SOCOM.com Officially Launches

Today, Sony Computer Entertainment launched the official SOCOM.com site. David "Point Man" Brothers was here to greet us. He is the guy SCEA brought in to give us the lastest on SCEA, Slant Six Games, Zipper Interactive, and people part of the SOCOM development. Visit the official site at the link below.

[SOCOM.com]

SOCOM: Confrontation: New Details

Here are some new details from the recent blowout of SOCOM: Confrontation information. Lets get to the breakdown.

• Your clan can talk via open chat, but you can L2 to chat to everyone on your team. Or if you have proximity chat then you chat with who ever is around you.
• The new Crossroads has an extra outer ring that the PS2 version didn’t have. There are two towers now.
• Confrontation is 32 players but you can make smaller maps for 16 players total.
• The SIXAXIS tilt can be tweaked for sensitivity
• There will be 7 maps total at launch. All maps will be based in North Africa.
• There are exploding barrels and cars.
• There is an underground map that has a collapse part triggered by the enemy.
• View distance is big, so no more fog like SOCOM 2.
• Clan support will be available on SOCOM.com where the leader can change their clan, add players etc.
• Audio has changed. Sounds around a corner sound muffled.
• There is now a run/sprint mode. You can run/sprint but you can't shoot and your gun will not be accurate after running. So basically just use this too avoid snipers.
• Ranked matches are automated. If you want to set up your own room with specifics (no grenades, etc) it wont be ranked. This stops cheaters and rank ups.
• They are planning on having a new headset for SOCOM. (could this be it?)
• They are bringing back a new game mode called “Elimination ” like in SOCOM 2. Kill the whole other team or take a draw.
• You can no longer set up a match exactly defined to your teams exact strengths and create a honeypot to raise your clan ranking. For you clan to have a global ranking you now have to be a rounded team with good strategies for dealing with all the maps. Now , you can build all the custom games you want - the room system is still there, which i know is really important to socom fans. you can do all your clan tryouts and training in those rooms. and even playing within those games aggregates different stats, because we track a lot of information about the player, but it doesn’t directly go into the global clan ladder” (no rank up).

[SOCOM: Confrontation BLOW OUT!]

SOCOM: Confrontation Arriving on September 16, 2008

Seems like we are going to have to wait a bit longer than we thought till we get our hands on SOCOM: Confrontation. The game is officially hitting Stores on September 16, 2008.

To celebrate, Sony Computer Entertainment will be launching SOCOM.com tomorrow. It is a site devoted to the game with regular updates, news, and a community for fans.

Sigh, why do all the good games have to be so far away?

[SOCOM Confrontation Marching Out on September 16]

Electronic Gaming Monthly April 2008: 50 Cent Bullet Proof 2, Motorstorm 2, SOCOM Confronation

Why does it have to happen? We don't know. The original 50 Cent: Bulletproof shipped over a million to hip-hop heads who just couldn't get enough of the Cent. The game was horrible though. The latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, however, reveals 50 Cent: Bulletproof 2. It's not all bad however.

The latest issue will also give us an in-depth preview of SOCOM: Confrontation along with the first screens (in-game?) of Motorstorm 2. Lets just hope the next 50 Cent isn't as bad as the first.

[Yes, There Is Going To Be A 50 Cent II]

SOCOM: Confrontation Special Forces Unveiled

The May 2008 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly is going to feature a media blowout of Slant Six Games and Sony Computer Entertainment's upcoming SOCOM: Confrontation.

1UP gave us a small sneak peak while we wait for the upcoming issue by giving us a list of all the special forces that the players can join in the game."Joining a special force is now a perk associated with joining a clan ... special forces (and their associated uniforms, gear, and weapons) will only be available to clan members." The full list below.

• Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEALs, United States)
• Special Air Service (SAS, United Kingdom)
• Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK, Germany)
• Unidad de Operaciones Especiales (UOE, Spain)
• 1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (1er RPIMa, France)

[SOCOM Confrontation Special Forces Unveiled]

PlayStation 3 Official Headset Revealed

Well, Sony Computer Entertainment are finally doing it, they are releasing an official PlayStation 3 headset. Thanks to Akayuki, we have the first information on this. Lets take a look.

PlayStation 3 BlueTooth Headset

Description

- Provides High-fidelity audio input to PS3.
- Supports “voice command” in certain PS3 games.
- Easy pairing through USB connection with PS3.
- Comes with docking station for easy charging.
- Compatible with cellphones.

Target

Consumers who want to communicate while in-game.

Price

Standalone – $49.99 MSRP; SOCOM: Confrontation bundle - $59.99 MSRP

So, it looks like SOCOM: Confrontation will be arriving on blu-ray as well. Good to hear, can't wait for the headset to arrive.

[PS3 BT Headset & PSP GPS Unit Details]

SOCOM: Confrontation: High-Res Screens & Information

Sony Computer Entertainment have updated the PlayStation.Blog today with the two previously released images of SOCOM: Confrontation in high-definition (click pictures for larger size). They explain each screenshot as well.

The first one is the Crossroads map, better known as the most fan-requested SOCOM map. The shot is taken from the new OTS camera, but in the screenshot, the player is backed against a wall, so it looks a bit strange.The guy to the upper right of the screenshot is aiming with a M87ELR, and his teammate by the tree is wielding a G36-C. The mercenary charging up the street is firing with an F90.

The second image is a brand new map, which has a 16 player core area and an expanded footpring for 32 player matches. The building you see there is a ruined shopping center, a great area for sniping. The player in the screenshot is using an M60-E3. The other players are wielding an AK-47, a USAS-12 and a SASR sniper rifle in this shot.

SealTeam-6 wants us to know as well that "There is an option to use classic SOCOM camera! It looks and feels like the original classic camera!" Thats just about it.

[Breaking the Silence - New SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Screens!]

SOCOM: Confrontation: Two New Pictures, EGM Scoop

The May 2008 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly will feature an exclusive preview of Sony Computer Entertainment & Slant Six Games' upcoming PlayStation Network title, SOCOM: Confrontation. Luckily for those who don't purchase the magazine, there are still two new pictures right here. For more pictures of the game, and a hands-on read of the game's full 32-player online battles, pick up the May 2008 issue of EGM.

[EGM Gets the Scoop on SOCOM]

SOCOM: Confrontation to be Released November 30, 2007?

A user over at the Official PlayStation Boards claims that his cousin's friend works for SCEA and he was able to get an interview with him about SOCOM: Confrontation. This is the interview:

Q: Hows the gameplay?
A: It's almost identical to Socom 2. It has the same feel, and the crosshair has been changed from what was seen on the SGD trailer. It has recoil as well.

Q: What maps are there?
A: Crossroads, Desert Glory, Claw Harbour, Battlefield Union and Ministry.

Q: Give me some info on the maps
A: S2 maps have been revamped, and enlarged on the outside areas. Large bases, and more detailed rooms with awsome shadow and lighting. Claw Harbour is a pure sniping map with plenty of open areas near the sea and ports. Battlefield Union is a wasteland area with destructible buildings, and Ministry compromises of two bases, and an in between vertical path, somewhat like chain reaction. Each map has 7 modes, including Escort, Extraction, Demolition, Supression, Control, Timer and Resistance. Convoy was ditched after negative feedback from fans.

Q: What's timer and Resistance?
A: Timer is basically a respawn, where you set your time limit, and the team with the most number of collective kills, wins. Resistance involves both teams trying to defend their Tribynical Generator (a large glowing generator thingy), and attack the other teams one. The team with the lowest amount of damage on their generators after the time limit, are the winners.

Q: Release date,?
A: November 30th.

Q: How can I be sure?
A: All the staff were informed of this two weeks ago. On November 1st, an official announcement will be made on PlayStation.com, and on S6's official website, stating the games release date. But as of yet, it's still 30th November.

Q: Beta?
A: There's a closed one going on right now, but only amongst staff and hand selected game testers.

Q: Lag?
A: At the moment, with 10,000 players currently testing the servers left right and center, it seems to be almost lag free. But we're expecting the total number of users online during peak hours to exceed 300,000 worldwide. So whether our servers can handle that kind of pressure, still remains to be seen.

Q: Hows the ranking system?
A: Same as socom 2. Your own individual performance determines your overall rank. Although there are other modes and other ladders linked in with teamwork, which only advances you through the ranks when you win as a team.

Q: Any news on future patches / updates?
A: S6 are already developing the first three updates, with the first one being released in December, and the other two one month apart.

Q: Any other useful information?
A: The room maker can decide on whether the mics are open or not. If the game is ranked, and can also set a lagg limit, so anyone who laggs significantly for a lengthy period of time, can get kicked and banned from the room. He can also has the option to enable enemy dots. There are 25,455 different character customization possibilities, and over 10,000 different ones for the weapons. The game price is yet to be decided, but it will most likely be $40 off PSN, and $80 retail with the bluetooth headset.

Q: What happens If I release this information online?
A: I could get fired, but then again, they would need to prove that it was from me. So save me the hassle.

According to this, SOCOM: Confrontation is going to be released on November 30, 2007. The user on the site is a new user, but the post is very well written, most liars just write it in "l337" or something like that. For now, it's classified as a rumor though.

[Via PlayStation Boards]