SOCOM 4 multiplayer aims to keep old & new fans satisfied

"Zipper Interactive is modernizing the tactical shooter with SOCOM 4. Designer Ben Jones summed up the accessibility-oriented changes -- which include regenerating health and a cover system -- as "the evolution of the SOCOM franchise." Of course, change can be scary for longtime fans; many SOCOM die-hards are already dismissing this game as a dumbed-down "SOCoD" (for Call of Duty)."

[clrlite]

If you're looking for me, I'll be in classic mode.

[SSKILLZ]

Same here bro. PSN: nexus_knight

[dougr]

absolutely. I hope nobody plays the new way, and zipper completely cans the thought of revolutionizing socom for future releases. However, with that being said, socom fans, especially those of us that have played since day one of socom one competitively on socombattles and gamebattles are pretty much impossible to please.

[Esena]

@dougr

It makes you wonder then who has the issues... Zipper or the impossible to please Socom fans... heh

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

Although I agree that some SOCOM fans are being too stuborn (there is a classic mode afterall and no one said it won't be the main multiplayer mode), one of the points of playing SOCOM is to keep the cursing COD kids out, have a nice time playing with your friends, in a certain way, yes, we don't want it to appeal to non-SOCOMheads.

But the biggest problem is the changes coming are those no one asked for. I don't remember people asking for health regen or killstreak on any SOCOM thread. But I do remember people asking for advanced clan game features and ranked custom matchs, those I have heard nothing about so far.

[suicidalblues]

Can't wait for the beta.

[sickbird]

im an old school socom fan and im pretty satisfied (besides the whole no demolition thing) but go on the socom forums and those guys are piiiisssssseedddddd.

oh and Zipper announced on their podcast that they added the cover system in classic mode which is also retarded.

[voice_of_ reason]

They're essentially taking away everything that made me fall in love with Socom I and II... that's why we're all pissed. And I think justifiably so. It's like taking Gran Turismo and adding cops, turbo boost, and explosions... it's cool, but that's not the type of game it is and that fans fell in love with.

[sickbird]

yea im not pleased with many aspects of the new game, i mentioned some above but its still going to be a good game. To be honest when i first saw gameplay a while back i wasn't expecting it to be ANYTHING like the old SOCOM games.

[AAACE5]

Don't worry, they'll add it in later as DLC.

[Commodore]

Not possible to please both....Pick one (and it better be old fans)

[voice_of_ reason]

Thing is, they're more concentrated on the "new" fans (the COD ones) and giving their original fanbase (to whom they own their success) the middle finger. Classic mode is a sham... there should be an "arcade mode" instead, and the let the game be what it is and not pander to the mainstream run-n-gun crowd.

[NobleRed]

What a joke.

They tooked most Things out of the game that made Socom Socom.

No lobbies and pistoles anymore.

Just check out the Socom.com forums.

90% of the fans are pissed of and a lot of people canceled their preorders.

[Esena]

They will buy it don't worry.

[KozmoOchez]

of course they will, if they all bought Confrontation(which I did too) then they will buy this, complain nonstop, but still play this every day. It's just what socom gamers do. I'm pretty sure every time I played Confrontation I complained about something, yet I got rght back on and played the next day.

[andrew171994]

so zipper i just sh*tting on a perfectlly good franshise, the games these days are getting to generic we just want to play a fair withe exelent graphics and no bullshit perks or killsreak that runes the game for the players, well we are goin to have to wait another year to see if valve releases a good game like the old days:P

[Sitris]

Games change, zipper wants to make a new game not just update the graphics of socom 2 and call it a day. Adding cover to a game that I loved isn't going to change much, classic mode is for old school fans. Why should they have to only go for old fans when is all seriousness if they made socom 2 now, they would sell way less then what they will with the new socom, things have changed since then, and fans need to realize this.

Another thing, the game hasn't even come out and people are saying it's all bad, how the he'll do you know? Same as kill zone 3 people are all up in arms about that game, I played Killzone 2 more than any other shooter in my library, but I love Killzone 3 beta and single player demo, people are a bunch of complainers this gen, last gen we just played what we were given, the hardcore gamer praised developers desicisions, not jump on the forum and abuse the devs we love. Fanboy wars ruined gaming on the Internet fo me, I mute everyone now before I start because of the crap people say, last gen will be the greatest of all time. And remembered for e lack of fanboy crap.

[voice_of_ reason]

But it's not that they're changing, it's what they're changing. I'm all for innovation and pushing a game further. However, abandoning your roots in doing so is not cool with me... If you want to make a completely new game, then do it. Don't use the Socom name as a springboard for going casual. I think the cover system would actually work well with Socom... but taking out lobbies is ridiculous. The lobby system was actually a key aspect to the Socom experience.

[sickbird]

there is nothing about this game thats casual. Having respawn does not make the game casual. SOCOM is the only multiplayer game that didn't have ranked respawn.

[metsgaming]

when i first got my ps3 i assumed every game had lobbies because i only played mp games on the pc which most do. I was quite suprised when i saw no lobbies. They are actually useful because you can play in a certain lobby you play with the same people and you dont have to have everyone on your friends list. Kind of like Css. I got over it after a while but its like making another css with out having lobbies it would make many mad and its understandable why.

[KozmoOchez]

I think they took out the lobbies for the reason that when you sit in a PUBLIC lobby, too many people get kicked so someone can invite a friend or something dumb like that - this was something I really hated. But on the other hand, if you had a really competitive game going, it could ruin the momentum, or stick you in with a group of people who aren't so fun.

If you want to play with friends, I'm sure they will have a party system(and lets hope its the same or similar to the one in MAG). Other than that, here's to hoping the matchmaking doesn't blow

[GunofthePatriots]

Magcom:Call of Duty

Socom is dead

[Commodore]

Socom has been dead since Socom 3 came out

[GunofthePatriots]

very true

[Ray186]

Zipper can do whatever they want. What I don't think that they have realized is that the days of buying a game just because it has Socom on the cover are over.

If your not going to give me the game that I want I start voting with my wallet. There are too many AAA games coming out to worry about supporting a developer who isn't interested in what their very loyal fan base wants.

[TheCopyNinja]

Tch, I have a bad feeling about S4's online. Good thing I still have Confrontation..

[sickbird]

Confrontation and good thing should never be put in the same sentence.

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

Although you are right (Confrontation did came out pretty bad and, although it had became better down the line, it's now abandomned and filled with glitchers, I doubt Slant Six is going back to support it right), I'm starting to get the feeling many people will come back to Confrontation if all the bad points people are saying is truth...

I wasn't aware of no lobbies or no pistols untill now... That's just wrong. I'll keep my Confrontation disc around just in case.

[crazyclown]

READ ON @ http://forums.socom.com/t5/...

When has SOCOM ever been respawn focused game? If your studio has payed any attention to this game from day one you would have found out that 90% of the games played are non respawn. It seems to me like the hardcore fanbase is being pushed aside to make room for mainstream gamers. Most of your maps and modes from what I have been reading have been designed around the ranked respawn system. You even go so far to call respawn "standard" in socom 4. Also please tell me how is it a "Classic" mode without our old gametypes, pistols, d-pad lean and the list goes on. You might as well rename "classic" to half assed features that the socom community wanted and you threw in for the hell of it.

I have a hard time trying to think of a online game that has modes similar to socom 1-con. All of the modes were unique and you still can not find these modes in modern online shooter games. I could understand if you removed them for new modes we have never played before but that's not the case. Capture the flag on SOCOM, really? You added capture the flag and got rid of demolition, a socom series staple? I do not see the logic replacing something unique with something old and stale.

Is it just me or am I the only one having a hard time trying to think of a online shooter without pistols? The pistol was a great weapon in the SOCOM's of old that took skill to use and it was a situational based weapon. It forced you to pick a loadout that you were good with. For example if you were not a very good sniper there is no way you would drop an assault rifle for it because you would have to defend yourself with just a pistol. Once you remove the pistols and replace it with two primary weapons well all of that skill goes away. Now that same player who is not the best sniper in the world can try his go at sniping and not suffer in anyway because he can just pull out his other primary weapon now.

Addition of e-tags/uav during last two minutes: What is the use of playing a 7 minute round and staying alive the entire time only for my position to be given away with e-tags/uav sweep during the last two minutes of play? Look at it this way I gunfight for the first four minutes of the map and it turns into a one vs one situation. I notice movement in the enemy spawn from the middle of the map and I finally run all the way over there and I am about to get the jump on my enemy. Oh look 2min mark... there I am on the radar the enemy turns around and smashes me. Did zipper ever play SOCOM before with adding these two things?

As a SOCOM player in all of these years I never had a problem finding a room. Personally I found the server listing to be the most effective way to display a list of rooms that I wanted to join. It also created a sense of community knowing every night you could go in US East and play with the same guys or make a user created ranked room and wait for some stranger to come in who might turn out to be your new best friend. Now we have been limited to quickmatch which we are FORCED to play one match until everyone takes a loss and says the competition is to hard and just leaves.

Lets say your in a gun fight and you want to call someone out. Before you did not have to take your finger off the movement stick to do that. Now you have to take your finger away from the movement stick and essentially leave you venerable for however long your callout may be.

Look at the current mainstream video games such as COD, Battlefield and so on... they all have XP points, unlockable weapons, upgrades and even killstreaks. Zipper you are a sellout, enough said on this topic.

[MysticStrummer]

Wow. I was excited about Socom 4 until I read your post. I really enjoy MAG, but I was looking forward to more real Socom. This game doesn't sound like real Socom to me.

[voice_of_ reason]

@crazyclown Spot on my friend, every word of it.

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

I'm officially worried. Zipper is pushing it too far.

[DantheMan81]

So everyone complains about call of duty because it pretty much stays the same, and now everyone complains that socom is going to be different. If you play confrontation you will notice that the popular rooms are the ones that have respawn, just like most other online games.

[K3nji]

well said my friend! =)

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

Maybe you are playing a different SOCOM Confrontation than me, but up to last year only non-respawn rooms were hot in almost every server around. It wasn't untill glitch became as ridiculous as now people were only used respawn room to warm up. I'm pretty sure that even now most people play in ranked non-respawn rooms.

And we aren't complaing that SOCOM is changing while COD isn't. We are complaining that Zipper is trying to transform SOCOM into a COD-like game, a stupid arcadey noob friendly frag fest.

[KING85]

I love Socom and may I add Socom II was and still is my favorite. I however believe that many fans are missing the big picture. Zipper is trying to cater to new fans while still keeping the old die hard fans happy. You can't have the same rehashed game no matter how much we enjoyed old times past. Many complain of COD as it's just a fresh coat of paint every year, but complain when new things are added to something else for variety? It's not like they're saying this is how it's gonna be and you have no other choice. They said there would be two options which is the classic mode and new mode of playing. Accesibility is key in this market and like it or not, many developers are trying to win over the casual crowd. Remember at the end of the day it's all a business.

[sickbird]

thank you.

[MARKUS_MAX1MUS]

an impossible task.

[sashimi]

Either way I will be supporting Zipper as they are a quality developer regardless of what people think. Yes this will be my first SOCOM game and i think it will be a enjoyable one.
Everything changes sooner or later, stop living in the past and live in the future. If you want to play a game 100% like the past SOCOM games play em.

[mopground]

if this is your 1st socom game you dont have the right to comment on where its heading cause you have no idea what made it great

[sashimi]

I can pretty much tell based on all the crying that is being done. As for right? its the internet and as a individual i have every right to speak my mind and comment on things that i am interested in that will be a future purchase. Whether it is the wrong direction time will tell.

[mopground]

sorry sashimi but im very passionate about this game....

[mopground]

problem is 1st timers like you thinkin they know whats best for this franchise

[XabiTheHumble]

No pistols? How the fuck are you going to have an armed force inspired shooter with no pistols? WTF?!?! Zipper, what the heck is going on over there?

[Mr Tretton]

I know I'll get nothing but hate, but I never liked Socom and the way it played. I just don't get the big deal about it. And after playing Socom C some months ago, it felt like such a dated, archaic game. I'm glad they are trying to evolve it. Things need to evolve. No other game would get a pass for being stuck in 2003 or whatever, so don't see why this one should either.