Socom 4

[patsu]

Starting a Socom 4 thread in anticipation for PS Move questions and other development tidbits:
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/23/interview-socom-4s-travis-steiner/

Some fans didn't take well to the announcement that SOCOM 4 would use the Move controller. How do you address concerns that motion controls will "ruin" the experience?

First and foremost, SOCOM 4 was designed with the DualShock in mind. When we started this game over three years ago, Move didn't even exist yet. I cannot emphasize this point enough: the game supports both controllers. And again, we designed SOCOM 4 with the DualShock in mind. What ended up happening is that when we found out about the Move, we decided to try it out and see if it fits with the SOCOM experience very well. And so far, the reaction of the people that have tried it is that it's actually integrated quite well. The key there is that it's an optional control mechanic, and in no way is any other part of the SOCOM game being hindered or negatively affected by Move's integration.

It's hard to know how well it works in SOCOM until you actually try it. I think people have some preconceived notions about how effective motion controls are in a shooter game, because up until now, the response time just hasn't been there, the accuracy, as well as the graphics. The PS3 can deliver the kind of realistic HD gaming that I think serious shooter players would want. And I think when you try the Move in SOCOM 4, a lot of people become pleasantly surprised by how effective and accurate it can be.

[More Q&A on PS Move]

It begins...

 

[RenegadeRocks]

I was waiting for such a thread, patzu, thanx a lot.
My view: Move will go down really well with shooters. It will provide mouse like accuracy to the consoles.
Also it will open up the RTS genre on the consolez.

Negatives: MP matches will get completely unbalanced. People with Move will have a HUGE advantage over Dualshockers. I believe it can completely break the MP for some.

I want shooters with Move ! I haven't played Socom though, so I am not sure I'll buy that or not.
I want Resistance 3 to support Move !

 

[patsu]

We'll never know how good (or bad) the game feels until we try it out personally. I think I'll fiddle with some Wii FPS games to have a reference. Which Wii game has the best FPS control scheme ?

Now that I know the light ball is squishy and the controller is very light, I think more people may start throwing their (motion) controller when they are frustrated.

 

[minimoke]

Any word on whether SOCOM 4 will use the MAG game engine for online multiplayer? It would be a shame not to build on that investment, also any refinements made during the SOCOM 4 development process could be feedback in to the MAG platform.

 

[RenegadeRocks]

The light ball is squishy ? !!!!
and here I was seriously worried that my niece might break the ball within days of buying Move !

Squishy ?!? I mean, really ? Isn't it housing LEDs inside ?

On SOCOM4 : I think they should implement head tracking for turning as aiming to the side of the screen to turn is totally unnatural but is the general accepted control scheme. They should implement head tracking so that I can aim(look around) with Move, walk with the analog stick(best combo control ever, IMO) and turn my head left if I want to turn left and turn my head right if I want to turn right.

Might sound complicated in text, but will feel very natural in use.

 

[patsu]

Quite a few parties have reported on the squishy light ball. Here's a random blog about their Boston gathering: http://drinkingcoffeecola.blogspot.com/2010/04/sonys-ps3-move-event-seattle.html

The Move controller itself, with a plethora of buttons and a squishy ball on top that changes colors on the fly.

They can probably throw the controller around and have the PS3 track its movement like some "time bomb" game.

Any word on whether SOCOM 4 will use the MAG game engine for online multiplayer? It would be a shame not to build on that investment, also any refinements made during the SOCOM 4 development process could be feedback in to the MAG platform.

If Socom 4 doesn't support 256 players, they may implement a different technical solution.


EDIT:

On SOCOM4 : I think they should implement head tracking for turning as aiming to the side of the screen to turn is totally unnatural but is the general accepted control scheme. They should implement head tracking so that I can aim(look around) with Move, walk with the analog stick(best combo control ever, IMO) and turn my head left if I want to turn left and turn my head right if I want to turn right.

I _think_ the 3D Metal Gears Online/Arcade does this. It has a camera for head tracking:

I have always thought MGO is under-appreciated. The initial launch was messed up by the complex Konami registration system. If they do release a 3D version, it will give the players a second look at the title.

 

[ShadowRunner]

I think with move being able to work offscreen camera control could work even better wii style. You wouldnt have to aim within an invisible onscreen box to turn left at varying speeds for instance but could also just point away form the screen altogether and turn the camera instantly. It should be more natural, if you are pointing off screen its obvious you want the camera to span fast in that direction, this isnt always the case with large onscreen bound boxes. Headtracking would be cool but im on sure how reliable the tracking of the orientation of your face is just yet, rather than x/y/z position. Its the orientation you would want to track in this case.

They could just go back to the old goldeneye conrtols ofcourse, thats a perfect example of how to do a FPS without dual analogue sticks. Looking at the following video shows Move would be a perfect fit:

Similar to goldeneye having strafe maped to X and O on the wand and the analoge controlling back/forward/turn left/turn right you solve the issue of smooth movement in a single analogue FPS. With this solved you can either have auto aim like goldeneye with free aim at a press of a button, but because of the pointer functionality which wasnt available to goldeneye you can have smooth movement including circle strafing along with free aim at the same time.
If you ever played goleneye you know that seperating strafe from the analogue stick can work really well.
Another alternative would be to keep strafe on analogue stick and map turn left/turn right to X and O on wand, esentialy the same as dual analogue but using buttons, this may not work so well though as you want to maintain analogue sensitivity for turning, this isnt as important for strafing at all.

 

[patsu]

Are the X and O buttons really easy to use ? They seem very small to me.

 

[RenegadeRocks]

I have also noticed that the face buttons seem very small on the move cintroller. I think they must have tested it well ans smaller buttons must have worked better. Anywayz, with the move contrllr ur right thumb is always free so pressing the face buttons will not be an issue. Ur thumb is already on them.
I tjink the "flick the controller away from the screen" to turn can also work, but then the speed of turning becomes dependent on the "sensitivity" option again ,like the analog stick, and not on ur hand movement.
As for MGO, yes it is very underappreciated. The konami registration and the extra long time it takes to get into a game was responsible for it. MGO,BF:BC and KZ2 were the most fun online matches for me ever since I got a ps3 ! I missed Warhawk though, the demo was helluva fun. MGO was very special, didn't get the due praise and attention.

 

[patsu]

Now they talk about the non-Move aspect of the game:
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/108/1087233p1.html

IGN: So what's happening in the single-player game? Is it similar to something like Fireteam Bravo 3, where it's a squad of four? How does it work?

Ed Byrne: It's similar in terms of size of the squad. There's a squad of five. But maybe it's more of an homage to The Magnificent Seven or some more contemporary military dramas, where this isn't like a team of SEALs that's been dropping in and after every mission they get ferried out by helicopter and get to shave and have a meal. These guys are in-country. They're kind of behind enemy lines. They're pursuing their mission, even though the odds are pretty stacked against them. So there's a sense that the story is much more about... It's more of a tenuous situation, it's a story about how the squad succeeds in the mission, but also how they work together. They're not just all a bunch of buddies that work together extensively over the years; they're not necessarily a tight-knit unit at the beginning of the game.

IGN: For a newcomer, what is the crisis these guys are facing in SOCOM 4?

Ed Byrne: Well, the area that we're set in, there's a very important waterway called the Strait of Malacca; it's probably one of the world's most important waterways. There's even been some articles even recently, I think, on CNN about the possibility of piracy and terrorism in this region. Should anything happen at this point... basically, it's a mile and a half wide, so if ships go down, should there be some kind of attack, extensive ripples would spread throughout the world economy within hours, if not not days. It's not necessarily as sexy as the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal; it's certainly super-vital not only to that region, but to the world. So we wanted to come up with a crisis that wasn't yet another rogue nuke or some kind of...

That means (same ol') jungle, swamps and beaches. The Straits of Melacca is indeed a pirate zone, but I didn't think it's as severe as in the 70s - 80s. From what I hear, they used to raid resorts and camp sites. May be now they only go after the commercial ships exclusively. One large tanker deal is probably more rewarding and less risky. Since the insurance company would cover the losses, the crews are not personally vested in the cargoes.

 

[patsu]

Socom 4 delayed to 2011:
http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/110/1109221p1.html

Sony broke the news today with the following statement:
"We can confirm that SOCOM 4 will be released in 2011. The team is focusing on additional features which will help to deliver the most compelling and immersive SOCOM experience yet. Please look out for further updates and announcements over the coming months."

 

[patsu]

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2010/08/socom-soundtrack/

Wired.com visited Skywalker Sound earlier this summer, where McCreary was recording the game’s soundtrack. While we were interloping on George Lucas’ ranch, we produced two videos that examine different aspects of the SOCOM 4 music. This first installment is about the specific instruments McCreary chose, such as taiko drums and a gamelan ensemble.

 

[patsu]

Socom 4 gameplay video:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/08/26/socom-special-forces-gamescom-floor-demo/

In it, you’ll experience the gamescom 2010 SOCOM 4 demo in its entirety with commentary by lead designer, Travis Steiner.

 

[RenegadeRocks]

Socom 4 gameplay video:
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/08/26/socom-special-forces-gamescom-floor-demo/

I must say that is looking really really good. The city is looking so full of objects, almost CG like in that regard, if only they add some blue ambient light in the shadows(of sun) , this can look hyper real. It has a MAG like look, but this level feels ultra detailed. Beautiful and unexpected !

Now that they demoed with a sixaxis, not move, one can see that the gameplay too is really good and smooth. Shows how Move wasn't really doing justice to the game, but it can depend on ur skill with Move too.

Overall, brilliant demo walkthroigh, though he already knew every enemy position, but the demo made me wish to play SOCOM 4 more than the Ice Level of KZ3 demo.

 

[RenegadeRocks]

New video of multiplayer of SOCOM 4 ! Game hitting in April . This year is just too busy !

 

[patsu]

Yap, Socom 4, Killzone 3, Resistance 3, Crysis 2. Not to mention I'm playing MAG almost every night. Uncharted 3 and Mass Effect 2 are half a shooter too.

I hope we have some games like The Last Guardian and Journey this year to calm my inner self down.

EDIT: Oh yes, I have LBP2 for that.

 

[Lucid_Dreamer]

Geez, talk about an embarrassment of riches!

COMPETITIVE ONLINE MULTIPLAYER

* Team-focused game modes for up to 32 players and ranked matches for more ways to earn experience points.
* Online career progression rewards players for heroic deeds with unlockable weapons, bonus characters, and new medals.
* Varied multiplayer maps offer vastly different terrains, from city slums to rural farmland and coastal vistas.
* Every multiplayer map supports all game modes and player counts, while pre-order map “Abandoned” exclusively offers classic Suppression.
* Extensive community support allows for quick matchmaking, friend finding and clan management
* Dynamic servers allow for user suggestions to be implemented in Zipper-created ranked rooms.
* Custom matches offer a robust choice of player options ranging from cover to weapon class restrictions and the ability to revive a team member.
* Classic mode consists of a collection of game rules for the hardcore fan, including no respawning, no health regeneration and no cover system.
* Tactical strikes from the single-player campaign will be available in most multiplayer game modes once the player performs certain tasks.

(courtesy of Shin-Ra)

 

[patsu]

Socom 4 has no respawn right ?

 

[RenegadeRocks]

Well, the post above you seems to suggest it does. Otherwise whats the need for the "Hardcore mode"?

 

[patsu]

That's what I'm trying to confirm ! What is hardcore mode and err… softcore mode.