Sony’s Yoshida on the SOCOM Franchise, “It’s Not Done.”

MP1st - Last March, Sony Computer Entertainments closed the doors of studio Zipper Interactive, developers behind SOCOM and MAG. Since then, many fans of the SOCOM series have been curious whether or not the franchise will continue. SCE boss, Shuhei Yoshida took the time to comment on this matter.

[KingOptimusOrigin111]

Yes!!! I would like to see a Socom 5 for next gen and make it more like Socom 2. I would also like to see Socom on PS Vita.

[Abash]

Id like to see a SOCOM reboot that restores it back to it's roots and makes a single player thats actually good and interestin

[PoSTedUP]

yes i love you! (not you abash, yoshida) you just gave me hope!!!!

socom on ps vita and a confrontations2 because that was like socom 2, socom4 was trash. if they make something like socom 3/ca i would be happy aswell.

[Abash]

@postedup

Phew, I thought Id have to break it to you that I didnt love you back

[srcBFMVBMTH]

Agreed, Socom 5 back to it's roots, Socom 1,2,3,CA HD remake, or Socom: Confrontation 2 before this gen is over would be awesome IMO. Hell, why not all three? Lol

Oh yea, What about MAG 2?

[BattleAxe]

I would love to see a Socom 1,2,3 & Combined Assault remastered as an HD Collection like GoW 1&2. How sick would it be to have all the multiplayer maps available from all 4 games and to also have the co-op from Combined Assault included. Socom: Confrontation 2 would be ok I guess, but Confrontation was still nowhere near as good as the PS2 Socom games.

Heres the official PS Blog Socom 2 HD petition:

http://share.blog.us.playst...

@ ritsuka666

"No, give it for Slant six. I really want Socom confrontation 2."

That has to be the dumbest comment regarding Socom that I've ever seen. Slant 6 was a complete disaster.

[pixelsword]

I hope MAG isn't done either.

[blumatt]

Imagine a MAG 2 as a PS4 launch title.

1000 player all out war multiplayer. LoL.

Off topic Do you guys think the next systems will require a higher minimum broadband speed to play. I have a crappy 768 Kbps dsl connection. (AT&T)
I wonder if they'll make it where they require like 3 mb or higher connection to start supporting games with much higher player counts.

Thoughts??

[PoSTedUP]

lol @ abash.

@battleaxe- yeah TECHNICAL disaster at and around the Launch but that's about it. slant six actually knew what they were doing Creating the game. hence why zipper was canned. i Still dont know why the hell they were working on unit13 at All, i mean i could have told them that it wouldnt do well and make them look bad. confrontations and FTB3 were the closest socom games to date. zipper went the route of Capcom--completely destroying their series trying to make it like all the other generic games out there.

[Thatguy-310]

Give it to GG

[ritsuka666]

No, give it for Slant six. I really want Socom confrontation 2.

[srcBFMVBMTH]

Guerrilla Games isn't a bad pick. I mean, Killzone is amazing and their first game was a 3rd person shooter so who knows? I personally think they should give it to the guys who made Syphon Filter though.

[Marked]

LOL...give it to slant six?

The same company that had confrontation screwed up for several months after release? Had created a game that could be hacked on the PS3? Most recently, failed at making operation Racoon City?

Slant six is full of fail. Dont let the better of to shit sticks confuse you into believing one is good for a game.

[BaSeBaLlKiD721]

I'm sure Slant Six has learned how to program on the PS3 more efficiently since 2008. Confrontation was actually fun if you take out the glitches (which were mostly present in the menu rather than the gameplay).

I say give Slant Six another shot with Confrontation 2.

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

"it more like Socom 2"

lol not gonna happen in today's world the games must be accessible to everyone!

[JAMurida]

I can't see that happening without the original hands of Zipper with it, but who knows...

[Nitrowolf2]

I really hope they do an HD remake of the past SOCOM titles and with Online Multipler. If not all then do the best of the three (2) :)

[LOL_WUT]

Rejoice!

[ChunkyLover53]

Who would handle it? If they went back to the Socom 2 formula, I'd be all for it. I spent months on that game.

[LOOK_AT_THIS_I]

"years"

[Lord_Sloth]

They should give it to me as the director. I loved Socom 2 oh so much and would accept nothing short of the amazing it gave me all those years ago.

[hardcorehippiez]

i heard a rumour , cant remember where though. but i heard guerilla games is doing socom.

[BoNeSaW23]

I read the most trolly lame comment today, but can't remember where though....

[hardcorehippiez]

how in the hell am i trolling , that was a genuine bit of info gave on my behalf . i dont know how true it is but at the same time i wasnt being obnoxious telling n4g about it. me , myself am a bit sceptical about it if it is true because the game has always been in zippers hands except for confrontation which slant six did. I am a huge socom fan and slant six's effort was the most true to socom this gen so far so theoretically geurilla games could do it if theyve transfered the license for it.

[BlackTar187]

bonesaw please be quiet while grown ups are talking.

[ScubaSteve1]

they better not make it like cod-ish and make it more like socom 2

[NobleRed]

Socom II HD.

[Blackpool]

I think if they were to make another socom it would be made by Sony Online Entertainment

[WeskerChildReborned]

Alright then, how about we get a team who can actually make a good Socom game?

[ExPresident]

So what he's saying is, we've continued to jack up the Socom franchise all while bringing in enough money to continue taking all your money while selling you a product you don't like.

I'm sure there is another Socom game coming, or atleast a box with the name on it.

[samson-1]

Good news. I love the SOCOM series.

[SpecialK]

Please make another socom game, not like socom 4 that was a massive disappointment.

Personally I think slant six should be working on the game, confrontation after the server fixes played very well and stuck to the series roots way better than socom 4 did. The psp versions were good too, everyone used a mic and the gameplay was more engaging than any COD game on home consoles!!!

Give the series to them, make sure they dont screw up or divert away from the games core, and I'll be happy.

[Criminal]

I really hope SOCOM 4 isn't the end of the series. It was been one of the most influential franchises for PS2 and online gaming on consoles. I would love to see another game.

[bahabeast]

socom 4 is diff from what i remember socom being about i want socom 2 type gameplay. forget the move support

[Newbold3d]

If they make a new SOCOM its got to have the same character mechanics as socom 1 and 2! The character movement in SOCOM 3, Confrontation and SOCOM 4 was terrible!

[BitbyDeath]

What about MAG?

[MysticStrummer]

Yeah I'm glad SOCOM will continue ( I even enjoy S4 ), but I want to hear about a MAG sequel just as much. I spent more time on MAG than on any other online FPS this generation. Greatly underrated game.

[BelieveinGhosts]

Great news, i was planing to abadone Sony when next gen consoles are released, if Socom was truly dead. Now i will purchase the PS4 on Day one!

I doubt we will get a new socom on PS3. Hoowever, it might be best for Sony to release a socom 2 HD for PS3 to keep us busy until a new Socom returns to glory on the PS4.

Sony should look at how valve are going to release Counter Strike GO which is essentially an HD remake with extra content

[sandman224]

I'm glad there still gaining to continue the socom franchise. I personally love socom 4. I wish more people would try to adapt to the newest version of socom and give it a chance rather than comparing it to socom 1.

[xPREDICTIONx]

We need SOMETHING, and we need it NOW! Confrontation was a foundation for what SOCOM should have been PS3 gen., I know there is plenty of life left in the PS3, but if the next SOCOM to release is anything buggy or hackable like Confrontation, then I quit for good, not playing the most competitive online multiplayer shooter in history and known to man kind, if it's not playable, sorry. Long Live SOCOM ... and if you're gonna take our PS2 servers away SONY you better be making up for it.

[soliduck]

I dont even like to think about socom 4. Its the most disappointed and mad at a dev team ive ever been. Please sony dont let it die that way. And whoever is in charge of making it, listen to the fans, it has a big dedicated fan base. Dont worry about making it mainstream. If made right it will sell.

[xPREDICTIONx]

Confrontation with a horrible, laggy, chopped up beta and bad release in terms of lag, issues and exploits, SOLD 1.5 Million+ ... That is the formula for a new SOCOM, if we take the HD Remake route, than so be it, I'll play and buy it 100%, as a matter of fact I'll buy 2 copies.

But you are right soliduck, well said on your thoughts.

[frankiebeans]

if they made socom hd remakes i would defiantly buy a new ps3 the day I went to pick it up. my 60gig has been dead for 2 years :(

[MysticStrummer]

SOCOM 4 was not nearly as bad as all the whiners would have people believe. The game changed and they simply couldn't handle it. I've enjoyed all the SOCOMs so I'm glad the series will continue.

[BlackTar187]

socom 4 was terrible for a socom game. PERIOD

now if they changed the name of the game so people could not compare it to one of the best MP of all time on consoles then maybe you're on to something but as is the game is an AWFUL AWFUL socom game.

[spacegerbil]

Socom 4 was probably the biggest let down of any game I have played this generation.

You are right, the game changed. It changed into Call Of Duty. No we could not handle it, because we wanted a Socom game, NOT a Call Of Duty clone.

I would expect if you are going to call something "Socom 4" it should have SOME semblance of a Socom game somewhere in there. They should of named it "Cash Grab 4: COD clone"

[UnknowGuy94]

Be nice to get a remake. I don't really see a SOCOM 5 because Zipper not around.

[BoNeSaW23]

For the love of GOD SONY! The dirt is still fresh on SOCOM'S Grave, let it R.I.P!

[xPREDICTIONx]

Slant Six Games can handle it though, they're more experienced now with another title under their belt.

[chukamachine]

They need to stop flogging a dead horse, sorry to the fans, but money needs to be spend elsewhere.

Always been and always will be a niche game. That's not a bad thing, but if your not making £££ from it.

SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs on ps2 sold 3.5mill, but out of the ps2 userbase. That's nothing tbh.

PS3 sales for socom games have been 650k to 1mill.

[Newbold3d]

I can understand why your saying this but socom on the ps2 was a completely different game... You really should play them before making posts like this. If made correctly like the classics it would sell 3mill plus easy.

[vickers500]

" If made correctly like the classics it would sell 3mill plus easy."

I disagree. The majority of game purchasers do not do any research into the game prior to release, most just buy the game on name alone. Even if they reverted back to the original style of their game, I'm betting it wouldn't make that much of a difference.

[BlackTar187]

you can't use the current ps2 install base and then the # of games sold 10 years ago. that's not how it works.

Remember in order to play online via ps2 you had to not have dial up for socom and had to by a separate part to play in a time where console online MP was just taking off.

3.5 million is a great # for the series.

[NO_FEAR]

Some hope is better than no hope at all.

My only hope is that whatever they do, I hope it doesn't suck!

[younglj01]

Hopefully Socom 5 comes too PS3.And hopefully I can get MAG 2 also.If Socom is not done that mean Zipper Interactive will develop under an different company.

[jut420]

I'd love a SII HD edition with cross play between PS3 and Vita. But I'd still be happy if they were separate communities. Either way I'd buy both copies. SII was my first and still most played online game.

[rbluetank]

i just want MAG. i just wish more player would of given MAG a chance... i played MAG more then any fps this GEN!

[Tacopoop]

I've been preaching MAG like crazy lately. It's time for something like domination to come about. Or give MAG the graphics the awesome cutscene promised.
See you on the oil fields!!!

[lunitunz]

Mag was a great game until they patched it all to hell. The beta version was the best and when they patched the guns. They should have left it at that. The game was a great idea but everything multiplayer has died out fast on ps3. i think socom remake 4would bring back a solid community and hope for ps3 multiplyer

[BelieveinGhosts]

long live socom, maybe the success of socom 5 will put an end to the trend set by cod

[mopground]

i see a bunch of people settling for confrontation which makes me sad. it was horrible nothin like 1 and 2

[Adolph Fitler]

A Socom 2 HD remake is not good enough. We need a Socom that brings the new neccessary gameplay & control enhancements the 3rd person genre has seen since S2 (which is almost 2 gens old), so those gameplay additives, coupled with top notch graphics engine, awesome single player campaign with great enemy AI, & MOST importantly, give us a Socom feeling online experience.

I mean, for me, to date, Socom 2 is still the pinnacle of console online gaming....there was not a better online experience, or community than the one Socom 1 & especially 2 had.
F%$k COD, screw BF, those are console/pc hybrids that attract arrogant communities & we all know COD is just a run'n'gun fps. Socom 2 had something special...I''m not sure what it was, as graphically it was pretty ordinary, the sound wasn't mindblowing like the BF series....But being the last seal/terrorist standing on your team against the 3 remaining enemies & taking them all out on your lonesome in Socom was a feeling that NO other game I've ever played could hope to offer.

Yep, I know a lot of Socom fans out there know exactly what I'm talking about, & are yet to experience that kind of feeling again & are hoping & praying, like myself, that the Zipper team somehow re-unite & deliver the Socom fans a worthy successor to Socom 2.
I do feel sorry for them big time though, as they really tried, & even though many Socom fans burned them bigtime for Socom 3, they were just trying to broaden the game & do something different by adding vehicles & overly massive maps. I mean, had they have just given another retread of Socom 2, then they would have been slammed for that.

Then they make MAG, which is pretty damn awesome & impressive given it handles 256 players online in the same game without lag. And the Socom purists again were not happy, so finally Socom 4 arrives & looks to be the goods & what Socom fans have been waiting for, but it releases & is slammed by the fans, due to the fact it doesn't feel, look or play like Socom 2. And yes, it feels mor like a hybrid Ghost Recon/COD crossover, than a Socom.....But goddamit, it's still a great little game.
It sucks what happend to Zipper, & I bought all thhere games, & I'm sure there were many like me that did, as well as others that bought some of there games, I also would have thought there would have been enough of us buying there games, to ensure they survived. I was wrong.

[tommygunzII]

I agree to a point. What the devs need to do is consult with actual Navy SEALs and make the game the way they want it. If it's good enough for SEALs, its good enough for me.

[xChristopher]

Goto gamestop purchase a PS2 and Socom I & II and play them for a couple of hours. The game is more of an arcade game then a realistic game. Sure, it had some realistic mechanics but that isn't what made SOCOM. The quick reloading, jumping while reloading, the camera angle, the quick diving, the amount of hits received without dying (4-5) and fast movement made the game what it is. It made the game about skill, who can not only predict where someone is or find someone but also keep there aim on them long enough to kill them. It was also about the grenade warfare in the beginning of the map. Some people hated that, but people who loved the game adapted and knew how to counter. Like I said, it isn't about realism, SOCOM was more of an arcade title.

[tommygunzII]

Aside from the lobbies and a PTT mic system, what made the early SOCOM's great were purpose built maps.

The only way to play Sujo or Enowapi in SOCOM 2 was breach, so we played breach. When they gave us options to change game modes on every map is when it started coming apart. If we had the same map options in SOCOM 2 most people would have played demolition or suppression at Sujo.

In comparison to most console and PC shooters SOCOM had more realistic game types with VIP escort, hostage extraction, and breach. That is what SEALs do, along with Direct Action, Hostage Rescue, Counter Terrorism, Special Reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, manhunts and foreign internal defense operations. If you are going to put Navy SEALs on your game it should represent it to a degree. SEALSs don't capture flags or control points, and deathmatch is what happens when you encounter enemies while on your actual mission, not THE mission.

Edit: I still have my PS2 and all the SOCOM titles :)

[Tacopoop]

MAG domination!!!!!!! No game out there is more glorious than a domination match with good leadership!!! BEWARE of green smoke!!!

[Straightupbeastly]

What is with all of this MAG talk? This is Socom.

[Straightupbeastly]

Socom could kill Call of Duty on Playstation if it went back to it's roots. Imagine a Socom style game in hd graphics with higher framerates. We already seen what classic maps could look like in HD in Socom 4, jaw dropping.

[TheCopyNinja]

Yeeeeaah son! Socom will never die! Let's hope S5 goes back to what made Socom the shit in the first place.

[tommygunzII]

Thank you Yoshi.

[Tacopoop]

They need to do something with MAG. They can't let a game like that dissaper. I've watched domination slowly die to the hardcore. And we're all that's left. Please don't let that engine go to waste

[5119ent]

they should give it away for free ps plus...people would love it if they played it

[KontryBoy706]

Thank God. I was sure the plug had been pulled. I hope they learned a lot from their last game and I'm looking forward to the next one. Hopefully next gen... mid gen. Take your time guys

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

LOL.. come on people. True SOCOM fans know that our beloved SOCOM died when SOCOM 3 came out. Nothing has been close since.

SOCOM had it's time. I don't see it coming back as the king it once was.

@Adolph Fitler come on man.. i know it's the cool thing to hate on COD.. but SOCOM 1 and 2 were just as much run an gun that COD is. That's why SOCOM was so fun. Then with part 3, they made the maps way to huge, and it became a camp fest. SOCOM had awesome run and gun play, and that's what it was known for. US WEST 1 here baby! 20C!

[5119ent]

I liked socom 3.

[Darth Stewie]

Socom 2 HD remake as a $14..99 PSN downloadable title for the PS3/Vita would be perfect way to bring this franchise back to its former glory. It would also sell more than Socom4 & Unit 13 combined.

[sandman224]

I know this is off the subject but, I bought ghost recon thinking it would replace my socom 4. Boy was I wrong. When I saw the multiplayer graphics on ghost recon fs. I was like if this really a current gen game. Then I went back to socom 4 and I was blown away by the visuals. It made me sell my copy of ghost recon. Good job zipper.

[chasegarcia]

hell yeah! I can't wait for another Socom.

[Saleem101]

I hope game is done right this time around...

[5119ent]

I would love to see a MAG two .

[Ray186]

Just give me all the maps from S-1 - CA. HD graphics and no tweaks to the original view. Put back all other the things that you used to be able to do in the PS2 games like jump to climb, and make it on-line only and you will never have to worry about making another Socom Again.

[Simple818]

Please, a Socom legacy would be nice Yosh!

[johnxtwo]

It's time that Sony gave us a REAL SOCOM, the fans are waiting.

[Forgivy]

For the love of all that is holy please give us a socom 2 HD.. Its all ive wanted since the day codes were introduced lol

[xChristopher]

Agreed.

[xChristopher]

Why would anyone want the SOCOM franchise to "die?" The franchise hasn't had a good chance to prove that tactical shooters are still worth the risk. They didn't follow the game mechanics of the first two in the series and that cost them. They need to give it a chance; first they need to release an HD remake of one of the first two games in the series and follow that by a new SOCOM game following the old game structure in HD of course. They would gain alot of old consumers back I guarantee it.

[Rjs37]

I'd be very happy to see another SOCOM provided it was done properly. I'd have actually liked for Slant Six to have been given another chance as whilst Confrontation had it's problems it also had a lot of promise.

Whereas Socom 3 was the start of a downward spiral for Zipper. Socom 3 had terrible level design and then MAG was probably the worst game I've ever played. And their latest Socom, just wasn't socom imo.

I've not found a game since Socom 2 that had the same community aspect to it. Maybe it was because online gaming hadn't quite taken off yet but it was an enjoyable game to play partially because of the people.

It was also a game that was heavily geared towards those looking to play clan matches and was a hugely popular game for both US and EU teams on GameBattles

[McNoob]

I would love a proper sequel to SOCOM 4. I don't think OpsCom got his proper due. It's his time for vengeance.

[spacegerbil]

Hopefully OpsCom will have a blue denim jacket to go with his blue jeans. Socom 5: Canadian Tuxedo's REVENGE

[NavySeal74]

were trying to get some games on socom confrontation,
to bring some fun back to socom without the cheats and hackers.

http://community.eu.playsta...

long shot we know but its an okay game,but fun with friends

[PAUL-AWOL-]

I loved every SOCOM game from the PS2 era. These games out of the box day 1 SOCOM 1 to SOCOM Combined Assualt had the same core for over 10 years, Zipper did it right on the PS2.

Many of us long time fans took this for granted over the years and assumed the PS3 version of SOCOM would be SOCOM out of the box. SOCOM Confrontation was released and yes, I spent 600 on a PS3 before the game launched, I felt ripped off and betrayed.

So,,, I will not get suckered into buying a new console for SOCOM if this one is announced as a PS4 exclusive. I will wait until I see it on YouTube or advertised elsewhere.

There are many of us long time fans who post on Twitter and SOCOM fan forums who consider themselves the last of the elite original SOCOM fans,, and we will not settle for another COD hack again.

http://www.socomfan.com/

[spacegerbil]

It is nice to see Sony actually acknowledging Socom's existence for once. But as for Yoshida's comment that he feels sorry for us, well, you could of stopped the TRAIN WRECK that was Socom 4.

There are still thousands upon thousands of people waiting for Socom to return to its roots. If this be Socom 2 HD, or Confrontation 2, or Socom 5, it needs to go back to what made it great. Stop with the stupid gimicks (sharpshooter)and stop trying to turn it into COD.

Go onto any shooter these days, and find some people actually using microphones. Drop the word "Socom" and people will go on for HOURS on how much they miss a real Socom game.

Get it done Sony.

[SniperSaysWhat]

Please make a Socom game like Socom 2 with better clan features and glitch /cheat proof. Bring back SOCOM!!!!!!!! SOCRACK I WANT IT!!!

[truesupremacy]

nice

[lunitunz]

We definitely want to see the franchise live on. An hd remake of s2 or even a trilogy of 1 2 3. Anything that will make this game lice on