Q1. SCEA are offering Beta trial places to the public via 'Qore' and a pre-order program. Are there any plans to announce a closed or open Beta for the EU? A1. There will be a Public Beta trial in Europe but details are still being finalised. More info soon… Q2. Will the U.S. and EU versions of "SOCOM: Confrontation" be identical, allowing gamers to play online worldwide? A2. Yes, “SOCOM: Confrontation” is a global game and you will be able to play any region you choose, including Asia. Q3. The recent poll on SOCOM.com showed that nearly 70% of the community wants ranked custom lobbies. Will you be supporting this? A3. We are considering the option to support ranked custom games as well as ranked auto-matching. As far as I’m aware no decision has yet been made on this, but keep watching www.socom.com for any updates. Q4. It's been mentioned that Confrontation will support clan ladders and tournaments. Will games be moderated to ensure that no lagging or foul-play takes place and if so, how? A4. Seth Luisi has already confirmed that “SOCOM: Confrontation” will have in-game moderation services. The exact details of this have yet to be fully defined. Q5. An enjoyable gameplay feature that wasn't present in SOCOM 3 or CA was the ability to 'back-blast'. It was a comedy way of killing enemies or team-mates by launching an RPG or AT-4 as they stood behind you. Will back-blast deaths still be present in "SOCOM: Confrontation"? A5. Currently we don’t have that feature in the game, but that’s not to say that it’s not on the team’s to-do list. Q6. Why has "SOCOM: Confrontation" seemingly changed so much over the original SOCOM games? Why not just remake SOCOM 1 with better graphics? A6. The challenge with developing new versions of a popular game franchise is that you want to keep it true to its roots, but at the same time add new features that will keep it competitive with other popular and successful titles in the market (look how games like “Quake” evolved over time). Furthermore, being the first SOCOM title on PS3 allows us to use the increased hardware capabilities to enhance the game experience through elements such as improved sound design, photo-realistic graphics and dynamic physics. This will inevitably change the playing experience a little when compared to older-generation SOCOM games, but hopefully for the better in everyone’s opinion. Slant Six have taken SOCOM 2 as the template for Confrontation but are trying to add more to the genre to ensure that SOCOM regains its title as the number one military shooter. Game design is a highly skilled and very delicate balancing process that only select individuals in the industry are qualified to do. As the old saying goes, you can’t please all of the people all of the time, but you can certainly draw on all your experience to ensure that you appeal to the largest audience possible. At the end of the day games have to make money, and to do that they have to sell to as many people as possible, not only the hardcore SOCOM fans. This is the way Sony will justify funding further SOCOM projects in the future. Q7. Will any additional post-release content be compatible with the EU version of the game, or will the EU players have to wait several months before they are ported from the U.S.? A7. The reasons for the lack of support in the past are complicated, but they are definitely in the past now. As with most PS3 titles and Sony’s strategy in general, development is now a global initiative. Therefore “SOCOM: Confrontation” is not being developed for North America and then adapted to other regions later, it is being developed as a single product for all regions simultaneously. This is reflected in the fact that for the first time a SOCOM game will be localised into 11 foreign languages, which will be selectable in any regional version of the game. So, by extension this also means that any updates or additional content will also need to be developed for simultaneous release in all regions (give or take a day or two), as is already the case for games like Resistance and Warhawk. Q8. Is "Requiem" on the way back for "SOCOM: Confrontation"? A8. There are currently no plans to support classic maps beyond the three already announced (Crossroads, Desert Glory and Frostfire), but that’s not to say we won’t add more classic maps in future if the game is successful and the demand is high enough. Q9. Are there any plans to implement unlockable camouflage in "SOCOM: Confrontation"? A9. None at present that I’m aware of. You can already select from a range of camouflage in the release version of the game when customising your character. Q10. Will there be a tutorial to teach new players the basic controls and rules of the game, or has it been decided to let the player figure it out for himself, as in Warhawk? A10. There will be no specific in-game tutorial as such, but there are menu screens to show you the controls and explain the motion sensor functionality. You can also create custom games to provide a ‘noob-friendly’ environment for learning the ropes. We will probably also offer hints and tips for playing the game on www.socom.com after release. Q11. Will the EU version be released this September? A11. We are currently targeting a September release, but we have not yet locked-down a specific date. Q12. Seth Luisi recently confirmed that "teams will automatically switch sides mid-way through the match. For ranked games and clan games you will need to play both sides on a given map in order to make sure it is a fair fight". When exactly is the half-time point? Does it occur halfway through one match, or are two matches played to determine the overall winner? Furthermore, will the players be able to return to the game lobby and armoury at half-time? A12. A game typically lasts a pre-defined number of rounds. For ranked games the players will automatically switch teams after half the rounds have been played, to ensure the balance of the ranking system is kept fair (there is currently no interim lobby). Players can set-up default characters for both Commandos and Mercenaries from the game’s front-end menu, so that once the switch occurs in-game you already have your chosen, customised character. Furthermore, you are still able to adjust weapons and armour when you are killed in a game, as with past SOCOMs. Q13. Can you please explain a little about the new knife attack? How much damage does it inflict? Is the knife always to hand or must it be selected first? Are there other melee attacks? A13. The knife mechanic is still being worked on but is supposed to offer similar functionality to the rifle butt mechanic from previous SOCOMs. This is the only melee attack currently planned and is always to hand, triggered by pressing L3. Damage values are not yet locked and so it would be inappropriate for me to comment on that. Q14. Is Slant Six Games confident about the future of SOCOM, or are there a few doubts knocking around amongst the dev team? A14. Everyone involved in this project is confident about the future of SOCOM, including myself. It would be foolish to believe that we will get EVERYTHING right with this game, that’s not the nature of game development. However, there is a renewed effort at Slant Six and SCE to bring SOCOM back to the forefront of online shooters, starting with “SOCOM: Confrontation”. There may be features not liked by some that are liked by others and vice versa. I am confident though that this game captures the *spirit* of SOCOM, while at the same time offering something new for those who look for evolution. |
Gast
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