Rumor: Sony shutting down SOCOM developer
Though not officially confirmed, rumor has it that Sony may be shutting down Zipper Interactive, the developer of the SOCOM series and MAG.
Sony may be looking to close its first-party developer Zipper Interactive, maker of the SOCOM series and MAG. According to the rumor, the studio is already in the process of being shut down, though Sony has yet to issue an official comment either refuting or denying the mounting speculation.
The rumor, first reported by Kotaku, claims that Zipper Interactive is currently undergoing layoffs. The report points to the poorer-than-expected performance of the massively-multiplayer shooter MAG and SOCOM 4, which released during a protracted PlayStation Network outage. The "extent of layoffs," though not described in detail, indicate a closure rather than a restructuring.
Zipper Interactive's last game was Unit 13 for the PS Vita.
We've reached out to Sony for comment, and will update this story if we hear an official response.
[Update: Since the time of the initial post and our inquiry, Sony has declined to address the specific rumors, stating that "SCEA does not comment on rumors or speculation."]
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replyJeff Mattas posted a new article, Rumor: Sony shutting down SOCOM developer.
Though not officially confirmed, rumor has it that Sony may be shutting down Zipper Interactive, the developer of the SOCOM series and MAG.-
Sucks. I'm actually playing Unit 13 right now and I'm really enjoying it.
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Zipper should have maintained SOCOM's tac-shooter elements better IMO. They got rid of what made the series stand out from the others in favor to jump the bandwagon to be run of the mill.
There's still hope for the tactical shooter genre but Zipper simply gave up on it. You can't get success by trying to emulate the best seller. The shooter and MMO market is polluted with games that try to emulate CoD and WoW and have only gained moderate success at best. It's the house with the bright red door that stands out in the neighborhood. Make your own game and find out how to make it good. -
Zipper fucked themselves by not giving proper support to MAG.
Huge player base at the outset,but then they released a patch that brought random bullet spread,and two weeks later BFBC2 came out,and a huge number of people left.
I think with the huge failure of the latest SOCOM,that all but sealed Zipper's fate.
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Kotaku, you say? Nothing to see here folks.
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