On behalf of everyone at Zipper Interactive, we’re pleased to announce that SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs available for purchase in North America starting today! Expect to see it released in other territories all over the world throughout the remainder of the week.

In the SOCOM 4 solo campaign, players will guide the Operations Commander and his combined squad of U.S. Navy SEALs and Korean Special Forces across 14 missions set in war-torn Southeast Asia and a country on the verge of civil war. But SOCOM 4 doesn’t stop there – fans can also expect exciting competitive multiplayer with all-new maps, original gametypes and numerous modes of play in addition to user-defined custom cooperative campaigns that change every time you play them! Check out our launch trailer above to see what we’re talking about.

Outside of the game itself, we’re also offering fans a number of other goodies to celebrate SOCOM 4’s release. Log on to PlayStation Home, for example, and you can find up to five unique (and free!) SOCOM 4 shirts for your Home Avatar, as well as a special Bomb Technician outfit for $2.99! We’re also introducing a number of SOCOM 4 PSN Avatars starting today and will have a free SOCOM 4 theme for your PlayStation 3 system next week.

Before we go – we do want you to play SOCOM 4, after all – we wanted to leave you with the patch notes for the update you’ll be prompted to download upon booting SOCOM 4 up for the very first time. Included within the patch are a number of updates from our S4 beta trial and a number of other changes that reflect the feedback we’ve received over the past month.

Thank you once again for all your support and feedback, we hope to hear from you some more on our official forums at SOCOM.com. Now go have some fun!

SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs Beta v1.02

April 19, 2011 TPPS: 41 MBs, DLS: 57 MBs

Gameplay

• Increased XP requirements to gain “Rank” levels
• Lowered XP bonuses for “Classic” mode “Wins”
• Decreased Weapon XP bonuses earned for “Kills, Assists,” and “Headshots”
• Adjusted “Classic” mode merit bonuses so that “Kills, Assists, Team Kills, Bomb Techs Killed”, and “Data Carriers Killed” are the only bonuses that are increased by “Classic” status
• (Single-Player Only) Widened allied “Revive” range so that it’s easier to resuscitate fallen teammates

Weapons and Gear

• Increased firing accuracy for all weapons and aim modes so that the first few shots are substantially more accurate (with variations by weapon)
• Increased horizontal and vertical recoil while in Reflex, ACOG and Low Variable Scope modes
• All long-range sub-machine gun damage has been lowered and maximum range has been decreased
• Decreased maximum throwing power and lowered throwing angle for all grenade types
• “Gear 1” loadout now automatically switches to “Gear 2” loadout when “Gear 1” loadout is depleted (and vice versa)
• Ammo counters now flash red when ammunition is low

Audio/Visual

• (Multiplayer Only) Camera position has been moved back to show more of the player-character
• (Multiplayer Only) Camera field of view has been widened by roughly 20%

Interface

• (Multiplayer Only) Character markers now float in closer proximity to teammates’ heads
• Updated “Vote Kick” user-interface so that it takes up less of the screen
• Revive actions now take priority over resupplying when allies are downed near ammo crates
• Fixed the display stats for the FDO-11 and IW80-A2 assault rifles to their appropriate values
• Post-game MVP screen now works properly

Technical

• (Standard Mode) Suppression game length is now 10 minutes
• (Classic Mode) Suppression round count is now 11
• (Classic Mode) Suppression round length is now 5 minutes
• (Classic Mode) Uplink round count is now 11
• (Classic Mode) Uplink rounds length is now 5 minutes
• (Standard Mode) Last Defense round count is now 1
• (Standard Mode) Last Defense round length is now 15 minutes
• (Classic Mode) Last Defense rounds count is now 11
• (Classic Mode) Last Defense round length is now 5 minutes
• (Classic Mode) Bomb Squad round count is now 10
• (Classic Mode) Bomb Squad round length is now 7 minutes
• Fixed issue that prevented Clan Challenge queue from properly working

Miscellaneous

• Made various PlayStation Move adjustments including latency reduction, less sensitive recoil countering, the added ability to pitch up while firing, tuning to the turn and pitch areas, etc
• Renamed PlayStation Move control schemes to “Standard Aim” and “Standard Arcade”

This isn’t all we have planned for future SOCOM 4 updates, as we are still collecting data from players just like you. In the mean time, talk about our changes with fellow SOCOM fans on our official beta discussion forum on SOCOM.com by following this link!

We’ve been keeping a secret here at Zipper Interactive – a hush-hush special bonus that players who purchase new copies of SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs are entitled to the moment they first play the game.

We call it “SOCOM Pro,” and you’ll first see mention of it when you open a brand new copy of SOCOM 4 on the back of the instruction manual. On that SOCOM Pro call-out, you’ll find a redemption code for use on the PlayStation Network that gets you… well, it gets you a whole bunch of super-cool things, really.

SOCOM Pro shows its benefits immediately on launch day, April 19, as any player who purchases a new copy of SOCOM 4 receives exclusive access to all “Pro” Custom Game queues. Not only will these queues be ranked, but they’ll also be updated regularly over the entire lifespan of SOCOM 4 – so it’ll be the gift that keeps on giving for quite some time. Moreover, the first set of “Pro” Custom Game types will be the same fantastic rule sets that our diligent fans tested during our SOCOM 4 beta period. If you missed them in the beta, here’s what they are now:

• Community Day Classic – Suggested by members of Zipper Community Day 2011, CDC offers a medley of different maps that support 8-vs-8 “Classic” variations on Suppression, Uplink, Last Defense and Bomb Squad with faster movement and no ranged explosives of any kind
• Last Defense Run ‘n Gun – Our incredibly fast-paced deviation from our Last Defense gametype that includes speedier player movement, reduced weapon damage, and limitations to sub-machine guns and shotguns only
• SCRUM – A Suppression mod that offers a “Classic” rules-inspired list of features that includes no respawn, no Sniper Rifles, no Concussion, Poison Gas, or Frag Grenades, higher damage and faster character movement
• Sniper Alley – Another 8-vs-8 variation on “Classic” Suppression that boasts higher damage values and weapon restrictions that allow players access to only Smoke and Poison Gas Grenades, Shotguns, and of course, Sniper Rifles

Another sweet incentive for SOCOM Pro players is an exclusive pair of weapons that fans have been clamoring for: The M-16 (for Spec-Ops) and the AK-47 (for the Insurgents) assault rifles! Expect to see those within the first 30 days of SOCOM 4’s release.

But these additions are just the beginning – we have plenty more planned for SOCOM Pro down the road including access to exclusive multiplayer maps, various co-op additions, dedicated leaderboards, and lots more. By the way, even if you don’t get a new copy of SOCOM 4 but find yourself playing it anyway, you can still gain access to SOCOM Pro by purchasing it from the PlayStation Store for a one-time fee of $14.99 (US) starting April 26.

We hope you enjoy the inclusion of our SOCOM Pro membership with all new copies of SOCOM 4 that will hit shelves April 19. Looking forward to seeing you reaping its rewards in game. Stay tuned to the SOCOM and PlayStation Blogs for future content updates!

As fans of programs like The Walking Dead and Battlestar Galactica can tell you, award-winning composer Bear McCreary knows how to evoke emotion with his music. Luckily for PlayStation fans, Bear has done it again with his original soundtrack for SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs, and it’s definitely our best yet!

We enjoy the SOCOM 4 soundtrack so much, in fact, that we’ve decided to release it for purchase on both iTunes and the PlayStation Store starting today for just $9.99 — a great deal that your speakers should thank you for.

Here’s a note from Bear himself:

“SOCOM 4 has been a long musical journey. I first began writing music for this game in 2008, and now, almost three years later to the day, my soundtrack is simultaneously available for download from iTunes and the PlayStation Network, and in an exciting expanded edition two-disc set from La La Land Records coming in a few weeks.

I’m a gamer myself, and had played all the previous games in the SOCOM series. So, I was familiar with the traditional military orchestral sound that accompanied them. However, I quickly realized that Sony and Zipper Interactive were ready to take the SOCOM franchise in a more cinematic direction. The characters were drawn out, and the player would face difficult ethical decisions. The entire story takes place over six days in an unspecified Southeast Asian country, opening the door for me to explore exotic local instrumentation. There was a lot for me to be excited about. I look forward to SOCOM fans, gamers and soundtrack buffs alike having the opportunity to explore this music, thanks to the digital and CD releases of this soundtrack.”

Recorded at the legendary Skywalker Ranch in beautiful Northern California, the SOCOM 4 soundtrack merges the dissimilar instruments of eastern and western orchestras to create a unique, symphonic sound unlike any other action-shooter out there — press the play button below to hear the official SOCOM 4 theme and you’ll immediately understand what we’re talking about.

We hope you enjoy the soundtrack as much as we have enjoyed putting it together for you. Oh, and before we go – keep your eyes on the Official SOCOM blog in the coming weeks, when we’ll have more details on an upcoming limited edition disc-based release of the soundtrack as well!

The last three weeks have been great for us here at Zipper Interactive! Our private, PlayStation Plus, and Killzone 3 voucher testers have been integral in helping us put the finishing touches on the multiplayer aspects of SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs. But that’s the past – and now, the special invitation period is over because starting today, anyone and everyone with PSN access can freely download the SOCOM 4 beta from the PlayStation Store during its regularly-scheduled update. The beta’s availability on the PlayStation Store ends April 12th.

Our servers will be open all day, every day until the beta period ends on April 13 at 11:59pm Pacific Time (2:59am Eastern). However, we will limit what modes are available for the first few days to keep our testing focused before opening all queues for the home stretch. Here’s how the schedule looks in its final phase:

• Tuesday (4/5) – Last Defense, Classic Last Defense, Uplink, Classic Uplink
• Wednesday (4/6) – Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad, Last Defense, Classic Last Defense
• Thursday (4/7) – Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom), Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad
• Friday (4/8) – All Gametypes Open
• Saturday (4/9) – All Gametypes Open
• Sunday (4/10) – All Gametypes Open
• Monday (4/11) – All Gametypes Open
• Tuesday (4/12) – All Gametypes Open
• Wednesday (4/13) – All Gametypes Open

Our multiplayer beta includes two maps, Port Authority and Assault & Battery, and offers a variety of built-in game-types and custom game-types. Here they are:

Suppression: SOCOM 4’s version of “team deathmatch.”
Last Defense: Capture controls points, discover the enemy base and destroy it.
Uplink: Steal enemy data and deliver it to your base.
Bomb Squad: Defend your bomb technician while he disarms enemy explosives.
Sniper Alley (Custom): An 8 vs. 8 version of Classic Suppression with higher damage. Weapons are limited to sniper rifles, shotguns, smoke grenades and poison gas.
Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom): Faster movement speed and reduced damage are applied to 16 vs. 16 Last Defense with weapons restricted to only shotguns and SMGs.
Scrum (Custom): Suppression is given rule tweaks of no respawn, faster movement and higher damage, while sniper rifles, frag grenades, concussion grenades and poison gas are disallowed.

All built-in game-types (i.e. non-“Custom” queues) are playable in both the Standard and Classic variations. Standard mode is similar to the single-player experience, while Classic mode is similar to older SOCOM titles with increased movement speeds, round-based play, no player respawns and the lack of health regeneration. Our Custom types mix and match a number of game settings depending on their focus.

After you’ve had a chance to play the beta, we’d need to hear your feedback! To do so, simply head on over to our official “Beta Forum” on SOCOM.com where you can tell us what you think.

On behalf of everyone at Zipper Interactive, I want to thank all of you who have participated in the SOCOM 4 beta regardless of its phase, and look forward to seeing you again when we ship the full and complete version of SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs when it launches on April 19 across North America.

Oh, and don’t forget to pre-order SOCOM 4 today to gain access to a pair of exclusive slug-powered shotguns (one each for Spec Ops and the Insurgents), while those who specifically pre-order at GameStop get the shotguns in addition to the exclusive Suppression map, “Abandoned,” inspired by the classic map of the same name from SOCOM 1 and II!

Today’s the day that players who nabbed SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs Multiplayer Beta vouchers in copies of Killzone 3 or at PAX East 2011 can now redeem their early access codes! In celebration, we wanted to give you a sneak peek at two SOCOM 4 multiplayer maps that haven’t really been seen outside of Zipper Interactive yet – Von Heine Express and Cesspool!

Von Heine Express was actually one of the last MP maps we finished; the idea behind it was to create an environment that captured the spirit of our classic SOCOM II map, Fox Hunt, but was built on the themes of SOCOM 4 and made for great sniping scenarios. Set on the coast of Southeast Asia in a makeshift military base that comes complete abandoned train cars, Von Heine Express is a favorite here at Zipper and has only been seen publicly once – at PAX East 2011 where it was part of that event’s SOCOM 4 Championship Tournament. Check out the video below for a flythrough!

Another map that we’re happy to unveil is Cesspool. Cesspool was one of the earliest MP maps developed for SOCOM 4 and it came about because of how much we loved the thematic from our “Means to an End” single-player mission. Set about half-way through the game, “Means to an End” takes place in a city slum currently under siege by the insurgents lead by SOCOM 4 antagonist, General Razad. That SP mission was only an inspiration, though, and Cesspool was created entirely from scratch and is excellent for close-quarters combat-oriented players. Check it out for yourself in the video below.

While these two maps aren’t available in the beta, you’ll be able to experience Von Heine Express, Cesspool and seven other multiplayer maps for yourself when SOCOM 4 hits stores across North America on April 19. Of course, competitive multiplayer isn’t all SOCOM 4 has to offer, as it also includes our robust 14-mission cinematic solo campaign and our five-player custom-campaign cooperative missions as well.

If you haven’t tried out SOCOM 4′s multiplayer and can’t wait until April 19, be sure to download the beta, already available to PlayStation Plus and the voucher folks mentioned above, when it opens up to everyone starting
April 5!

Happy blogging!

The SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs testing pool is about to get even bigger! Starting tomorrow, at 12:00am Pacific, the SOCOM 4 voucher codes that were included as giveaways with Killzone 3 (and at our PAX East 2011 booth) become active. This new influx of players will join the existing crowd of previously introduced PlayStation Plus and Private beta testers, and will have all the same privileges as the one-week and two-week vets.

If you didn’t receive an early access voucher or don’t have a PlayStation Plus account, don’t fret! Starting April 5th, the all-access beta will be openly available for download through the PlayStation Store. While the beta download will be removed from the Store with the April 12th PlayStation Store publish, SOCOM 4 Beta servers will be up and running until April 13th.

Though our servers are open all day, every day we do limit what modes are available so that we can keep our testing focused. Here’s how the schedule looks this week:

• Tuesday (3/29) – Uplink, Classic Uplink, Suppression, Classic Suppression
• Wednesday (3/30) – Last Defense, Classic Last Defense, Uplink, Classic Uplink
• Thursday (3/31) – Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad, Last Defense, Classic Last Defense
• Friday (4/1) – Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom), Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad
• Saturday (4/2) – Scrum (Classic), Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom)
• Sunday (4/3) – Suppression, Classic Suppression, Scrum (Custom)
• Monday (4/4) – Uplink, Classic Uplink, Suppression, Classic Suppression

As always, our multiplayer beta includes two maps, Port Authority and Assault & Battery, and offers a variety of built-in game-types and custom game-types. Here’s a reminder of what’s what:

Suppression: SOCOM 4’s version of “team deathmatch.”

Last Defense: Capture controls points, discover the enemy base and destroy it.

Uplink: Steal enemy data and deliver it to your base.

Bomb Squad: Defend your bomb technician while he disarms enemy explosives.

Sniper Alley (Custom): An 8 vs. 8 version of Classic Suppression with higher damage. Weapons are limited to sniper rifles, shotguns, smoke grenades and poison gas.

Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom): Faster movement speed and reduced damage are applied to 16 vs. 16 Last Defense with weapons restricted to only shotguns and SMGs.

Scrum (Custom): Suppression is given rule tweaks of no respawn, faster movement and higher damage, while sniper rifles, frag grenades, concussion grenades and poison gas are disallowed.

As seen in the schedule above, all built-in game-types (i.e. anything not listed as “Custom”) are playable in both the Standard and Classic variations. Standard mode is similar to the single-player experience, while Classic mode is similar to older SOCOM titles with increased movement speeds, round-based play, no player respawns and the lack of health regeneration. Our Custom types mix and match a number of game settings, delivering fresh takes on our core rule sets.

As before, after you’ve had a chance to play the beta, we’d love to hear your feedback! Once you’ve downloaded the beta and played a complete match, you’ll then gain access to our private beta forums on SOCOM.com where you can share your stories with other players and leave us your feedback. SOCOM has always been a very player-driven franchise and your opinions are very important to us, so please let us know what you think! We’ll see you again next week on the SOCOM blog with an updated schedule, or you can keep updated on our latest agenda through our in-game news feed.

Our first week of private beta testing for SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs has been incredibly helpful. Though the participants were limited to the “invite only” crowd, their feedback has been phenomenal — with tens of thousands of posts filled with opinions, suggestions, comments and more pouring into our beta forum.

Starting today, it’s time for PlayStation Plus members to get their turn as they join the existing testers for the next phase of our pre-release examination. Though similar to last week’s schedule, this week’s agenda is a bit different. Here’s what game types you can expect to see starting today:

· Tuesday (3/22) – Suppression, Classic Suppression, Scrum (Custom), Community Day Classic (Custom)

· Wednesday (3/23) – Uplink, Classic Uplink, Suppression, Classic Suppression

· Thursday (3/24) – Last Defense, Classic Last Defense, Uplink, Classic Uplink

· Friday (3/25) – Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad, Last Defense, Classic Last Defense

· Saturday (3/26) – Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom), Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad

· Sunday (3/27) – Scrum (Custom), Community Day Classic (Custom), Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom)

· Monday (3/28) – Suppression, Classic Suppression, Scrum (Custom), Community Day Classic (Custom)

If you missed last week’s post, the multiplayer beta includes two maps, Port Authority and Assault & Battery, and offers a variety of built-in game-types and custom game-types:

Suppression: The SOCOM take on team deathmatch.

Last Defense: Capture controls points, discover the enemy base and destroy it.

Uplink: Steal enemy data and deliver it to your base.

Bomb Squad: Defend your bomb technician while he disarms enemy explosives.

Sniper Alley (Custom): An 8 vs. 8 version of Classic Suppression with higher damage. Weapons are limited to sniper rifles, shotguns, smoke grenades and poison gas.

Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom): Faster movement speed and reduced damage are applied to 16 vs. 16 Last Defense with weapons restricted to only shotguns and SMGs.

Scrum (Custom): Suppression is given rule tweaks of no respawn, faster movement and higher damage, while sniper rifles, frag grenades, concussion grenades and poison gas are disallowed.

Community Day Classic (Custom): A medley featuring Classic versions of all four game types (Suppression, Last Defense, Uplink and Bomb Squad) with increased speed and weapon restrictions placed on ranged explosives. Each game type is played over 11 five-minute rounds.

All built-in game-types (re: not “Custom”) will be playable in both the Standard and Classic variations. Standard mode closely mimics the single-player experience, while Classic harkens back to older SOCOM titles with increased movement speeds, round-based play, no player respawns and the lack of health regeneration. Our Custom types mix and match a number of game settings, delivering fresh takes on our core rule sets.

As before, after you’ve had a chance to play the beta, we’d love to hear your feedback! Once you’ve downloaded the beta and played a complete match, you’ll then gain access to our private beta forums on SOCOM.com where you can share your stories with other players and leave us your feedback. SOCOM has always been a very player-driven franchise and your opinions are very important to us, so please let us know what you think! We’ll see you again next week on the SOCOM blog with an updated schedule, or you can keep updated on our latest agenda through our in-game news feed.

Our first week of private beta testing for SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs has been incredibly helpful. Though the participants were limited to the “invite only” crowd, their feedback has been phenomenal — with tens of thousands of posts filled with opinions, suggestions, comments and more pouring into our beta forum.

Starting today, it’s time for PlayStation Plus members to get their turn as they join the existing testers for the next phase of our pre-release examination. Though similar to last week’s schedule, this week’s agenda is a bit different. Here’s what game types you can expect to see starting today:

· Tuesday (3/22) – Suppression, Classic Suppression, Scrum (Custom), Community Day Classic (Custom)

· Wednesday (3/23) – Uplink, Classic Uplink, Suppression, Classic Suppression

· Thursday (3/24) – Last Defense, Classic Last Defense, Uplink, Classic Uplink

· Friday (3/25) – Bomb Squad (LINK: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2011/03/04/socom-4-bomb-squad-revealed-beta-release-details/), Classic Bomb Squad, Last Defense, Classic Last Defense

· Saturday (3/26) – Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom), Bomb Squad, Classic Bomb Squad

· Sunday (3/27) – Scrum (Custom), Community Day Classic (Custom), Sniper Alley (Custom), Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom)

· Monday (3/28) – Suppression, Classic Suppression, Scrum (Custom), Community Day Classic (Custom)

If you missed last week’s post, the multiplayer beta includes two maps, Port Authority and Assault & Battery, and offers a variety of built-in game-types and custom game-types:

Suppression: The SOCOM take on team deathmatch.

Last Defense: Capture controls points, discover the enemy base and destroy it.

Uplink: Steal enemy data and deliver it to your base.

Bomb Squad: Defend your bomb technician while he disarms enemy explosives.

Sniper Alley (Custom): An 8 vs. 8 version of Classic Suppression with higher damage. Weapons are limited to sniper rifles, shotguns, smoke grenades and poison gas.

Last Defense Run ‘n Gun (Custom): Faster movement speed and reduced damage are applied to 16 vs. 16 Last Defense with weapons restricted to only shotguns and SMGs.

Scrum (Custom): Suppression is given rule tweaks of no respawn, faster movement and higher damage, while sniper rifles, frag grenades, concussion grenades and poison gas are disallowed.

Community Day Classic (Custom): A medley featuring Classic versions of all four game types (Suppression, Last Defense, Uplink and Bomb Squad) with increased speed and weapon restrictions placed on ranged explosives. Each game type is played over 11 five-minute rounds.

All built-in game-types (re: not “Custom”) will be playable in both the Standard and Classic variations. Standard mode closely mimics the single-player experience, while Classic harkens back to older SOCOM titles with increased movement speeds, round-based play, no player respawns and the lack of health regeneration. Our Custom types mix and match a number of game settings, delivering fresh takes on our core rule sets.

As before, after you’ve had a chance to play the beta, we’d love to hear your feedback! Once you’ve downloaded the beta and played a complete match, you’ll then gain access to our private beta forums on SOCOM.com where you can share your stories with other players and leave us your feedback. SOCOM has always been a very player-driven franchise and your opinions are very important to us, so please let us know what you think! We’ll see you again next week on the SOCOM blog with an updated schedule, or you can keep updated on our latest agenda through our in-game news feed.