If you caught GameTrailers TV last night then congratulations! You had an exclusive first look at two previously-unannounced goodies from SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs – both of which we’re going into detail about right now.

The first new element ties directly into gameplay and it’s one that we’re really thrilled about. In select missions during the solo campaign, players take control of female South Korean 707th covert operations expert “45.” Acting as the team’s primary form of reconnaissance, 45 slinks into various locales under the cover of night to capture valuable intel and sabotage enemy operations. Armed with silenced weapons and a handy stealth meter that lets players know how visible they are to hostile forces, 45 is a sneaky badass that adds a lot to the already-intense SOCOM 4 experience. We really think you’re going to enjoy playing her missions and we’re glad to finally let that secret out of the bag.

Part two of our double announcement is just as exciting! In addition to the standard version of SOCOM 4 that you’ll find in stores across America on April 19, there will also be a special limited run SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs Full Deployment Edition. Priced at $149.99, the SOCOM 4 Full Deployment Edition is packed with all kinds of awesome. What kind of awesome are we talking about? Check it:

• SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs video game on Blu-ray disc
• PlayStation Move Motion Controller
• PlayStation Move Navigation Controller
• PlayStation Move sharp shooter
• PlayStation Eye Camera

At the heart of this limited edition bundle is the PlayStation Move sharp shooter, giving you pinpoint precision and a streamlined and authentic design. On top of all that, you also get easily accessible buttons, responsive digital trigger, realistic pump-action, a firing mode selector, adjustable shoulder stock and convenient access to the navigation controller. Sold separately, the contents of the SOCOM 4 Full Deployment Edition are valued at nearly $220, making its $149.99 price tag a savings of more than 30%!

Regardless of which version of SOCOM 4 you purchase, you can still pre-order it at participating retailers to receive two unique slug-powered shotguns (one each for both the Spec Ops and Insurgent teams). Of course, folks who pre-order SOCOM 4 at GameStop get the shotgun plus the exclusive Suppression map, “Abandoned,” inspired by the classic map of the same name from SOCOM 1 and II.

The SOCOM 4 information train isn’t done yet! We’ll be back again next week with a ton of new details including the dates in which our multiplayer beta kicks off and a few other pleasant surprises to boot.

See you then!

As the April 19th release date for SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs quickly approaches we’re happy to go into detail about everything the game has to offer, which is quite a lot! In addition to its cinematic single-player campaign and highly addictive online competitive multiplayer,  SOCOM 4 also features a cooperative multiplayer mode where up to five people can play through a number of dynamic missions set up specifically for co-op play.

SOCOM 4′s cooperative mode features two main game types: “Takedown” and “Espionage.” Takedown charges your team with scouring an enemy-filled location in search of opposing VIPs that you must neutralize however you can. Espionage turns the focus to intelligence gathering, where you must use teamwork to track down enemy data and sabotage their local operations.

Before each co-op mission begins, you’re able to adjust both the overall difficulty and the density of the enemy soldiers positioned on the map. But even at its easiest, SOCOM 4′s cooperative mode has been designed to be challenging – as you progress, you’ll need to use teamwork by calling out enemies and objectives to your squadmates.

Today’s co-op unveil isn’t the last you’ll hear of SOCOM 4 this week. Tune in to GameTrailers TV tonight and learn how stealth plays a big part in the game’s campaign in addition to another special announcement fans won’t want to miss!

Last week was big for everyone here at Zipper Interactive as we finally revealed details about SOCOM 4 and its extensive competitive multiplayer modes. To help us celebrate the occasion, we flew in a group of diehard SOCOM community members to our headquarters in Redmond, WA to try out SOCOM 4′s multiplayer firsthand, while also giving them the opportunity to grill us with their burning questions.

The day began with “The 18” — as the SOCOM community has since begun to call them – being led on a tour of the entire Zipper Interactive studio. They met artists and sound people, QA testers and producers, and even had the opportunity to say hello to our executive staff and our designers.

Following the tour was a brief presentation that included a look at one of SOCOM 4‘s never-before-seen single-player levels, Onslaught, which they were also able to play for themselves later on during the event. We also formally announced 3D support and the game’s official North American release date of April 19th!

Of course, what the community really came to get were the first details about the game’s multiplayer features, as well as some personal time on the controller. We had four maps to try out, including the classic map Abandoned that you can receive free for pre-ordering SOCOM 4 from GameStop, and two (of four) different modes for play, Suppression and the brand-new Last Defense. As an added bonus, we also let everyone get a taste of SOCOM 4′s “Classic” game-type which melds an old-school rule set (no respawn, no health regeneration, etc.) with all of our current maps and game mechanics.

At the end of our event, a number of SOCOM 4 development leaders sat down for a one-hour roundtable where the fans could ask them questions and provide feedback regarding what they just played. This was important to us not only because we wanted to be able to give something back to the community, but because their feedback is incredibly valuable in making SOCOM 4 everything it can be.

Want to try out SOCOM 4 for yourself? We recently announced that a beta is on its way with specially-marked copies of Killzone 3 (your first of many ways in). We’ll have more details on other ways to access the beta soon, but in the meantime, check out the official SOCOM 4 website for the latest info and don’t forget to download the February 11 episode of the official Zipper Interactive podcast, Zipline, when we sit down with Lead Designer Travis Steiner and Multiplayer Lead Designer Kevin Schmitt – it’ll be a good one!

Everyone here at Zipper Interactive is pleased to announce that the wait will soon be over! As our headline says, SOCOM 4 is scheduled to hit stores in North America in just a few months on April 19th.

Earlier this week at the Zipper headquarters in Redmond, WA, we invited the media and 18 SOCOM community members to check out the latest version of our game. Not only did they get an update on the progress of our single-player campaign, they were also treated to an extensive look at several of our multiplayer modes, which, as any SOCOM fan will tell you, is absolutely the game’s bread and butter.

Early next week, we’ll have another update on the PlayStation and SOCOM blogs to let you know what members of the community thought about their visit to Redmond and their hands-on time with SOCOM 4. In the meantime, we’d love for you to check out our “Not For Self” multiplayer trailer by clicking on the video above.

Also, for you veteran SOCOM fans out there, head on over to GameStop.com and bring back classic SOCOM memories with another new trailer, this one for the GameStop pre-order exclusive “Abandoned” Map!

The good news is that this is just the beginning of an upcoming flood of SOCOM goodness. As we count down the days and weeks to April 19, you can expect plenty of news, details and media to get you hyped up for what we think is the best SOCOM game yet. Enjoy the ride!