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SCEA Acquires SOCOM Developer

Posted by Zonk on from the more-loot-for-the-larder dept.

GameDailyBiz reports that SCEA has acquired Zipper Interactive, the makers of the highly-acclaimed SOCOM series of games. From the article: "According to the release, bringing Zipper into Sony's stable of developers should have no effect on the day-to-day operations, which will still be run by the current management team and company founders in conjunction with SCE WWS Foster City Studio."

23 comments

  1. Piciture? by Eightyford · · Score: 1

    Sony has made its second studio acquisition in as many months by purchasing Zipper Interactive, developers of the highly popular SOCOM (pictured) series of games.

    My adblocker must be acting little overzealously, because I see no picture.

    --
    Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
    1. Re:Piciture? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no picture, that's why. Let's find some way to blame it on Slashdot!

    2. Re:Piciture? by JorgeDeLaCancha · · Score: 1

      Go to the main page, here. See the picture?

  2. Better than EA acquiring it! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    nt

  3. Famous Last Words by StikyPad · · Score: 1

    should have no effect on the day-to-day operations, which will still be run by the current management team and company founders in conjunction with SCE

    Yeah, that's the first thing any new boss says. "You guys are doing a great job here. Nothing's gonna change much, I'm just gonna sit back and let you people keep doing what you're good at." I give it 14 days before the new rules kick in, and 30 days max before the pink slips and LORs go-a-flyin'.

    --
    https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
  4. I assumed SOCOM was a SCEA game by displague · · Score: 1

    Zipper went completely under my radar. I think SOCOM is one of the best PS2 games out there. This is probably good news, or good PR.

    --
    Marques Johansson
  5. Story Is Incorrect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This has nothing to do with MMORPGs or casual games, and therefore should not have been posted to games.slashdot.org. Zonk, do your job.

    1. Re:Story Is Incorrect by eggsurplus · · Score: 1

      Ah, yeah it does. It potentially could impact a highly popular "casual" game. (I'm assuming you mean any type of game as this is what games.slashdot.org is about) Will Sony continue building upon the great franchise that Zipper has created or will they turn it into just another item in the regurgitation machine that spits out almost the exact same game year after year while managing to somehow ruin the gameplay? I don't know how else you would like to categorize this article. Surely it's not an "Apple: story (thank god) or an "Ask Slashdot".

  6. I think, perhaps, that was a joke. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And a dumb one, too.

    1. Re:I think, perhaps, that was a joke. by eggsurplus · · Score: 1

      Ha, well now that I'm told it was a joke I can see it. Anyway, it wasn't that funny then.

  7. typo by game+kid · · Score: 1

    GameDailyBiz reports that SCEA has acquired Zipper Interactive, the makers of the highly-acclaimed SOCOM series of games.

    You misspelled highly-buggy (highly-intrusive is acceptable too--the very notion of them asking for a credit card number for any reason other than selling things is suspect; I guess this is why Sony bought Zipper in the first place, to strengthen its DRM power). No console game should ever have glowing graphical artifacts (I though those died with the NES and cartridge-blowing?).

    SOCOM 3 killed my love (and my brother's love) of SOCOM games. The first was acceptable. The second corrected some things but made hit-detection far buggier. The third was just atrocious. Think of going from Windows XP SP2 to a Windows Me beta, or from Opera 8.5 to IE4. Zipper should've hired guys from the Windows team; they'd have done a much better job. Instead, they blew it--and not in the game-fixing NES sense either.

    Ugh. Just...ugh. *vomits from Zipper's incompetence*

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
    1. Re:typo by Traiklin · · Score: 1

      the very notion of them asking for a credit card number for any reason other than selling things is suspect

      Yet for you to even think about getting on Xbox live you require a CREDIT CARD! to access a lot of things it requires some sort of authentication. Those Free AOL Demo discs, you know the ones, They say "NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED!" yet what is the last step before you can even begin using it? that's right, you need to input your credit card number before it will even let you try it.

      Them asking for your email is highly suspect because the only possible reason any company would ever want your email is to send you spam right?

    2. Re:typo by bigman2003 · · Score: 2, Informative

      You are incorrect regarding getting on Xbox Live.

      Go to a major electronics retailer, and you can buy access to Xbox Live with cash, or even a check!

      You can buy your yearly update, or even load your account with more credits this way.

      You do NOT need a credit card to use Live.

      --
      No reason to lie.
    3. Re:typo by apoc06 · · Score: 1

      credit cards are the more common form of verification. the fact that you would have to post this article in the story shows that although it may be possible, MS doesnt make it clear that there are other alternative means to access xbox live.

      i guess its a possible marketing flaw in live if one of the main deterents from having a higher xboxlive penetration rate is something that they have a solution in place for, yet no one knows about.

    4. Re:typo by bigman2003 · · Score: 1

      Actually, the fact that I need to post the information here (that Xbox Live does not require credit cards) just means that there are a lot of chuckleheads on Slashdot who like to spout mis-information.

      I wanted to correct one of them.

      --
      No reason to lie.
  8. Wow, so MS isn't the only one..... by ShyGuy91284 · · Score: 1

    It's a common tactic for Microsoft to pay a lot of money to acquire top-quality game development studios (Bungie, and Rare, who I think made some of the funnest non-MA games ever on the n64). I guess Sony is beginning to see the reasoning since Bungie makes the XBox's main selling point as far as games go (Rare has changed a lot, I don't know if they will ever make games as great as the ones on the n64). I never played Socom much, but it sounded revolutionary for a console game with the microphone and downloadable maps (especially on PS2).

    --
    In undeveloped countries, the consumer controls the market. In capitalist America, the market controls you.
  9. Please rename the story! by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 1

    "SONY Acquires SOCOM Developer". I had to click TFA to realize that SCEA = SONY.

  10. Why credit card verification exists by DaFork · · Score: 1
    the very notion of them asking for a credit card number for any reason other than selling things is suspect

    The following is a quote from Zipper:

    "The main reason SOCOM 3 verifies accounts through a credit card is to encourage unique accounts and fair play (no cheating or exploits) in ranked games and clan challenges. It is important to note that supplying a credit card is not necessary to play online."

    The idea is that by using a credit card you are no longer anonymous (mostly... there are ways around it), and therefore less likely to do thing that violate the TOS. I suspect that another motivation is that since this is an M for Mature game and credit cards have generally been the accepted way to verify age/parental persission (i.e. online pron, Activision's Age Gate), this is a way for Zipper to CYA just in case someone tries to go after then for "corrrupting our youth".

    Don't blame Zipper. The credit card verification policy is an added cost to an already free online game, so I am sure Zipper would have perfered not to do it. Blame the people that made Zipper implement a policy like this in the first place.

    1. Re:Why credit card verification exists by ivan256 · · Score: 1

      since this is an M for Mature game and credit cards have generally been the accepted way to verify age/parental persission

      Credit cards are a universally poor way to verify age. Anybody who claims to be using them for such is either stupid, or lying. A gift card number from your local mall will be indistinguishable from an actual credit account by 90% of the systems out there (when given to 13 year old boys, they're essentially porn site gift certificates.), and credit card companies will happily give cards to younger people.

      Not only that, but if they really don't charge anything on it, junior won't have any issues punching in the one he borrowed temporarily from mom's wallet without her knowledge.

  11. Maybe some good news?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe now Sony will finally have the manpower behind this huge title game for them to get the bugs and crap out. Otherwise, this game is going to die

  12. Rootkit by VGh0st · · Score: 1

    If they combine the rootkit code with socom.... Oh my god! We are doomed!

    1. Re:Rootkit by KrisW · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure this was an attempt at a joke, but I'm going to indulge my self here.

      A). The original rootkit fiasco was the result of a poorly implemented DRM system. There's no need for that since there's already a DRM system for the PS2 (at least if you want to play online) - it's called DNAS.

      B). Even if they could and they wanted to, what's the worst that could someone could do to a vulnerable PS2 - delete your game saves? If that's even possible, it would be a lot of time and effort for the equivalent of stomping on your buddy's memory card.

      --


      "Think you can take me? Go ahead on. It's your move." --Joe Don Baker in Final Justice
  13. But it is the law by DaFork · · Score: 1
    Credit cards are a universally poor way to verify age. Anybody who claims to be using them for such is either stupid, or lying.

    Both the Communications Decency Act (before it was overturned for other reasons) and the the Child Online Protection Act spedcified credit card validation was an acceptable age verification tool. I agree that it is a poor way to verify age, but that is the way the laws are written. This means that anyone with mature content can use credit card verification to avoid possible litigation.

    Like it or not, credit card verification is common. Here are some links to read up on it.

    Age Verification Systems
    Yahoo! Credit Card Verification Help
    Instructions on verifying age on your AIM account using a credit card
    Credit Card Required To View 'M' Rated Information