October 22, 2009October 22, 2009

MAG Public Beta Update (v1.30)

This morning we released a new MAG Public Beta update. The new MAG Public Beta update includes a new PSN Title update (version 1.30) and new game data. This new MAG Public Beta release includes over 8,000 updates and fixes, too many to list in detail. You can start downloading it now to have it ready for when the servers open at 10:00 a.m. PDT.

Some of the patch highlights are:

Framerate improvements in all environments
Vote/ Kick implemented
Art and lighting updates to all levels
Art updates to weapons, vehicles and objects
Animation improvement and updates
Client patching improvements
Design tuning on all environments (attacker/defender, out of bounds, sightlines, routing…)
Tuned all skills (skill point expense, skill trees, skill effects)
Tuning pass on experience rewarded for all actions (resuscitate, heal other, destroy turret, destroy motor pool….)
Tuning pass on player & leadership experience progressions
Full audio tuning pass
Bunker, APC, and Spawn camera adjustments
Lowered initial spawn times for attackers and defenders for all gametypes
Update Major/Minor victory and loss percentages and conditions for all gametypes
Updated Domination gametype scoring values
Improved weapon feel and hit feedback

A lot of the changes are based directly on feedback from the MAG Public Beta community. Please keep this feedback coming, it really helps us improve the title.

If you are not yet a part of the MAG Public Beta there is still time. If you pre-order MAG at GameStop in the US or EB Games in Canada you receive access to the MAG Public Beta. And remember, from November 9th until November 20th the only way to access the MAG Public Beta in North America is to pre-order MAG.

We look forward to seeing you in battle.

Comments are closed.

222 Comments

LILBUDDY2000
October 22, 2009 at 6:05 am PDT

I can’t wait for the game…good job.
BESTINTHEWEST
October 22, 2009 at 6:08 am PDT

“Vote/ Kick implemented”

fail
good job, you just ruined the game :)
Shadow-Man_4
October 22, 2009 at 6:08 am PDT

Cool cant WAIT!!!
cowboyd21
October 22, 2009 at 6:11 am PDT

I can’t wait to download this but the one feature i wish they didn’t add was the vote kick feature there will be people that will miss use this feature but i still can’t wait to try to used these features . I love this game can’t wait to buy this game.
jerk_man
October 22, 2009 at 6:15 am PDT

Don’t have this…. is it as awesome as it seems?????
eaferrari24
October 22, 2009 at 6:17 am PDT

its over 9000!!.. oh wait no its not :P

anyways you guys are doing such a great job! you deserve a standing ovation.. and i deserve a mag beta key :D
mcbuttz78
October 22, 2009 at 6:20 am PDT

i didnt preorder the game, but i did get a invite for beta it was thru psn. THey siad they will be adding in waves. What wave is this, I dont think its fair peop who go invites frm psn to join the beta have to wait long time to play the game,, I might just pass on this game .. Not saying its bad or nothing..
- David Bull
  October 22, 2009 at 9:30 am PDT
  
  Hi mcbuttz78,
  
  The only way to get into the MAG Beta right now is by pre-ordering at GameStop.
  
  If someone is contacting you directly through your PSN ID offering up the beta, then it\’s not from SCEA. We will never ask for your password or other information so please do not distribute your personal info if asked.
PAYBACKRanger
October 22, 2009 at 6:21 am PDT

#5, yes it’s awesome!

#2 and #4, it’s very necessary in any online team-based strategy game: get someone that just TK’s, or is not helpful, and you’d rather dumping a TK’er, non-player, or non-performing player to get someone that will help…that’s necessary.

Also, if you have 7 clan members/friends in your group, and you are voted out..take it with stride and not personally. Maybe they wanted to get their friend/clan mate in the game. There are so many other games on at the same time, just hop into one of those.
IceCold
October 22, 2009 at 6:22 am PDT

Humm vote kick feature. I hope you guys have innovated a way this feature works. So the abusers won’t ruin games
- Scott McCarthy
  October 22, 2009 at 3:31 pm PDT
  
  One of the reasons this feature was implemented into the BETA was to ensure its proper functionality. All your comments on all features are read and considered!
LukaX23
October 22, 2009 at 6:25 am PDT

Good job, Zipper. I’m proud of you! :-P
awsome_robot
October 22, 2009 at 6:32 am PDT

its not downloading for me. it stays at 0.51 out of 2681.67 MB. i quit the game, booted up and now its only at 1.51/2681.67 MB… it won’t go further.
Violater
October 22, 2009 at 6:32 am PDT

Excellent, will get back into it later.
cowboyd21
October 22, 2009 at 6:33 am PDT

@ 8 yes that sound good and all but what if you join a game and you was playing with a clan that is not your? and they kick you because your not in that clan how would that make you feel? upset? dont say it wont. so what you going to do play when all your clan member are on? that what make socom so bad sometimes you can only play it when your clan member are on .
mister1337
October 22, 2009 at 6:44 am PDT

Totally not what anyone wants to hear about. Psh! MAG, probably will be cool but not what is relevant on a Thursday. You know what would be good to hear about on a Thursday? Dissidia being up on PSN.
cowboyd21
October 22, 2009 at 6:44 am PDT

@ 8 i will be still buy this game but i hope that this feature will not be in the game as beta tester we are only testing this to see if this would work in the game because i can see alot of player getting kick because of not being with that clan, they dont have a mic, i dont understand them, or my favor i dont like them lol its allways a good reason to kick someone right ? lol
VoodooVyper
October 22, 2009 at 6:48 am PDT

Great to hear about all the fixes. I just wish it wasn’t so easy to reach the level cap. I only played maybe 20 hours until I reached level 40. Will the level cap be higher in the retail version?
KSPRAYDAD
October 22, 2009 at 6:58 am PDT

@7

Maybe someone official can comment but AFAIK SONY would NEVER have invites over the PSN.
station3fever
October 22, 2009 at 7:04 am PDT

maybe they will give us the last week free “without preorder”. Even a demo would be nice.
laZardo
October 22, 2009 at 7:12 am PDT

Will you guys have an open beta period?
SmogItUp
October 22, 2009 at 7:15 am PDT

So Seth Luisi is THE single worst employee in the history of business. Seth is on tape REPEATEDLY lying to Socom fans before the release of the game. FIRE SETH LUISI

Also MAG is a joke. Get back to a real shooter(Socom)Zipper
KainDrake
October 22, 2009 at 7:18 am PDT

now if you can shorten the “receiving updates” time, it would be perfect. ihaven’t played it much because it took me literally three days to download everything. that alone makes it an epic fail.
cowboyd21
October 22, 2009 at 7:23 am PDT

@ 19 no on open beta but you can go to gamestop and pre order the game and they will give you a beta code.

@ 20 sorry to say this but socom have been a real big runing joke that started last year lol when it can out it wasnt finsh we had to wait untill aug for them to give us the rest of the game wow this is to funny and sad at the same time
MastahKillah82
October 22, 2009 at 7:30 am PDT

I am downloading now ! I’m loving all the updates Zipper keep em’ coming =)
RuthlessEd
October 22, 2009 at 7:38 am PDT

The vote/kick function needs to be eliminated. It’s the single most annoying thing in SOCOM. Inevitably, you get a bunch of arrogant clan-players who constantly vote people out for any number of self-serving reasons. Not part of the clan? You’re gone. Don’t do exactly as one of them tell you? You’re gone.

I’d far rather deal with a TK’er than a bunch of self-righteous clan idiots.
BigBoss712
October 22, 2009 at 7:41 am PDT

Improvements are always welcome, still not sold on this game so i didn’t pre-order it, hope there’s a demo for everyone to try out.
onlineatron
October 22, 2009 at 7:46 am PDT

I’m so glad you’re listening to feedback Zipper.

These improvements are all ones I wanted.
jvdarula
October 22, 2009 at 7:53 am PDT

i would like 2 kno if we can get custom soundtracks?
that-acmilan-guy
October 22, 2009 at 7:53 am PDT

i wish i was in the beta.:(
Lemondish
October 22, 2009 at 7:55 am PDT

Just a friendly comment…this isn’t likely to be the best place to post your feedback about these features. Head on over to the community forums (linked above in the blog post) and sound off your fears there. A huge amount of these changes look to be designed specifically from feedback provided by folks just like you.

Thanks for the update Seth. There’s no words to express how wonderful it is to see patch notes and changes for us to see, something rarely done with console games these days.

Also, is that screenshot new and representative of the tuning done? My memory may be wonky, or it could just be the small iPhone screen (posting from work), but that shot seems to show off a level of graphical prowess that I certainly don’t recall from my experiences thus far in the beta. I must confess however that I’ve been consumed by Uncharted 2 and Demon’s Souls so my MAG dedication hasn’t been so great.

I’m excited to jump back into the beta tonight as soon as I get home :)
DANO69
October 22, 2009 at 7:56 am PDT

SETH LUISHI….LMAOOOO….You still have a job ?……WHY SONY WHY….Almost 5 years of ruining games and he still has one. I DON’T GET IT !!!!
DMPrince
October 22, 2009 at 7:56 am PDT

is it a 2GB update?
MartB64
October 22, 2009 at 8:02 am PDT

apparently 2.6 GB
WackyWeedCreed
October 22, 2009 at 8:07 am PDT

8000 updates!

Awesome thanks Zipper, very unexpected for a beta!
TuxBobble
October 22, 2009 at 8:15 am PDT

Honestly so far the beta has caused me to change my mind about a preorder. I’m NO LONGER preordering this game, based on my time with it in beta.

It’s good, but it’s definitely got too much of a “tech demo” feel to it right now. Obviously that’s okay since it’s a beta–it shouldn’t feel like a full 100% polished product yet.

But it’s just not my kind of game. I was excited that the SOCOM team would be doing this game, despite Confrontation going to another team. But now, I’m left without SOCOM AND missing Zipper…

Just a shame–I wish they had worked on SOCOM instead of this (and instead of having /6 work on Confrontation–no offense /6 the game is great now but it took a while to get there)
WestSiide
October 22, 2009 at 8:17 am PDT

open beta to all?
joseph2411
October 22, 2009 at 8:22 am PDT

Can the 2GB update be downloaded in background or is it again a small client and you have to download 2GB in-game?
s1vrNb1ck
October 22, 2009 at 8:25 am PDT

It’s only 36MB update this time, and thx for the great update ;)
s1vrNb1ck
October 22, 2009 at 8:27 am PDT

Oh, after 36MB update, we still need to download 3GB update ;(
mywhitenoise
October 22, 2009 at 8:27 am PDT

I dont like the beta at all. I’m a huge Warhawk fan but not into FPS games, I was hoping this would bridge the two. Killzone 2, and Resistance’s multiplayer is better than MAGs.
bravo9zero
October 22, 2009 at 8:27 am PDT

Nice job Zipper! (From the UK)
QrafTee
October 22, 2009 at 8:29 am PDT

Vote/kick, better framerate, and environment/weapon tweaks? Sweet.
HatmanTc
October 22, 2009 at 8:31 am PDT

@22 you know Zipper didnt work on Socom. and that sure it was broken on launch day but it runs find now.
evildude683
October 22, 2009 at 8:41 am PDT

Vote/Kick
Thank you Sony!!!
I hate playing with ppl that just keep killing team mates.

BTW: you guys should make the voice chat like “push to talk” is really annoying to listen some obese hard breathing ppl
bedhead1
October 22, 2009 at 8:43 am PDT

hey!
please can you send me a key?
you sent me one [DELETED] but i was on holiday and by the time i got back online it had run out by 1 day..
please please send another to me if you can
thanking you in advance marc
juand234
October 22, 2009 at 8:45 am PDT

looks good
Lemondish
October 22, 2009 at 9:00 am PDT

@evildude683

I know what you mean with the push to talk. I also hate it when folks carry on a conversation
with their parents/friends/significant other while we’re expertly defending a bunker. I personally have the decency to mute myself when the gf demands my attention :)
xKillDaWillx
October 22, 2009 at 9:02 am PDT

its gonna take all day to download this… no mag for me today… smh
DarkFire45
October 22, 2009 at 9:03 am PDT

This is not a public Beta. A public Beta is when anyone and everyone can join the Beta free of charge, mostly in order to test how much strain the servers can take. Telling people they need to pay money and pre-order the game in order to get access to the Beta is not a public beta. You guys are losing a lot of potential customers (like myself) who are on the fence about this game and want to try it first without making an initial commitment to actually getting the game. Get your [DELETED] together
thegiblet75
October 22, 2009 at 9:05 am PDT

Beta has been awesome fun, though last couple of weeks has brought a bunch of noobs in.

On the fence about this – I am sure it will kill off Warhawk (thought I haven’t played that in ages). Wish I wasn’t being booted of for the preorder people, but that’s life I guess.
PAPAG30RG10
October 22, 2009 at 9:15 am PDT

I’m really enjoying the Beta. I would like to play something other than Acquisition though. Any chance of unlocking some of the other game modes?

Oh, is this a quick update, or a re-download the entire thing update?
- Scott McCarthy
  October 22, 2009 at 3:39 pm PDT
  
  Gametypes other than Acquisition are scheduled for this round of testing. As a consequence, a full re-download is required.