MAG Beta 4 Starts…Now!

155 10

Hello everyone,

My name is Jeremy Dunham (PSN ID: zpr_DunhamSmash), Zipper Interactive’s new Senior Community Manager, and I wanted to share some news regarding our latest MAG beta program that we’re kicking off right now. Starting today, we’ve officially moved into our next Beta phase – Beta 4. We’ve made more than 6,000 changes from our last phase to Beta 4, not the least of which include an increased level cap from 40 to 60, a retooled skill tree and experience curve, and an improved ranking system – all based on the feedback from our diligent testing crew.

We’ve also introduced two new major features to Beta 4. We’ve implemented the oft-asked about “proximity chat” feature that allows you to hear enemies communicating as you get closer, or trash talk them yourself as you punch ‘em full of lead. We’ve also introduced Shadow War bonuses. Depending on which PMCs are leading in the number of contracts owned, the entire PMC will earn different bonuses based on gametype. Leading in Sabotage adds experience points, leading in Acquisition increases leadership aura distance, and leading in Domination decreases tactical strike cooldown time.

MAG Beta 1.4 for PlayStation

Other new additions to Beta 4 include improvements to character hit detection and reactions, skill tuning that sees many of the existing skills amped up, refined Leadership abilities and experience points, and numerous other changes that our eagle-eyed testers have spotted over the last cycle.

Beta 4 is exclusive to GameStop pre-orders, and we’ve moved away from our limited pre-scheduled play times and are keeping the servers open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With the change in versions and the last phase now at its end, many of the testers who spent their evenings with us over these last weeks are moving on to other pastures. With that in mind, it’s with great respect that on behalf of the entire MAG team, I want to say thanks to each and every one of you who participated for your hard work, patience, and dedication. Just remember, though, you don’t have to say goodbye just yet. If you still want to participate in our current beta that ends on November 20, all you have to do is pre-order MAG at your local GameStop in the USA and EB Games in Canada to get you the exclusive code you need.

Finally, I wanted to take a moment to let you know that over at MAG.com, we’ve launched our developer blog, which will provide an ongoing behind-the-scenes look at MAG over the next few months before the game launches on January 26, 2010.

Thanks again and I’ll see you on the battlefield.

Comments are closed.

155 Comments

10 Author Replies

  • *All hail the original overlord of Podcast Beyond*

    BEYOND!!!

  • Game is shaping up really well. Can’t wait dudes

  • If I pre ordered previously can I head into gamestop to get a beta code? Pretty please? :3

  • WHOA ANSWERS… this guys is good…. you are already cooler than the last tool.

  • Oh mah GAWD Jeremy Dunham?!

    Beyond! Congrats on the new job. wow.

  • #1 PROXIMITY CHAT ROCKS…

    #2 JUST PRE-ORDER THE DARN THING.. WORST THAT HAPPENS IS YOU DOWNLOAD THE BETA AND DON’T LIKE THE GAME.. SO YOU PUT THE $5 YOU SPENT TOWARD A DIFFERENT GAME.. BIG DEAL..

    PS IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT MAG IS ALL ABOUT AT THIS POINT THEN I HOPE YOU DON’T GET THE GAME… IT IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE BEST FPS EVER MADE.. EITHER YOU LIKE THE GENRE OR NOT.. NOT SURE WHAT IS SO COMPLICATED FOR EVERYONE…

  • I don’t care where you work Dunham. I’m still going to bug you about every minor detail in Smackdown. You can’t hide from us!

  • This sucks, now I can’t play anymore because Gamestop paid you guys off. Such BS.

  • but beta 4 is only 10 days? :(

    Also whats the player cap for this version of the beta?

  • how can i pre-order outside u.s.? Thx…
    Learn from Criterion Games (Burnout Paradise) if you want update addict user base…
    just be sure : this pre-order rule is sux anyway. :(

  • I liked what I played so far so thanks for the update.

    Question. Are you the same Jeremy who worked for IGN?

  • hey thanks mag team for the awesome beta. I’ve played it all weekend long. the ONLY problem in the beta is that it’s not the full 256 player but 128 per game…. but that keeps me waiting for the game that comes out!! :)

  • yea im just ganna say this game is lame. they just want you to pre-order the game now because they know when the beta is closed no one is going to buy this garbage.
    lol jk people…or am i???

  • thanks for allowing me to play this awesome beta – though not a big fan of shooter games, MAG changed that attitude with a game that’s not even out yet! i can’t wait for january! just wish there was another way to get the ultra exclusive RAVEN spyder skin without pre-ordering from gamecrazy. i hear the company isn’t doing so well. GO RAVEN!

  • hi, i start to play the beta since qore released it, that game is the best, its sooo amazing, but its like 1 month i try to get my code for preordering the game but i live in montreal and i think guy you forget us, i call all ebgames in montreal and no one get a word about that code so really sadly i need to wait the release of thegame, anyway guy keep up the good work for this amazing game, so sad i cannot get my code.

  • Nice

  • Darn… I haven’t got a Gamestop beta code yet.
    I did get a BFBC2 code though, free from BestBuy :)
    I loved playing those couple weeks, the game progressed a lot through those 3 updates.

    Have fun Jeremy, looking forward to release.

  • Awh! I was just getting the hang of it! Well, i live in Sweden and the videogamestore of my choice doesn’t have this pre-order offer, and i’m sure as hell not gonna’ buy the game from gamestop. That company charges alot more then they should..

  • Is there a way I can play a beta or demo of this game before it comes out without pre-ordering? I’m not sold on this game unless I get a chance to play it.

  • I’m tired of these “pay for beta” deals. What happened to the gamer advisory panel where gamers are chosen? This is the one thing I hate about this generation of internet ready consoles. Publishers and developers ship buggy, glitchy games and have their own customers do the brunt of the “testing” work for them. *cough* GTAIV, COD4:MW *cough*

  • I like This Game And The Beta Is So Awesome =]

  • in canada u still can’t get a code for pre-ordering …. ebgames employees have no clue about it either … please help!

  • i have been following the game for a long time but i would like to play a demo before purchase. i must say the game looks very nice “from pics/vids” :)

  • Oh I hope the “recieving updates” download isn’t there anymore..

    I mean 2 and a half hours to update is tooo much.

  • is the full game going to be rated M or T ? please reply

  • is the full game going to be rated M or T ? please reply

  • is the full game going to be rated M or T ? please reply

  • is the full game going to be rated M or T ? please reply

  • is the full game going to be rated M or T ? please reply

  • @72

    Same for me! The two answers I got were:

    1)We don’t give beta vouchers anymore
    2)We didn’t receive anything

    Please Jeremy, enlighten us!

    • It\’s definitely part of EB\’s promotion, so right now the only advice I can give is to call their customer support line and see if you can find help through the corporate side.

      If I hear of anything else, I\’ll definitely pass it along.

  • Plus you can’t even background download it. Sooo annoying.

  • sorry guys didnt mean to submit comment so much

  • Hey Jeff,

    I read on the EU forums that there is going to be maintenance tomorrow. Will we have it also? I know it will be late at night, but I think you guys should do a short post so that people don’t freak out….as much.

  • How come the gamestop/EB game store here in Canada/Toronto still don’t have the beta codes?
    I’ve been asking them for weeks now…I REALLY WANT TO JOIN THE BETA!
    Can you do something about it Mr. Jeremy Dunham?

  • if you guys can please add custom soundtracks from the in game XMB

  • i guess ill try out new version of it, been playing since 1st phase

  • Pre-Order betas.

    Let me get this straight..

    I have to spend money..

    To beta test YOUR BUGGY “256” game, and give feedback for it? Which will only succeed if the community is strong.. yet you’re excluding all the BETA users who are going to build the community..?

    lol… Is no one seeing a problem with this trend?

    I’ve been a huge fan/supporter of Zipper/Mag.. but yeah. Looks like Socom all over again.

    Will there at least be a MAG Demo? Jesus christ, these aren’t Xbox360 games. You don’t have to bribe people to buy them. I was – was – buying MAG based on Zippers pedigree alone, but this makes no sense. I’m sorry.

    Early Access to a demo – Maybe thats ok. But to QC a product that needs over “6000” additions from the previous beta, is a joke.

    I hope the people stupid enough to pay to beta, are smart enough to actually give good feedback.

  • Jeremy Dunham, of IGN Editorial Manager fame?

  • I don’t know man. I’m a huge fan of PS3 exclusives but this game seems like it needs a lot of work. graphics could be a little better. the cross-hairs are hard to see. controls feel weird like their in the wrong place. This game is 50/50 for me so far. The thing I love about the game so far is the music at least. I’m gonna try the beta 4 right now. GOD DAMN 2.8GB

  • Just wanted to thank the people at Zipper and Sony for letting the Qore subscribers into the Beta.

    Anyone who is debating getting this game, the Beta was a lot of fun and I’m pretty sure when the game is out to sell it will even be better.

  • Whoa…no way. Is this…like the SAME late Jeremy Dunham of IGN? The one who smoked Nate Ahearn in Fight Night and loved the Ratchet games?

    Now you’re THE community manager at Zipper?

    ….

    Wow. *claps* Nicely done, sir!

    As for the beta. All sounds good to me; it’s just the ‘proximity chat’ part that baffles me a bit. Sure, makes sense to hear others around you, but will you still be able to communicate with specific people you’d wish to keep up with, like your fellow sniper in a different area of a map to confirm a kill or something?

  • I was in phase 1-3, sucks we are locked out of phase 4, but i have complete faith and will defo pick this up on launch!

  • The idea of pre ordering a game to get the demo is just backwards.What if I pre order the game and then don’t like the beta? I’m stuck with it. I will NEVER do this with any game. This is a trend I would love to see go away. If this game is that good you should have opened it up to everyone from the start.
    Like they say “good luck with this”

  • Everyone I have talked with who have tested the game have had nothing but good things to say about it. Just the other night I was asking someone if the game had proximity chat. I guess it does now. I thought it would be nice to sneak up behind someone and shout out someything profound before taking them out.

    I haven’t been in any of the betas, but that’s okay. Just as long as I can get my hands on the game the first day it is out.

    Good work, people. Thank you.

  • Like i said what i said in my quiz for the beta, i don’t know if ill buy it till i try so no pre-order for me

  • Been playing MW2… no time for MAG… But looking forward to seeing how the final build turns out 

  • Wish I was in the BETA. My PS3 is still broken, but I am almost in the process of fixing it finally after 3 months! Lately though I been playing Streets of Rage on my 360. But dang, I can’t wait for my PS3 to be born once again!!

  • Not buying this or putting money on it, unless I have a way to test it out first.

  • This and Killzone 2 made me regret dumping my PS3 phat when I did. Glad I got back into the platform with my PS3 slim! I will sign up to the website with baited breath!

  • How awsome is Greg Miller?

Please enter your date of birth.

Date of birth fields