A year ago, Zipper Interactive was closed after poor sales for several titles in a row. Seeing the creator of SOCOM go down in flames was a hard sight for the eyes of any gamer, but it may have actually been more tragic than once thought.
Linkedin accounts for two former Zipper Interactive designers have revealed that the studio had ambitious projects in development when it was shut down last March. According to job details the studio had two games in its production line, one of which was a first-person shooter for an "unannounced system". Considering Zipper Interactive was a first-party studio and Unit 13 was listed seperately, it's fair to assume either a new M.A.G. or SOCOM for the PS4 were likely candidates
The PS4 is exactly what M.A.G. would've loved to have. The PS3 gasped for air as it tried to render the 256-player online battles wars of M.A.G. Its visual presentation was compromised greatly to allow for such a feat making it an ambitious but ahead of its time investment that potentially cost Zipper Interactive its life.
SOCOM may have fallen greatly after its initial years of success, but it's the kind of game PlayStation needs. There are several shooters that come out each year, each with minor differences, but they all try to accomplish the same thing. SOCOM always emphasized tactics and teamwork, with epic competitive experiences ensuing. That's something you almost never see from anything except SOCOM and PC exclusives.
The PS4 would have offered both series a higher capacity for visuals, a more comfortable controller for shooters, streaming options, and more advanced community features. It's very sad that we won't get to see what would've resulted, and all we can do at this point is hope that more studios don't suffer the same fate.
