While we’re dealing with rumours that suck – new rumour suggest that Sony’s all set to shutter the studio behind combat shooters SOCOM, MAG, and most recently Unit 13 for the PlayStation Vita.
In the previous generation, Zipper’s SOCOM 2 was quite probably the most played, and most beloved modern combat shooter in existence – but they’ve managed to piss away all that goodwill this gen, releasing games that were heavily overshadowed by the likes of Battlefield and Call of Duty.
Kotaku’s heard whispers that staff at Zipper Interactive were being hit with layoffs – and that large-scope project cancellations could lead to the studio shutting down all together. It’s unfortunate for the studio that it’s large-scale military shooter MAG failed to get any traction, and that SOCOM 4 which was expected to perform well ended up being released right in the middle of the PSN’s infamous hack-related month-long downtime. Not being able to play an online-focused multiplayer shooter online? Yeah, that’d kill it.
If this unfortunate rumour is true, it means any future SOCOM titles would likely be passed off to Slant Six Games – most recently behind the abomination that is Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.
Yeah…So long, SOCOM.
Last Updated: March 26, 2012
