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MAG “Moves,” Plus Our New Beta Program
posted by Jeremy Dunham, August 17, 2010 11:15 am

If you’re a fan of our massive 256-player first-person shooter, MAG, then today’s news should be of great interest to you.

Truth be told, we have so many tremendous revisions coming to our “ever-changing global war” that it’s almost impossible to tell you about everything we have planned in a single article… but we have to begin somewhere, and we’re starting with PlayStation Move!

That’s right, later this Autumn MAG will offer full compatibility with the PlayStation Move! This added support means that users have another way to experience the most ambitious first-person shooter out there. Pinpoint accuracy and easy access to all of the game’s mechanics ensure that players of any type — be they hardened veterans or new recruits — can enjoy a shooting experience unlike any other.

But PlayStation Move support isn’t all we’re working on. Because our upcoming content is so important to the game and its future, we want your assistance to make sure we get it right! With that notion in mind we’re pleased to announce that, one week from today on August 24, we’re inviting existing MAG owners to take part in the all-new MAG Beta program!

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Raven, SVER and Valor chill on Silverback Ridge.

What are you going to play and test, you ask? How about the oft-demanded “Clan Deploy” feature that allows clan leaders to choose any game type and queue up to 128 clan members for matches as a team? Sure, that’s a great start but we’re also bringing in a brand-new Skill tree system that improves how our character customization system works — complete with new skills and new abilities. What’s more is that we’re introducing an in-game economy system that allows users to earn “Credit Points” by completing objectives, finishing missions, and killing enemies. They can then spend those points to purchase new weapons and gear.

MAG Beta testers will also have the opportunity to try out our upcoming DLC game-type, “Escalation,” well before it becomes available. The most frenetic MAG game mode yet, Escalation offers three brand-new faction-neutral maps with never-before-seen environments that pit a total of 96 players from all three PMCs against each other simultaneously. For the first time ever, Raven, Valor and SVER will be on a single map going after the same objectives at the same time. It’s complete insanity and a whole lot of fun, and we can’t wait for you to try it out. As an added bonus, we’re including nine all-new weapons that add even more firepower to your already-sweet arsenal as well.

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Radiant Barrens is hot!

That’s not all, of course, as we have plenty of other surprises in store for the new MAG Beta program that we haven’t mentioned yet — like the beta’s ability to support multiple character slots so that players can check out each PMC — but some things are best left for you to discover on your own.

To participate in the new MAG beta, all you have to do is download the client software from the PlayStation Store when it becomes available next week, insert your MAG disc into the PlayStation 3, sign-in to the beta client and… BOOM! You’re good to go. Reminder: You must have the MAG disc in your PS3 in order for the new beta client to work.

Amazingly, today’s announcement only scratches the surface of what’s planned for MAG’s future. That’s why we’re updating the Official MAG Blog constantly over the next few weeks with new and more detailed information of what you can look forward to. We’re even holding a special edition of our popular Zipline Podcast this Friday that will answer your questions about our future plans with special guest, Zipper Game Director Seth Luisi (if you have a question for the podcast, post it here)!

As always, the entire team at Zipper Interactive would like to thank you, our fans, for your feedback, loyalty and enthusiasm. Your continued support is what makes MAG what it is today, and it’s what inspires us to to make it better.

Needless to say ill be in this beta for sure!

yea i may b there 2

Man that radiant barrens place looks like it will be sick to play in, mainly because it looks unique compared to all the other maps.

Also, more info about Escalation, their new game mode

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MAG Escalation: A Closer Look
posted by Jeremy Dunham, August 18, 2010 10:29 am

If you caught our previous blog update, you already know that the upcoming “Escalation” game mode will be available for play in our new MAG Beta program starting August 24. What you don’t know, however, is what Escalation is and how it works, which is exactly what we’re about to show you.

Simply put, Escalation is a simultaneous three-faction battle for resources that supports up to 96 players, or one 32-man platoon for each PMC. The ultimate goal for each Escalation map is to earn the maximum number of points before time runs out or, if time does expire, to have the most points overall. Whichever team meets this goal wins the map and some additional Shadow War points for the cause.

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Isla de Magma

Points are gained as Raven, SVER and Valor vie for control of wind, thermal and solar energy objectives — but it’s not as easy as just “running to all your objectives” and holding them until the end. Instead, Escalation is made up of two phases:

For the initial phase, all three teams fight it out to hold the map’s A, B and C objectives — but when any of the three teams gains control of two of these objectives, the second phase kicks off. In this second phase, the original three objectives are locked and a brand-new fourth objective (D) is opened up. The mission now challenges the PMC that took the two objectives originally to defend D against both attacking groups as long as possible; if the D objective is lost, then play reverts back to phase 1 again and the war continues on until we have a winner.

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Radiant Barrens

In practice, Escalation is a ton of fun and has been the subject of countless post-game “wow” conversations internally here at Zipper. Of course, one of the main reasons our reactions have been so strong — outside the obvious madness that comes with all three factions battling it out at once — are the maps that go along with it. All three Escalation environments are all unlike any that have been seen in MAG before. Whether it’s the sunny beaches of “Isla de Magma,” the mountains of “Silverback Ridge,” or the desert wasteland of “Radiant Barrens,” the locales are as fascinating as they are colossal. Besides, any MAG game mode that lets you fight out in the heart of a sweltering volcano gets automatic fun points — it’s just a fact of life.

To check out Escalation for yourself, be sure to download the new MAG Beta client from the PlayStation Store for free starting August 24. Keep in mind that you will have to have the retail version of MAG in order for the client to work and that the time and access to the beta may be limited, so you won’t want to miss it.

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Silverback Ridge

Im so happy that this will be in the beta so that i can tell if i will like this or not, and get some actual feedback on whether or not people would buy this so i dont make the same mistake of buying interdiction

these maps look awsome.im playin for sure

radient barrens looks like tatoonie (sp?)

well i'll buy the maps whether or not i play the beta lol i'm such a Maggot for that lol i'll prolly buy anything mag related

^lol ya, i am gonna be stuck in my basement 4 this, better stock up the mini fridge...

lol, joking...

im serious...

stop looking at me...

i hate you all...

lol it's ok i'll be stuck in my room for awhile 2

Just a note, i will keep adding anything to do with the beta here

MAG Character Customization: The New Standard
posted by Jeremy Dunham, August 19, 2010 10:45 am

This has been an exciting week for MAG, and we’re continuing that momentum today with a closer look at the improved character customization that’s debuting in our new MAG Beta program starting August 24.

To begin with, the MAG Beta will support up to three different character slots per PSN ID so that players can try their hand at any PMC without having to start over again. Please note that when you boot up the beta for the first time your existing MAG character will be auto-copied to “Slot A.” However, this copied character is now completely independent of your original character and he exists solely in the beta universe. In other words, whatever happens to the beta character after the copy process does not affect your character in the retail game.

Another new feature premiering in the MAG Beta is the increase in level cap. Whereas your character stopped advancing at level 60 in the retail version, the beta now allows him to keep going until level 70. Pretty sweet, we know.

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You can access the supply depot from your primary menu screen.

Of course, the biggest difference you’ll find in the new MAG Beta versus the retail game is the progression system. Broken into two main parts, the improved progression offers both an in-game economy and an enhanced skill tree. Combined, they allow players to create and upgrade their alter egos in ways that weren’t possible in MAG before.

MAG’s in-game economy works just like a storefront; Currency Points (CP) are earned by netting kills and completing objectives and are then used to make in-game purchases which outfit and equip your character. Especially important is the fact that weapons and gear are no longer unlocked via the skill tree, because they are now unlocked via your character’s level and Currency Points. Once characters have achieved the level necessary to unlock a weapon or gear item, that item is then made available for purchase in the “Supply Depot.”

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Paying for the weapon you want is easy!

The Supply Depot is a new menu item where all Currency Point purchases are made. Here, items that are currently available for procurement are shown with their CP cost highlighted next to them, while items not yet accessible are shown grayed out. Items that can be bought here include everything from most weapons and gear (divided into classes for easy navigation) to wearable goodies like hats, uniforms, and glasses. Plus, as an added benefit for players who may not like their choices as much as they’d first hoped, all items can be “returned” to the store for a percentage of their original cost. Oh, and don’t worry if you don’t have enough CP to buy what you need just right off the bat — CP doesn’t max out, so you can continue to earn the points even after you hit the level 70 cap and buy what you want when you can afford it.

Because of the beta’s new CP setup, the means of upgrading your character has been enhanced to support it. For example, players no longer have to save skill points to unlock skills since all skills now cost only 1 Skill Point to unlock (or more specifically, you can add one new upgrade with every “level up”). Sure, each individual upgrade may be smaller but now you can control your pace and end more specialized and powerful in the end.

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Our updated skill tree is much more customizable.

In addition, we’ve also introduced a number of extra skills to the tree. “Improved Repair Speeds, Health Kit Recharge Rates” and “Sprint Speed” are just a few of the abilities you can expect to see for the very first time. Plus, we’ve categorized skills into classes for better navigation. In fact, here are the meta-categories you have at your disposal:

Assault
Marksman
Close Quarters
Spec Ops
Medical
Engineering
Athleticism
Vehicles
Resistances

*cont*

*cont*

Alert! Here’s a “thanks for reading this far bonus!”
As our little message above says, as a thank you for reading the entire article so far (or for skipping ahead, whatever!), we’re including one last bit of bonus info in this post — namely, the additional weapons that the MAG Beta is going to let you test out. Totaling nine in all, the bonus guns come in sets of three for each PMC (one Assault Rifle, one Machine Gun, and one Sniper Rifle). The following checklist tells you what they are, and you can click on each one to see what they look like.

Raven: Gotha Elite (Assault Rifle) | KP21 (Machine Gun) | Kinmark SRS (Sniper Rifle)
SVER: Tamsen MK2 (Assault Rifle | Ariet SFW (Machine Gun) | Rubakho SVR (Sniper Rifle)
Valor: M31 CIR (Assault Rifle) | M245 (Machine Gun) | Sentinel M421 (Sniper Rifle)

Obviously, there are number of other elements to our improved character customization system that we didn’t cover here, but we have to leave something for you to discover on your own. Even so, we’re confident that this updated setup makes MAG the most immersive and customizable shooter available for PlayStation 3 and we’re anxious to let you try it out. August 24 can’t get here soon enough!

If you wanna see the weapons, here is the link:

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Just click on the link in the blog, its easy

Yea i just read that sounds awesome

IM IN THE BETA FOR SURE!!!!!!!

... Ravens. New. Sniper.

This is delicious!

Really, cannot wait for all these additions. I'm very pleased that zipper is supporting mag as they are. hopefully this'll boost the community count as well.