SOCOM so-not-coming to Europe in 2008
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Nov 28th 2008 at 8:18AM }
Hope you weren't waiting for your SOCOM fix, our dear European reader. Looks like SOCOM Confrontation has been delayed to "early 2009," according to Eurogamer. While American gamers have had their hands on the game for a few months, the experience has been less than stellar, with a very buggy launch followed by a number of frequent patches. Perhaps when Confrontation lands in Europe, the game will actually ... what's the word we're looking for? Oh yes -- work.The game will be bundled with the official PS3 Bluetooth headset, just like it did in America. Should it be priced the same as in the US, the bundle will still be a terrific deal.
[Thanks, Christopher G.!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Albanian_Killa @ Nov 28th 2008 8:25AM
SOCOM does work :| It had horrible server issues for the first two weeks, but that's all over. The game WORKS. I mean, now, the next patch won't even focus on making sure you don't get booted, instead, will focus on giving you Trophies, and a lot more other features. Boots hardly happen to me anymore.
Seriously, these reviews have blown the game out of proportion. Check out 1UP's review. They changed it from a C something to a B+ (the same as Resistance). Don't take the image the SOCOM is still broken, because it's not. I'm not saying the game doesn't have lag at times, because it behaves like any other online game.
ill trooper @ Nov 28th 2008 11:47PM
The levels are great. The shooting and controls are jittery, but I can accept it as SOCOM.
Sadly the problem with SOCOM:Confrontation is the totally inferior online interface. Just horrible, and this is an online-only game. It breaks my heart as SOCOM/SOCOM II were always my favorites in the PS2 days, and I still have fond memories of playing it and the sequels. Still the best match gimmicks to this day (bomb setting/diffusing, hostage rescue) but this new version falls short in the key area of ONLINE and joining your friends, which is frustrating because that's all it is anyway! As we all know there is no single-player 'offline' anything, not even an 'explore the levels, practice shooting' offline mode - so to go off on their own "conceptual interface" (and I'm being kind) was really the wrong move - it's actually confusing and hard to meet up with friends.
Really upsetting. Maybe they will bring the SOCOM franchise back to glory with some updates to that horrid online interface, currently the worst of any gaming experience this year: "You have accepted an invite. Go back to the other screen and pick a server yourself, as I, the computer, cannot be bothered."
Marky264 @ Nov 28th 2008 8:35AM
I gave up the idea of buying this here in Australia since they ditched the idea of selling the Official Bluetooth Headset with Socom and Bundled it with EndWar instead. Sorry But i'm not buying this unless im convinced it's bug free, Cheap, Worth it.
collegekid13 @ Nov 28th 2008 8:50AM
i hope they can make it finally work. my psn works great with no crashes on every other game but this one. and this one still kills the console as well.
andrew @ Nov 28th 2008 9:05AM
Europe - Screwed Over Again.
Archon @ Nov 28th 2008 9:23AM
Uch. I preordered that for 5 pounds spending all my Game Vouchers and Reward Card cash so I could get my hands on the headset almost free.
Well, at least I received my PS3 Keyboard today. I'll be happy to review it for you here if anyone's interested.
PS3Lee @ Nov 28th 2008 9:34AM
Got my keyboard today but haven't had a chance to try it yet (still at work). What did you think of it ? Is the 'mouse' function any good ? I pre-ordered it with the headset aswell but they have said there is a 'major' shortage of headsets and will send as soon as possible !!
Still, not complaining as I only paid £17 for each of them.
Archon @ Nov 28th 2008 9:43AM
Well, my first impressions are quite positive. The keypad can be used with or without the joypad. Does not drain power from the pad - is powered independently. Used it in the PS3 browser and Home and it is quite comfy to use, but needs getting used to. I keep it clamped on the pad at all times and it's very unobstructive. Does not cover the shoulder buttons at all and is very light, so after a couple of minutes you forget that it's parasiting on your controller. I don't really get the mouse pointer function and how is it different from the standard left analog stick (help please?) but the Friends and Messages buttons work great popping out the menus without any hiccup. The PS3 is fully aware of the keypad, showing a special, extended charge icon that includes your current keypad mode (keyboard or mouse) and the PS input menu tooltips are redesigned to help with the keypad features. There's also a power switch on the side which helps you save batteries. You charge it the same way as you would your normal controller. That's all I can write inbetween making a pizza I'm afraid, so excuse me ;)
PS3Lee @ Nov 28th 2008 10:13AM
Cheers for that Archon. I'll have a play with it later (the keyboard nothing else, before I get loads of abuse !!).
LiveStock @ Nov 28th 2008 9:27AM
This "Socom is broken" state of mind reminds me a lot of the "PS3 has no games" chant. It has been quite some time since the PS3 has been dry on quality games, yet there are still many websites, forum posters, and bloggers that love to point out that the "PS3 has no games". My clan has been playing Socom Confrontation nightly since launch and haven't had any real issues since five days after launch. Five days. Somehow those five days have killed the game forever. Socom is doomed to stay in the public mindset as broken, right along with "PS3 has no games". It's a real shame too because gameplay wise my clan believes this is the best of the series. Too bad the game uhh... doesn't work?
Btw, PS3fanboy is supposed to break the trend of negativity towards the PS3 in its reporting, not contribute to it.
deaftly @ Nov 28th 2008 9:40AM
You're still totally flaming.
Archon @ Nov 28th 2008 9:48AM
I'm afraid he's right though. I hate it when they do that and still call themselves 'PS3 Fanboy'.
Marky264 @ Nov 28th 2008 10:00AM
so how else are PS3 Fanboy going to tell the community this bad news for people wanting to buy the game? Oh I know lets tell em it'll be out after Christmas for the rest of world and the US Got it months ago? Theres no real way of telling Negative News in a Positive way either way it's negative and this is a loss for the games reputation and a very bad move not having a worldwide release. This is getting forgotton as Resistance 2 has just been released as well as Killzone 2 being released in beginning of 2009. Face it Socom did not succeed on reviving the franchise.
LiveStock @ Nov 28th 2008 10:11AM
@deaftly
Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.
@Marky264
Please read my comment before you comment on my comment. If you had you would of realized that I was talking about PS3fanboy still acting like Socom doesn't work, when it has been working fine since less than a week after launch.
j.howlett @ Nov 28th 2008 10:20AM
how does it need to be revived if people are still play the older games? it stumbled into this gen but still has time.
deaftly @ Nov 28th 2008 4:39PM
A fanboy telling someone else to stop drinking the kool-aid. HAH!. Its a piece of plastic made by a mega corporation that you love for blind loyalty. How retarded does that sound?
Andrew Yoon @ Nov 28th 2008 11:18AM
To anyone that thinks I'm an Xbox 360 fanboy -- grow up. I spend more time on my PS3 (and 360) than you, guaranteed. Unlike you, I'm not going to let Sony get by with their mistakes. Without sites like ours, do you think Sony would've ever made in-game XMB? Trophy support? Universal logins? Don't be complacent about your system of choice -- actively work to make it better. There's still a lot that can be done to make PS3 (and its games) better. And blind fanboyism isn't a part of that.
Also, wait until you play Killzone. You will see how broken R2 and SOCOM are compared to K2.
j.howlett @ Nov 28th 2008 11:29AM
i took it the 360 fanboy thing as a joke. i've enjoyed games on all current gen systems. i just think, as a reader of the joystiq networks, ps3fanboy could use some more positive energy.
deaftly @ Nov 28th 2008 4:39PM
Well said Andrew, blind fanboyism to a piece of plastic is absolutely retarded. There is good news and bad news for everything, and people tell me to stop drinking the kool-aid.
*shrugs*
Albanian_Killa @ Nov 28th 2008 12:40PM
@Andrew Yoon: Okay, so you're saying Killzone 2 operates better than Resistance 2 and SOCOM. Fine. It in no way means that SOCOM or Resistance 2 are broken/don't work. Gears of War 2 had horrible matchmaking before the patch (I don't know how it handles after the patch) and I hardly saw anyone calling the online broken. Please, like the original poster said, this is just continuing the negativity of "PS3 has no game"-style bashing. I agree with you, we need to get on Sony if we find something wrong, but I mean, when we complained about the Trophies, they gave it to us. They're making it standard to all games by January. Do we still say "SONY WE WANT OUR TROPHIES!" if they're already there? No. That's why you don't continue to say "SOCOM is broken" on a site visited by many, spreading false information, and ruining potential customers. I was talking to people in the Home theater about SOCOM and their view of the game was so misunderstood due to game sites calling it broken, even when it's not.
That's it for me. I love and enjoy SOCOM, along with LittleBigPlanet. 2008 has by far been the best year this generation for me.
leatherface @ Nov 28th 2008 3:11PM
@andrew, Fu. geers of war 1.5 is broken. R2 and Socom are fun and bigger games. I agree with A_K, nicely put.
JonDoh @ Nov 28th 2008 9:55AM
Man this sucks i had it preordered was mainly buying it for the headset now its been knocked back 4 months wtf?
Think i'll just go buy a headset and give the game a miss.
Mana Knight @ Nov 28th 2008 9:58AM
I will first off admit I do NOT own SOCOM: Confrontation. However, many of my friends own it. From what I heard, the network issues were ONLY bad around the time the game first came out, but it seems to be okay right now.
The problem with the game at the moment is still not really being complete (lacking trophies and a few other features). What I believe is SCEE does not want to release it until Patch 1.3 features are released (so the game has trophies and a bit more complete), which makes sense. I was a bit upset for SCEA for allowing SOCOM to be released as is (when it could have used more time for development to add stuff).
While it sucks Europe has to wait, they will get a much more complete package.
From the Editor of this article saying "work" kind of tells me he MUST not have played it since the initial release (or fell into all the negative press). Maybe I should be one of the PS3 Fanboy Staff because I certainly wouldn't be negative to PS3.
maxpontiac @ Nov 28th 2008 10:24AM
Sorry, I thought this was PS3fanboy...
cartman58 @ Nov 28th 2008 12:49PM
Am I the only one that finds it a little funny that Europeans would want to buy a game where you play as the US Navy Seals? :shrugs:
j.howlett @ Nov 28th 2008 12:59PM
you could play other special forces in the older games. i also know of americans that play futbol video games
deaftly @ Nov 28th 2008 11:16AM
Andrew, I feel for you when you have to read the comments here :(
Devin @ Nov 30th 2008 12:47AM
I love how countering an argument that one thinks is false is considered fanboyism... It's the moral of it deaftly. If someone says LBP is 'broken' b/c of the lag at the beginning of it's launch, why can't I say that they are wrong and that in my experience and others', their conclusion is false due to the updates MM has made available, and b/c I have yet to experience any real hickups since their latest update?
I spend more time having to defend the PS3 from retarded, unmerited and biased statements than I do just agreeing. I do this b/c that black piece of plastic that you refer to is sitting in my home theater and is something that I own and want to see represented fairly. Does this make me a PS3fanboy, too, even though I play and enjoy the other white piece of plastic sitting in my brother's room upstairs?
ryan @ Nov 29th 2008 7:57PM
You are one hated dude on this post! lol, but really, because people are fanboys does that mean they have to blind themselves of other great games on another consoles?
Do they have to eat the load of trash that a company is feeding them and with a turd faced smile say "This is Grrrrreat!"
If that's a fanboy, I wouldn't want to be one. Thank god the people that run PS3fanboy are level headed folks and don't spread lies just to "keep an upbeat positive tone".
To any PS3fanboy reading this: When you read some negative news here, don't think "oh, these guys don't like the PS3, why are they even writing about it". Instead think: "Hey, I deserve better than what Sony is giving me!"
Dan Rabot @ Nov 28th 2008 11:22AM
I'm still looking forward to Socom, and the headset. I'm not so worried about waiting a couple of months, there are plenty of games out right now to keep me busy till it arrives.
Jacks @ Nov 28th 2008 12:19PM
Call it whatever you want, but some of us still have problems connecting to the servers in SOCOM. The last time I tried to play it a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't make it out of the armory without a disconnect.
I'm in the KZ2 beta and it has a lot less network issues.
Seb @ Nov 28th 2008 12:27PM
Delayed in Europe? Really? Pfft... what else is new?
Joe @ Nov 28th 2008 1:03PM
I rang GAME to check on my pre-order once I seen the date change on the website; and they told me it had been changed to February.
I checked Play.com and they say January 16th 2009
and Zavvi.co.uk says February 19th 2009.
So .. Im guessing its going to be around one of those dates. I'm gonna go ahead and just buy the headset seperately; as thats already out. I take it when socom comes out there will be an option to buy it without the headset... Am I right?
Joe @ Nov 28th 2008 1:07PM
Sorry; Zavvi.co.uk Said February 13th 2009
JonDoh @ Nov 28th 2008 2:56PM
It will be in the PSN store after release.
maxpontiac @ Nov 28th 2008 3:10PM
Andrew -
Resistance 2 broken?? My sons and I have never had one problem playing that game whether it be campaign, co-op, or multiplayer. Why do state that it is broken? If it's because you don't like it, fine, but don't make statements that do not have merit.
As with SOCOM, I couldn't tell you first hand, but all of my friends say (that have it) that things are running much better and are nearly problem free.
As with your "grow up" comment, I am not even going to address this. Why? It's seems to be the typical internet response from those who are confronted..
Finally, I appreciate this website for what it brings to the net, and to PS3 fans such as myself. However, I do suggest that you think about your statements before you post unfounded criticism towards the PS3 on a site entitled "PS3fanboy". It looks rather rediculous.
zero-zeon @ Nov 28th 2008 4:39PM
IMPORT...............for fuck sake
p.flynn2 @ Nov 28th 2008 9:34PM
I for one STILL get booted after playing for a short period of time. This may be caused by other factors (I am forced to play with NAT type 3 because im on a college internet connection) but I have no way of knowing. All I know is that I have never had any problems playing online with any other games. Why is SOCOM: Confrontation any different? It leads me to believe there are still problems.
What it boils down to: I bought socom planning on getting pretty involved and good but because of network problems, I am never able to stay connected long enough to develop any kind of groove in game. It sucks, I get frustrated and quit. Then, I play Halo 3 on my roommates xbox360 - never have any problems connecting with that.
sgtk @ Nov 28th 2008 11:01PM
The only network problems that really still affect the game are when you freeze b/c you use the mic during round changes sometimes (which is probably sonys software related), and people with bad connections. (your connection speed might be fine, but if you have packet loss the game may still boot you due to the game having a built in latency detector to keep people from cheating). Usually happens with Nat 3 b/c that is behind a firewall and causes the packet loss.
The game has been fine after the first week after launch other than that.
The only bad thing you can possibly say about it is that it is incomplete with the features that it promised at launch. (Which are slowly being releases as they implement them ie trophies).
The game only got so much negative press b/c it was online only and the networks had not been fined tuned to run the game. If Socom had had a single player game, it probably would have been given a lot more love for the simple facts people would have had something to do until the servers were fixed.
I remember playing CoD4 the first week it came out, 9v9 lagged horrible, could not even play one map, Bogged (i think that was the name). It got plenty of love b/c it had single player to keep people occupied while they optimized the servers.
Just goes to show you how impatient people are. How they never look at the big picture.
Confucius @ Nov 29th 2008 1:00AM
I agree that this game has been given a lot of negative press just because of one week of it not working.
But it does work now and it's not broken just incomplete.
The only issue I have now is sometimes getting stuck in spectator mode, which can get very annoying.
Windmill @ Nov 29th 2008 3:40AM
Doh! >.<
I live in New Zealand. I don't care for this game. I just want the headset. I went to EB Games and it has been delayed twice. Is this the cause? Will I not get the headset until "Early 2009"? I don't believe I can wait that long.
optimusprime @ Nov 29th 2008 2:57PM
Andrew: How can you compare Killzone 2's online to Socom's or R2's? Killzone 2 is in beta, which means it has much fewer users playing it. Let's wait till the game is out with everyone playing it, and see how the online still holds.
And I have been playing Resistance 2 co-op for a while now (I'm at level 16) and I rarely have any issues. Seriously, you need to be more positive in your posts. I have no problems of pointing problems when they do exist, but when everyone is saying that Socom's online is not broken anymore, you need to do some more fact checking before posting it.
J-MART @ Nov 30th 2008 12:46AM
It really sucks reading comments like this. There are too many blind zombies wandering around Playstation forums all over the internet. I do not want to sit around and get fed shit and just accept it. I hate saying this because as soon as it comes out of my mouth I'm immediately labeled as a 360 fanboy, but if all these Playstation owners were forced to play a 360 for a week, 90% would say they would rather keep the 360. It's guaranteed. It's just so much better in so many ways.
It sucks to see my might Playstation fall to second place, but it has. Sony has to realize that they have to severely step up their game if they want to regain their spot atop the thrown. Microsoft stepped it up and it has done wonders. I want to see my Playstation succeed, but right now if I had to toss a system then my 360 would be the one left on the shelf.
This is all coming from a 360 AND PS3 Fanboy.
yung los @ Dec 17th 2008 3:53PM
it started out good at first then those bugs kept coming up and i was just watching my brother in law on a daily basis it kept saying server issues and froze when he would try to go into a game locked up maybe slant 6 should not have even tried to make this one zipper had perfect timing on all of these making them all great games til now hope zipper hurries up with their version