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Detailed a couple months back, SOCOM: Confrontation's DLC pack "Cold Front" arrives later today on the PlayStation Network for the introductory price of $10 ($15 after December 20), though we're just seeing it in action today with a couple of gameplay trailers.

The DLC includes not just five new maps, but snow effects, a new gameplay mode and ... wait, what's this? Fancy new clothes! Nothing says "tactical warfare" like goose down jackets! Get a taste for the DLC, then test your mettle against the urge to get fashionable, just after the break.

[Thanks, Edgar]

Done with the MAG beta? Bored? Well, you could always jump back into SOCOM Confrontation, especially now that the long-teased 1.60 update is live. Highlights from 1.6 include the addition of new special forces: Dutch KCT and the Italian COMSUBIN Special Forces teams, each equipped with unique weapons, and four new weapons for all players: the 9mm Sub and M82A1A for the Mercenaries and the AK-74 and SR-25 for the Commandos.

In addition to the new content, the 1.6 patch fixes a number of bugs ranging from serious "players were being booted out of the game to the XMB while loading into and during gameplay" to minute. The full patch notes can be seen on SOCOM.com.

[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]

Listen up, soldiers -- we've got new intel from the PS Blog on the enemy and it appears your unique set of SOCOM: Confrontation skills are needed in the snow-covered lands of eastern Europe. If you've got the mettle, we'll be taking the fight to the enemy in five new warzones: Uprising; Entrapment; Blizzard; Night Stalker; and Vigilance -- two of which are brand new zones of conflict while the remaining three war zones are from previous SOCOM campaigns. We'll also be needing those of you brave enough to enlist to hit the books and gain intel on Arms Run, an all-new multiplayer mode where players must destroy or activate a series of dynamically placed missile silos.

Considering we're tossing you out into these icy, blinding conditions, we're also providing you with more than the fancy white goose-down gear you see above (we pay extra for goose feather because we care): soldiers who enlist in the new Cold Front DLC pack will also gain access to a new thermal scope attachment, allowing you to spot the enemy much more effectively. You'll be dealing with the Russian Spetsnaz in these new areas, soldier -- so we're also going to give you some new weapons, ordinance and the option to choose primary and secondary specializations with unlockable equipment unique to the specific skill set you choose.

Finally, the bad news: due to the current economic conditions affecting the country, you'll need to help us recoup some of the cost of keeping the war machine oiled up trying to make a better tomorrow. As such, all soldiers who sign up for Cold Front will be required to pay an initial fee of $14.99 -- however it'll only set back our most dedicated troops $9.99 if they sign up in the first 24 hours, the SOCOM Blog reports. The information on when Operation: Cold Front DLC will deploy is currently on a need-to-know basis and we'll be sure to let you know when you need to know.

After months of silence, Slant Six and Sony have finally announced the deployment date of SOCOM Confrontation 1.50. Supposedly PSN's biggest first-party multiplayer game (so far), the long-awaited 1.50 patch adds a number of key features, such as Clan Ladders, Tournaments, Calendar, Follow-A-Friend, and Private Games, in addition to fixing a number of issues. The full list of updates can be seen after the break.

Of course, this isn't all that's coming for SOCOM. After 1.50 will be the even-more-long-awaited 1.60 patch, which will add free DLC to the game. Considering the lengthy wait for 1.50, it might take quite some time before we see that one ship.

According to a recent Sony press release, two more best-selling PS3 titles are getting the ol' "Red Box" treatment. Beginning Sunday, August 16, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation (sans headset) will reach "Greatest Hits" status, dropping their respective MSRPs down to a reasonable $29.99.

Fans of the SOCOM series will likely be thrilled about Confrontation's markdown -- but every self-respecting PS3 owner needs to have Uncharted in their collection. Now that you can make that happen with just a Hamilton and a Jackson, you've really got no reason to go without.

What's the biggest online game on the PS3? No, it's not Killzone 2. No, it's not even Resistance 2. According to SCEA senior producer Mark Rogers, SOCOM Confrontation stands above both of Sony's high-profile first-party FPS offerings by having the most simultaneous online connections on the PlayStation Network. He attributes Confrontation's success to the community's commitment to the franchise. Whereas other gamers may play an online game for a few weeks and move on, SOCOM fans have proven to be far more dedicated (despite the game's ... troubled launch).

The devotion of the SOCOM community will be rewarded by an upcoming patch, Rogers promises. While the Slant Six team has been largely quiet about progress on the patch, he says the massive scale and scope of the patch has led to an extended testing cycle. With the promise of DLC in the future, it's clear that SOCOM addicts will find even more reason to avoid playing other games for a long time.

SOCOM: Confrontation will soon join the DLC fold, with new content scheduled to drop later this summer. While details on the new content are slim, the game's official site promises more information will be made available in the upcoming weeks. What we do know is the content will include a new area of operation, a new game mode, along with new maps (teased in the tiny image above), characters, weapons and attachments.

Audiophiles will also be happy to hear the game's music will be updated and players can select a new voice-over when the content arrives. Now that SOCOM: Confrontation has evolved beyond its original feature-sparse retail release, we're excited for new ways to get tactical on our online enemies.